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THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 

OF  CALIFORNIA 

LOS  ANGELES 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 

in  2007  with  funding  from 

IVIicrosoft  Corporation 


http://www.archive.org/details/americanuniversa02morsiala 


THE  AAIISRICAN 

UNIVERSAL  GEOGRAPHY; 

OR 

A  VIEW  OF  THE  PRESENT  STATE 

OF    ALL    THE 

KINGDOMS,  STATES,  AND  COLONIES 

IN    THE    KNOWN    WORLD. 
I  If    1'IVO    VOLUMES. 

THE  FIRST  VOLUME  <j  scripUon  of  the  remaining  Americaa  IsU 

CoTttaius  a  copious  Introduction,  nclaptcd  t  ands. 
to  the  present  improved  slate  of  Astronom-  ^, .  THE  SECOND  VOLUME 

ical  Science — a  brief  Geography  of  the  S  Contains  a  Geography  of  the  Eastern  Con- 
Earth — a  general  Description  of  America —  S  tinen't — a  general  Description  of  Europe, 
an  Acconnt  of  North- America,  and  its  va-  S  and  a  minute  Account  of  its  various  King- 
rious  Divisions,  paiticularly  of  the  United  J>  donis  and  States — a  general  Description  at 
States — a  general  Account  of  the  West?  Asia,  its  Kingdoms,  Provinces,  and  Islands — 
Indies,  awl  of  the  four  groupes  of  Islands  ?  an  Actount  of  the  numerous  Islands  arrang- 
into  which  they  are  naturally  divided,  and  c  ed  by  modern  Geographers  under  the 
a  minute  Account  of  the  several  Islamls—  v^  names  of  Austral  Asia  and  Polynesia — a 
a  general  Description  *>f  South- America,  k  general  Description  of  Africa,  and  a  piu'tic- 
and  a  particular  Account  of  its  various  S  ular  Accotmt  of  its  various  States  and 
States  and   Provinces — and    a    brief  De-  S  Islands. 

TO    AVHICH    ARE    ADDED 

AN    ABRIDGEMENT    OF    THE  LAST  CENSUS  OF  THE    UKITP^D   STATES 

A    CHRONOLOGICAL  TABLE  OF    REMARKABLE    EVENTS' FROM  THE 
CREATION     TO      THIS      TIME— AN      IMPROVED     LIST    OF    AN- 
CIENT   AND    MODERN    LEARNED    AND    EMINENT    MEN— • 
AND      A     COPIOUS     INDF.X     TO     THE    WHOLE    WORK. 

THE    WHOLE    COMPREHENDING    A    COMPLETE 

SYSTEM  OF  MODERJ\i'  GEOGRAPHY. 

ACCOMPANIED    Bfv    A    NEW    AND    ELEGANT 

General  Atlas  of  the  Worlds 

CONTAINING    (in  A  SEPARATE  QUARTO   VOLUME,) 

SIXTY  THREE  MAPS, 

Cofiopri^Dg,  as  far  as  they  could  be  obtained,  atl  tlic  latest  Discoveries  to  the  present  time. 

BY  JEDIDIAH  MORSE,   D.  D.  F.  A.  A.  S.  H.  S-. 

Minister  of  the  Congregational  Church  in  Charlestown. 


SIXta    EDJtIOK. 

Arranged  on  a  new  ^lan,  and  improved  in  every  part  by  ^  lab(;i  ious  examination 
of  uinst  of  tlie  late  i«es[)ectable  Voyages  and  Travels,  in  Europe  and  Asia,  bv  a  Jree 
use  of  the  information  in  the  Abridecment  of  Pinkerton's  excellent  Gcograjfhv,  and 
by  the  late  admirable  Statistical  Tabfes  of  liassel. 

VOLUME  II. 


BOSTON : 

rUBLISHED  BY  THOMES  8t  A:7DREWS,  AND  SOLD,  WHOLESALE  A\D    RETAIL, 
AT    THEIR    BOOKSTORE,  NO.  45,  NEWBURY  STREET — MAY,  ISli 

Greeifoagh  and  StebOint,  pri1U<rrs, 


DISTRICT  OF  MASSACHUSETTS,  towU: 

District  Clerk's  Office. 

BE  IT  REMEMBERED,  that  on  the  twenty  third  day  of  Ajivil,  A.  D.  1812,  and  in 
the  thirty  sixth  year  of  the  independence  of  the  United  States  of  America,  Thomas  andr 
Andrews,  of  the  said  district,  have  deposited  in  this  office  the  title  of  a  hook,  the  right 
^¥hereof  they  claim,  as  proprietoi'S,  in  the  words  following:,  to  wit : 

"  The  American  Universal  Geography,  or  a  view  of  the  present  state  of  all  the  king- 
doms, states,  and  colonies  in  the  known  world.  In  two  volumes.  The  first  volume  coti- 
tains  a  copious  introduction  adapted  to  the  present  improved  state  of  astronomicid  sci- 
ence—a brief  geography  of  the  earth — a  general  description  of  America — an  account  of 
North- \merica,  and  its  various  divisions,  particularly  of  the  United  States — a  general  ac- 
count of  the  West-Indies,  and  of  the  four  groupes  of  islands  into  which  Uiey  are  naturally 
divided,  and  a  minute  account  of  the  several  islands — a  general  description  of  South- 
America,  and  a  particular  account  of  its  various  states  and  provinces,  and  a  brief  descrip- 
tion of  the  remaining  American  islands.  The  second  volume  contains  a  geography  of  the 
eastern  continent — a  general  descri])tion  of  Europe,  and  a  minute  account  of  its  various. 
kingdoms  and  states — a  general  description  of  Asia,  its  kingdoms,  provinces,  and  islands — 
an  account  of  the  numerous  islands  arranged  by  modern  geographers  under  the  names  of 
Austral  Asia  and  Polynesia — a  general  description  of  Africa,  and  a  particular  account  ol 
its  various  states  and  islands.  To  which  are  added,  an  abridgement  of  the  last  census  ot' 
the  United  States — a  chronological  table  of  remarkable  events  from  the  creation  to  this 
time — an  improved  list  of  ancient  and  modern  learned  and  eminent  men — and  a  copious 
index  to  the  whole  work.  The  whole  comprehending  a  complete  system  of  modern  ge- 
ography. Accompanied  Oy  anew  and  elegant  genera!  atlas  of  the  world,  containing  (in  a 
separate  quarto  volume)  sixty  three  maps,  comprising,  as  far  as  tliey  could  be  obtained, 
all  the  latest  discoveries  to  the  present  time.  By  Jedidiah  Morse,  D.  D.  F  A.  A.  S.  H. 
S.  minister  of  the  Congregational  church  in  Churlestown.  Sixth  edition.  Arranged  on 
a  new  plan,  and  improved  in  every  part  by  a  laborious  examination  of  most  of  the  lat«  re* 
spectable  voyages  and  travels,  in  Europe  and  Asia,  by  a  free  use  of  the  information  in  tlie 
abridgement  of  Pinkerton's  excellent  geography,  and  by  the  late  admirable  statistical  ta~ 
bles  of  Hassel " 

In  conformity  to  the  act  of  the  congress  of  the  United  States,  intitled  "an  act  for  the  en- 
couragement of  ler.irniug,  by  securing  tlie  copies  of  maps,  charts,  and  books,  to  the  au- 
thors and  proprietors  of  tiuch  copies,  during  the  times  therein  mentioned ;"  and  also  to  aji 
act  intitled, "  an  act  supplementaiy  to  an  act,  intitled,  an  act  for  the  encourasjenient  oi 
learning,  by  securing  the  copies  of  maps,  charts,  and  books,  to  the  authors  and  proprietors 
of  such  copies,  during  the  times  therein  mentioned  ;  and  extending  the  beneiits  thereof  to 
<hc  arts  of  designing,  engraving,  and  etohing  historical,  and  other  prints." 

WILLIAM  S.  SHAW, 
Clerk  of  the  district  of3Iafsach:ti"'yf 


Ms  2.5-- 
V.  a. 
AMERICAN 


Ou 


UNDT.RSAL  GEOGRAPHY. 

PART   SECOND. 

THE  EASTERN  CONTINENT, 

r.MBRAClXG  r.UTlOPE,  ASIA,  AND  AFRICA,  WITH  THEIR  ADJA- 
CENT ISLANDS. 


jfXTEST,   BOUNDAUIES,  POPULATION,  CITIES,  SEAS,  BAYS,  SOUNDS, 
STRAITS,  LAKES,  RIVERS,  MOUNTAINS,  DESERTS. 

Ft  t'\  ^l^HE  length  of  the  Eastern  Continent,  from  North 
*J  JL  Cape,  in  lat.  71  10,  N.  to  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  is 
105  39  of  latitude,  or  7340  English  miles.  Its  breadth,  from 
East  Cape  to  the  western  coast  of  Norway,  is  173  of  Ipngitude  ; 
which,  in  the  parallel  67,  is  4696  miles.  In  lat.  38  N.  from  the 
Rock  of  Lisbon,  in  Ion.  9  35  W.  to  the  eastern  coast  of  Corea, 
its  breadth  is  138  35,  or  7557  miles.  Cape  Verd,  the  westenj 
extremity  of  Africa,  is  in  Ion.  17  31  W.  ;  and  East  Cape,  the 
remotest  limit  of  Asia,  is  in  190  E.  Cape  Taimour,  on  the  north- 
ern coast  of  Asia,  is  in  lat.  77  N. ;  and  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  the 
southernmost  point  of  Africa,  is  in  lat.  34  29  S.  The  number  of 
square  miles  on  this  continent  is  usually  calculated  at  22,600,000. 
If  the  islands  belonging  to  it  be  added,  together  with  those  of  Au- 
stralasia and  Polynesia,  it  may  probably  amount  to  28,000,000.* 

Boufidarits.^  The  Frozen  Ocean  boimds  this  continent  on  the 
N. ;  the  Pacific  and  Indian  on  the  E.  ;  the  Indian  and  Southern 
on  the  S. ;  and  the  Atlantic  on  the  W. 

Pofiulation.~\  From  the  best  data  in  our  possession,  we  are  led  to 
estimate  the  population  of  the  Eastern  Continent,  including  Aus- 


Europe, 

Asia,      .        .        - 

Africa^ 

Eastern  Continent, 
Australaaia  and    7 
Polynesia,         C 
Ainenca, 

e«rtfi, 

VOL.  II. 


The  foUowinf;  is  HassePs  Mtimate  of  tlie  globe  ; 

lu(^]ith  iqiMrc  mi!ti. 

.1,387,01  y 
16,728,002 
ll,r)5iJ,442 


2I,7G7,463 

4,104,420 

lf),504.254 

52,4.'56,157 


Clrnian  tqatrc  m 

164,5.U 
763,908 
5.11, 6SS 

1,449,377 
l'X),000 
753,000 


6102G5 


10  p:astern  continent. 

tralasia  and  Polynesia,  at  730,000,000,  or  about  26  to  a  square  mile. 
With  regard  to  that  of  Asia,  including  Australasia  and  Polynesia, 
we  follow  Pinkerton,  and  believe,  that  if  Sir  George  Staunton's  ac- 
count of  the  population  of  China  be  correct,  it  does  not  fall  short  of 
500,000,000.  With  regard  to  that  of  Africa  Ave  are  satisfied  from 
the  great  population  of  the  empire  of  Morocco,  and  the  popu- 
lousness  of  the  country  of  Soudan,  as  lately  annovmced  by  Jack- 
son, that  it  is  at  least  50,000,000.  In  Europe  we  are  guided  by 
Hassel's  Tables,  which  state  its  population  at  179,874,000,  or  in 
round  numbers  180,000,000. 

Citie,'}.']  The  large  cities  of  this  continent  are  the  following, 
ranged  according  to  their  population  ;  Pekin,  Nankin,  and  Canton,, 
in  China  ;  Calcutta,  in  Bengal  ;  London,  in  England  ;  Ispahan,  in 
Persia  ;  Jeddo,  in  Japan  ;  Paris,  in  France  ;  Naples,  in  Italy  ; 
Miaco,  in  Japan  ;  Fas,  in  Morocco  ;  Lisbon,  in  Portugal ;  Con- 
stantinople, in  Turkey  ;  Cairo,  in  Egypt  ;  Moscow  and  Peters- 
burg, in  Russia  ;  Morocco,  in  Morocco  ;  Aleppo,  in  Syria  ;  Vi- 
enna, in  Austria ;  and  Amsterdam,  in  Holland.  All  these,  in  their 
population,  exceed  200,000,  the  utmost  limit  to  which  any  of  those 
on  the  American  continent  have  arrived,  and  are  therefore  the 
largest  cities  in  the  world.  The  following  are  the  cities  of  the 
Eastern  Continent,  which  exceed  100,000,and  fall  short  of  200,000, 
in  their  population  :  Damascus,  Dublin,  Rome,  Madrid,  Berlin, 
Venice,  Milan,  Smyrna,  Philippopol,  Barcelona,  Mequinez,  Valen- 
cia, Manchester,  Hamburg,  and  Adrionople.  Twenty  one  of  the  ci- 
ties in  the  above  lists  are  in  Europe,  the  whole  population  of  which 
exceeds  4,946,000  ;  and  ten  are  in  Asia,  the  amount  of  whose  pop- 
ulation, according  to  the  best  accounts,  is  upwards  of  10,055,000, 

iVas.]  The  Mkuitekkaxean,  the  largest  sea  in  the  world,  lies 
between  Spain  on  tlie  W.  ;  France,  Italy,  Turkey,  and  Asia  Minor 
on  the  N.  ;  Syria  on  the  E.  ;  and  Egypt,  Tripoli,  Tunis,  Algiers, 
and  Morocco  on  the  S.  It  was  anciently  called  the  Great  Sea,  the 
Grecian  Sea,  and  likewise  by  its  present  name.  To  the  west  of 
Italy  it  is  called  the  Tuscan  Sea  ;  between  Italy  and  Turkey,  the 
Gulf  of  Venice,  \\\&  Adriatic  ;  between  Turkey  and  Asia  Minor, 
the  Arc/ii/ielago,  the  Mgean  ;  and  south  of  Asia  Minor,  the  Le- 
tiant.  Its  length,  from  E.  to  W.  is  2000  miles  :  its  breadth  varies 
from  100  to  800  miles,  and  probably  averages  about  400.  If  this 
be  correct,  it  covers  a  surface  of  800,000  square  miles.  The. 
large  rivers,  which  flow  directly  into  the  Mediterranean,  are  the 
Ebro,  Rhone,  and  Po,  from  Europe ;  and  the  Nile  from  Africa. 
The  principal  islands,  which  it  contains,  are  Sicily,  Sardinia,  Cor- 
sica, and  Majorca,  in  the  Tuscan  Sea  ;  Cefalonia  and  Corfu  in  the 
mouth  of  the  Adriatic  ;  Negropont  in  the  Archipelago,  Candia 
near-  its  mouth  ;  and  Rhodes  and  Cyprus  in  the  Levant.^  The 
Mediterranean,  at  its  western  extremity,  is  connected  with  the 
Atlantic  by  the  Straits  of  Gibraltar.  The  Adriatic  opens 
into  it  through  the  Straits  of  Otranto.  The  Archipelago,  at  its 
northeastern  extremity,  is  connected,  by  the  Dardanelles,  the  an- 
cient Helleafiont,  with  the  Sea  ol  Marmora,  the  ancient  Propontis. 
This  sea,  lying  between  Turkey  on  t^ie  N.,  and  Asia  Minor  on  the 


EASTERN  CONTINENT.  li 

S.,  is  90  miles  long  from  E.  to  W.,  and  40  broad.  The  Straits  of 
Constantinople,  the  Thracian  Bosji/iontu^  unites  it  with  the  Eux- 
ine  or  Black  Sea. 

The  EuxiNE  is  bounded  by  Turkey  and  Russia  W.  ;  by  Russia 
N.  ;  by  Mingrelia  and  Georgia  E.  ;  and  by  Asia  Minor  S.  I  is 
length  from  E.  to  W.,  according  to  Tooke,  is  800  miles,  and  its 
breadth  400.  The  coast,  from  Constantinople  E.  as  far  as  the 
Phasis,  is  bold,  and  the  navigation  unusually  safe.  From  the  Pha- 
sis,  N.  W.  to  the  Kuban,  it  is  very  little  known.  Thence,  around 
the  Crimea,  to  Odessa,  it  is  every  where  deep  and  clear.  Between 
Odessa  and  Constantinople  the  shore  is  low,  and  the  soundings 
decrease  gradually,  as  you  approach  it.  Storms  on  this  sea  are 
not  frequent,  nor  of  long  duration.  The  north  east  is  the  prevail- 
ing wind  of  summer,  which  carries  vessels  very  rapidly,  in  that 
season,  from  Caffa  to  Constantinople.  This  wind  extends  to  the 
island  of  Tenedos.  The  large  rivers,  which  fall  into  the  Euxine, 
are  the  Danube,  Neistcr,  Bog,  and  Neiper.  It  has  no  islands  of 
any  note. 

Ttie  sti'aits  of  Caffa,  the  Cimerian  Bosphorus^  connect  it  on  the 
N.  with  the  Sea  of  Azof,  the  Palus  Ma-otis  of  antiquity.  This  sea, 
according  to  Tooke,  is  1  60  miles  long,  from  N.  E.  to  S.  W.  with- 
out including  the  bay  of  Taganrok,  which  is  50  more  ;  and  1 30  broad. 
It  is  every  where  shallow,  and  within  30  years  has  been  fast  and 
unaccountably  filling  up  with  sand.  About  35  years  ago,  vessels 
draAving  12  feet  water  loaded  at  Taganrok  ;  now  they  cannot  go 
within  twenty  miles  of  it.  In  consequence  of  this  fact  the  com- 
merce of  this  Sea  is  at  present  carried  on  principally  by  boats.  The 
waters  of  the  Don  fall  into  the  northeastern  extremity  of  the  Bay 
pf  Taganrok. 

The  Baltic  lies  wholly  in  Europe.  It  opens  from  the  German 
Sea  by  a  gulf,  pointing  N.  E.,  called  the  Skagtr  Rack  ;  and  after- 
wards passes  S.  through  what  is  called  the  Cattegat^  and  farther 
on  through  the  Sound  of  Elsineur,  the  Great  Belt,  and  the  Little 
Belt,  straits  formed  by  the  Danish  Islands  ;  as  far  as  53  50  the 
latitude  of  Wismar.  From  the  coasts  of  Jutland  and  Holstein  its 
direction  is  eastward,  as  far  as  the  western  coast  of  Courland. 
From  the  northern  shores  of  Prussia  it  is  N.  by  E.  to  its  northern 
extremity,  in  lat  65  50.  Its  length,  from  Tornea  to  Wismar,  is 
about  900  miles,  and  from  Wismar  to  the  Ocean  about  450.*  Its 
breadth,  between  Sweden  and  Germany,  is  75  miles  ;  between, 
Sweden  and  Russia,  in  many  places,  more  than  150.  North  of 
lat.  60  it  is  called  the  Gulf  of  Bothnia.  The  length  of  this  part  is 
about  420  miles.*  Immediately  below  this  latitude  the  Gulf  of 
Finland  opens  from  the  east ;  the  length  of  which  is  about  300  miles, 
and  its  breadth  80.t  These  two  gulfs  arc  frozen  over  for  three 
months  every  winter.  Between  Courland  and  Livonia,  also,  the 
Gulf  of  Riga  opens  from  the  S.  E.,  and  is  about  60  milts  long.J 
The  greatest  depth  of  this  sea  is  said  not  to  exceed  50  fathoms  ; 
and,  according  to  repeated  observations  made  in  Sweden,  is  stead- 

•  .\rrow8mith's  Map.  \  Tooke.  +  Malliam. 


13  EASTERN  CONTINENT. 

ily  decreasing  at  the  rate  of  45  inches  in  a  century.*  It  is  also  hs* 
serted,  tliat  the  water  does  not  contain  above  one  thirtieth  part  of 
salt ;  whereas  other  sea  water  often  holds  a  tenth.  This  fresh- 
ness is  imputed  to  the  quantity  of  ice.  And  it  is  likewise  said, 
that,  when  the  north  wind  blows,  the  waters  become  so  fresh,  that 
they  may  even  be  used  for  domestic  purposes.  Tides  are  un- 
known, and  the  fish  are  few.  The  great  rivers  of  the  Baltic  are 
the  Dwina,  the  Memel,  the  Vistula,  and  the  Oder.  The  princi- 
pal islands  arc  Zealand,  Funcn,  and  Laland,  Rugen,  Boruholm, 
Gotland,  Osel  and  Aland. 

The  Red  Sea,  the  Sinus  Arabicus  of  the  ancients,  is  the  natural 
boundary  between  Asia  and  Africa ;  having  Arabia  on  the  E.,  and 
Egypt  and  Abyssinia  on  the  W.  Its  length,  from  N.  N.  W.  to  S. 
S.  E.,  is  about  1470  miles,  and  its  common  breadth  120.  At  Baa 
al  Mohammed,,  in  lat.  27  51,  it  is  divided  into  two  gulfs  ;  the  Gulf 
of  Akaba,  Sinus  JElaniticus,  on  the  E.  ;  and  the  Gulf  of  Suez,  5/- 
■n7is  Hcroofioliticus,  on  the  W,  The  latter  is  about  200  miles  long. 
The  former  is  90  miles  long,  and  has  a  ridge  of  rocks  nearly  across  its 
mouth,  which  is  18  miles  wide,  and  is  divided  by  the  island  Turone, 
or  Tyron.  The  old  maps  incorrectly  delineate  these  gulfs  as  of 
equal  extent.  The  bottom  of  the  Red  Sea  is  overspread  with 
trees  of  coraL  All  the  Avestei'n  shore  is  bold,  and  has  considera- 
ble depth  of  water.  But  it  is  every  where  rocky,  affording  no  an- 
choring ground  ;  and  there  are  a  number  of  sunken  rocks  suf- 
ficiently near  the  surface  to  destroy  a  large  ship.  The  eastern 
coast  is  a  sandy  desert;  and  is  lined  with  many  sand  islands;  the 
water  is  less  deep,  and  has  a  sandy  bottom.  This,  as  Bruce  sup- 
poses, is  owing  to  the  flying  sand  from  the  Arabian  coast,  which  is 
driven  every  winter  by  the  monsoon,  in  great  quantities,  into  the 
Sea,  and  is  gradually  filling  up  its  harbors,  and  contracting  its 
limits.  I'he  Straits  of  Babelmandel  connect  it  with  a  bay  of  the 
Arabian  Sea.  The  channel,  a  little  westward  of  the  Straits,  is  di- 
vided by  the  island  of  Perim.  The  northern  is  6  miles  broad,  and 
has  from  12  to  17  fathom  of  water.  The  southern  is  9  miles 
broad,  and  has  from  20  to  30  fathom  ;  but  is  rendered  dangerous 
by  rocks.f 

The  Persian  Gulf,  or  Sea  qfOrmus,  sometimes  also  called  the 
Gulf  of  Balgoras  and  anciently  Persicum  AIa}-ef  and  Fersicua  -Smw.?, 
lies  between  Persia  on  the  N.  E.  and  Arabia  on  the  S.  W.  It  is 
700  miles  long,  and  from  70  to  180  broad.  It  receives,  from  the 
N.  W.  the  waters  of  the  Euphrates  and  the  Tigris,  Avhich  unite  at 
Gormo,  about  100  miles  from  the  sea,  and  are  discharged  by  a 
common  channel.  This  sea  opens,  through  the  Straits  of  Ormus, 
into  a  bay  which  sets  up  from  the  Arabian  Sea. 

The  White  Sea  is  in  the  north  of  European  Russia.  It  opens 
from  the  S.  W.  into  the  Frozen  Ocean.  It  extends  from  lat.  63 
to  69  N.|  and  is  about  500  miles  long.  Its  shores  are  generally 
bold  and  rocky.  The  water  contains  but  little  salt.  The  tides  are 
small.     The  fish  are  whales,  morses,  porpoises,  seadogs,  herring, 

*  Tooke.  t  Bruce.  *  Tooke. 


EASTERN  CONTINENT.  13 

and  stockfish.  The  Dwina,  from  the  S.  E.,  falls  into  it  at  Arch- 
angel. 

The  Arabian  Sea,  which  may  more  fitly  be  denominated  a  large 
Jiay^  sets  up  from  the  Indian  Ocean,  about  1 100  miles  betweeii 
Cape  Guardefan  and  Cape  Comorin ;  having  Hindostan  E.  Persia 
N.,  Arabia  and  Africa  W.  From  Cape  Guardefan,  across  its 
mouth  to  Cape  Comorin,  is  not  less  than  1800  miles.  The  Lacca- 
dives  and  Maldives  are  two  clusters  of  islands  near  its  southeastern 
extremity. 

jBays.^  The  Bay  of  Bengal,  is  on  the  E.  side  of  Hindostan, 
having  Ava  and  Malaya  on  the  E.  From  the  parallel  of  Dondra 
Head,  to  the  mouth  of  theBurrampooter,  is  about  1200  miles  ;  and 
from  the  eastern  coasts  of  Hindostan  and  Ceylon  across  to  Malaya, 
is  about  1250.  The  Kristna,  Godavery,  Ganges,  Burrampootcr, 
and  Irawaddy,  all  empty  into  this  bay.  The  Andaman  and  Nico- 
bar  Isles  lie  near  its  eastern  coast. 

The  Bay  of  Okotsk  opens  into  the  Pacific  Ocean,  between 
Cape  Lepatka  and  the  Island  of  Jesso  ;  and  into  the  Sea  of  Japan, 
through  the  Straits  of  Saghalicn.  Its  northeastern  extremity  is 
called  the  Gulf  of  Pengina.  The  length  of  this  bay,  from  the 
mouth  of  the  river  Pengina  to  Jesso,  is  1 300  miles ;  and  its  breadth, 
in  lat.  55,  is,  according  to  Sauer,  about  850.  The  waters  of  the 
Amour  are  poured  into  it  from  the  S.  E.  The  large  Russian 
island  of  Saghalien,or  Tchoka,  separates  it  from  the  Sea  of  Japan, 
and  the  Kurille  Islands  reach  from  Lepatka  across  its  mouth  to 
Jesso,  a  tributary  of  Japan. 

The  Yellow  Sea,  or  Gidf  of  Lcao  Tong^'vs,  merely  a  bay,  setting 
up  between  Corea  and  China,  about  400  miles  long,  and  from  100 
to  250  broad.*  The  Hoang-ho  falls  into  it  from  the  W.  It  opens, 
from  the  N.  W.  into  the  Pacific. 

The  BAYOFBiscAvisa  large  arm  of  the  Atlantic,  setting  up  into 
Europe  between  Spain  and  France.  From  the  E.  it  receives  the 
Garonne  and  the  Loire. 

The  Gulf  of  ToNquiN  lies  between  China  and  Cochin-China. 
It  is  very  extensive,  but  its  limits  as  a  bay  are  not  very  strongly 
marked.  It  opens  into  the  China  Sea.  The  large  island  of  Hai- 
nan lies  near  its  mouth.  Farther  S.  the  Gulf  of  Siam  opens  into 
the  same  sea,  from  the  N.  W.  between  Cambodia  and  Malaya.  Its 
length  is  about  450  miles,  and  its  breadth  250. 

The  Gulf  of  Oby  receives  the  river  of  the  same  name  in  lat. 
67  N.f  and  discharges  it  into  tiie  Frozen  Ocean  in  lat.  73  50.}: 
Its  direction  is  from  N.  N.  E.  to  S.  S.  W.,  and  its  length  about  500 
miles.     Its  width  is  nearly  uniform,  and  no  where  veiy  great. 

Soundst^  The  great  mass  of  water  lying  between  Kamtchatka 
and  Tchutskoi  W.  America  E.  and  Alaska  and  the  Alcatian  isles 
S.  is  usually  called  the  Sea  of  Kamtchatka.  It  is  an  immense 
sound  opening  northward,   through  Behring's  straits,  into  tlic 

•  Crutwell. 

JN.  B.  LaL  and  Long,  denote  that  the  distance  is  cnlcolated  from  the  Latilnda 
Longitude  of  tlie  extreme  points. 

4  Tooke. 


14  EASTERN  CONTINENT. 

Frozen  Ocean,  and  belonging  indifferently  to  cither  continent.  Its 
northwestern  extremity  is  a  large  bay,  called  the  Gulf  of  Anadyr  ; 
and  its  southeastern  another  of  inferior  size,  called  Bristol  Bay. 
From  the  Alcatan  isles  to  East  Cape,  is  about  15  of  latitude,  or 
1040  miles  ;  and,  from  Bristol  Bay  to  the  coast  of  Kamtchatka^ 
about  40  of  longitude,  on  the  parallel  of  58  30,  or  1450  miles. 

China  Sea  is  also  an  immense  sound,  lying  N.  E.  and  S.  W. 
between  Sumatra,  Malaya,  Cochin-China,  Tonquin,  and  China,  on 
the  W.  and  Borneo,  the  Philippine  Isles,  and  Formosa  on  the  E. 
It  may  be  considered  as  extending  from  the  line  of  the  southern 
shore  of  Borneo,  in  lat.  3  S.  to  the  channel  between  China  and 
Formosa,  iri  lat.  25  N.  upwards  of  2000  miles.  Its  average 
width  probably  exceeds  600. 

The  Sea  OF  Java  is  merely  a  continuation  of  the  preceding. 
Commencing  at  Svunatra,  it  passes  eastward  between  the  Sunda 
isles,  oij  the  S.,  ana  Borneo,  Celebes,  Bouro,  and  Ceram,  on  the 
N.,  as  far  as  Arco  and  the  coast  of  New  Guinea  ;  a  distance  of 
about  2w00  miles. 

The  Sea  of  .Iapan,  or  the  Channel  of  Tartary.,  reaches  in  a  N. 
N.  E.  direction,  from  35  to  52  N.  By  the  straits  of  Corea  it 
communicates  with  the  Pacific  ;  and,  by  the  very  narrow  straits 
of  Saghalien,  is  connected  with  the  gulf  of  Ochotsk.  Corea  and 
Chinese  Tartary  limit  it  on  the  W.  and  the  islands  Niphon,  Jes- 
so,  and  Saghalien  on  the  E.  Its  length  cannot  be  less  than  1400 
miles.  It  is  broad  between  Niphon  and  Corea.  The  northern 
part  is  much  narrower.  It  has  two  lateral  communications  with 
the  ocean ;  La  Peyrouse's  straits,  between  Jesso  and  Saghalien ; 
and  the  Straits  of  Sungaar,  between  Niphon  and  Jesso. 

The  Channel  of  Mozambique  lies  between  Madagascar  and  Af- 
rica, and  may  be  considered  as  extending  the  whole  length  of  the 
island,  840  miles.  In  its  narrowest  part  it  is  about  270  miles 
across.* 

The  Channel  of  Karskoi^  or  Kara,  is  a  large  arm  of  the  Frozen 
ocean,  lying  between  the  eastern  shore  of  Nova  Zembla  and  Sibe- 
ria.    The  Straits  of  Weggat  connect  it  with  the  ocean  westward. 

The  German  Ocean,  or  North  sea,  is  an  extensive  sound; 
liaving  Great  Britain,  the  Orkney  and  Shetland  isles,  on  the  W. 
and  Denmark,  Holland,  the  Netherlands,  and  France,  on  the  E.  It 
reaches  from  lat.  5 1  to  60  1 7  N.  and  its  length,  of  course,  is 
645  miles.  This  sound  has  many  sand  banks.  The  Goodwin 
sands  off  the  coast  of  Kent,  are  rather  dangerous  to  the  mariner, 
than  inviting  to  the  fisherman  ;  but  on  the  coast  of  Holland  there 
are  many  banks,  which  supply  excellent  fish,  as  turbot,  soal,plaicfe, 
&c.  Further  to  the  N.  is  the  extensive  Dogger  bank,  stretching 
S.  E.  and  N.  W.  beginning  about  12  leagues  from  Flamborough 
head,  and  extending  about  216  miles  toward  the  coast  of  Jutland. 
Between  the  Dogger  and  the  Well  bank,  to  the  S.  are  the  silver- 
pits  of  the  mariners,  abounding  with  cod.  The  Ore,  and  the 
Lemon  banks  lie  between  these  banks  and  the  British  shores.     To 

*  Crutwcll. 


EASTERN  CONTINENT.  15 

the  N.  E.  of  the  Dogger  is  the  Horn-riff,  extending  to  Jutland. 
The  Jutts-riff  is  a  sand-bank  stretching,  like  a  crescent,  from  the 
mouth  of  the  Baltic  into  the  German  sea. 

The  English  Channel  is  a  smaller  sound,  between  the  S.  of 
England  and  the  N.  W.  of  France.  Its  length  is  350  miles.  Its 
breadth  varies  from  21  to  150.  It  contains  the  Isle  of  Wight,  and 
several  smaller  ones  on  the  French  coast.  The  Straits  of  Dover 
connect  it  with  the  German  Ocean. 

St.  George's  Channel,  between  Ireland  and  Great  Britain,  is 
larger  than  the  preceding.  Its  centre  is  sometimes  called  the 
Irish  sea  ;  and  the  northern  end,  the  N.  Channel.  It  opens  into 
the  Atlantic,  from  the  N.  E.  between  Mizen  Head  and  Land's  end  ; 
and,  from  the  S.  W.  between  the  isle  of  Isla  and  the  country  of 
Antrim.  Taken  in  this  extensive  sense  its  length  is  upwards  of 
400  miles  ;  while  its  breadth  varies  from  20  to  170.  The  isles  of 
Man  and  Anglcsea,  with  several  smaller  ones,  lie  in  this  channel. 

Straits.']  The  Straits  of  Gibraltar  extend  from  W.  to  E.  40 
miles.  In  this  distance  there  are  three  remarkable  promontories  on 
the  Spanish  side,  and  three  opposite  to  them  on  the  coast  of  Morocco. 
The  first  of  these,  on  the  coast  of  Spain,  is  cape  Trafalgar  ;  oppo- 
site to  which  is  cape  Spartel.  The  next  is  Tarifa ;  and  over 
against  it  is  Malabata.  Between  these  the  strait  is  only  15  miles 
wide.  The  third  is  Gibraltar  ;  ( Cal/ie  ; )  &nCi,  on  the  other  side, 
is  Abyla^  near  the  town  of  Ceuta.  Gibraltar  and  Abyla  were  an- 
ciently called  the  pillars  of  Hercules. 

The  Dardanelles,  the  ancient  Hellesfiont^  is  a  long  narrow 
strait,  between  Asia  Minor  and  the  shore  of  Turkey.  It  is  33  miles 
long,  and  from  half  a  mile  to  a  mile  and  a  half  broad.* 

The  Straits  of  Constantinople,  the  ancient  Thracian  Bon- 
fihorus^  are  about  12  4  miles  long,  and  from  half  a  mile  to  a  mile 
and  a  half  broad.  They  lie  in  a  N.  E.  direction,  between  Europe 
and  Asia. 

The  Straits  of  Caffa,  the  ancient  Cimmerian  BosJiAorusj  lie 
between  the  Crimea  and  Asia. 

The  Stmts  of  Babelmandel  are  between  the  Red  sea  and  a 
bay  of  the  Arabian  sea.  This  bay  sets  up  westward  between  Cape 
Guardefan  and  Cape  Fartak.  The  distance  of  these  capes  is  150 
miles.  After  entering  the  bay  from  the  east,  the  shores  of  Arabia 
and  Adel  gradually  approximate,  for  the  distance  of  450  miles,  till 
at  the  straits  they  are  only  1 8  miles  distant.  The  straits  of  Malacca 
separate  Sumatra  from  the  peninsula  of  Malaya.  They  may  be  con- 
sidered as  extending  about  150  miles  in  length,  from  N.  W.  to  S.  E. 

The  Straits  of  Dover,  between  Dover  and  Calais,  connect  the 
English  channel  with  the  German  ocean.  In  the  narrowest  part 
they  are  2 1  miles  wide.  Their  breadth  is  thought  to  be  gradually 
lessening.  The  depth,  in  the  straits,  is  about  25  fathom.  On  ei- 
ther side  it  rapidly  increases  to  100  fathom.  The  spring  tides  rise 
in  the  straits  24  feet;  the  neap-tides  15.  The  tide  from  the  north 
is  earlier,  higher,  and  more  violent  than  that  from  the  ^vest. 

•  Enc)  clopse<^ja. 


16  EASTERN  CONTINENT. 

The  Straits  of  Weygat  lie  between  Nova  Zembla^  and 
Russia. 

Lak€s.~\  The  Caspian,  iWare  Casfiiam,  was  anciently  called,  by 
the  Greeks,  the  Hyrcanian  sea.  From  the  mouth  of  the  Ural,  in 
lat.  46  15,  to  Astrabat,  in  36  50,  it  is  650  miles  long.  Its  great- 
est northern  breadth  from  the  mouth  of  the  Wolga  to  the  giilf  of 
Yemba  is  265  ;  while  its  greatest  southern  breadth,  from  the  mouth 
of  the  Orxantes  westward  to  the  mouth  of  the  Linkeran,  is  but  235. 
Its  circumference  is  2820  miles,  and  its  area  upwai'dsof  36,000. 
The  coast  of  the  Caspian,  from  the  southern  mouth  of  the  Wolga 
round  the  northern  shore  and  the  gulf  of  Yemlja,  as  far  as  the  Ku- 
lala,  is  flat  and  swampy,  and  overgrown  with  reeds,  the  waters 
shallow,  and  the  bottom  a  thick  slime.  From  the  souLhward  round 
Kulala  to  the  Wolga  the  country  is  hilly  ;  and  the  sea  has  a  bold 
shore  and  deep  waters.  The  bottom  and  the  shore,  on  the  north, 
are  universally  a  coarse  shell-sand,  lying,  layer  upon  layer,  three 
fathoms  deep.  The  waters  of  this  sea  are  salt,  notwithstanding  the 
immense  influx  of  fresh  water  from  its  large  and  numerous  rivers. 
They  are,  in  many  places,  more  than  450  fathoms  deep  ;  and  have 
no  visible  outlet.  There  is  no  perceptible  tide.  The  fish  of  the 
Caspian  are  the  sturgeon,  sterlet,  seal,  porpoise,  salmon,  and  her- 
ring. The  chief  rivers  which  fall  into  it  are  the  Yemlia,  Ural, 
Wolga,  Terek,  Kur,  and  Tedjen,  It  contains  a  considerable  num- 
ber of  Islands,  mostly  sandy.  The  principal  harbors  and  roads 
are  those  of  Derbent,  Nisovaia,  Baku,  Sallian  on  the  Kur,  Ensili, 
Medshetifar,  Farabat,  Tukaragan  and  Mangishlak.* 

The  Aral  lies  about  100  miles  east  of  the  Caspian.  It  is  about 
200  miles  long  from  N.  to  S.,  and  about  70  broad.  The  Gihon, 
thought  to  be  the  ancient  Oxus,  falls  into  its  southern  extremity  ; 
and  the  Sihon  or  Sirr,  believed  to  be  the  lajcartes,  flows  in  from 
the  East.  This  lake,  being  surrounded  by  sandy  deserts,  has  been 
little  explored  ;  but  it  is  salt  like  the  Caspian,  and  has  many  small 
saline  lakes  in  its  vicinity. f 

The  Baikal  lies  in  the  government  of  Irkutsk  in  Siberia,  and 
extends  from  lat.  51  to  above  55.  It  is  upwards  of  400  miles 
long,  from  N.  E.  to  S.  W.  and  from  20  to  50  miles  broad ;  and  is 
surrounded  almost  entirely  with  high  and  generally  bald  mountains. 
The  water  is  uncommonly  clear,  and  usually  fi'ozen  over  from  the 
last  of  December  to  the  first  of  May.  It  is  subject  to  frequent  and 
very  violent  storms,  particularly  in  September.  Here  are  plenty 
of  seals,  herring,  and  other  kinds  of  fish.  The  Baikal  has  some  isl- 
ands, the  largest  of  which  is  Olkhon,  near  the  sulphur  springs. 
The  upper  Angara,  the  Bargusin  and  the  Selinga  join  it  from  the  N. 
E.  and  S.  The  lower  Angara,  near  its  southwestern  extremity, 
conducts  its  waters  to  the  Yenisea.| 

The  Ladoga,  in  European  Russia,  flows  through  the  Neva  into 
the  gulph  of  Finland.  By  the  Svir  it  is  connected  with  the  Onega, 
and  by  the  Volkhof  with  the  Ilmen.  It  is  the  largest  lake  of  Eu- 
rope, being  1 40  miles  long,  and  80  broad.     On  account  of  its  sand- 

*  Todke.  t  Pinkci'ton.  *  Tooke. 


EASTERN  CONTINENT.  17 

banks  and  its  liability  to  dangerous  storms,  Pete^  the  Great  open- 
ed a  canal  84  miles  in  length  along  its  southern  shore,  from  the 
Volkhof  to  the  Neva.      The  southern  shore  is  low  and  sandy.* 

Onega  Lake  lies  in  the  government  of  Olonetz,  between  the 
Ladoga  and  the  White  sea.  It  is  about  1 50  miles  long,  and  from 
40  to  60  broad.  It  has  several  islands,  consisting  of  marble.  A 
canal  of  30  miles  would  connect  the  Vitegra,  a  tributary  of  the 
Onega,  with  the  Kofsha,  which  empties,  through  the  White  Lake, 
into  the  Wolga.* 

jRivcr.i.']  The  Hoang-ho  or  Yellow  river,  in  China,  rises  in  two 
lakes,  situated  among  the  mountains  of  that  part  of  Tartary 
known  by  the  name  of  Kokonor.  They  lie,  on  Arrowsmith's 
map,  in  about  lat.  35  N.  and  Ion.  97  E.  This  immense  nver,  as 
there  delineated,  pursues  a  southeasterly  direction  beyond  Ion.  101 
E.  where  it  turns  back  to  the  N.  W.  and  in  Ion.  99  turning  towards 
the  N.  descends  as  far  as  lat.  42,  then  running  due  east  to  Ion. 
1 1 1,  it  bends  suddenly  to  the  S.  to  a  latitude  nearly  parallel  with 
its  source  ;  and  thence  pursues  an  easterly  direction  till  it  is  lost 
in  the  Yellow  sea.  Its  exact  length  is  not  known.  According 
to  Arrowsmith  it  cannot  be  less  than  3600  miles. 

The  KiAN-Ku  rises  nearthesourceof  the  Hoang-ho,  but,  accord- 
ing to  the  map  about  200  miles  farther  W. ;  and  winds  to  the  S. 
nearly  as  far  as  the  Hoang-ho  does  to  the  N.  In  making  this  bend, 
however,  the  distance  which  it  actually  runs  is  by  no  means  so 
great.  After  washing  the  walls  of  Nankin,  it  enters  the  sea  about 
100  miles  S.  of  the  Hoang-ho.  The  Kian-ku  near  its  source  is  call- 
ed the  £.luts  Petchou  ;  its  course  is  nearly  equal  to  that  of  the 
Hoang-ho  ;  and  the  two  rivers  are  probably  the  longest  on  the 
eastern  continent,  unless  the  Nile  and  the  Niger  are  one  ;  and  are 
surpassed  by  none  on  the  globe  except  the  Amazon  and  the  Mis- 
sissippi. It  is  a  singular  fact  that  these  immense  rivers,  rising  in 
the  same  mountains,  and  passing  almost  close  to  each  otlier  in  a 
particular  spot,  should  afterwards  separate  to  the  distance  of  1 5 
deg.  or  1050  miles,  and  finally  discharge  themselves  into  the  same 
sea,  within  the  small  distance  of  100  miles. 

The  Lena  takes  its  rise  from  an  inconsiderable  lake  situated  be- 
tween the  mountains  near  the  Baikal,  about  100  miles  in  a  direct 
line,  W.  S.  W.  of  Katshuga*  landing  place  in  lat.  52  30  N.  It 
flows  in  a  gentle  and  uninterrupted  stream,  impeded  in  a  few 
places  by  shallows  in  the  summer  and  autumn,  about  300  miles 
from  its  source,  when  it  deepens  considerably.  Its  course,  though 
very  winding,  is  generally  E.  N.  E.  to  Yakutsk,  and  nearly  north 
thence  to  Its  discharge  into  the  Frozen  Ocean,  in  lat.  71  30  N. 
127  E.  The  whole  length  of  this  river  is  about  3450  miles.  As 
you  ascend  this  river  its  appearance  is  continually  changing. 
Sometimes  mountains  covered  with  forests  bound  the  channel ;  at 
others,  the  banks  are  barr6n  projecting  into  the  river  and  turnhig 
its  course.     In  some  places  the  moujitams  retreat  for  several  miles; 

•  Tooke. 
t  Katshugais  a  THlaje  on  the  Lena  in  Ut.SS  3C  N.,  107  2  ^V.    (Saiwr.  p.  !9.) 

vol..   H.  5 


18  EASTERN  CONTINENT. 

forming  a  back  ground  to  extensive  plains,  and  exposing  a  miser- 
ably built  town,  surrounded  with  cornfields,  gardens  and  pasture 
grounds,  with  a  few  herds  of  cattle.  These  openings  are  fre- 
quent, at  unequal  distances  of  4  to  30  miles  from  each  other,  and 
always  exhibit  villages  as  far  as  Olekma,  1457  miles  from  Katshu- 
ga.  All  beyond  is  desolate,  except  a  few  huts  inhabited  by  con- 
victs, who  have  the  charge  of  houses  for  the  post ;  and  the  towns 
of  Pokrofsky,  Yakutsk,  and  Gigansk. 

The  ViTiMA  is  the  great  eastern  branch  of  the  Lena.  It  flows 
from  a  lake  E.  of  the  Baikal,  and  is  nearly  equal  to  the  Lena  itself 
in  width,  depth,  and  extent.  Their  confluence  is  1042  miles  from 
the  source  of  the  Lena.  Thence  to  Yakutsk  is  890  miles;  where 
the  Lena  is  more  than  three  miles  wide  ;  thence  to  the  Aldan  is 
168  ;  and  thence  to  the  Viluye  162,  which  falls  into  the  Lena  1 188 
miles  from  its  mouth.* 

The  Yenisea  is  formed  by  the  union  of  the  Siskit  and  the  Tun- 
guska.  The  Siskit,  the  western  branch,  rises  in  Chinese  Soongo- 
ria,  near  the  parallel  of  lat.  50  N.  ;  and  runs  first  N.  W.,  and  after- 
wards N.  The  Tunguska,  near  its  source  in  lat.  48  is  called  the 
Sclinga.  Its  course  is  N.  E.  till  it  enters  the  Baikal  from  the  S.  E. 
It  issues  ffon»that  lake  at  the  S.  W.  end,  under  the  name  of  the  An- 
gara, which  is  afterwards  absurdly  called  the  Tungusca.  This  is 
the  only  canal  for  the  waters  of  the  Baikal.  The  Siskit  and  the 
Tunguska  unite  a  .little  distance  above  Yeniseisk,  and  form  the 
Yenisea.  Its  course  thence  is  nearly  N.  to  lat.  70,  where  it  forms 
a  long  narrow  bay,  the  bay  of  Yenisea,  through  whose  mouth,  in 
lat.  73  30  N.  it  enters  the  Frozen  Ocean.  Its  width,  at  Yense- 
isk,  is  nearly  a  mile.  The  Uss,  the  Tuban,  and  the  Kan,  flow  into 
the  Siskit  from  the  E. ;  and  the  Abakan  from  the  W.  Below 
Yeniseisk  the  middle  and  lower  Tunguska  fall  into  the  Yenisea 
from  the  E.,  and  the  Yelovi  and  Turukham  from  the  W.  The 
Yenisea  and  Siskit  are  navigable  as  far  as  Abakan  in  lat  54. 
The  two  branches  flow  thi'ough  a  mountainous  rocky  country  and 
are  very  rapid  streams.  The  Yenisea  near  its  mouth  has  a  gentle 
currcnt.f  The  length  of  this  river  does  not  probably  fall  much 
short  of  that  of  the  Lena. 

The  Oby  also  rises  in  Chinese  Soongoria,  whence  it  issues  in  a 
copious  stream  under  the  name  of  Tshu-lishman.,  or,  as  the  Tartars 
call  it,  Shabekan.  In  lat.  52  N.  and  Ion.  86  E.  it  falls  into  lake  Te- 
letzkoe,  called,  by  the  Tartars,  Altm  or  Altmkul.  Out  of  this  lake 
it  flows  under  the  appellation  of  the  By^  not  taking  that  of  the  Oby, 
till  its  junction  with  the  Katunya.  In  lat.  67  N.  and  Ion.  69  E. 
it  empties  into  the  gulf  of  Oby,  which  unites  it  with  the  Frozen 
Ocean  in  lat.  73  50  N.  and  Ion.  73  E.  From  its  source  to  the 
mouth  of  the  Ket,  near  lat.  59  N.  its  shores  are  mostly  high  and 
rocky  ;  but  farther  down  quite  to  its  mouth,  it,  generally  speak- 
ing, flows  over  a  clayey,  sandy,  or  marley  bed.  It  is  navigable 
nearly  to  the  Teletzkol  lake  ;  is  uncommonly  prolific  in  fish ; 
and,  in  many  places,  is  bordered  by  forests  of  large  pine  and  birch 
trees.  Its  length,  to  the  head  of  the  gulf,  is  about  2400  miles, 
*  Sailer's  Emb.  23.  24.  f  Tooke, 


EASTERN  CONTINENT.  19 

and,  thence  to  the  ocean,  500.  Its  great  western  branch,  the  Ir- 
tish, is  thought  to  be  at  least  as  long  as  the  Oby  before  their  con- 
fluence. Rising  in  Chinese  Soongoria,  it  flows  into  lake  Norsai- 
san  in  lat.  46  30.  Leaving  this  lake,  it  enters  the  Russian  terri- 
tory, and,  after  a  long  series  of  meanders,  falls  into  the  Oby  in  lat- 
61  N.  and  long.  69  E.  The  Tobol  is  a  large  tributary  of  the  Irtisli 
from  the  W.     The  Oby  is  the  largest  river  in  the  Russian  empire.* 

The  Nile  has  two  principal  sources.  The  eastern,  the  Abay^  or 
Bahar  el  Asrck,,  rises  in  Geesh  in  Abyssinia,  in  lat.  10  59  25  N. 
and  Ion.  36  55  30  E. ;  amid  a  chain  of  mountains,  about  2  miles 
above  the  level  of  the  sea.  Its  direction  is,  on  the  whole,  N.  E.  to 
lat.  1 1  45,  where  it  enters  the  lake  Tzana,  or  Dembea,  after  a 
course  of  about  80  miles.  Running  2 1  miles  across  the  southern 
end  of  this  lake,  it  issues  from  it  in  lat.  1 1  40,  and  pursues  a 
winding  southerly  course  as  far  as  lat.  9  50,  its  most  southcrii 
extremity ;  whence  it  proceeds  N.  W.  through  a  mountainous 
country,  falling  over  several  lofty  cataracts,  particularly  one  in 
about  lat.  1 1  35,  of  280  feet  in  height.  Continuing  the  same 
direction  it  leaves  Sennaar  a  little  on  the  W.  and  in  about  lat. 
15  45  receives  the  great  western  branch.  This  branch,  accord- 
ing to  Rennel,  rises  in  about  lat.  7  N.  and  Ion.  25  E.  among  the 
Mountains  of  the  Moon  ;  and  is  called  the  Bahar  el  Jbiad,  or  the 
White  river.  This  is  said  by  Bruce  to  be  three  times  as  large  as 
the  eastern  branch,  and  is  now,  with  great  reason,  believed  to  be 
the  same  with  the  Niger.  If  so,  the  stream,  which  rises  in  lat. 
7  N.  and  Ion.  25  E.  somewhere  in  the  desert,  flows  into  the  Niger, 
and  is  merely  one  of  its  tributaries.  The  Nile,  thus  enlarged, 
runs  N.  E.  and  in  about  lat.  17  50  receives  the  Atbara,  a  large 
tributary,  from  the  E.  rising  near  the  lake  Dembea.  Thence,  af- 
ter running  140  miles  due  N.  it  makes  its  great  western  bend,  and 
at  Moscho,  in  lat.  21  flows  in  Ion.  30  40  E.  In  lat.  22  15  it 
meets  with  a  chain  of  mountains  and  throws  itself  down  the  cata- 
ract of  Janadil ;  soon  after  it  turns  to  the  N.  E.  and  at  Sycne  in 
lat.  24  0  45  N.  runs  in  Ion.  33  30.  Hence  its  course  is  N. 
W.  and  N.  to  the  Delta  in  lat.  30,  where  it  divides  into  two  great 
arms.  The  western  meets  the  sea  4  miles  bejow  Rosetta  in  lat. 
31  28  N.  Ion.  30  45  E.  ;  the  eastern  in  lat.  31  50  N.  Ion.  5 1 
53  E.  A  little  below  Syene  the  distance  oi  the  Nile  from  the  W. 
shore  of  the  Red  sea  is  not  more  than  60  miles.  The  length  of 
the  river  from  Geesh  to  the  Mediterranean  is  probably  not  less 
than  2500  miles  ;  but  the  quantity  of  water  which  it  empties  into 
the  sea  is  small  compared  with  that  of  many  shorter  rivers  ;  the 
greater  part  of  it  being  probably  absorbed  in  the  sands  of  ^'^uLi4. 

The  Niger.  This  river  is  called,  by  the  Arabs,  JW/e  el  Abeedi'y 
or  J\l'ile  of  the  negroes.  It  flows  from  the  foot  of  the  western 
branch  of  the  Jibbel  Kumra,  or  Mountains  of  the  Moon,  where  it 
forms  a  lake  or  swamp  ;  and  on  the  west  side  of  the  same  moun- 
tain is  another  swamp,  which  is  the  source  of  the  Senegal, 
a  river  flowing  westward  into  the  Atlantic.  The  Niger  pursues 
an  easterly  direction,  and,  in  its  whole  course  through  Soudan^  has 

•  Pinkerton. 


20  EASTERN  CONTINENT. 

towns  and  villages  scattered  at  little  intervaJs  along  its  banks. 
About  15  days  journey  E.  of  Timbuctoo,  it  enters  the  lake  or  sea 
of  Soudan,  a  very  large  lake,  though  its  extent  is  not  precisely 
known.  After  lea^ang  this  lake  it  pursues  its  original  course,  and 
cither  is  lost  in  the  sands,  or  in  a  lake  still  farther  east,  or  it  is,  as 
both  the  Arabs  and  negroes  affirm,  the  great  western  branch  of  the 
Nile  Massar  or  Nile  of  Egypt.  There  is  but  one  opinion  on  this 
point  in  Morocco  and  at  Timbuctoo,  and  the  Nile  el  Abecde  and 
the  Nile  Massar  are  constantly  spoken  of  as  branches  of  the  same 
stream.  In  1780,  Mr.  Jackson  was  informed  by  a  very  intelligent 
man,  who  had  an  establishment  at  Timbuctoo,  that  an  expedition 
proceeded  from  a  place  called  Jinnic,  lying  above  that  city  on 
the  Niger,  to  Cairo,  a  voyage  of  1 4  months.  They  reported  that 
there  were  1200  cities  and  towns,  with  mosques  or  towers  in  them, 
between  Timbuctoo  and  Cairo,  built  on  or  near  the  banks  of  the 
river.  They  returned  with  the  western  caravan  to  Morocco  ;  and, 
there  joining  the  southern,  reached  Jinnie  after  an  absence  of  3 
years  and  2  months.  Parke  first  came  upon  the  Niger  in  5  30 
W.  where  it  was  as  large  as  the  Thames  at  Westminster.  It  may 
therefore  be  considered  as  rising  in  Ion.  6  30  W.  The  western 
branch  of  the  Nile,  the  Bahar  el  Abiad,  unites  with  the  eastern  in 
Ion.  32  45  E.  of  Greenwich,  or  39  51  of  Ion.  from  the  source 
of  the  Niger,  which  in  lat.  12  is  in  a  straight  line  2650  miles,  and, 
allowing  for  windings  and  difference  of  latitude,  at  least  3000.  If 
the  Nile  and  Niger  are,  according  to  the  Arabian  account,  one 
river,  its  whole  length  is  not  probably  less  than  4700  miles. 

The  WoLGA,  or  Volga,  the  Rha  and  jiraxis  of  tlie  ancients,  and 
the  jidel  of  the  Tartars,  is  still  called  the  Rhau  by  the  Mordvines. 
It  is  the  great  river  of  Europe,  and  has  its  sources  in  several  small 
lakes  among  the  Valday  mountains,  in  the  government  of  Tver  in 
Russia,  the  streams  of  which  unite  in  lat.  56  40  N.  Ion.  33  34 
E.  and  form  the  Wolga.  Its  course  is  S.  E.  to  Zobtzov,  then  N. 
E.  to  Mologa,  then  S;  E.  to  Kazan,  and  then  somewhat  W.  of  S% 
to  Tzaritzin,  whence  it  pursues  a  S.  E.  course  to  the  Caspian. 
Its  length,  according  to  Tooke,  is  3200  miles,  and  Arrowsmith's  map 
fully  justifies  the  account.  It  begins  to  be  navigable  at  Tver  in 
lat.  56  50  N.  Ion.  36  16  E. ;  and  is  every  where  free  from  cat* 
aracts.  Its  waters  are  regularly  growing  shallower,  so  as  to  give 
grounds  for  apprehension,  that  it  may  one  day  cease  to  be  naviga- 
ble for  vessels  of  any  tolerable  size.  Ships,  a  hundred  years  ago, 
could  ascend  the  river  to  Nishney  Novogorod  with  double  the 
loading,  Avhich  they  can  carry  at  present.  It  abounds  in  fish,  espe- 
cially in  sterlet,  sturgeon,  and  bielareba.  It  rolls  its  waters 
through  many  fertile  regions,  and  beautiful  forests  of  oak.  In  the 
spring  its  banks  are  overflown.  Its  tributaries,  the  Kamma,  Ok- 
ka,  and  Terek  will  be  described  in  their  places.  The  Wolga, 
about  70  miles  below  Astrachan,  empties  into  the  N.  W.  angle  of 
the  Caspian,  through  nearly  70  mouths.  The  quantity  of  its  wa- 
ters is  far  less  than  its  length  w'oukl  lead  one  to  imagine. 

The  Amoor  has  tAvo  sources.  The  northern  rises  among  thQ 
Kerrtaihem  mountains,  in  about  lat.  49  N.  and  110   E.  where  it  is 


EASTERN  CONTINENT.  21 

qalled  the  Onon.  Running  in  a  N.  E.  direction  to  the  city  of 
Nortshinsk,  in  about  lat.  52,  it  receives  the  Neiza,  and  takes  the 
name  of  the  Shilka.  It  continues  this  direction  180  miles  farther 
to  Bakla-nova,  at  its-most  northern  extremity,  in  lat.  52  30,  where 
the  other  branch,  the  Argoon,  joins  it  from  the  S.  The  Argoou 
issues  from  a  lake  on  the  frontiers  of  Russia  and  China,  and  forms 
the  border  of  the  two  empires  all  the  way  to  its  junction  with  the 
Shilka.  From  Bakla-nova  the  cours6  of  the  Amoor  is  nearly  S. 
E.  to  lat.  47  30,  where  it  receives  the  Nonni-Ula,  a  very  large 
river  from  the  S.  W.  Thence  its  course  is  N.  E.  It  receives  the 
Usuri,  another  considerable  river,  in  lat.  48  30  from  the  S.  E.  ris- 
ing from  the  lake  Hinka,and  having  a  communication  after  a  short 
day's  journey  with  the  sea  of  Japan.  The  Amoor  empties  into 
the  sea  of  Ochotsk,  in  about  52  30  N.  opposite  the  island.of  Sag- 
halien.  It  is  well  stocked  with  fish  ;  and  the  forests  on  its  banks 
consist  of  oak,  walnut,  birch,  and  different  sorts  of  pines.  The 
soil  is  very  rich,  and  the  climate  mild  and  healthful.  The  lengtli 
of  the  Amoor  is  not  precisely  known.  It  is  probably  over  2000 
miles.* 

The  Ganges  is  formed  by  two  branches  from  the  mountains 
of  Kentaisse  in  Thibet,  which  run  in  a  direction  W.  of  N.  about 
300  miles  in  a  direct  distance  ;  when,  meeting  with  the  great 
ridge  of  mount  Himmaleh,  which  extends  from  Cabul  eastward 
along  the  N.  of  Hindostan,  they  are  compelled  towards  the  S. 
and  soon  after  unite  their  waters.  The  united  stream,  after  coast- 
ing this  ridge  of  mountains  about  100  miles,  forces  its  way  through 
it,  in  lat.  33,  by  a  vast  cavern  worn  in  the  rock,  called  the  Gai- 
g'ontra,  or  Cow's  mouthy  and  falls  into  an  immense  rocky  bason  be- 
low. At  Hurdwar  it  leaves  tlie  mountainous  tract,  after  having 
wandered  in  it  800  miles,  and  enters  Hindostan.  In  this  country 
its  course  is  S.  and  S.  E. ;  till,  after  passing  Benares  and  Patna, 
and  receiving  many  large  tributaries,  it  divides  at  Moorshedabad 
into  two  branches.  The  largest,  the  Megna,  continues  the  direc- 
tion of  the  main  river ;  and  at  Luckpoor,  joining  the  Burrampoo- 
tcr,  forms  with  it  a  common  estuary  at  the  head  of  the  bay  of  Ben- 
gal. The  western  branch,  called  the  Hoogley,  passes  by  Calcut- 
ta, and  runs  S.  W.  to  the  same  bay.  Both  branches  divide  into 
many  smaller  ones,  and  almost  the  whole  Delta  of  tlie  Ganges  is 
a  mere  marsh,  capable  of  being  inhabited  only  by  tygers  and  alliv 
gators.  The  Hoogley  is  far  the  most  important  brancii  to  the  inter- 
ests of  navigation.  The  length  of  the  Ganges  is  about  2000  miles, 
and  the  quantity  of  its  waters  much  greater  than  its  length  would  in- 
dicate. In  the  mouths  of  this  river,  the  Bore^  or  sudden  influx  of  the 
tide,  rises  in  both  branches  to  the  height  of  from  5  to  12  feetf  in  2 
or  3  minutes.  Its  approach  may  be  heard  many  miles  oft\  and  it 
sounds  like  the  roaring  of  the  ocean  on  a  surfy  beach.  It  oversets 
tlie  largest  boats,  and  annually  destroys  multitudes  of  lives. 

The  BuRRAMPOOTER  issues  from  the  opposite  side  of  the 
same  ridge  of  mountains  with  the  Ganges.     It  separates  from  it 

•  SRuer»  t  Reniicll,  25S. 


22  EASTERN  CONTINENT. 

eastward  more  than  1200  miles;  and,  after  running  S.  W.  lli rough 
Asam,  enters  the  British  territory,  and  runs  S.  4fX)  miles  to  Luck- 
poor.  The  Burrampooter,  in  its  length,  is  thought  to  equal  or 
surpass  the  Ganges,  and  is  its  noblest  tributary. 

The  Danube,  the  ancient  later,  rises  from  humble  fountains,  in 
Donischingen,  in  Swabia,  in  about  lat.  42  40  N.  and  Ion.  8  30 
E.  It  passes  through  Bavaria,  Austria,  Hungary,  Servia,  Bulgaria, 
Walachia  and  Moldavia.  Its  course  to  Ratisbon  is  N.  E.  to  Pilsen 
S.  E.  and  thence  S.  and  S.  E.  to  the  Black  sea ;  which  it  enters 
by  various  mouths,  between  lat.  44  55  and  45  30  N. ;  35  miles 
below  Ismail.  Its  length  is  reckoned  by  different  authors  to  be 
from  1300  to  1600  miles.  It  is  probably  about  1500.  It  receives 
in  its  course  more  than  60  rivers,  and  begins  to  be  navigable  a  lit- 
tle above  Ulm,  a  long  distance  from  its  mouth.  From  its  source 
to  the  Inn,  it  is  a  Bavarian  river ;  from  the  Inn  to  Orsova-,  half  its 
length,*  an  Austrian  ;  and  from  Orsova  to  the  Euxine,  Turkish. 
From  Vienna  to  Belgrade,  in  Hungary,  it  is  so  broad,  that  in  the 
Avars  between  the  Turks  and  Christians,  ships  of  war  were  engaged 
upon  it;  and  its  conveniency  for  carriage  to  all  the  countries 
through  which  it  passes,  is  inestimable.  Its  stream  is  rapid,  and 
is  broken  by  many  cataracts  and  whirlpools. 

Mountg.ins.~\  The  mountains  of  this  continent  do  not  equal  those 
of  the  western  in  their  height  or  the  length  of  their  ranges.  Most 
of  the  high  mountains  also  are  separate  summits.  Those  of  Eu- 
rope far  surpass  in  height  any  that  are  known  in  the  ranges  of 
Asia. 

Altai.  The  Altaian  chain,  in  length,  is  undoubtedly  the  second 
on  the  globe ;  reaching  from  about  70  E.  to  the  extreme  boun- 
daries of  Asia,  or  about  5000  miles.  In  the  east  this  chain  may  be 
considered  as  commencing  in  the  country  of  the  Tchutski ;  where, 
and  for  a  great  distance  westward,  it  has  the  natiic  of  the  Yablon- 
skoi  mountai77s.  Turning  off  the  Anadyr  to  the  E.  and  the  Kovyma 
to  the  north,  it  pursues  a  S.  W.  course,  passing  between  the  sour- 
ces of  the  Shilka  and  the  Vitima ;  till,  in  about  50  N.  it  bends 
nearly  W.  From  this  bend,  in  its  progress  westward,  it  is  called 
the  Sayane  mountains  as  far  as  the  Yenisca,  and  is  pierced  by  the 
remoter  branches  of  that  river.  Near  the  Yenisca  the  chain  divides. 
The  northern  branch,  the  Lesser  Altai,  pursues  a  westward  course, 
as  far  as  about  Ion.  70  E.  parting  Soongoria  from  the  government 
of  Kolhyvan ;  and  is  divided  by  the  Oby  and  the  Irtish.  The 
Great  Altai  winds  south  westward  round  the  soulxcs  of  the  Oby 
and  the  Irtish,  throwing  out  several  considerable  ridges  towards 
the  N.  N.  W.  On  the  frontier  line  of  the  Soongorian  and  Mongo- 
lian deserts  the  Bogdo-Alim  (the  almighty  mount)  raises  its  crag- 
gy and  irregular  summit.  From  it  the  Changay  mountains  sepa- 
rate south  eastward  towards  central  China,  and  the  Massait  range 
southwards  to  the  mountains  of  Thibet ;  while  the  main  mountain 
of  the  Great  Altai  proceeds  westward,  mostly  bare  of  forests,  and 
called  the  Alak  oy  Mak-oola^  and  by  the  Tartars  the  ►^/a-7'a?^.t 

*  Piakerton.  f  PfiUas. 


EASTERN  CONTINENT.  23 

We  do  not  know  its  western  termination.  From  its  separation 
from  the  lesser  Altai  none  of  the  great  rivers  of  Asia  break  throus»h 
it.*  Probably  the  chain  of  Belur-Tag  is  a  spur  from  the  western 
end  of  this  ranf^e,  connecting  it  with  the  range  called  the  Hindoo- 
koht  or  Kcntaissc  7ii(jun(ai7is,  and  farther  east  the  rnounlaina  oj 
Thibet. 

Ural.  This  is  a  Tartarian  word  signifying  a  belt  or  girdle. 
The  Russia.ns  call  the  range  KcminerKA^  and  Seninoiy  Poyas^  i.  c.  the 
Rock,  or  Earth  girdle.  These  mountains  have  been  incorrectly 
believed  to  be  the  montea  Hhyfihaci  and  Rhymnici,  of  the  antients. 
They  form  a  natural  l)oimdary  between  Europe  and  Asia.  The 
range  commences  between  the  Caspian  and  the  Aral ;  attains  its 
greatest  height  about  the  sources  of  the  Ural,  the  Emba,  and  the 
Tobol ;  thence  stretches  farther  north  and  turns  the  waters  of  the 
Isetz  and  the  Sosva  eastward,  and  those  of  the  Petshora  north- 
westward ;  and  lastly  forms  two  lofty  promontories  about  the  Ka- 
rian  sea.  Indeed  it  may  be  considered  as  bix)ken  by  the  straits  of 
Weygat,  and  reaching  its  termination  in  the  mountains  of  Nova 
Zembla.  The  length  of  this  range,  from  its  southern  extremity  to 
the  straits  of  Weygat,  is  between  1 800  and  2000  miles.  The  whole 
range  is  very  rich  in  minerals ;  declines  incomparably  more  on 
the  western  side  than  on  the  eastern  ;  and,  on  the  former,  is  ac- 
companied by  a  considei'able  track  of  collateral  ridge,  very  rich  in 
copper,  and  consisting  for  the  most  pait  in  schistose  sandstone. 
The  southern  part  of  the  range,  as  far  as  the  sources  of  the  Tobol 
and  the  Yemba,  is  called  Uic  Kirghisizi  Ural.,  and  is  little  known. 
Between  the  Tobol  and  the  Sosva  it  is  called  the  Uralore  moun- 
tains. This  part  contains  the  highest  summits,  sends  out  several 
spurs  to  the  westward,  and  is  very  rich  in  ores,  particularly  cop- 
per. The  northern  part  is  the  Desert  Ural,  and  runs  almost  par- 
allel with  the  Oby. 

Ati.as.  The  range  of  Mount  Atlas,  though  well  known  to  the 
ancients,  is  far  more  extensive  than  they  appear  to  have  imagined. 
It  commences  near  the  Atlantic,  in  the  province  of  Lower  Susc  in 
rfic  south  western  part  of  Morocco,  not  far  from  Capo  Bojador,  and 
at  first  pursues  a  N.  E.  course  separating  that  kingdom  from 
Bled  el  Jezrede.f  In  about  lat.  33  N.  it  bends  more  to  the  east, 
and  passes  between  the  latter  country  on  the  south,  and  Algiers 
and  Tunis  on  the  north.  Here  it  is  said  to  terminate.  But  it  is 
highly  probable  that  the  ridge  in  Tunis  is  merely  a  spur ;  and  that 
the  main  ridge  runs  S.  E.  through  Tripoli  towards  the  desert  of 
Barca.  Unfortunately  little  is  known  of  the  eastern  Barbary  states ; 
and  still  less  of  the  eastern  Atlas.  Several  spurs  are  sent  out  from 
the  western  part  of  the  range.  One  leaves  it  near  its  eastern  bend, 
and  runs  N.  W.  to  the  straits  of  Gibraltar.  Another  in  about  lat. 
3 1  N.  proceeds  N.  of  W.  to  Cape  Cantin.  Another  runs  west- 
ward to  Cape  de  Geer.  In  Morocco  these  mountains  are  said  to 
be  rich  in  copper,  iron,  lead,  sulphur,  and  saltpetre  ;  and  to  con- 
tain silver,  and  mines  of  gold  intermixed  with  lead  and  antimony. 

*  Tooke.  f  Oflen  improperly  spelt  Biledulgerid. 


24  EASTERN  CONTINENT. 

Mountains  of  the  Moon.  The  Arabs  call  these  mountains 
Jibbel  Kumra  ;  the  anticnts  called  them  Montes  Lun<e.  Both  names 
have  the  same  signification.  We  have  no  doubt  that  the  mountains 
are  originally  indebted  to  the  Arabs  for  the  appellation.  The  Ro- 
mans knew  not  their  situation  nor  their  existence  except  by  report. 
The  Arabs,  on  the  contrary,  had  prowled  over  all  their  summits 
centuries  before  the  Romans  had  obtained  even  this  information. 
The  range  commences  in  the  western  part  of  Africa,  ar.d  is  there 
usually  named  in  the  maps  the  Mountains  of  Kong ^  the  name  un- 
doubtedly given  it  by  the  negroes,  who  live  between  these  moun- 
tains and  the  gulf  of  Guinea.  The  Arabs  however  call  them  here, 
and  throughout  the  whole  range,  Jibbel  Kumra.  Its  course  is  east- 
ward, dividing  the  extensive  country  of  Soudan  (the  southern  boun- 
dary of  Sahara  or  the  Great  Desart)  from  Guinea  ;  and,  pursuing 
its  way  through  many  unknown  regions,  crosses  Africa,  and  is 
found  again  in  lat.  7  N.  at  the  sources  of  the  Nile  in  the  southern 
part  of  Abyssinia.  Whether  it  goes  thence  eastward  through  the 
kingdom  of  Adel  is  not  known.  Far  the  greater  part  of  this  range 
has  been  unexplored  by  tlie  eye  of  civilization ;  and  we  have  only 
Arabic  testimony  to  the  identity  of  the  eastern  and  western  parts  of 
the  range.  Relying  on  this  we  estimate  its  length  to  be,  at  least,  40 
degrees  of  longitude,  which,  taking  a  mean  latitude,  is  2730  miles. 
From  the  western  part  of  the  range  the  Gambia  and  the  Senegal 
flow  westward,  and  the  Niger  eastward.  From  the  eastern  and  its 
spurs,  flow  all  the  upper  branches  of  the  Nile.* 

Deserts^  Nothing  deserving  this  name  is  known  in  America, 
the  Pamfias  of  Paraguay  are  plains  rivalling  several  of  the  Stejip.es 
of  Asia  in  extent;  but  they  are  every  where  covered  with  grass, 
and  browzed  by  numberless  herds  of  cattle  ;  while  the  Paramos  of 
Peru  and  southern  Terra  Firma,  though  destitute  of  cultivation, 
are  not  of  sufficient  extent  to  be  noticed  among  the  general  fea- 
tures of  a  continent. 

Sahara.  This  immense  ocean  of  sand  reaches  from  the  Atlan- 
tic to  the  confines  of  Egypt,  Sennaar,  and  Abyssinia,  a  space  of  50 
deg.  or  about  3400  miles,  by  a  breadth  of  1 2  deg.  or  830  miles.  Mo- 
rocco, Bled  el  Jezrede  and  Tripoli  lie  north  of  it,  and  on  the  S.  is 
the  country  of  Soudan,  together  with  many  unexplored  regions,  the 
names  of  which  are  not  yet  known.f  Its  name  Sahara  means  the 
Desert^  a  title  which  it  may  fairly  claim  as  an  appellative  by  way  of 
eminence.  It  is  a  prodigious  expanse  of  red-sand  and  sand-stone 
rock,  defying  every  exertion  of  human  power  and  industry  ;  but  it  is 
i/iterspersed  with  various  island^  or  cultivated  and  inhabited  spots 
of  different  sizes,  called  Oas  or  Oases,  of  which  Fezzan,  lying  south 
of  Tripoli,  is  the  largest  that  has  been  explored.  These  Oases 
serve  as  resting  and  watering  places  for  the  Akkabaahs  (accumu- 
lated caravans)  in  their  journeys  over  the  desert.  At  each  of  them 
they  commonly  halt  about  seven  days.    In  the  intermediate  stages 

(*  Jackson's  Morocco.) 
•j"  Whether  the  djesert  of  Barca,  between  Tripoli  Proper  and  Egypt,  is  an  extension 
of  the  Sahara  i»orth  wards  in  consequence  of  the  termination  of  the  chain  of  Mount  At- 
las in  the  former  country,  fe  not,  we  believe,  ascertajned-.         •  ^ 


EASTERN  CONTINENT.  25 

the  ahume  or  hot-winds  of  the  desert  are  often  so  violent,  as  to  ex- 
hale the  water  carried  in  skins  on  the  backs  of  camels.  These 
shume  blow  across  the  whole  desert,  and  often  reach  many  miles 
over  the  Atlantic.  They  are  accompanied  by  a  cloud  of  dust ;  and 
drift  the  loose  sand  along  plains,  which  attaches  to  every  fixed  ob- 
ject in  its  course  and  soon  buries  it.  The  intense  heat  of  the  sun, 
aided  by  the  vehement  and  parching  wind,  thus  driving  the  sand 
before  it,  gives  to  the  desert  the  appearance  of  a  sea,  the  drifting 
sands  resembling  exactly  the  waves  of  the  ocean,  and  hence  aptly 
denominated  by  the  Arabs  El  Bahar  billa  Mda,  a  sea  without  water. 
In  1805,  a  caravan  proceeding  from  Timbuctoo  to  Tafilelt,  was 
disappointed  in  finding  water  at  one  of  the  oases  ;  when,  horrible 
to  relate,  2000  men  and  1800  camels  perished  of  thirst!  Acci- 
dents of  this  sort  account  for  the  immense  quantities  of  the  bones 
ef  men  and  beasts,  which  are  found  mingled  together  in  various 
parts  of  the  Desert.  An  account  will  begin  hereafter  of  the  stated 
caravans  between  Timbuctoo  in  Soudan  and  the  kingdom  of  Mo- 
rocco. In  the  more  southern  parts  of  Africa  there  are  also  deserts 
of  great  extent ;  but  we  are  not  possessed  of  sufficient  information 
to  determine  their  limits,  or  even  their  general  situatioiv  There 
is  however  strong  reason  to  believe,  from  the  discoveries  of  late 
travellers,  that  much  the  greater  part  of  Africa,  south  of  the  Sahara, 
is  fertile  and  capable  of  being  inhabited. 

The  Asiatic  plains  are  less  desert  than  those  of  Africa,  being 
mostly  only  sandy,  with  scattered  patches  of  thin  grass,  and,  at 
wide  intervals,  a  stunted  thicket.  Those  in  the  north  of  Asia  are 
called  Ste/i/is. 

CoBi.  .  This  is  partially  or  wholly  intersected  by  several  chains 
of  mountains.  The  Mongols  call  the  western  part  of  it  Cobi ;  the 
Chinese,  the  eastern,  Shamo.  Both  are  properly  considered  as  one. 
"  Destitute  of  plants  and  water  it  is  dangerous  for  horses  ;  but  is 
safely  passed  with  camels.  According  to  Danville,  it  reaches  from 
about  80  to  110  E.  Ion.  being  30  deg.  which,  in  lat.  40,  is  about  1600 
miles.  In  tliis  wide  exteirt  are  many  oases  ;  some  of  them  regions 
of  considerable  size.  On  the  other  hand  the  main  desert  sends 
forth  several  barren  branches  in  various  directions."* 

Stepp  of  Siberia.  This  immense  plain,  extending  from  the  Ko- 
lyma on  the  E.  to  the  Oby  on  the  W.  and  from  the  Frozen  Oceaii 
on  the  N.  to  the  Tshulim,  the  Tunguska  and  the  eastward  course 
«)f  the  Lena,  on  the  S.  Tooke  describes  it  under  these  divisions, 
naming  them  after  the  great  rivers  between  which  they  lie.  But 
the  mere  passage  of  a  river  throvigh  an  extensive  plain  is  not  such 
an  interruption  of  it,  as  to  j\istify  such  a  division  in  a  general  geo- 
graphical description.  Westward  of  the  Yenisea,  extensive  forests 
of  fine  timber  are  found  on  the  southern  parts  of  the  plain,  near  tiie 
mountains  ;  but,  near  the  Frozen  ocean,  all  the  wood  is  low  and 
stunted.  Eastward  of  the  Yenisea  it  is  generally  described  as  more 
like  a  desert,  though  near  the  mountains  it  is  coveretLwith  forests. 
Many  hills  and  elevated  places  may  doubtless  be  found  throughout 
tills  vast  extent.     The  distance  of  the  Oby  from  the  mouth  of  the 

*  I'iiikerrpn. 
VOL.   II.  4 


26  EUROPE. 

Kolyma  is  about  85  deg.  of  Ion.  or  1670  miles.  The  southern 
bovmdary  is  not  so  defined  by  Tooke,  as  to  fix  the  average  width  of. 
the  plain.  Russia  contains  many  smaller  plains  for  which  see  art. 
Russia. 

Arrangement.']  After  this  general  sketch  of  the  prominent  fea- 
tures of  the  Eastern  Continent,  many  of  which  lying  between  its 
great  divisions  could  not  truly  be  appropriated  to  either,  we  shall 
proceed  to  a  particular  account  of  Europe,  Asia,  and  Africa 
under  their  respective  civil  divisions. 

Europe,  the  smallest  in  extent,  and  the  second  in  population  ; 
but  the  first  in  civilization,  arts,  and  arms,  is  entitled  to  the  earliest 
consideration.  Its  divisions,  for  the  reasons  formerly  assigned, 
will  be  arranged  in  geographical  order. 

Asia,  twice  the  cradle  of  mankind,  and  containing  more  than 
twice  the  population  of  the  rest  of  the  world ;  but  sunk  in  ignorance, 
idolatry,  and  supineness,  and  more  than  half  its  territory  subjugated 
by  Europe  ;  is  still  the  seat  of  several  powerful  empires,  of  exten- 
sive manufactures,  and  of  a  valuable  passive  commerce.  In  rela- 
tive importance  it  undoubtedly  claims  the  second  place. 

In  connection  with  Asia  and  its  islands,  we  shall  describe  the 
large  islands  generally  included  under  the  name  of  Austral-Asia, 
and  lying  S.  E.  of  the  Indian  ocean ;  and  the  numerous  clusters  of 
islands  scattered  over  the  Pacific,  which  have  obtained  the  name 
of  Polynesia. 

Africa,  enriched  by  robbery  and  piracy  in  the  north,  and  long 
sunk  to  the  lowest  grade  of  ignorance  and  barbarism  in  the  interi- 
or and  the  south,  is  now  rising  in  the  scale  of  civilization  and  im- 
provement, in  consequence  of  the  noble,  pious,  and  benevolent  ex- 
ertions made  for  the  purpose  by  the  British  nation.  The  heat  of 
its  climate,  its  immense  deserts,  and  its  want  of  inland  seas,  and 
navigable  rivers  subject  it  to  peculiar  disadvantages  in  respect  to 
civilization  and  commerce.  The  little  which  is  known  respecting 
this  part  of  the  globe  will  close  our  undertaking. 


EUROPE. 

p.  T  rr^HIS  part  of  the  globe  is  the  smallest  in  extent;, 

'-'  JL  yielding  considerably  to  Africa.  From  the  Portu- 
guese cape,  called  the  Rock  of  Lisbon,  in  9  35  30,  W.  to  the  Ura- 
lian  mountains  in  the  east,  the  length  is  about  3300  British  miles  ; 
and  the  breadth  from  the  North  Cape  in  Danish  Lapland,  in  71  19 
-N.  to  Cape  Matapan,  the  southern  extremity  of  Greece,  in  36  33, 
is  about  2350.  The  contents  in  square  miles  have  been  calculated 
with  so  great  diversity  of  opinion,  such  estimates  being  in  truth 
arbitrary  and  only  comparative,  that  it  is  sufficient  to  mention  the 
medial  numl^cr  of  about  2,600,000.* 

Limit s.~\     The  ancients  had  no  just  ideas  of  the  boundaries  of 
Europe,  the  i^ame  itself  having  seemingly  originated  from  a  small 
*  Hassel  says  3,337,019. 


EUROPE.  27 

district  near  the  Hellespont,  as  the  distinctive  name  of  Asia  also 
spread  from  the  opposite  shore.  More  than  a  third  part  of  Eu- 
rope, towards  the  north  and  east,  has  only  been  known  with  precis- 
ion in  modem  times :  on  the  south,  the  continental  part  is  limited 
by  the  Mediterranean  sea,  on  the  west  by  the  Atlantic.  In  the 
opinion  of  several  geographers,  the  Azores  or  Western  Isles  arc 
clearly  European,  being  nearer  to  Portugalthantoany  other  conti- 
nental land,  while  the  Madeiras,  for  the  same  conclu-sive  reason, 
belong  to  Africa,  On  the  north,  the  boundary  is  the  Arctic  ocean, 
embracing  the  remote  isle  of  Novaya  Zemlia,  or  the  New  Laiad. 
Toward  the  east  the  boundaries  admit  of  some  discussion.  The 
Uralian  mountains  are  a  grand  natural  limit,  from  the  Arctic 
ocean  to  about  56  degrees  of  north  latitude  :  to  the  south  of  which 
the  grand  confines  of  Europe  and  Asia  have  been  sought  in  the 
petty  distinctions  of  Russian  governments.  More  natural  limits 
might  be  obtained  by  tracing  the  river  Oufa  from  its  source  to  its 
junction  with  the  Belaia.  Thence  along  the  Kama  to  the  Volga, 
which  would  constitute  a  striking  natural  division,  to  the  town  of 
S'repta ;  whence  a  short  ideal  line,  the  only  one  admitted  in  this 
delineation,  will  lead  dfte  west  to  the  river  Don,  which  would 
complete  the  unascertained  boundary ;  thence  the  line  passes 
down  that  river  to  the  Sea  of  Azof,  and  through  that  sea,  the 
Straits  of  Kaff,  the  Euxine,  Straits  of  Constantinople,  Marmdrla, 
Dardanelles,  and  Archipelago  to  the  Mediterranean. 

ANCIENT    DIVISIONS    OF    EUROPE. 

Hibernia.     Ireland. 

Britannia.     Great  Britain. 

Scandinavia.     Norway,  Sweden,  Lapland  Finland  and  Denmark. 

Sarmattay  or      <  Russia,  Poland,  Prussia  and  Little  Tartary, 

Scythia.  \        countries  unknown  to  tlie  Romans. 

Gallia.     Holland,  Flanders,  France,  and  Switzerland. 
Gerjnania.     Germany. 
Noricum.     Austria. 
Pannonia.     Hungary. 

Illyricum.     Dalmatia,  Bosnia,  Croatia,  and  Sclavonia. 
Rhtetia  and  Vindelicia.     Tyrol,  and  the  country  of  the  Grisons. 
Hisfiania.     Spain,  and  Portugal. 

Balearea  vel  Balcarides  Insula.     Ivica^  Majorca,  and  Minorca. 
Corsica. 
Sarditiia. 
Sicilia.     Sicily. 
Italia.     Italy. 

Dacia.     Moldavia,  Wallachia  and  Transylvania. 
Maesia.     Servia  and  Bulgaria. 
Efiirus.     Albania  and  Canina. 
Thracia  and  Macedonia.     Romania. 
Thesaalia.     Janna. 
Grxcia  Propria.     Livadia. 
Pelofionnesus.     Morea, 


28  Europe. 

Aiicient  fio/iulation.']  The  ancient  population  of  Eufope  con- 
sisted of  the  Celts  in  the  west  and  south ;  the  Fms  in  the  north- 
east, and  the  Laps  or  Laplanders,  a  diminutive  race  like  the  Sa- 
moiedes  of  Asia,  in  the  furthest  north,  and  who  seem  to  have  en- 
riched their  original  rude  language  by  adopting  in  a  great  measure 
that  of  their  more  civilized  neighbours  the  Fins.  Those  ancient 
inhabitants,  who  seem  to  have  been  thinly  scattered,  were  driven 
towards  the  west  and  north  by  the  Scythians  or  Goths  from  Asia, 
whose  descendants  occupy  the  greater  part  of  Europe  ;  by  the 
Sarmatians  or  Slavonic  tribes,  also  from  Asia,  the  ancestors  of  the 
Russians,  Poles,  Etc.  and  who  were  accompanied  by  the  Heruli, 
using  what  is  now  called  the  Lettic  speech,  to  be  found  in  Prussia, 
Lithuania,  Samogitia,  Courland,  and  Livonia,  being  a-kin  to  the 
Slavonic  language*,  yet  many  with  shades  of  distinction.  From 
Africa  the  colony  of  Iberi,  and  northern  Mauretani,  passed  into 
Spain  at  a  very  early  period.  The  latter  accession  of  Hungarians 
and  Turks  from  Asia  may  likewise  be  commemorated. 

Progressive  geograp.lnj.~\  The  progressive  geography  of  Europe 
will  be  more  aptly  illustrated  in  the  descriptions  of  each  king- 
dom and  state.  Suflice  it  here  to  observe,  that  the  ablest  modem 
geographers,  not  excepting  D'Anville  himself,  have  greatly  erred 
in  their  views  of  the  ancient  knoAvledge  of  Europe.  Of  Scandi- 
navia the  ancients  only  knew  the  southern  part,  as  far  as  the  lakes 
of  Weter  and  Wener.  The  Roman  ships  explored  the  sovithern 
shores  of  the  Baltic,  as  far  as  the  river  Rubo  or  the  western  Dwi- 
na,  and  discovered  the  names  of  several  tribes  along  the  shores  ; 
but  of  the  central  parts  of  Germany  it  is  evident,  from  the  maps  of 
Ptolemj'^,  that  they  had  no  just  ideas  :  so  that  the  tribes,  which  he 
enumerates,  may  be  more  justly  assigned  to  the  northern  parts 
along  the  Baltic,  or  to  the  southern  on  the  left  of  the  Danube, 
The  Carpathian  or  Sarmatian  mountains  were  well  known,  but 
the  line  of  50  or  52  degrees  of  north  latitude  must  confine  the  an- 
cient knowledge  in  the  northeast.  A  singularity  in  the  ancient 
descriptions  has  often  misled  :  for  as  the  mountains  in  the  savage 
state  of  Europe  were  crowned  or  accompanied  with  forests,  the 
same  term  was  used  in  several  barbarous  languages  to  express 
either ;  so  that  the  ancients  often  place  important  mountains 
where  the  hand  of  nature  had  only  planted  large  forests.  This 
remark  becomes  essential  in  the  comparison  of  ancient  and  mod- 
ern geography.  The  Riphsean  mountains  are  incorrectly  sup- 
posed to  have  been  the  Uralian  chain,  instead  of  a  large  forest 
running  from  east  to  west.  The  Sevo  Mons  of  Pliny,  which  he 
positively  assigns  to  the  north  of  Germany,  though  geographers 
in  direct  opposition  to  his  text  transfer  it  to  Norway,  a  region  al- 
most as  unknown  to  the  antients  as  America,  must  be  regarded 
as  a  vast  forest  extending  to  some  promontory  :  and  the  Venedici 
Montes  of  Ptolemy  are  in  the  like  predicament,  for  modern  knowl- 
edge evinces  that  no  such  mountains  exist.  Of  all  sciences  per- 
haps geography  has  made  the  most  slow  and  imperfect  progress ; 
and  the  first  restorers  of  it  place  at  random  many  grand  features 
•  Tooke's  Vkw  ol'Hussia,  i.  455. 


EUROPE.  29 

of  nature,  instead  of  pursuing  the  recent  and  just  plan  ofgivir- 
an  exact  delineation  of  the  country,  and  afterwards  exploring 
the  real  extent  of  ancient  knowledge. 

Religion.']  The  christian  religion  prevails  throughout  Europe, 
except  in  Turkey,*  where  however  at  least  tAvo  thirds  of  the  in- 
habitants are  attached  to  the  Greek  church.  Wherever  the 
christian  faith  has  penetrated,  knowledge,  industry,  and  civiliza- 
sion  have  followed :  among  the  barbarous  tribes  in  the  north  the 
progress  was  unhappily  slow,  Scandinavia  remaining  pagan  till  the 
eleventh  century ;  and  some  Slavonic  tribes  on  the  south  of  the 
Baltic  till  the  thirteenth ;  nay,  it  is  not  above  a  century  ago  since 
the  Laplanders  were  converted  by  missions  from  Denmark.  The 
three  great  divisions  are  catholics,  protestants,  and  the  Greek 
church.  Hassel  states  the  whole  population  of  Europe  at 
180,000,000.  Of  these  the  catholics  compose,  according  to  the 
best  of  our  information,  about  90,000,000.  They  are  found  prin- 
cipally in  Southern  Europe ;  in  Portugal,  Spain,  France,  Italy, 
Southern  Germany,  Austria,  and  the  Netherlands.  There  are 
also  about  3,000,000  in  Ireland.  The  number  of  protestants  is 
about  49,000,000.  They  inhabit  Great-Britain,  Sweden,  Den- 
mark, Prussia,  Northern  Germany,  and  Holland ;  and  are  found 
in  considerable  numbers  in  Ireland,  Switzerland,  and  the  Austrian 
empire.  The  christians  of  the  Greek  church,  in  Europe,  are 
about  58,000,000  in  number.  They  compose  the  population  of 
Russia,  and  two  thirds  of  that  of  Turkey.  The  remaining  three 
millions  are  Mahometan  Turks. 

The  general  prevalence  of  the  christian  religion  has  been  fol- 
lowed by  another  superlative  advantage,  that  of  constituting  all 
Europe,  as  it  were,  into  one  republic,  so  that  any  useful  discovery 
made  in  one  state,  passes  to  the  rest  with  celerity. 

Clitfiate.']  This  fair  portion  of  the  globe  is  chiefly  situated  in 
the  temperate  zone :  if  such  distinctions  have  not  vanished  from 
geography,  since  modern  discoveries  have  evinced,  that  the  climate 
often  depends  on  local  causes  ;  that  the  Alps  in  a  southern  lati- 
tude present  mountains  of  ice  unknown  in  Lapland  ;  that  the  tor- 
rid zone  abounds  with  water  and  habitations,  and  may  perhaps 
contain  mountains  covered  with  snow.  Yet  freedom  from  the  ex- 
cessive heats  of  Asia  and  Africa  has  contributed  to  the  vigor  of 
the  frame,  and  the  energy  of  the  mind. 

Govermnents.]  The  kingdoms  and  states  of  Europe  may  be 
considered,  1.  As  despotic  monarchies,  as  those  of  Russia,  Tur- 
key, and  France  :  2.  Absolute  monarchies,  as  Austria,  Spain, 
Denmark,  Sweden,  Sec.  :  or,  3.  Limited  monarchies,  as  the  king- 
dom of  Great  Britain.  Since  the  fall  of  Venice,  and  the  subver- 
sion of  Swisserland  and  Holland,  scarcely  an  example  occurs  of 
permanent  and  fixed  aristocracy,  or  the  hereditary  government  of 
nobles.  And  not  a  republic  is  now  to  be  found  throughout 
Europe. 

Arrangement. ~\     According  to  the  plan  of  this  work  already  ex- 
plained, the  various  states  of  Europe  will  be  arranged  according 
*  It  is  said  that  a  few  of  the  Laplanders  are  still  heathens. 


so 


BRITISH  EMPIRE. 


to  their  geographic  ordegr  ;  and  each  will  be  treated  at  a  iengtli 
proportioned  to  its  weight  in  the  political  scale,  and  the  conse- 
quent interest  which  it  inspires.  A  small  state  may  indeed  some- 
times excite  a  more  just  curiosity,  than  one  of  larger  dimensions  ; 
but  such  considerations  are  foreign  to  an  exact  system  of  geog- 
raphy, detailed  in  a  precise  order  of  topics,  and  extended  with  im» 
partial  views  over  the  whole  circle  of  human  affairs.  The  changes, 
which  have  taken  place  in  Europe  within  the  last  30  years,  have 
been  so  numerous  and  so  extensive,  that  a  map  of  its  present  po- 
litical divisions  would  give  no  just  idea  of  those,  which  then  ex- 
isted. But  a  knowledge  of  these  last  is  probably  not  less  useful 
to  the  man  of  general  information,  than  of  the  first.  We  pro- 
pose, therefore,  to  give  a  very  brief  sketch  of  those  countries 
which  are  now  divided,  or  subjected  to  a  foreign  government ; 
and  likewise  to  state  the  late  and  present  boundaries  and  extent  of 
others  where  they  have  been  materially  altered. 

As  the  British  empire  is  unconnected  with  the  continent,  and  a 
geographical  arrangement  would  be  violated  by  inserting  it  be- 
tween any  of  the  continental  states,  the  first  description  shall  be 
that  of  the  British  Dominions.  The  Danish  empire,  Sweden,  Rus- 
sia, Poland,  Prussia,  Holland,  Netherlands,  France,  Switzerland, 
Germany,  Austria,  Spain,  Portugal  Italy  and  Turkey  will  follow 
in  the  order  here  specified. 

^uihorities.^  The  abridgment  of  Pinkerton,  lately  published  in 
London,  will  be  the  basis  of  our  geography  of  most  of  the  countries 
of  Europe.  Large  additions,  however,  and  many  alterations  will 
be  made  from  later  and  more  correct  travels  and  documents. 
Where  the  sources  of  inform-ation  are  official,  no  reference  will 
be  made  to  them.  In  other  cases  the  authorities  for  important 
facts  will  always  be  given. 


BRITISH  EMPIRE. 


England, 
Wales, 
Scotland, 
Ireland, 
Shetland  Isles, 
Orkney  Isles, 
Hebrides, 
Isle  of  Man, 
Anglesea, 


1.    IN    EUROPE*. 


2.    IN    ASIA. 


Presidency  of  Calcutta, 
Presidency  of  Madras, 
Presidency  of  Bombay, 
Northern  Hindostan, 
British  Ceylon, 


Scilly  Isles, 

Guernsey, 

Jersey, 

Alderney, 

Sark, 

Heligoland, 

Gibraltar, 

Malta. 


British  Sumatra, 

Amboyna, 

British  New  Holland, 

New  South  Wales, 

Norfolk  Island. 


ENGLAND.  31 

3.    IN  AFRICA. 

Cape  of  Good  Hope,  Sierra  Leona, 

Isle  of  Helena,  Madeiras, 

James*  Island,  Isle  of  Bourbon, 

Annabon,  Isle  of  France. 

4.    IN    NORTH    AMERICA. 

Labrador,  Nova  Scotia, 

New  North  Wales,  Cape  Breton  I. 

New  South  Wales,  St.  John's  I. 

Newfoundland  I.  Anticosti  I. 

Lower  Canada,  Bermudas  I. 

Upper  Canada,  Nootka  Soimd. 
New  Brunswick, 

5.  IN    THE  WEST    INDIES. 

Bahamas,  Guadaloupe, 

Jamaica,  Deseada, 

St.  Thomas,  Marigalante, 

Tortola,  Dominica, 

Amegada,  Martinico, 

St.  Martin's,  St.  Lucia, 

Santa  Cruz,  St.  Vincent, 

Saba,  Barbadoes, 

St.  Eustatia,  Grenada, 

St.  Christopher's,  The  Grenadines, 

Anguilla,  Tobago, 

Barbuda,  Trinidad, 

Antigua,  Bonair, 

Nevis,  Curacoa. 
Montscrrat, 

6.  IN    SOUTH    AMERICA. 

British  Gaiana,  Cayenne, 


ENGLAND. 

CHAPTER  L 

HISTORICAL  GEOGRAPHY. 

SAAtE?,  EXTENT,  ORIGINAt  POPUtAl'ION,  HISTORICAL  EPOCHS, 
ANTiqUITIES,  RELIGION,  GOVERNMENT,  JUDICATURE  AND  LAWS, 
ARMY,  NAVY,  REVENUE,  POLITICAL  IMPORTANCE  AND  RELA- 
TIONS, MANNERS  AND  CUSTOMS,  LANGUAGE,  LITERATURE,  ARTS, 
EDUCATION,  UNIVERSITIES,  CITIES,  ROADS,  INLAND  NAVIGA- 
TION, MANUFACTURES  AND  COMMERCE. 

J^'amea.']  THE  Phonicians  are  generally  supposed  to 
have  discovered  Great  Britain  and  Ireland  at  a  very  early 
period  ;  and  some  suppose  that  the  name  of  Britain  originates 
tl-om  a  Phenician  ^^o^d  j  while  others  with  more  probability  infer 


32  ENGLAND. 

it  to  have  been  an  indigenal  term  derived  from  the  Brets,  tribes  of 
which  appellation  may  be  traced  in  Gaul  and  Scythia.  Among  the 
first  objects  of  the  Phcnician  intercourse  was  tin,  whence  the 
Greek  name  of  Cassiterides^  or  the  islands  of  tin  ;  a  name  which,  in 
its  first  acceptation,  seems  to  have  extended  to  Great  Britain  and 
Ireland,  though  afterwards  confined  to  the  isles  of  Scilly,  where 
the  metal  does  not  appear  to  have  been  traced  in  modern  times. 

The  name  of  Anglia  or  England  is  well  known  to  have  origin- 
ated from  the  Angles,  a  nation  of  the  Cimbric  Chersonese  or  mod- 
ern Jutland,  who  settled  in  the  northern  parts  in  the  fifth  century. 
The  ecclesiastical  history  ofBeda,  written  in  that  part  of  the  coun- 
try which  was  possessed  by  the  Angli,  seems  to  have  contributed 
greatly  to  the  extension  and  general  acceptation  of  the  modern 
name. 

Extent.']  The  island  of  Great  Britain  extends  from  fifty  to  fif- 
ty-eight and  a  half  degrees  of  north  latitude,  being  of  course  588 
miles  in  length.  Its  greatest  breadth,  from  the  Land's  End  to 
the  North  Foreland  in  Kent,  is  370  miles.  Its  extent  in  square 
miles  is  computed  at  77,243. 

England  is  bounded  on  the  east  by  the  German  Ocean  ;  on  the 
south  by  the  English  Channel ;  on  the  west  by  St.  George's  Chan- 
nel ;  on  the  north  by  the  Cheviot  Hills,  by  the  river  Tweed,  and 
an  ideal  line  falling  southwest  down  to  the  Frith  of  Solvvay.  The 
extent  of  England  and  Wales  in  square  miles  is  computed  at 
49,450  ;  and  the  population  being  estimated  at  8,400,000,  the  num- 
ber of  inhabitants  to  a  square  mile  will  of  course  be  169. 

Original  Jiopulation.]  The  earliest  inhabitants  of  England  are 
supposed  to  have  been  the  Gael  or  southern  Celts,  called  Guidels 
by  the  Welch,  who  regard  them  as  their  predecessors.  Those 
tribes  seem  to  have  arrived  from  the  nearest  shores  of  France  and 
Flanders,  and  were  followed  by  the  Cymri  or  Cimbri  from  the 
same  regions  whence  the  Angles  afterwards  proceeded.  But  the 
Cimbri  were  northern  Celts,  the  ancestors  of  the  modern  Welsh. 
The  Scythians  or  Goths  from  Asia  having  seized  on  Germany  and 
a  great  part  of  Gaul,  gradually  repelling  the  Celts  towards  the 
w^est,  appear  to  have  sent  colonies  into  England  three  or  four 
centuries  before  the  Christian  era ;  for  Caesar  found  many  tribes 
of  the  Belgae,  a  German  or  Gothic  nation,  established  on  the 
south  and  east  of  Britain.  Those  Belgae  may  be  justly  regarded 
as  the  chief  ancestors  of  the  English  nation  ;  for  the  Saxons,  An- 
gles, and  other  northerninvaders,  though  of  distinguished  courage, 
were  inconsiderable  in  numbers,  and  the  English  language  bears 
more  affinity  to  the  Frisic  and  Dutch,  than  to  the  Jutlandic  or 
Danish. 

Under  the  dominion  of  the  Romans  even  the  Belgic  colonies, 
unaccustomed  to  the  use  of  arms,  had  forgotten  their  former  val- 
or in  the  course  of  four  centuries  of  subjection.  Pressed  by  fe- 
rocious invaders,  they  seem  to  have  invited  to  their  assistance 
dangerous  allies  from  the  continent.  The  Jutes  arrived  in  the 
year  449,  and  founded  the  kingdom  of  Kent,  about  the  year  460  ; 
they  also  took  possession  of  the  isle  of  Wight.     In  477  the  Sax- 


ENGLAND.  33 

ens  first  appear,  and  the  kingdom  of  the  South  Saxons  commences 
at  that  epoch.  The  West  Saxons  arrived  in  the  year  495.  The 
sixth  century  was  considerably  advanced  when  those  barbaric  col- 
onies were  increased  by  the  East  Saxons  in  the  year  527  ;  but  the 
first  appearance  of  the  great  branch  of  the  Angles,  who  were  to 
perpetuate  their  name  in  the  country  at  large,  did  not  occur  till 
tlie  year  547,  when  the  valiant  Ida  led  his  troops  to  Bernicia. 
The  East  Angles  taking  possession  of  Norfolk  in  the  year  575, 
the  southern  and  eastern  coasts  were  almost  wholly  in  the  power 
of  the  invaders,  who,  SQOn  extending  their  conquests  into  the  inte- 
rior of  the  country,  founded,  in  the  year  585,  the  kingdom  of  Mer- 
cia,  the  last  of  the  Heptarchy.  13ede  pronounces  Mercia  to  have 
been  an  Anglic  kingdom  ;  and  if  so,  their  population  might  per- 
haps have  equalled  that  of  the  Saxons  themselves. 

Progressive  Geography.~\  The  knowledge  of  the  progressive 
geography  of  any  country  is  indispensably  necessary  for  the  eluci- 
dation of  its  history.  When  the  Romans  invaded  Britain,  the 
chief  states,  in  what  is  now  England  and  Wales,  were  the  Cantii, 
inhabiting  Kent  ;  Trinobanies,  Middlesex ;  Belgae^  or  Regniy 
Hampshire,  Wiltshire,  and  Somersetshire  ;  Durotrigesy  Dorset- 
shire ;  Dcunnonii,  Devonshire  and  Cornwall  ;  Atrebatesy  Berk- 
shire ;  Silures,  South  Wales ;  Ordovices,  North  Wales ;  Icenfy 
Essex,  Suffolk,  Norfolk,  8cc.    Brigantes,  Yorkshire. 

In  the  Roman  period  England  was  divided  into  the  following 
large  provinces. 

Britannia  Prima,  the  whole  southern  part  as  far  as  the  mouths 
of  the  Severn  and  the  Thames. 

Britannia  Sccunda,  Modern  Wales. 

Flavia  Caesariensis,  fi'om  the  Thames  to  the  Humber. 

Maxima  Caesariensis,  from  the  Humber  to  the  Tyne,  from  the 
Mersey  to  the  Solway. 

A  more  detailed  account  of  the  Roman  divisions  of  England 
properly  belongs  to  ancient  geography,  and  the  curious  reader 
may  be  referred  to  the  works  of  Horsley  and  Roy,  authors  of  dcr 
served  estimation. 

Of  the  Saxon  geog,raphy  an  idea  may  be  derived  from  the  fol- 
lowing table. 

1 .  Kent  comprehended  the  county  of  Kent. 

2.  Sussex  or  the  South  C  Sussex. 
Saxons,  l  Surrey. 


3.  East  Angles, 


4.  Wessex,orthe  West 
Saxons, 


YOL.    II. 


'Norfolk. 

Suffolk. 

^Cambridgeshire,  with  the  isle  of  JEly. 
'Cornwall. 

Devonshire. 

Dorset. 
•^  Somerset. 

Wilts. 

Hants. 
^Bcrks. 


H 


England. 


5.  Northumberland, 


Saxons> 


7.  Mercia, 


""Lancashire. 
Yorkshire. 
Durham. 
Cumberland. 
Westmoreland. 

Northumberland,  and  the  parts  of  Scot- 
land to  the  Fritli  of  Edinburgh. 

6.  Essex,  or  the  East  |M?ddTesex. 

Hertfordshire  in  g^rt: 
"Gloucester.  ' 

Hereford. 

Warwick. 

Worcester. 

Leicester. 

Rutland. 

Northampton. 

Lincoln. 

Huntingdon. 

Bedford. 

Buckingham. 

Oxford. 

Stafford. 

Derby. 

Salop. 

Nottingham. 
^The  rest  of  Hertfordshire. 

The  division  into  shires  is  said  to  have  been  instituted  by  the 
great  Alfred.  These  departments  are  also  styled  counties,  as- 
having  been  each  governed  by  a  Count,  in  the  Saxon  times  styled 
Ealdorman,  and,  after  the  Danish  conquest,  called  Earl,  from  the 
Danish  larl,  implying  a  great  man.  The  dignity  and  title  becom- 
ing hereditary,  the  government  of  the  county  devolved  upon  the 
Earl's  deputy  the  Shire-reeve,  sheriff  or  manager  of  the  shire. 
Yorksliire  being  very  extensive,  it  was  divided  into  three  parts 
called  in  Saxon  trithings,  as  a  farthing  is  a  fourth  part,  and  now 
corruptly  called  Ridings. 

England  proper  is  divided  into  forty  counties,  and  the  princi- 
pality of  Wales  into  twelve,  thus  making  the  whole  number  of 
counties  in  South  Britain  fifty-two ;  of  which  the  following  is  a 
list,  together  with  their  respective  number  of  inhabitants,  and 
chief  towns. 

Number  of  Inhabitants 


accord 

inff  to  the  late    Chief  Towns 

enumeration.    (1801.) 

'Northumberland 

157,101 

Newcastle 

Cumberland 

117,230 

Carlisle 

Six  northern 
counties 

Durham 

160,361 

Durham 

Yorkshire 

563,953 

York 

Westmoreland 

41,617 

Appleby 

^Lancashire 

672,731 

Lancaster 

ENGLAND. 


^U 


Number  of  Inhabitants 
according  to  the  late 
euumeration.  (1801.) 


Cliief  Towns. 


Four  bordering 
on  Wales 


Twelve  midland 


Eight  eastern 


Three  south- 
eastern 


Four  southern 


Three  south- 
western 


Six,  North  Wales  < 


Six,  South  Wales 


rCheshire  13  2,751 

J  Shropshire  167,639 

]  Herefordshire  89,191 

Monmouthshire        45,582 
'Nottinghamshire     140,350 

Derbyshire  161,142 

Staffordshire  239,153 

Leicestershire         1 30,08 1 

Rutlandshire  16,556 

Northamptonshire  1 3 1 ,75  7 

Warwickshire         208,190 

Worcestershire 

Gloucestershire 

Oxfordshire 

Buckinghamshire 

Bedfordshire 
TLincolnshire 

Huntingdonshire 

Cambridgeshire 

Norfolk 

Suffolk 

Essex 

Hertfordshire 

Middlesex 


'  Surrey 
Kent 
Sussex 
Berkshire 
Wiltshire 
Hampshire 
Dorsetshire 

J  Somersetshire 
Devonshire 

Cornwall 
Tlintshire 

Denbighshire 

Caernarvonshire 

Anglesey 

Merionethshire 
^Montgomeryshire 
'Radnorshire 

Cardiganshire 

Pembrokeshire 
j  Caermarthenshire 
I  Brecknockshire 
^^Glamorganshire 


139,333 

250,809 

109,620 

107,444 

63,393 

208,557 

37,568 

89,346 

273,371 

210,431 

226,437 

97,577 

535,329* 

269,043 

307,624 

159,311 

109,215 

185,107 

219,656 

115,319 

273,750 

343,001 

188,269 

39,622 

60,352 

41,521 

33,806 

29,506 

47,978 

19,050 

42,956 

56,280 

67,317 

33,633 

71,525 


Chester 

Shrewsbury 

Hereford 

Monmouth 

Nottingham 

Derby 

Stafford 

Leicester 

Okeham 

Northampton 

Warwick 

Worcester 

Gloucester 

Oxford 

Aylesbury 

Bedford 

Lincoln 

Huntingdon 

Cambridge 

Norwich 

Ipswich 

Chelmsford 

Hertford 

London 

Guilford 

Maidstone 

Lewes 

Reading 

Salisbury 

Winchester' 

Dorchester 

Taunton 

Exeter 

Launceston 

Flmt 

Denbigh 

Caernarvon 

Beaumaris 

Bala 

Montgomery 

Prcsteign 

Cardigan 

Pembroke 

Cacrmarthen 

Brecknock 

Cacrdiff 


*  Exclusive  of  th«  capita]. 


36  ENGLAND. 

It  is  also  generally  believed  that  Alfred  founded  the  subdivi- 
sions of  counties  called  Hundreds  and  Tythings,  now  seldom 
mentioned,  except  in  legal  proceedings  and  in  topographical  de- 
scriptions. The  Hundred  probably  contained  one  hundred  farms, 
while  the  Tything  was  restricted  to  ten. 

In  the  Norman  period  of  English  history  few  alterations  of  con- 
sequence appear  in  the  geography.  Cumberland  and  Westmore- 
land Avere  wrested  from  the  Scots  ;  and  the  provinces  north  of  the 
Humber,  which  had  maintained  a  kind  of  independence  after  the 
extinction  of  the  Danish  kingdom  of  Northumbria,  were  com- 
pletely incorporated  with  the  monarchy.  On  the  west,  Henry  I. 
about  the  year  1120,  having  conquered  a  part  of  Wales,  invited 
^and  established  a  Flemish  colony  in  Pembrokeshire,  and  one  or 
two  others  of  the  most  southern  counties,  which  afterwards  became 
remarkable  for  industry.  The  subsequent  conquest  of  Wales  by 
Edward  I.  and  its  gradual  association  with  England,  are  suf- 
ficiently known. 

Historical  epochs.']     1.  The  population  of  England  by  the  Celts. 

2.  The  Belgic  colonies,  who  introduced  agriculture. 

3.  The  Roman  conquest.  Britain  was  only  seen  by  Julius  Cae- 
sar. The  Roman  conquest  began  in  the  reign  of  Claudius,  and  in 
that  of  Domitan  the  Roman  Eagle  had  been  dispayed  as  far  as 
the  Grampian  mountains. 

4.  The  arrival  of  the  Saxons  and  Angles  in  the  fifth  century. 

5.  The  Danish  conquest  A.  D.  1016.  The  Danish  monarchs  of 
England  were  Canute,  Harold,  and  Hardicanute  ;  but  the  sceptre 
returned  to  the  Saxon  line  A.  D.  1042. 

6.  The  Norman  conquest,  A.  D.  1066. 

7.  The  great  charter  granted  by  John  at  Runymede. 

8.  Not  to  mention  the  conquest  of  Wales  and  the  temporary  sub- 
jugation of  Scotland,  the  civil  wars  between  the  houses  of  York 
and  Lancaster  may  be  regarded  as  the  next  memorable  epoch. 

9.  The  reformation  introduced  by  Edward  VI.  and  Elizabeth. 

10.  The  civil  wars  under  Charles  I. 

11.  The  Revolution. 

12.  The  war  with  the  American  colonies  foi'ms  not  only  an 
epoch  of  singular  novelty,  but  of  the  most  important  consequences. 

.Antiquities.]  The  ancient  monuments  of  a  country  are  inti- 
mately connected  with  the  chief  epochs  of  its  history,  and  particu- 
larly with  the  revolutions  it  has  undergone  by  foreign  conquest  or 
new  population.  The  English  antiquities  fall  of  course  into  six 
divisions.  1.  Those  belonging  to  the  primitive  Celtic  inhabitants. 
2.  Those  of  the  Belgic  colonies.  3.  Those  of  the  Romans.  4. 
Those  of  the  Saxons.  5.  Reliques  of  the  Danes.  6.  Norman 
monuments.  Few  of  those  remains,  it  must  be  confessed,  throw 
much  light  upon  history  ;  but  many  of  them  being  interesting  and 
curious  in  themselves,  they  deserve  the  attention  of  the  traveller 
and  geographer. 

Those  of  the  first  Celtic  inhabitants  were  pi'obably,  as  usual 
among  savage  nations,  constructed  of  wood,  and  of  course  there 
can  be  no  remains.     Some  rude  barrows  and  heaps  of  stones  may 


ENGLAND.  37 

perhaps  belong  to  the  Druidic  tribes,  but  Stonehcnge,  the  large 
Barrows  or  tumuli,  Sec.  &c.  more  probably  belong  to  the  Belgic 
colonies.  Stonehcnge  is  situated  near  the  capital  of  the  ancient 
Belgae,  and  there  is  a  similar  monument,  but  said  to  be  of  far 
greater  extent,  near  Vanncs,  a  town  on  the  French  coast,  which 
was  possessed  by  the  Belgae.  Similar  monuments  also  occur  in 
Denmark  and  Sweden,  and  in  Iceland  even  the  date  of  erection  is 
sometimes  ascertained,  these  circles  being  familiarly  known  by 
the  name  of  Domh-ringry  that  is  literally  Doom-ring  or  Circle  of 
Judgment,  being  the  solemn  places  where  courts  were  held.  Yet 
Stonehcnge  will  be  found,  on  inspection,  to  fall  short  of  the  ridicu- 
lous exaggerations  of  antiquaries,  impressing  eve^v  traveller,  after 
the  pei'usal  of  such  accounts,  with  disappointed  ideas  of  smallness 
and  want  of  importance.  Such  ideas  arc  however  unjust,  as  it  is 
a  noble  and  curious  monument  of  early  times.  There  appear  to 
be  three  principal  circles  of  stones,  the  outer  connected  together 
by  an  uniform  pavement  as  it  were  at  the  top,  to  which  the  chiefs 
might  ascend  and  speak  to  the  surrounding  crowd.  A  second 
circle  consists  of  detached  upright  stones  about  five  feet  in  height, 
while  the  highest  are  eighteen.  Within  this  is  a  grand  oval,  orig- 
inally consisting  of  five  trilithons  of  two  huge  stones  crossed  by 
another  at  the  top  and  inclosing  smaller  stones,  which  seem  to 
have  been  seats,  and  a  large  flat  stone  commonly  called  the  altar, 
but  which  seems  to  have  been  the  throne  or  seat  of  judgment. 
There  is  besides  a  very  high  stone  towards  the  northeast  or  rising 
sun,  and  near  this  a  large  flat  stone  encompassed  with  a  mound, 
which  is  probably  the  real  altar  on  which  human  yictims  were 
sometimes  sacrificed.  There  are  also  two  other  stones  at  a  con- 
siderable distance  to  the  E.  and  W.  and  the  whole  seems  to  be  in 
the  midst  of  a  very  extensive  circle,  marked  by  an  earthen  em- 
bankment almost  efi'aced  by  the  lapse  of  years,  and  affVirding  suf- 
ficient space  for  all  the  males  of  the  tribe  or  nation.  The  largest 
stones  are  of  silicious  sand-stone,  but  the  altar,  or  rather  throne, 
is  calcareous  sand-stone.*  The  smaller  stones  are  of  grunstein, 
or  hornblend  mixed  with  felspar.  On  its  first  erection  the  ap- 
pearance must  have  been  striking,  the  large  stones  being  of  pure 
white  and  the  smaller  black. 

After  the  establishment  of  Christianity  the  circles  of  judgment, 
which  had  been  polluted  with  human  sacrifices  arid  other  pagan 
rites,  were  abandoned,  and  the  great  courts  were  held  on  what 
were  called  Moot  hills  or  hills  of  meeting,  many  of  which  still  ex- 
ist in  the  British  dominions  and  in  the  Netiierlands. 

The  Roman  antiquities  of  England  have  been  repeatedly  illus- 
trated. The  greatest  number  of  Roman  inscriptions,  altars,  &c. 
has  been  found  in  the  north  along  the  great  frontier  wall  which 
extended  from  the  western  sea  to  the  estuary  of  Tyne.  The  Ro- 
man roads  were  also  striking  monuments  of  their  power.  A  grand 
trunk,  as  it  may  be  called,  to  anticipate  the  language  of  our  inland 
navigations,  passed  from  the  south  to  the  north,  and  another  to  tho 

*  Townson'a Tracts,  228. 


38  ENGLAND. 

west,  tvith  branches  in  almost  every  direction  that  general  con- 
venience and  expedition  could  require.  What  is  called  the  Wat- 
ling-street  led  from  Richborough  in  Kent,  the  ancient  Rutupiae, 
N.  W-  through  London  to  Chester.  The  Ermin-street  passed 
from  London  to  Lincoln,  thence  to  Carlisle  and  into  Scotland,  the 
name  being  supposed  to  be  corrupted  from  Herman,  which  means 
warrior,  as  the  chief  wars  lay  in  the  north.  The  Fosse  way  is  sup- 
posed to  have  led  from  Bath  and  the  western  regions  N.  E.  till  it 
joined  the  Ermin-street.  The  last  celebrated  road  was  the  Ilke- 
nild,  or  Ikneld,  supposed  to  have  extended  from  near  Norwich  S. 
W.  into  Dorsetshire.* 

The  Saxon  antiquities  in  England  are  chiefly  edifices,  sacred  or 
secular ;  many  churches  remain  which  were  altogether  or  for  the 
most  part  constructed  in  the  Saxon  period,  and  some  are  extant  of 
the  tenth  or  perhaps  the  ninth  century.  The  vaults  erected  by 
Grimbald  at  Oxford  in  the  reign  of  Alfred,  are  justly  esteemed 
curious  relics  of  Saxon  architecture.  Mr.  King  has  ably  illus- 
trated the  remains  of  the  Saxon  castles.  The  oldest  seem  to  con- 
sist of  one  solitary  tower,  square  or  hexagonal :  one  of  the  rudest 
specimens  is  Coningsburg  Castle  in  Yorkshire ;  but  as  that  region 
was  subject  to  the  Danes  till  the  middle  of  the  tenth  century  it  is 
probably  Danish.  Among  the  smaller  remains  of  Saxon  art  may 
be  mentioned  the  shrines  for  preserving  relics,  which  some  sup- 
pose to  present  the  diminutive  rudiments  of  what  is  styled  the 
Gothic  architecture  ;  and  the  illuminated  manuscripts,  which  often 
afford  curious  memorials  of  the  state  of  manners  and  knowledge. 

The  Danish  power  in  England,  though  of  considerable  duration 
in  the  north,  was  in  the  south  brief  and  transitory.  The  camps  of 
that  nation  were  circular  like  those  of  the  Belgae  and  Saxons, 
while  those  of  Roman  armies  are  known  by  the  square  form ;  and 
it  is  believed  that  the  only  distinct  relics  of  the  Danes  are  some 
castles  to  the  north  ot  the  Humber  and  a  few  stones  with  Runic 
inscriptions. 

The  monuments  styled  Norman,  rather  to  distinguish  their 
epoch,  than  from  any  information  that  Norman  architects  were 
employed,  are  reputed  to  commence  after  the  conquest,  and  to 
extend  to  the  fourteenth  century ;  when  what  is  called  the  rich 
Gothic  began  to  appear,  which  in  the  sixteenth  century  was  sup- 
planted by  the  mixed ;  and  this  in  its  turn  yielded  to  the  Grecian. 
Jn  general  the  Norman  style  far  exceeds  the  Saxon  in  the  size  of 
the  edifices  and  the  decoration  of  the  parts.  The  churches  be- 
come more  extensive  and  lofty,  and  though  the  windows  retain 
the  circular  arch  they  are  larger  and  more  diversified  ;  the  circu- 
lar doors  are  festooned  with  more  freedom  and  elegance,  and  un- 
couth animals  begin  to  yield  to  wreaths  of  leaves  and  flowers. 
The  solitary  keep  or  tower  of  the  Saxon  castle  is  surrounded  with 
a  double  wall,  inclosing  courts  or  dwellings  of  large  extent,  de- 
fended by  turrets  and  double  ditches,  with  a  separate  watch-tower 
called  the   Barbican.     Among  others  the  cathedrals  pf  Durham 

*  Cough's  Brit.  Topog.  I.  10, 


ENGLAND.  39 

and  Winchester  may  be  mentioned,  as  venerable  monume*nts  of 
Anglo-Norman  architecture,  and  the  castles  are  numerous  and 
well  known.  What  is  called  the  Gothic  or  pointed  arch  is  gen- 
erally supposed  to  have  first  appeared  in  the  thirteenth  century, 
and  in  the  next  it  became  universal  in  religious  edifices.  The 
windows  diffused  to  great  breadth  and  loftiness,  and  divided  into 
branching  interstices,  enriched  with  painted  glass,  the  clustering 
pillars  of  excessive  height  spreading  into  various  fret- work  on  the 
roof,  constitute,  with  decorations  of  smaller  note,  what  is  called  the 
rich  Gothic  style,  visible  in  the  chapel  of  King's  College,  Cam- 
bridge, and  many  other  grand  specimens  in  this  kingdom.  The 
spire  corresponds  with  the  interior,  and  begins  about  the  thir- 
teenth century  to  rise  boldly  from  the  ancient  tower,  and  diminish 
from  the  sight  in  a  gradation  of  pinnacles  and  ornaments. 

Reliffion.'^  The  church  of  England  is  the  only  reformed  church, 
which  has  retained  the  episcopal  form  in  its  ancient  splendor  ; 
for  though  bishops  may  also  be  found  in  Denmark,  Sweden,  Nor- 
way, &c.  they  are  rather  inspectors  of  the  conduct  of  the  clergy 
and  of  the  modes  of  education,  than  prelates  endowed  with  sena- 
torial rank  and  dignity.  In  England,  on  the  contrary,  the  bisliops 
are  peers  of  parliament,  and  have  the  style  and  importance  of  no- 
bility. Yet  the  creed  of  the  English  church  is  i-^tFier  Calvinistic 
than  Lutheran.  But  the  special  tenets  of  the  English  church  arc 
sufficiently  explained  in  the  thirty-nine  articles  ;  and  a  brief  idea 
«f  its  government  will  be  more  pertinent  to  the  present  purpose. 

Upon  his  dispute  with  the  pontiff,  Henry  VIII.  assumed  the 
title  oi  supreme  head  of  the  national  church.  Next  in  dignity  and 
power  are  the  archbishops  of  Canterbury  and  York  ;  the  first 
being  styled  Primate  of  all  England ;  and  the  second  Primate  of 
England.  The  archbishop  of  Canterbury  precedes  all  persons, 
except  the  royal  family  ;  he  has  the  power  of  probate  of  all  testa- 
ments within  his  province,  and  of  granting  several  dispensations 
concerning  benefices  ;  he  has  also  four  courts  of  judicature,  that 
©f  Arcbes,  of  Audience,  of  Prerogative,  and  of  Peculiars.  In 
©ther  respects  the  archiepiscopal  office  is  rather  a  dignity  than  a 
jurisdiction,  and  the  primates  rarely  interfere  in  any  dioceses  ex- 
cept their  own.  They  are  appointed  by  the  king  in  the  same 
manner  as  the  bishops,  by  what  is  called  a  Conge  d'Elire,  or  leave 
to  elect. 

Upon  any  vacancy  in  an  episcopal  see,  the  dean  and  chaptea* 
apply  to  the  king,  who  returns  aCong6  d'Elire  naming  the  person 
to  be  chosen.  A  chapter  of  the  prebendaries  is  then  summoned 
by  the  dean,  and  they  are  constrained,  under  the  penalty  of  a/jr<f- 
munirey  to  elect  the  person  nominated.  The  solemnity  is  com- 
pleted by  the  royal  assent  under  the  great  seal,  and  by  the  confir- 
mation and  consecration  performed  by  the  metropolitan  or  in  his 
name.  The  prelate  afterwards  pays  homage  to  the  king  for  his 
temporalities,  or  the  baronies  connected  with  the  see  j  and  com- 
pounds for  the  first  fruits,  that  is,  the  revenue  of  the  first  year, 
which  is  paid  to  the  corporation  for  increasing  the  benefices  of  the 
poor  clergy.     The  omission  of  consecration  is  the  only  difference 


40  ENGLAND. 

when  a  bishop  is  translated  to  another  see  ;  and  when  an  arch- 
bishop is  nominated,  the  king  appoints  four  or  more  bishops  to 
officiate  at  the  confirmation. 

The  bishop  alone  may  ordain  deacons  and  priests,  dedicate 
churches  and  burial  grounds,  and  administer  confirmation.  In 
former  times  episcopal  jurisdiction  extended  to  the  licensing  of 
physicians,  surgeons,  and  schoolmasters,  and  to  the  conjunction 
of  small  parishes.  At  present  it  chiefly  embraces  questions  of 
births,  marriages,  deaths,  and  testaments,  ana  any  delinquencies 
of  the  clergy  ;  to  which  body  indeed  their  attention  is  now  chiefly 
confined,  and  they  rarely,  except  in  parliament,  interfere  in  secu- 
lar subjects.  The  bishop  of  Sodor  and  Man  has  no  place  in  par- 
liament. All  the  other  bishops  are  barons  and  peers  of  the  realm 
by  three  different  claims  ;  in  right  of  the  baronies  attached  to 
their  sees,  as  bai'ons  summoned  by  writ,  and  as  barons  by  patent, 
a  form  which  accompanies  their  consecration.  Their  privileges 
approach  the  regal  ;  they  are  sole  judges  in  their  own  courts,  and 
issue  writs  in  their  own  names,  not  in  the  royal  style  used  by 
other  courts.  They  can  depute  their  authority,  which  no  other 
judge  can  ;  and  their  episcopal  power  of  conferring  orders,  &c. 
may  be  exerted  in  any  Christian  country,  Avhile,lay  peers  are  only 
acknowledged  in  the  country  where  they  derive  their  dignities. 
To  pass  other  more  minute  privileges,  the  bishop  of  London,  as 
presiding  over  the  capital,  has  the  precedence  of  all  the  others. 
The  see  of  Durham  constitutes  a  county  palatine,  with  great 
powers  and  prerogatives  :  the  authority  and  patronage  of  the 
bishop  are  of  course  very  extensive,  and  even  the  king's  judges 
only  sit  in  his  diocese  by  his  permission.  The  bishop  of  Win- 
chester is  the  third  in  dignity,  but  esteemed  the  first  in  opulence, 
as  the  large  civil  list  of  Durham,  while  it  adds  power,  diminishes 
revenue.  These  three  bishops  precede  all  the  rest,  who  take 
place  according  to  the  senioi'ity  of  consecration. 

To  every  cathedral  in  England  belong  several  prebendaries  as 
canons,  and  a  dean,  so  styled,  as  is  said  (Decanus)  becauf  e  he  an- 
ciently presided  over  ten  canons.  In  the  old  quaint  language  he 
was  called  one  of  the  bishop's  eyes,  while  the  archdeacon  who 
had  charge  of  the  deacons  was  reputed  the  other.  The  dean  and 
chapter  of  prebendaries  assist  the  bishop  in  ecclesiastic  affairs. 
The  prebendaries  are  so  styled  from  the  prebend  or  fiass  iirxben^ 
ela,  a  portion  of  land  or  income  allotted  to  them  ;  and,  with  the 
dean,  form  a  body,  college,  or  corporation  :  and  they  have  several 
privileges  superior  to  the  common  or  minor  canons.  At  the  re- 
formation their  salaries  were  mostly  converted  into  money,  but 
those  of  Durham  preferred  the  ancient  portions  of  land  ;  Avhich 
having  prodigiously  increased  in  value,  they  are  now  styled  golden 
pi'ebends,  being  worth  from  800/.  to  1200/  a  year,  while  the  bishop 
out  of  9000/.  a  year  has  to  support  a  great  and  unavoidable  ex- 
penditure. 

The  next  order  is  that  of  the  arch-deacohs,  amounting  in  all  to 
about  sixty  ;  their  ofiicc  is  to  inspect  the  moveables  of  the  church- 
es, to  reform  slight  abuses,  and  *o  induct  into  benefices.     Arch- 


ENGLAND.  4I 

priests,  who  on  the  Continent  share  the  labours  of  the  arch-deacoa 
on  a  smaller  scale,  being  superintendants  over  a  few  parishes, 
were  in  England  also  styled  rural  deans,  but  are  now  unknown. 
Subdivisions  of  government  are  so  much  controlled  by  the  very- 
nature  of  human  affairs,  that  the  power  of  the  arch-priest  almost 
correspond  with  the  Scotish  presbytery,  while  the  provincial  sy- 
nods are  similar  to  bishoprics. 

Of  the  clergy  in  general,  the  lowest  order  is  that  of  deacons, 
whose  office  formerly  was  to  superintend  the  poor ;  the  ancient 
donations  to  the  church  being  always  assigned  in  three  divisions, 
one  to  the  poor,  another  for  repairs,  and  the  last  for  the  clergy. 
At  present  the  deacon's  office  is  restricted  to  baptism,  to  reading 
in  the  church,  and  assisting  the  priest  at  the  communion  by  hand- 
ing the  cup  only.  Deacon's  orders  cannot  be  canonically  receiv- 
ed before  the  age  of  twenty-three  years,  those  of  a  priest  require 
twenty-four,  and  a  bishop  must  be  thirty.  The  curate  is  a  clergy- 
man appointed  to  officiate  for  another,  and  is  so  named  from  his 
having  the  care  of  souls  ;  hence  the  French  rather  apply  the  term 
to  the  rector.  If  the  predial  or  great  tythes  of  the  parish  be  im- 
propriated, or  converted  into  secular  hands,  the  priest  is  termed  a 
vicar,  a  name  originally  implying  that  they  were  the  vicarii,  or 
deputies  of  the  rector ;  but  if  the  tythes  be  entire,  the  priest  is 
styled  rector.  The  church  wardens  superintend  the  repairs  and 
decorations  of  the  church,  and  the  I'equisites  for  divine  service, 
and  collect  the  alms  of  the  painshioners ;  they  are  annually  elect- 
ed at  Easter,  and  have  sometimes  sidesmen,  a  kind  of  assistants. 
The  sacristan,  corruptly  called  sexton,  originally  had  the  care  of 
the  furniture  and  plate  of  the  church ;  and  by  a  still  greater  cor- 
ruption the  appellation  is  now  applied  to  the  grave-digger,  when 
it  ought  to  have  been  conferred  on  the  parish^clerk. 

The  clergy  in  general  enjoy  some  peculiar  privileges.  Their 
goods  are  free  from  tolls  in  fairs  and  markets  :  they  cannot  be  com- 
pelled to  any  office  civil  or  military :  they  are  only  amerced  according 
to  their  temporal  estate  :  nor  are  they  assessed  for  a  robbery  com- 
miitted  in  the  hundred,  or  for  watching,  warding,  highways,  8cc.  &c. 

Ecclesiastical  courts  still  retain  considerable  power :  the  con- 
vocation, consisting  of  the  archbishops  and  bishops,  with  a  lower 
house  of  150  members,  only  meets  for  the  sake  of  form ;  but  have 
not  been  allowed  to  deliberate  since  the  reign  of  Anne. 

Next  in  dignity  is  the  court  of  delegates,  acting  by  a  special 
commission  under  the  great  seal ;  and  to  whom  an  appeal  lies 
from  the  highest  metropolitan  court.  The  court  of  arches  is  so 
styled  because  it  was  held  in  the  arches  of  the  church  of  St.  Mary- 
le-bone,  London,  but  now  in  the  great  hall.  Doctors  Commons ; 
only  doctors  of  the  civil  law  are  allowed  to  plead.  The  court  of 
audience  is  always  presided  by  tlie  archbishop  himself,  who  de- 
cides any  doubts  concerning  the  admission  to  benefices  and  dis- 
pensation of  tlie  banns  of  matrimony. 

The  next  court  is  that  of  prerogative,  which  judges  of  estates 
fallen  by  will,  or  intestate ;  the  prerogative  office  is  likewise  in 
Doctors  Commons.     The  court  of  peculiars  refers  to  several  pe- 

VOL.   II.  6 


4i  ENGLANt). 

culiar  parishes  exempt  from  the  jurisdiction  of  the  bishops,  but 
here  amenable :  the  judges  are  sole  and  without  jury. 

The  ecclesiastical  geography  of  England  may  be  seen  in  the 
following  table : 

Province  of  Canterbury. 

i.  Bishopric  of  London,  containing  Essex,  Middlesex,  and  part 
of  Hertford. 

2.  Winchester. — Surry,  Hampshire,  Isles  of  Wight,   Jersey, 
Guernsey,  and  Alderney. 

3.  Litchfield  and  Coventry. — Stafford,  Derby,  and  part  of  War- 
wick and  Shropshire. 

4.  Lincoln. — Lincoln,  Leicester^  Huntingdon,  Bedford,  Buck- 
ingham and  part  of  Hertford. 

5.  Ely. — Cambridgshire. 

6.  Salisbury. — Wilts  and  Berkshire. 

7.  Exeter. — Cornwall  and  Devon. 

8.  Bath  and  Wells. — Somersetshire. 

9.  Chichester. — Sussex. 

10.  Norwich Norfolk,  Suffolk  and  a  small  part  of  Cambridge. 

11.  Worcester. — Worcester,  and  part  of  Warwick. 

12.  Hereford.— Hereford  and  part  of  Shropshire. 

13.  Rochester. — Part  of  Kent. 

14.  Oxford.— Oxfordshire. 

15.  Peterborough.>— Northampton  and  Rutland. 

16.  Gloucester — Gloucestershire. 

17.  Bristol. — The  city  of  Bristol,  part  of  Gloucestershire,  and 
county  of  Dorset. 

18.  Llandaff. — Glamorgan,  Monmonth,  Brecknock,  and  Radnor. 

19.  St.  David's. — Pembroke,  Cardigan,  and  Caermarthen. 

20.  St.  Asaph. — The  greatest  part  of  Flint,  Denbigh,  and  Mont- 
gomery, and  some  part  of  Shropshire. 

21.  Bangor.-— The  counties  of  Anglesey,  Caernarvon,  Merio- 
neth, and  ^art  of  Denbigh  and  Montgomery. 

Province  of  York. 

22.  Durham.— Durham  and  Northumberland. 

23.  Carlisle. — Great  part  of  Cumberland  and  Westmoreland. 

24.  Chester. — Cheshire,  Lancashire,  Richmondshire  (which  iS 
part  of  York  ;)  with  part  of  Cumberland  and  Westmoreland. 

25.  Isle  of  Man. 

Those  Avho  differ  in  tenets  or  forms  from  the  established  church 
may,  in  general,  be  styled  dissenters,  though  the  term  be  more 
iStrictly  applied  to  the  Presbyterians  and  Independents.  The  other 
principal  classes  of  the  difEidents  are  the  Papists,  Methodists, 
Quakers,  the  Anabaptists,  the  Swedenborgians,  and  the  Unitarians ; 
the  last  class  denying  the  Trinity,  and  believing  only  in  one  God, 
is  now  intermingled  with  the  two  first,  and  in  considerable  rurii- 
bers  with  the  established  church.  The  Independents  assert,  that 
each  congregation  has  a  right  to  regulate  itself,  while  the  Presby- 
terians unite  churches  under  various  divisions,  provincial  and  na- 
tional. The  Papists  used  chiefly  to  abound  in  Lancashire,  Staf- 
fordshire, and  Sussex ;  they  had  potent  chiefs,  and  were  a  formi- 


ENGLANB. 


45 


dable  body ;  but  the  passage  from  superstition  to  contempt  is  so 
natural,  that  many  have  fled  to  the  opposite  extreme.  Those  who 
retain  their  faith  generally  display  moderation,  which  has  been 
naturally  increased  by  the  late  privileges  extended  to  them. 

The  Methodists  are  numerous  and  respectable.  Their  num? 
bers  in  Great  Britain  in  July  1809  amounted  to  132,086;  in  Ircr 
land  to  25,835:  total  157,921.  In  July  1810  they  had  increased 
in  both  islands  7,777.  In  the  other  British  dominions  they  were 
in  1809  in  Gibraltar  40,  in  the  west  Indies  12,500,  British  North 
America  1,121.  These  added  to  the  Methodists  ofthe  United  States, 
159,500  in  number,  makes  a  total  of  331,082  Methodists  then  on 
the  globe.  They  allow  the  propriety  of  the  creed  and  government 
of  the  Church  of  England ;  but  require  a  more  strict  life,  more 
fervent  devotion,  and  more  frequent  and  serious  attendance  upon 
divine  worship,  than  is  enforced  by  the  establishment.  A  philoso- 
pher may  well  envy  the  mild  creed  and  universal  charity  of  th? 
Quakers ;  while  we  must  allow  with  a  sigh  that  a  nation  of  quakcrs 
could  not  exist,  except  all  nations  were  of  the  same  persuasion. 
The  Anabaptists  disown  infant  baptism,  and  bathe  the  adult  disci- 
ple. The  learned  Whiston  admired  their  tenets  and  their  practice 
of  anointing  the  sick  with  oil,  which,  as  he  believed,  operated  with 
miraculous  power.  The  Swedenborgians  derive  their  name  from 
the  Baron  Swedenborg,  a  nobleman,  who  exchanged  his  native 
country  of  Sweden  for  a  residence  in  England. 

Gover}imentr\  The  English  constitution  is  a  limited  monarchy, 
counterpoised  by  two  senates,  one  of  hereditary  peers,  the  other 
of  representatives  chosen  by  the  people. 

The  King  of  England  at  his  coronation  solemnly  swears  to  govern 
his  people  according  to  parliamentary  statutes,  and  the  law  of  the 
country ;  to  maintain  the  Protestant  religion  ;  and  to  preserve  the 
legal  rights  and  privileges  of  the  bishops,  clergy,  and  church. 

His  acknowledged  prerogatives  are  chiefly  to  declare  war  and 
to  make  peace,  a  power  upon  which  the  whole  of  public  prosperity 
may  be  said  to  depend ;  to  form  alliances  and  treaties ;  to  grant 
commission  for  levying  men  and  arms;  and  even  for  pressing 
mariners.  To  the  king  belong  all  magazines,  amunition,  castles, 
forts,  ports,  havens,  and  ships  of  war :  he  has  also  the  special 
management  of  the  coinage,  and  determines  the  alloy,  weight,  and 
value.  His  prerogative  likewise  extends  to  the  assembling,  ad- 
journment, prorogation,  and  dissolution  of  parliament,  and  to  its 
removal  to  any  place.  He  also  enjoys  the  nomination  of  all  officers 
on  sea  or  land ;  of  all  magistrates,  counsellors,  and  officers  of 
state ;  of  all  bishops  and  otlier  great  ecclesiastical  dignitaries ; 
and  is  not  only  the  fountain  of  honour  but  of  justice,  as  he  may 
pardon  any  offence,  or  mitigate  the  penalty.  As  head  of  the 
church  he  may  call  a  national  or  provincial  synod,  and  witli  its 
consent  enact  canons  either  relating  to  faith  or  practice.  The 
other  prerogatives  are  more  minute  and  more  adapted  to  juris- 
prudential enumeration.  The  more  important  exceptions  are, 
that  he  cannot  enact  new  laws  or  impose  new  taxes  witliout  thQ 
consent  of  both  houses  of  parliament. 


44  ENGLAND. 

This  grand  national  council  claims  the  next  consideration.  Orig^ 
inally  both  the  nobles  and  the  commons  met  in  one  house,  and  it 
is  not  impossible  that  the  mere  inconvenience  of  not  finding  halls 
large  enough  for  the  ambulatory-  parliaments  might  have  occasioned 
the  division  into  two  houses,  unknown  in  any  other  country,  and 
which  in  fact  may  be  regarded  as  the  sole  foundation  of  English 
liberty.  The  hrouse  of  Peers  may  be  said  to  have  existed  from 
the  earliest  period  of  English  history  ;  but  concerning  the  origin 
of  the  Commons  there  is  a  dispute  between  the  Tory  and  Whig 
writers.  The  present  constitution  of  the  parliament  of  England 
Hxay  however  be  traced  with  certainty  to  near  the  middle  of  the 
thirteenth  century  ;  but  it  remains  unknown  at  what  precise  time 
happened  the  important  separation  of  the  Commons  from  the 
Peers.  The  latter  are  hereditary  senators  in  their  several  degrees 
of  duke,  marquis,  earl,  viscount,  and  baron.  The  Duke  is  so 
styled  from  the  Latin  dux^  a  leader  or  general ;  the  title  of  Mar- 
quis springs  from  the  Gothic  language,  and  implies  the  command- 
er of  a  march  or  frontier :  the  Earl  and  Baron  are  also  from  the 
Gothic,  and  merely  imply  eminent  men  ;  the  Viscount  is  Latin, 
and  signifies  the  lieutenant  of  the  count  or  earl.  The  various 
orders  of  nobility  have  been  preserved  more  pure  in  England  than 
in  any  other  country ;  owing  partly  to  the  laws  of  primogeniture, 
partly  to  their  senatorial  office,  partly  to  the  institution  of  the  col- 
lege of  heralds.  In  Germany  and  some  other  countries  the  nobil- 
lity  has  fallen  into  comparative  degradation,  from  the  extension 
of  the  title  to  all  the  sons,  and  from  the  presumption  of  adventurers. 
The  privileges  of  the  peers  are  moderate  and  uninvidious,  there 
being  no  exemption  from  taxes,  &c.  as  in  some  countries. 

The  House  of  Commons  consists  of  knights,  citizens,  and  bur- 
gesses, chosen  by  counties,  cities,  and  burghs,  in  consequence  of 
royal  writs  directed  to  the  sheriff".  The  members  have  certain 
privileges,  as  exemption  from  arrest  in  civil  causes,  on  their  jour- 
ney to  parliament,  during  their  attendance,  and  on  their  return ; 
nor  can  they  be  questioned  out  of  the  house,  for  any  sentiment 
there  uttered.  The  commons  form  the  grand  inquest  of  the  realm, 
and  may  impeach  or  accuse  the  greatest  peers ;  but  their  chief 
privilege,  and  upon  which  their  whole  power  depends,  is  the  levy- 
ing of  money,  in  which  they  are  deservedly  so  jealous,  that  they 
will  not  permit  the  smallest  alteration  in  a  money  bill.  Since  the 
union  with  Ireland  the  House  of  Commons  consists  of  six  hundred 
and  fifty-eight  members ;  but  by  sickness,  important  offices,  and 
indispensable  avocations,  there  rarely  appear  above  two  thirds  of 
the  number.  A  Speaker  or  president  is  chosen  at  the  meeting  of 
every  new  parliament,  but  is  usually  continued  from  one  to  anoth- 
er, as  the  office  requires  a  complete  and  ready  knowledge  of  the 
forms,  and  considei^able  abilities. 

Acts  of  parliament  are  first  presented  in  the  form  of  bills^  and, 
after  having  gone  through  various  and  exact  forms  generally  ob- 
served with  great  minuteness,  become  law  on  receiving  the  sanc- 
tion of  the  Crown. 

Adjournments  may  frequently  happen  in  one  session,  and  tli§. 


ENGLAND.  45 

business  is  continued  and  resumed ;  but  a  prorogation  terminates 
the  session,  and  the  bills  not  then  passed  must  recommence  their 
whole  progress.  By  a  modern  statute  the  death  of  the  king  does 
not,  as  formerly,  terminate  the  parliament ;  which,  on  the  contrary, 
had  it  been  previously  dissolved,  may,  on  that  event,  resume  its 
functions. 

Such  are  the  three  grand  component  parts  of  the  English  con- 
stitution ;  but  perhaps  its  most  beneficial  and  popular  effects  arise 
from  the  mode  of  administering  justice,  and  other  ramifications. 
For  the  sake  of  connection,  nowever,  it  is  proper  first  to  consider 
the  Privy  Council  and  the  other  divisions  of  the  government. 

The  Privy  Council  formerly  possessed  great  power,  but  at 
present  is  chiefly  employed  in  deliberations  on  affairs  of  sudden 
emergence,  on  peace  and  war,  and  special  provinces  of  the  royal 
prerogative.  The  members  are  chosen  by  the  king,  and  on  changes 
of  administration  are  seldom  erased,  though  those  in  opposition 
never  attend.  They  are  styled  Right  Honourable,  and  are  sworn 
to  observe  secrecy  :  the  lowest  at  the  board  pronounces  his  opin- 
ion first,  and  the  king,  if  present,  concludes  with  declaring  his 
judgment. 

Even  at  an  early  period,  when  the  monarch  maintained  in  his 
own  hands  a  great  share  of  the  administration  of  justice,  and  of 
the  actual  exercise  of  authority,  there  wei-e  intervals  of  absence 
or  recreation  in  which  he  delegated  the  chief  management  of 
business  to  some  select  person,  usually  an  ecclesiastic,  whose  cul- 
tivated talents  qualified  him  for  such  an  important  trust.  To  lend 
more  weight  to  this  substitute,  he  was  commonly  appointed  chan- 
cellor or  chief  administrator  of  civil  justice,  was  president  of  the 
House  of  Peers,  and  supported  the  royal  influence  in  that  great 
assembly.  But  in  later  times  when  the  management  of  the  House 
of  Commons  became  the  chief  object  of  the  crown,  the  chancellor 
of  the  Court  of  Exchequer,  as  superintendant  of  the  public  reve- 
nue, is  the  officer  generally  considered  as  prime  minister.  The 
distribution  of  fifty  millions  a  year,  joined  with  the  royal  support, 
has  recently  carried  his  power  to  the  highest  elevation.  Next  to 
him  in  authority  are  the  secretaries  of  state,  who  ai'e  followed  by 
the  chancellor,  the  treasurer  of  the  navy,  the  president  of  the 
council,  the  paymaster  of  the  forces,  tlie  commissioners  of  the 
treasury,  and  other  persons  of  high  trust.* 

Judicature.^  The  judicature  of  England  is  worthy  of  the  high- 
est applause  with  regard  to  precision  and  purity ;  and  bribes,  so 
frequent  in  other  countries,  being  totally  unknown,  the  saving  of 
this  expense  must  be  candidly  poised  against  other  legal  disburse- 
ments. The  trial  by  jury  is  another  glorious  feature  of  English 
jurisprudence,  handed  down  from  the  Saxon  times,  and  is  justly 
respected  as  the  very  safeguard  of  the  lives,  liberties,  and  pro- 
perties of  the  nation.  It  would  be  idle  and  extraneous  here  to 
attempt  even  a  brief  sketch  of  the  laws  of  England. 

•  We  subjoin  here  a  list  of  English  kln^,  from  the  time  that  tliis  coiintrv  became 
united  untlerone  inunnrch,  iti  tlieiieison  ol  KgUcrt,  who  subdued  Uie  other  jiriiice«  o( 
tlie  Saxon  hcptarchj ,  and  gave  the  name  of  Aiigle-laDd  to  tliis  j>mt  vi'  the  island ;  the 


4§  ENGLAND. 

Among  the  courts  of  law  the  next  in  dignity  to  the  H.ouse  of 
Lords  is  the  Court  of  King's  Bench  so  called,  because  the  sove- 
reign was  understood  to  judge  in  person ;  and  its  jurisdiction  of 
course  extends  to  the  whole  kingdom,  the  presiding  judge  being 
denominated  Lord  Chief  Justice  of  England.  The  Court  of  Chan- 
cery judges  causes  in  equity  to  moderate  the  rigor  of  the  law,  and 
defend  the  helpless  from  oppression,  and  especially  to  extend 

Saxons  and  Angles  having  about  four  centuries  before,  invaded  and  subdued  the  ancient 
Britons,  whom  they  drove  into  Wales  and  Cornwall. 

Began  to  rcIgn. 

800  Egbert 

838  Ethehvolf 

857  Ethelbald 

860  Ethelbert 

866  Ethelred 

871  Alfred  the  Great 

901  Edward  the  Elder 

925  Athelstan  )-    Saxon  Princes, 

941  Edmund 

646  Edred 

955  Edwy 

959  Edgar 

975  Edward  the  Martyr 

978  Ethelred  II. 

1016  Edmund  TI.  or  Ironside  ^ 

1017  Canute,  King  of  Denmark       -x 
1035  Harold  C   Damsh, 
1039  Hai-dicanute                               5 

1041  Edward  the  Confessor      *)  ^ 

1065  Harold  5  ''^°»- 

1066  William  I.    b  (Cprnmonly  called  the  conqueror)  duke  of  Normandy,  a  province 

<^  facing  the  S.  of  England,  now  annexed  to  the  French  monarchy. 
1087  Winiara  11.    7    «„_  „«■  ,,,„  n 
>  100  Henry  I.        j   ^°"^  "^  ^^^  Conqueror. 

1135  Stephen,  grandson  to  the  Conqueror,  by  his  4th  daughter  Adela. 

<icA  H««...,  IT       C(Platagenet)  grandson  of  Henry  I.  by  his  daughter,  the  empress 

1154  Henry  u.      ^Matilda,  and  her  2d  husband,  Geoffrey  Platagenet. 

1216  Henry  III.  son  of  John. 

1272  Edwaixl  I.  son  of  Henry  III, 

1307  Edward  II.  son  of  Edward  I. 

1327  Edward  III.  son  of  Edward  II. 

1377  Richard  II.  grandson  of  Edward  III.  by  his  eldest  son,  the  Black  Prince. 

..  ^^^  TT         nr  5^Son  to  John  of  Gaunt,  duke  of  Lan-  1 

1399  Henry  IV.  ^^aster,  4th  son  to  Edward  III.  f   „   ,„     „  ,„.„«*»,. 

1413  Henry  V.  son  of  Henry  IV.  \  House  of  Lancaster. 

1422  Henry  VI.  son  of  Henry  V.  J 

1461  Edward  IV.  descended  fi'om  Edward  III  by  Lionel  his  3d  son.  ^ 

1483  Edward  V.  son  of  Eidward  IV.  (  House  of  York. 

1483  Richard  HI.  brother  of  Edward  IV.  J 

^,5-  „         -yjj    S  (Tudor)  son  of  the  countess  of  Rich-"*    House  of  Tudor,in  whom 

1485  tienry  vii.  ^niond,  ot  the  house  of  Lancaster.         I  were  united  the  houses 

1509  Henry  VIII.  son  of  Henry  VII.  !  of  Lancaster  and  York, 

1547  Edward  VI.  «)n  of  Henry  VIII.  f  by  Henry  VII's  marriage 

1553  Mary        ">  Daughters  of  Henrv  VIII  I  '^''*^  Elizabeth,  daughter 

1558  EUzabeth  5  "^"S'»^"  ol  nenry  Vlll.  J  of  Edward  IV. 

Mi^ni  ■{  T    r    Great  grandson  of  .Tames  IV.  king  of  Scotland,  by  Margaret, 

1603  James.  1.  ^  daughter  of  Henry  VII.  and  first  of  Uie  Stuart  family  in  England. 

1625  Charles  I.  son  of  James  I. 
Commonwealth  and  protectorate  of  Cromwell. 

1649  Charles  H.  7  Sons  of  Charles  I. 
1685  James  U.   ji 


ENGLAND.  4t 

relief  in  three  cases,  accident,  fraud,  and  breach  of  trust.  The 
Court  of  Common  Pleas  determines,  as  the  name  imports,  the  com- 
mon suits  between  subject  and  subject,  and  tries  all  civil  causes, 
real,  personal,  or  mingled,  according  to  the  precise  precepts  of 
the  law.  The  Court  of  Exchequer,  so  termed  from  the  ancient 
mode  of  accounting  upon  a  chequered  board,  decides  all  causes 
relating  to  the  royal  treasury  or  revenue.  There  is  also  a  court 
for  the  duchy  of  Lancaster,  having  cognizance  of  the  revenues  of 
that  duchy  annexed  to  the  crovm  by  Henry  IV. 

The  judges  perform  their  circuits  in  the  spring  and  autumn, 
and  in  the  mean  while  more  minute  cases  are  determined  by  the 
justices  of  the  peace,  who  may  be  traced  to  the  fourth  year  of  Ed- 
ward III.  Every  three  months  the  justices  of  the  county  meet  at 
what  is  called  the  quarter  sessions,  and  the  grand  inquest  or  jury 
of  the  county  is  here  summoned,  which  inquires  concerning 
crimes,  and  orders  the  guilty  to  jail  till  the  next  circuit  or  assizes. 
The  office  of  the  sheriff  is  to  execute  the  royal  mandates,  to  im- 
pannel  juries,  to  bring  persons  for  trial,  and  to  see  the  sentences 
executed ;  to  collect  fines  and  remit  them  to  the  exchequer,  and 
to  preserve  the  tranquillity  of  the  shire. 

There  was  foratierly  a  bailiff  in  every  hundred,  but  the  office  is 
now  rare.  The  constables  personally  assist  in  the  preservation  of 
the  peace,  and  execute  the  warrants  of  the  justices.  The  coroner 
inquires  by  a  jury  of  neighbours  into  cases  of  violent  death.  The 
clerk  of  the  market  superintends  the  weights  and  measures  ;  and 
it  were  to  be  wished,  for  the  benefit  of  the  poor,  that  the  office  were 
multiplied  and  strictly  enforced. 

Such  are  the  chief  magistrates  and  officers  in  the  country.  Cities 
and  towns  are  generally  ruled  by  a  mayor  and  alderman,  or  by 
similar  magistrates  under  different  appellations,  whose  juridical 
power  little  exceeds  that  of  justices  of  the  peace. 

To  enumerate  the  various  punishments  inflicted  by  the  laws  of 
England  would  be  an  unnecessary  task.  It  has  been  justly  ob- 
served, that  they  are  too  sanguinary,  and  that  their  frequency  di- 
minishes the  intended  purpose  of  impressing  terror.  If  death 
■were  only  inflicted  in  cases  of  murder,  the  relaxation  would  be 
found  beneficial  to  the  community.    It  would  certamly  be  preferable 

Sag*n  10  reign. 

1688  3  William  IIT.  nephew  and  son-in-law  of  James  II. 

t7t\o   \        ('^^  Mary  1  Daughters  of  James  II.  in  whom  ended  the  Protestant  line 
I70.i  /Vnae  ^    ol    Charles  I.    for  James  II.   upon   his  abdicating    tha 

throne,  carried  with  him  his  infant  son,  (the  late  Preten- 
der) who  was  excluded  bj  act  of  parliament,  which 
settled  the  succession  in  the  next  Protestant  heirs  of  Jamea 
I,  The  snrvirii.g  issue  of  James,  at  the  time  of  his  death, 
were  a  son  and  a  daughter,  viz,  Charles,  who  succeeded 
him,  and  the  princess  Elizabeth,  who  raarrie<l  the  Elector 
Palatine,  who  took  the  title  of  king  of  Bohemia,  and  left  a 
daughter,  the  princess  Sophia,  who  married  the  duke  of 
Brunswick  Lunenburgh,  by  whom  she  had  George,  elector 
of  Hanover,  who  ascended  the  throne,  by  act  of  parliamcntj 
expressly  made  in  favor  of  his  raether. 
1714  George  I.  ^ 

1727  Geoi-ge  II,  son  of  Georgel.  t  House  of  Hi>n«r«r. 

1760  George  UI.  grandsoa  of  George  U.  3 


4S  ENGLAND, 

to  send  other  criminals  to  the  new  and  distant  Asiatic  settlements, 
tlian  by  the  waste  of  blood,  to  lessen  strength  and  population. 

Pofiulatiov.'^     According  to  a  census  taken  in  1801,  there  were 
In  England,  Males        3,987,935 

Females    4,343,409 


In  Wales, 


Males 
Females 


257,178 
284,368 


8,331,344 


The  Army 

Navy- 
Seamen 
Convicts 


198,351 

126,279 

144,558 

1,410 


541,546 


470,598 


Total  Males        4,716,045 
Total  Females    4,627,443 


In  Cities 

In  the  Country 

Army,  Navy,  &c. 


2,356,793 

6,516,197 

470,598 


9,343,488 


9,343,488 


Farmers 
Mechanics    and 
Manufacturers 
Houses  in  England. 


1,713,289 

1,843,351 

1,467,870  inhabited. 
53,965  uninhabited. 


9,343,488 


1,521,835" 


Total 

Families  1,778,420 

in  Wales.  108,053  inhabited  houses. 

3,5 1 1  uninhabited  do. 


Families 
Total  houses  inhabited 
Total  houses  uninhabited 


118,503 

1,575,923 

57,476 


111,564 


1,633,399 
Total  families         1,886,923 
The  population  of  Ireland  is  estimated  at  about    4,000,000 
That  of  Scotland,  at  1 ,607,7  60 

The  population  of  England  and  Wales  9,343,488 


Total  inhabitants  in  Great  Britain 


14,951,248 


ENGLAND.  49 

The   English  language  is  probably  diffused  to  the   extent  6f 
20,000,000  of  people. 
^^rmy.~\     The  British  army,  in  1808,  consisted, 

I.  Of  Regular  Troofis^  as  follows,  viz. 
Infantry  101,0031 

Swiss  do.  1^,561  l    128,422 

German  do.  7,858  J 

Cavalry  22, 

Swiss  do.  72  J.  25,714 

German  do.  2, 

Guards  8,090 

Garrisons  6,757 

Veterans  5,624 

Armee  Depots  3,899 

Artillery  24,781 


J,653  "J 

72   I 

!,989  J 


Total  203,287 
2.  Oi  Militia. 

In  Great  Britain  54,686 

Ireland  21,473 


Total  Militia  76,159 

Total  Regulars     203,287 


Whole  No.       279,446 
The  British  forces  in  the  East  Indies,  in  1809  242,000 


Total  521,446 

j\'avy.~\  The  great  rampart,  defence,  and  glory  of  Great 
Britain  consist  in  her  navy,  in  size,  strength,  and  number  of  ships, 
far  exceeding  any  examples  on  record,  as  may  be  judged  from 
the  following  catalogue  formed  in  February  1811. 

NAVY  LIST, /^edrwari/  1811. 

Statement  of  the  British  JSfaval  Force^  exclusive  of  the  hired 
armed  Vessels^  nvhich  are  chiefly  emfiloyed  in  protecting  the 
Coasting  Trade  of  Great  Britain. 


Fifties, 
line. 

0 

1 

0 

c 

a 

1 

en 

sr 
2 

i 

I 

At  sea         -         -          89     9 

125 

100 

140 

32 

53 

5 

553 

In  port  and  fitting         3 1     6 
Guard,  hospital,  and  > 

prison  ships           3     ^ 
In  ordinary  and  re-  ?  /^ .    ,  1 

pairing          -         ^  *>*   »i 
Building      -        -         35     2 

37 
6 

98 

14 

47 
5 

44 
3 

33 
17 

7 

1 

22 
4 

8 

183 
53 

346 

54 

-»   I 

— 

•— . 

—  ■ 

Total        254  34 

280 

199 

190 

40 

79 

1.3 

1089 

VOL.  II.                        7 

50  ENGLAND. 

For  this  immense  fleet  the  number  of  seamen  i^mounts  from  lOG 
to  120,000,  a  number  which  no  other  country  ancient  or  modern 
could  have  supplied. 

The  naval  power  of  Great  Britain  constitutes  so  striking  and 
important  a  feature  in  the  national  portrait,  that  it  merits  particu- 
lar illustration.  Even  in  the  Saxon  times  we  find  considerable 
fleets  mentioned  of  the  small  vessels  then  in  use.  One  of  the 
Northumbrian  monarchs  assembled  a  numerous  fleet  near  Jarro, 
the  monastery  of  Bcda,  in  an  extensive  haven  of  the  time,  noAV  be- 
come a  salt  marsh.  About  the  year  882  we  find  that  Alfred  di- 
rected a  powerful  fleet  against  the  Danish  invaders.  The  fleet  of 
Edgar  is  also  celebrated,  but  the  armament  of  Ethelredthe  second^ 
in  tli^  year  1009,  exceeded  any  which  England  ever  before  had 
beheld,  probably  amounting  to  five  hundred  of  the  small  ships 
then  known.  But  the  devastations  of  the  Danes  and  Normans 
occasioned  such  a  decline  in  the  naval  power  of  England,  that 
Richard  I.  was  obliged  to  have  recourse  to  foreign  vessels  for  his 
crusade.  In  the  reign  of  John  we,  for  the  first  time,  find  com- 
memorated a  signal  victory  of  the  English  and  Flemings  over  the 
French  fleet  of  Philip  Augustus,  which  was  computed  at  1700 
ships,  or  rather  boats.  The  English  monarch,  in  the  pride  of  his 
triumph,  was  the  first  who  ordered  the  salute  to  be  paid  by  for- 
eign vessels  to  the  national  flag.  The  fleet  of  England  thenceforth 
continued  to  be  always  respectable,  and  generally  victorious  ;  but 
the  preponderance  of  the  English  armaments  over  those  of  France 
only  became  permanent  and  decisive  a  little  more  than  a  century 
ago,  after  the  battle  of  La  Hogue.  Spain  had  yielded  the  con- 
test since  the  destruction  of  her  great  Armada,  and  Holland  had 
been  greatly  reduced  in  her  naval  conflicts  under  Charles  the  II. 
so  that  no  rival  remains,  and  Great  Britain  maintains  a  fixed  supe- 
riority over  the  ocean. 

The  special  superintendance  of  the  navy  is  committed  to  the 
Board  of  Admiralty,  composed  of  admirals  of  known  skill,  and  of 
peers  whose  impartiality  generally  regards  merit  alone  in  this  im- 
portant service.  The  recent  conduct  of  English  maritime  war 
has  been  crowned  with  distinguished  success  ;  and  their  admirals 
must  be  allowed  to  rival  any  names  in  naval  history  ancient  or 
modern. 

Revemie.~^  In  ancient  times  the  royal  revenue  chiefly  arose 
from  the  domains,  or  lands  appropriated  to  the  crown  ;  from 
amerciaments  civil  and  criminal,  which  passed  to  the  fisc  or 
treasury,  and  from  customs  on  goods  imported  and  exported.  As 
in  war  each  soldier  was  obliged  to  maintain  himself  for  a  certain 
time,  the  expenditure  was  not  much  increased.  Upon  extraor- 
dinary emergencies,  it  appears  that  a  contribution  was  raised  by 
the  consent  of  the  national  council.  In  later  periods  subsidies  were 
gi'anted  to  the  amount  of  a  fifteenth  or  a  tenth  of  landed  income, 
and  a  proportional  rate  on  moveable  goods.  As  society  advanced, 
taxes  began  to  be  imposed  on  the  materials  themselves  ;  and  from 
a  small  plant  an  enormous  tree  has  I'isen,  with  a  labyrinth  of  roots, 
which  in  the  opinion  of  some  politicians  undermine  the  island, 


ENGLAND.  $1 

while  others  believe  that  they  only  produce  a  more  firm  con- 
solidation. 

The  excise  forms  one  of  the  most  productive  branches  of  the 
revenue.  Next  stand  the  customs^  and  after  them  the  stam/is. 
The  land-tax  has  recently  been  rendered  perpetual  and  sold  to 
proprietors  of  estates  and  other  individuals.  But,  instead  of  the 
land-tax,  now  appear  those  on  sugar,  tobacco,  and  malt,  amount- 
ing to  near  3,000,000.  The  other  supplies  arise  from  the  East 
India  Company,  lotteries,  Sec.  The  following  is  the  produce  of 
the  excise,  customs,  and  stamps,  in  1806  and  1808. 

1806.  1808. 

Excise                        ,C  25,338,925  /;  26,769,013 

Customs                         12,769,243  12,337,315 

Stamps                              4,568,690  4,969,424 

The  net  revenue  of  Great  Britain  amounted 

In    1806  to  /?  56,902,099 

1808  to  60,354,782 

1809  to  58,636,178 

The  amount  of  the  revenue,  for  the  year  ending  January  1810 
was  as  follows : 

Ordinary  £  38,339,493 

Extraordinary  resources  23,790,289 

Loans  14,675,668 


Grand  Total  £  76,805,450 

The  amount  of  expenditure  for  the  same  year,  was  £  82,027,288. 
Of  this  sum  £  20,956,052  was  for  interest  on  the  national  debt; 
£  10,904,450,  interest  on  debt  redeemed  and  sinking  fund,  applied 
to  the  reduction  of  national  debt.  For  the  navy  £  9,791,408.  For 
the  army  £  18,463,094. 

Of  the  permanent  taxes  the  greater  part  is  employed  in  dis- 
charging the  interest  of  the  national  debt,  which  after  the  Ameri- 
can war  amounted  to  more  than  239,000,000,  while  the  interest 
exceeded  9,000,000.  At  present  the  national  debt  is  about 
480,000,000,  and  the  interest  about  19,000,000. 

To  alleviate  this  growing  burthen,  a  sinking  fund  was  instituted 
in  1786,  by  which  between  20  and  30,000,000  maybe  considered 
as  already  redeemed.  The  national  debt  began  in  the  reign  of 
William,  and  grew  into  what  are  called  the  funds  or  stocks,  only 
synonymous  terms  for  the  public  debt. 

The  civil  list,  from  which  are  defrayed  the  salaries  of  officers  of 
state,  judges,  ambassadors,  8cc.  together  with  the  expenccs  of  the 
royal  family,  amounts  to  1,000,000  annually. 
'^"'^  Political  Imfiortance  and  Relations.^  With  such  a  prodigious 
command  of  national  treasure,  the  political  importance  and  rela- 
tions of  Great  Britain  may  be  said  to  be  diffused  over  the  world ; 
for  wherever  money  influences  man,  there  may  her  power  be  per- 
ceived.    The  union  of  Scotland  with  England  delivered  the  latter 


^  ENGLAND. 

country  from  the  perpetual  check,  exercised  by  politicians  ancient 
and  modern,  of  exciting  an  enemy  from  behind,  and  thereby  di- 
viding the  power  of  an  antagonist.  That  with  Ireland,  if  pre- 
served by  wise  and  lenient  measures,  must  also  impart  additional 
energy.  The  most  important  political  considerations  are  those 
between  Great  Britain  and  France.  If  this  country  must  not  be 
styled  the  natural  enemy  of  Great  Britain,  she  has  yet  for  many- 
centuries  been  a  constant  and  jealous  rival,  eagerly  embracing 
every  opportunity  to  lessen  British  prosperity  and  power.  Such 
being  the  case,  it  has  been  regarded  as  the  political  interest  of 
England  to  balance  and  divide  the  enmity  of  France  by  a  strict  al- 
liance with  some  powerful  state.  Since  the  revolution  in  that 
country  many  coalitions  have  been  formed  on  the  continent  to 
curb  her  wild  ambition ;  but  they  have  been,  in  every  instance,  ul- 
timately unsuccessful.  At  present,  there  is  no  power  but  Russia 
whose  enmity  could  be  dreaded,  and  Russia  is  too  remote,  and  too 
sluggish  in  her  movements,  to  find  her  enemy  unprepared. 

The  present  connections  of  England  with  Spain  and  Portugal 
are  alike  honorable  to  her  generosity  and  her  valor.  No  expense 
of  money  or  of  blood  has  been  spared  to  relieve  those  nations 
from  an  enemy  unrivalled  in  cruelty  and  profligacy. 

Manners  and  Customs.']  The  consideration  of  national  manners 
may  be  coveniently  referred  to  three  divisions  ;  first,  diet ; 
secondly,  houses  and  dress  ;  thirdly,  amusements. 

The  English  are  generally  thought  to  be  excessive  in  the  use 
of  animal  food  ;  but  since  the  introduction  of  potatoes  and  other 
esculent  vegetables,  this  position  may  be  doubted.  Their  fond- 
ness for  heavy  malt  liquor  deservedly  strike  foreigners,  as  a  sin- 
gularity in  English  diet.  They  pride  themselves  in  the  variety 
and  richness  of  their  ales  ;  especially  their  Burton,  Dorchester, 
and  Taunton  ales.  But  the  most  peculiar  malt  beverage  is  fiorter^ 
which  ought  to  be  solely  composed  of  brown  or  high  dried  malt, 
hops,  liquorice,  and  sugar  ;  but  it  is  sometimes  debased  by  other 
ingredients  ;  that  of  London  is  particularly  famous,  and  is  an  ar- 
ticle of  exportation,  being  esteemed  a  luxury  on  the  banks  of  the 
DelaAvare  and  the  Ganges.  The  prodigious  consumption  of  tea  is 
another  peculiar  feature,  the  use  of  that  plant  being  rare  in  other 
European  countries.  The  baneful  effects  of  excess  in  spirituous 
liquors  may  be  traced  in  the  ruined  health  and  morals  of  the 
people. 

The  simplicity  of  the  English  cookery  strikes  foreigners  as 
much  as  that  of  the  dress,  which  even  among  the  great  is  very 
plain,  except  on  the  days  of  court  gala. 

The  houses  in  England  are  peculiarly  commodious,  neat,  and 
cleanly  ;  and  domestic  architecture  seems  here  to  have  arrive<jl 
at  its  greatest  perfection. 

The  amusenients  of  the  theatre  and  of  the  field,  and  various 
games  of  skill  or  chance,  are  common  to  most  nations.  Th^ 
baiting  of  bulls  and  bears  is,  it  is  believed,  nearly  discon- 
tinued :  one  of  the  most  peculiar  amusements  of  the  common 
■people  is,  the  ringing  of  long  peals,  with  many  changes,  whicji 


ENGLAND.  53 

4eafen  those  who  are  so  unhappy  as  to  live  in  the  neighborhood 
of  the  church. 

Prior  to  the  middle  of  the  sixteenth  century,  the  English  and 
French  were  regarded  as  barbarous  nations  by  the  more  polished 
Italians.  The  reign  and  female  blandishments  of  the  couit  of 
Elizabeth  seem  to  have  had  a  wonderful  effect  in  civilizing  the 
manners.  The  transition  has  been  well  portrayed  by  an  ancient 
writer,  whose  simple  language,  given  in  modern  oilhography,  may 
perhaps  amuse  the  reader. 

"  There  are  old  men  yet  dwelling  in  the  village  where  I  re- 
main, who  have  noted  three  things  that  are  marvellously  altered 
in  England  within  their  sound  remembrance.  One  is  the  multi- 
tude of  chimneys  lately  erected  :  whereas  in  their  young  days 
there  were  not  above  two  or  three,  if  so  many,  in  many  uplandish 
to\^Tis  of  the  realm,  (the  religious  houses,  and  manor  places  of 
their  lords,  always  excepted,  and  peradventure  some  great  per- 
sonages,) but  each  one  made  his  fire  against  a  rere  dosse  in  the 
hall,  vi^here  he  dined  and  dressed  his  meat.  The  second  is  the 
great  amendment  of  lodging  ;  for,  said  they,  our  fathers,  and  we 
ourselves,  have  laid  full  oft  upon  straw  pallets,  covered  only  with 
a.  sheet,  under  coverlets  made  of  dagswain  or  hofiharlotfs  (I  use 
their  own  terms)  and  a  good  round  log  under  their  heads,  instead 
of  a  bolster.  If  it  were  so  that  our  fathers,  or  the  good  man  of  the 
house,  had  a  mattress  or  flock  bed,  and  thereto  a  sack  of  chaff  to 
rest  his  head  upon,  he  thought  himself  to  be  as  well  lodged  as  the 
lord  of  the  town,  so  well  were  they  contented.  Pillows,  said  they, 
were  thought  meet  only  for  women  in  childbed.  As  for  servants, 
if  they  had  any  sheet  above  them  it  was  was  well,  for  seldom  had 
they  any  under  their  bodies,  to  keep  them  from  the  pricking 
straws  that  ran  through  the  canvass,  and  razed  their  hardened  hides. 

"  The  third  thing  they  tell  us  of,  is  the  exchange  of  wooden 
platters  into  pewter,  and  wooden  spoons  into  silver  or  tin.  For  so 
common  were  all  sorts  of  wooden  vessels,  in  old  time,  that  a  man 
should  hardly  find  four  pieces  of  pewter  (of  which  one  was  perad- 
venture a  salt-seller,)  in  a  good  farmer's  house  ;  and  yet,  for  all 
this  frugality,  if  it  may  be  so  justly  called,  they  were  scarce  able 
to  live  and  pay  their  rents  at  their  days,  without  selling  of  a  cow, 
or  a  horse,  or  mare,  although  they  paid  but  four  pounds  at  the 
uttermost,  by  the  year.  Such  was  also  their  poverty,  that  if  a 
farmer,  or  husbandman,  had  been  at  the  alehouse,  a  thing  greatly 
used  in  those  days,  amongst  six  or  seven  of  his  neighbors,  and 
there,  in  a  bravery,  to  shew  what  store  he  had,  did  cast  down  his 
purse,  and  therein  a  noble,  or  six  shillings  in  silver,  unto  them, 
it  is  very  likely  that  all  the  rest  would  not  lay  down  so  much 
against  it;  whereas,  in  my  time,  although  peradventure  four 
pounds  of  old  rent  be  improved  to  forty  or  fifty  pounds,  yet  will 
the  farmer  think  his  gains  very  small,  toward  the  midst  of  his 
term,  if  he  have  not  six  or  seven  years  rent  lying  by  him,  there- 
with to  purchase  a  new  lease  ;  besides  a  fair  garnish  of  pewter  on 
his  cupboard,  three  or  four  feather  beds,  as  many  coverlids,  and 
carpets  of  tapestry,  a  silver  salt-seller,  a  bowl  for  wine,  if  not  9, 


54  ENGLAND. 

Avhole  nest,  and  a  dozen  of  spoons  to  furnish  up  the  suit.  This 
also  he  taketh  to  be  his  own  clear  ;  for  what  stock  of  money 
soever  he  gathercth  in  all  his  years,  it  is  often  seen  that  the  land- 
lord will  take  such  order  with  him  for  the  same,  when  he  renew- 
cth  the  lease,  (v/hich  is  commonly  eight  or  ten  years  before  it  be 
expired,  since  it  is  now  grown  almost  a  custom,  that  if  he  come 
not  to  his  lord  so  long  before,  another  shall  step  in  for  a  rever- 
sion, and  so  defeat  him  outright,)  that  it  shall  never  trouble  him 
m^ore  than  the  hair  of  his  beard,  when  the  barber  hath  washed  and 
shaven  it  from  his  chin."* 

The  cold  restraint,  which  some  foreigners  have  ascribed  to  the 
English,  has  been  candidly  judged  by  a  recent  traveller,  to  exist 
only  in  appearance.  A  more  genuine  attribute  of  the  English  is 
integrity,  which  has  carried  their  credit  and  commerce  to  an  ex- 
tent before  unknown  in  the  history  of  nations. 

Language.']  Most  European  languages  are  derived  from  the 
Gothic  or  the  Latin.  To  the  Latin  origin  belong  Italian,  French, 
and  Spanish  ;  to  the  Gothic,  the  German,  Dutch,  Flemish,  Danish, 
Swedish,  and  Norwegian.  From  the  situation  of  the  country,  and 
other  causes, the  English  participates  of  both  those  grand  sources; 
and  unites  in  some  degree  the  force  of  the  Gothic  with  the  melody 
of  the  Latin  dialects.  The  ancient  ground,  and  native  expression, 
originate  from  the  Gothic  divisions  of  the  Belgic,  Saxon,  and 
Danish  ;  but  particularly  from  the  Belgic,  as  will  appear  from 
comparison  with  the  Dutch  and  Frisic.  The  languages  of  Latin 
origin  have,  however,  supplied  a  vast  wealth  of  words,  sometimes 
necessary,  sometimes  only  adopted  because  they  are  more  sono- 
rous, though  not  so  emphatic  as  the  oi'iginal  Gothic.  There  is  no 
evidence  of  the  existence  of  Celtic  words  in  the  English  lan- 
guage,t  whatever  some  antiquaries  have  imagined,  for  the  words 
they  indicate  may  also  be  found  in  Iceland,  a  country  hever  peopled 
by  the  Celts. f 

Numerous  manuscripts  exist,  written  in  the  Anglo-Saxon  or 
old  English  language,  and  one  of  its  most  classic  authors  is  the 
great  Alfred  himself.  It  appears  from  many  works,  written  long 
after  the  Conquest,  that  the  French  language,  though  colloquial 
among  the  great,  scarcely  imparted  any  tinge  to  the  national 
tongue.  The  conquests  of  Edward  IH.  in  France,  and  other  cir- 
cumstances effected,  in  the  fourteenth  century,  a  change  in  vain 
attempted  by  the  Norman  conqueror.  Chaucer,  who  wrote  at  that 
period,  presents  almost  the  first  rude  dawn  of  what  may  be  termed 
the  English  language.  In  the  same  century,  that  enterprising 
traveller  Sir  John  Mandervile  supplies  one  of  the  best  specimens 
of  English  prose. 

In  the  succeeding  century,  the  speech  had  made  such  rapid 
advances,  that  even  as  early  as  the  reign  of  Edward  the  Sixth,  we 
find  it  vary  very  little  from  that  of  the  reign  of  Henry  the  Eighth. 
The  works  of  Fortescue  in  the  reign  of  Edward  the  Fourth,  set- 

*  Description  of  Britain,  in  Ilollinshed's  Chronicle,  vol.  1.  fol.  85. 
j  Both  these  positions  have  been  doubted. 


ENGLAND.  55 

tijig  aside  the  orthography,  might  even  be  perused  by  the  com- 
mon reader. 

In  the  reign  of  queen  Elizabeth,  a  century  after,  the  English 
language  had  acquired  such  copiousness,  dignity,  force,  and  mel- 
ody, that  perhaps  in  the  eye  of  very  distant  posterity,  moderns 
may  be  supposed  never  to  have  exceeded,  what  is  gained  in  ele- 
gance being  generally  lost  in  power.  Sidney's  defence  of  poesy 
may  be  regarded  as  a  good  specimen  of  English  prose,  not  to 
mention  Hooker's  ecclesiastical  polity,  and  other  lai'ge  works  of 
that  period,  which  continue  to  be  read  and  admired. 

The  common  translation  of  the  bible  is  a  noble  specimen  of  the 
dignified  prose  of  the  following  reign,  beyond  which  it  is  unneces- 
sary to  conduct  this  sketch,  as  our  libraries  abound  with  the  suc- 
ceeding publications. 

The  construction  of  the  English  language  is  peculiar,  and  ren- 
ders the  study  of  it  very  difficult  to  foreigners.  The  German  and 
other  Gothic  dialects  present  declensions  of  nouns,  and  other  cor- 
respondencies with  the  Latin,  while  in  the  English  all  such  objects 
are  accomplished  by  prefixes.  Anomalies  also  abound,  and  are 
too  deeply  rooted,  ever  to  be  eradicated  by  grammatical  rules. 
Farther  remarks  would  be  foreign  to  the  plan  of  this  work,  which 
however  requires,  occasionally,  short  specimens  of  the  various 
languages  of  the  globe,  to  enable  the  reader  to  judge  of  the  rela- 
tive origins  of  nations  :  for  this  purpose  the  Loi'd's  prayer  is  gen- 
erally chosen,  which  shall  be  here  given  in  Anglo-Saxon  and  mod- 
ern English. 

Urcn  fader  thic  arth  in  heofnas.  Sie  gehalgud  thin  noma.  To 
cymcth  thin  rye,  Sie  thin  willa,  sue  is  in  heofnas  and  in  eortho. 
Uren  hlaf  oferwistlic  sol  us  to  daeg.  And  forgeve  us  scylda  urna 
sue  we  forgefau  scyldgum  urum.  And  no  inlead  usig  in  cust- 
nung.     Ah  gefrig  usich  frim  ifle.     Amen. 

Our  father,  which  art  in  heaven,  hallowed  be  thy  name ;  thy 
kingdom  come  ;  thy  will  be  done  on  earth  as  it  is  in  heaven  ;  give 
us  this  day  our  daily  bread,  and  forgive  us  our  debts  as  we  forgive 
our  debtors  ;  and  lead  us  not  into  temptation,  but  deliver  us  from 
evil.     Amen. 

Literature.']  English  literature  is  a  vast  and  inviting  field  ;  but 
a  few  fugitive  remarks  must  here  suffice.  Of  the  traditionary 
verses  of  the  Druids,  a  few  relics  still  exist ;  hut  the  Roman  con- 
quest docs  not  appear  to  have  inculcated  letters  with  much  diffu- 
sion, for  no  author  of  those  periods  claims  a  British  origin.  The 
eountry  was  seized  by  the  Saxons,  before  British  literature  faintly 
dawned  in  Gildas,  A.  D.  560.  Irish  literature  commenced  about 
the  same  period,  and  continued  for  some  centuries  to  supply  nu- 
merous writers  in  the  Latin  language  ;  while  England  remained 
almost  destitute.  But  Beda  in  the  eighth  century  redeemed  this 
defect,  in  himself  a  host,  and,  like  Chaucer,  the  wonder  of  his  time. 
The  Danish  invasions  were  ruinous  to  literature,  both  in  Great 
Britain  and  Ireland,  and  the  great  Alfred  was  obliged  to  exert 
his  utmost  endeavors  in  order  to  restore  some  degree  of  learning 
even  among  the  clergy.    That  admirable  prince  himself  translated 


56  ENGLAND. 

some  works  of  merit  and  utility,  as  the  histories  of  Orosius  and 
Beda  into  the  Anglo-Saxon.  Of  the  interval  between  the  age  of 
ISeda  and  the  year  1 100,  the  Saxon  chronicle  is  a  noble  but  neg- 
lected monument,  being  the  only  civil  history  of  England,  for  a 
space  of  400  years.  About  the  year  1 100,  English  literature  com- 
menced a  firm  and  steady  pace  ;  a  numerous  train  of  historians, 
poets,  and  other  writers,  fills  the  pages  of  biography.  In  the  four- 
teenth century,  Roger  Bacon  aspires  even  to  the  praise  of  eminent 
genius.  In  the  following  century,  the  civil  wars  between  the 
houses  of  York  and  Lancaster  were  destructive  of  literature  and 
the  arts ;  nor  will  it  be  easy  to  name  an  illustrious  author  of  that 
period,  though  the  introduction  of  printing  in  the  reign  of  Edward 
the  Fourth  forms  a  memorable  epoch.  The  writers  of  the  six- 
teenth and  following  centuries  are  numerous  and  well  known. 
The  giiind  feature  of  English  literature  is  original  genius,  trans- 
mitted even  from  Roger  Bacon  to  Shakespeare,  Lord  Bacon,  Mil- 
ton, Newton,  Locke,  and  Berkeley ;  not  to  dwell  here  on  claims 
more  minute,  but  equally  finn.  In  scientific  departments,  Eng- 
land does  not  yield  even  to  France.  In  the  various  branches  of 
mathematical  knowledge  she  has  surpassed  all  nations.  The  Eng- 
lish clergy  have  always  cultivated  classical  literature  with  distin- 
guished zeal  and  predilection. 

jirts.^  The  present  state  of  the  arts  in  England  is  worthy  of  so 
opulent  and  refined  a  country,  and  the  progress  has  been  rapid 
beyond  example.  Some  faint  traces  of  painting  occur  in  the  thir- 
teenth century ;  but  the  names  and  country  of  the  artists  do  not 
appear,  except  that  of  William  of  Florence,  where  the  art  had 
faintly  begun  to  revive.  In  the  reign  of  Edward  I.  ths  magnificent 
castles  built  in  Wales  attest  the  genius  and  skill  of  the  architects, 
while  their  individual  fame  is  lost  in  obscurity :  and  towards  the 
end  of  the  fourteenth  century,  rich  monuments  of  architecture  and 
sculpture  are  interspersed  with  some  few  remains  of  painting. 
But  England  continued,  till  the  last  century,  to  import  her  chief 
painters  from  abroad ;  as  Holbein,  Antonio  More,  Zucchero,  Jan- 
sen,  Mytens,  Rubens,  Vandyke,  Lely,  Kneller,  Sec.  &c.  Yet  in 
miniature  and  engraving,  there  were  excellent  native  artists  in  the 
17th  century,  and  an  eminent  native  architect,  Inigo  Jones.  In 
the  beginning  of  the  1 8th  century,  even  the  noble  architecture  of 
St.  Paul's  did  not  redeem  the  other  arts  from  great  decline,  till 
Hogarth  instituted  examples  of  ethic  and  charactei-istic  painting, 
which  have  deservedly  excited  the  admiration  of  Europe.  The 
present  reign  has  not  only  been  distinguished  by  patronage  of  the 
arts,  but  in  exuberance  of  artists  of  deserved  reputation.  In  paint- 
ing, engraving,  architecture,  and  sculpture,  England  may  now 
boast  of  many  distinguished  native  names :  but  in  music  she  still 
acknoAvledges  the  superior  skill  of  the  Gennans  and  Italians. 

Education.'^  The  education  of  the  lower  classes  in  England  had 
become  exti'emely  neglected,  before  the  benevolent  institution  of 
the  Sunday  schools.  There  can  be  no  doubt  that  where  the  com- 
mon people  are  the  best  instructed,  there  they  will  be  found  the  most 
quiet,  contented,  and  virtuous ;   as  they  feel  a  conscious  self-re- 


ENGLAND.  st 

spect,  are  accustomed  to  be  treated  with  regard  by  each  other,  and 
will  cheerfully  extend  the  same  reverential  conduct  towards  their 
superiors  in  the  favours  of  fortune  ;  and  a  practical  estimate  of  the 
advantages  of  general  education,  may  be  formed  by  comparing  the 
neglected  peasantry  of  Ireland,  with  the  peaceable  Highlanders  of 
Scotland,  where  public  schools  exist  in  every  parish.  The  middle 
and  higher  ranks  of  English  spare  no  expence  in  the  education  of 
their  sons,  by  private  tutors  at  home,  or  at  what  are  called  day 
schools  and  boarding  schools.  The  most  eminent  public  schools 
are,  those  of  St.  Paul's,  Westminster,  Eton,  and  Winchester ;  and 
from  them  have  arisen  some  of  the  most  distinguished  ornaments 
of  their  country.  The  scholars  in  due  time  proceed  to  the  univer- 
sities of  Oxford  and  Cambridge ;  foundations,  of  an  extent  and 
grandeur  that  impress  veneration.  The  number  and  aera  of  the 
colleges,  will  appear  from  the  following  list. 

University  of  Oxford. 
1263.  Baliol  College — Founder,  John  Baliol  (father  of  John,  king 

of  Scotland,)  and  his  wife,  Dcrvorgilla,  countess  of  Galloway. 
1276.  Merton  College — Walter  Merton,  bishop  of  Rochester. 
1292.  University  College — William,  archdeacon  of  Durham.* 
1316.  Exeter  College — Walter  Stapleton,  bishop  of  Exeter. 
1323.  AuricU  College — Adam  dc  Brome,  almoner  to  Edward  II. 
1 340.  Queen's  College — Robert  Eglesiield,  chaplain  to  queen  Phl- 

lippa. 
1379.  New  College — William  of  Wickhara. 
1348.  All-souls — Archbishop  Chicheley. 
1458.  Magdalen  College — William  of  Wainflet. 
1613.  Brazen  nose — William  Smith,  bishop  of  Lincoln. 
1516.  Corpus  Christi — Richard  Fox,  bishop  of  Windiester. 
1539.  Christ's  Church — Wolsey  and  Henry  VIII. 

1556.  Trinity  College — Sir  Thomas  Pope. 

1557.  St.  John's — Sir  Thomas  White, 
1571.  Jesus  College — Dr.  Price. 

1613.  Wadham — Nicholas  Wadham,  Esq. 
1624.  Pembroke — Thomas  Tesdale,  Esq.  f 

University  of  Cambridge. 

1284.  Peter-house — Hugh  Balsham,  bishop  of  Ely. 

1340.  Clare-hall — Elizabeth  de  Burg,  countess  of  Ulster. 

1 347.  Pembroke-hall — Mary  de  Valentia,  countess  of  PembroU'e. 

1348.  and  1557.  Gonvill  and  Caius — The  Doctors  so  named. 
1353.  Trinity-hall — William  Bateman,  bishop  of  Norwich. 
1356.  Bcnnet  or  Corpus  Christi — Henry  duke  of  Lancaster. 
1443.  King's  College — Henry  VI. 

1446.  Queen's  College — Margaret  of  Anjou. 

1474.  Catharine-hall — Dr.  Woodlark. 

1497.  Jesus  College — John  Alcock,  bishop  of  Ely. 

1516.  Christ's  College  >  Margaret,  countess  of  Richmond,  mofHer 

1511.  St.  Sohn's       '     5      ofHenryVII. 


*  Cough's  Camd.  I.  p.  302,  &c. 
VOL.   II.  8 


Ibid. 


58  ENGLAND. 

1520.  Magdalen  College — Thomas,  lord  Audley. 

1546.  Trinity  College— Henry  VIII. 

1589.  Emanuel-^Sir  Walter  Mildmay. 

1588.  Sydney  College— Frances  Sydney,  countess  of  Sussex.* 

Of  the  two  universities,  many  minute  descriptions  have  appear* 
fed.  Oxford  is  the  more  majestic  ;  from  the  grandeur  of  the  col- 
leges and  other  public  buildings,  and  the  superior  regularity  and 
heatness  of  the  streets  :  but  the  chapel  of  King's  college  at  Cam- 
bridge, is  supposed  to  excel  any  single  edifice  of  the  other  univer- 
isity.  Both  of  those  magnificent  seminaries  impress  every  feeling 
mind  with  reverential  awe  ;  not  only  by  their  architectural  digni- 
ty, but  by  a  thousand  collateral  ideas  of  ancient  greatness  and  sci- 
ence. 

Ciiies  and  Towns.']  In  giving  a  brief  account  of  the  chief  cities 
and  towns  in  England,  a  few  of  the  most  important  shall  be  arran- 
ged according  to  dignity,  opulence,  and  population ;  and  the  others 
shall  be  stated  without  preference,  in  a  kind  of  progress  from  the 
south-west  to  the  north. 

London,  the  metropolis  of  England,  is  situated  in  an  extensive 
plain  or  valley  watered  by  the  Thames,  and  only  confined  on  the 
north  by  a  few  small  elevations ;  being  a  place  of  great  antiquity, 
and  first  mentioned  by  Tacitus.  It  now  includes  Southwark,  a 
borough  on  the  other  side  of  the  Thames,  and  Westminster,  anoth- 
er city  on  the  west ;  so  that  like  some  places  of  ancient  geography, 
it  might  be  named  Trifiolisy  or  three  cities.  The  noble  river 
Thames  is  here  about  440  yards  in  breadth,  crowned  with  three 
bridges,  crowded  with  a  forest  of  masts,  and  conveying  into  Lon- 
don the  wealth  of  the  globe,  forming  an  excellent  port,  without  the 
danger  of  exposure  to  maritime  enmity.  It  is,  however,  a  great 
defect,  that  instead  of  open  quays  and  streets  on  the  banks  of  the 
stream,  the  view  is  obstructed  on  both  sides  by  irregular  masses  of 
building,  which  do  not  even  admit  of  a  path.  London  presents 
almost  every  variety  which  diversifies  human  existence.  Upon 
the  east  it  is  a  sea-port,  replete  with  mariners  and  with  the  trades 
connected  with  that  profession.  In  the  centre,  it  is  the  seat  of  nu- 
merous manufactures  and  prodigious  commerce  ;  v/hile  the  west- 
ern or  fashionable  extremity  presents  I'oyal  and  noble  splendor, 
amidst  scenes  of  the  highest  luxury  and  most  ruinous  dis- 
sipation. 

Few  cities  can  boast  a  more  salubrious  situation,  the  subjacent 
soil  being  pure  gravel ;  by  which  advantage,  united  with  exten- 
sive sewers,  the  houses  are  generally  dry,  cleanly,  and  healthy. 
Provisions  and  fuel  are  poured  into  the  capital,  even  from  distant 
parts  of  the  kingdom  ;  the  latter  article  being  coals,  from  the  coun- 
ties of  Northumberland  and  Durban^,  transferred  by  seaj  and 
thence  denom.inated  sea-coal. t  London  requires  in  one  year 
1,762,100  quarters  of  grain,  101,075  beeves,  707,456  sheep,  with 

*  Cough's  Caind.  IT.  124.  l?A.    Graj^'s  Poems,  notes. 

■(•  Mr.   Middleton,  in  his  view  of  Middlesex  17'J8,  .supposes  that  hali'  a  niUlion  of 
chnldrojis  are  yeai!v  consumed  in  thut  countv. 


ENGLAND.  50 

calves  and  pigs  in  proportion :  the  vegetables  and  fruits  annually 
consumed,  are  valued  at  1,000,000  sterling.* 

The  population  of  London  has  by  some  been  exaggerated  to  jl 
million  of  souls;  but  by  the  enumeration,  in  1801,  there  were 
males  393,369,  females  471,476;  total  864,845.  If  to  these  be 
added  the  regiments  of  guards,  the  militia  ii  London,  and  the 
seamen  on  the  Thames,  the  population  woulu  exceed  900,000.t 
The  number  of  houses  was  126,414.  Its  length  from  Hyde-park 
corner  on  the  west,  to  Poplar  on  the  east,  is  about  six  miles  ;  the 
breadth  unequal,  from  three  miles  to  one  and  less  ;  the  circumfer- 
ence may  be  about  sixteen  miles.  The  houses  are  almost  univer- 
sally of  brick,  and  disposed  with  insipid  similarity ;  but  in  rccom- 
pence,  most  of  the  streets  are  excellently  paved,  and  have  conven- 
ient paths  for  foot  passengers  :  a  mark  of  respect  to  the  common 
people,  almost  unknown  to  the  capitals  on  the  continent.  Another 
national  feature,  is  the  abundance  of  charitable  foundations  for 
almost  every  infirmity  and  distress  incident  to  human  nature.  The 
multitude  and  rich  display  of  the  shops  impress  strangers  with 
astonishment ;  nor  are  they  less  surprised  at  the  constant  torrent 
of  population  rolling  through  the  principal  streets,  nor  at  the 
swarm  of  carriages  at  all  times  crowding  all  the  roads  to  the  cap- 
ital, and  the  nocturnal  illuminations,  which  extend  even  to  four  or 
five  miles  of  the  environs.  Its  waters  are  raised  by  machinery, 
and  conducted  in  innumerable  pipes  for  domestic  uses  ;  while  the 
parts  more  remote  are  supplied  with  water  from  some  small  ponds 
near  Hampstead,  and  from  that  laudable  work  of  Middleton,  the 
New  River,  which  conveys  a  copious  addition  from  the  north. 

The  environs  of  London  present  a  spectacle  almost  as  grand  and 
interesting,  as  that  of  the  metropolis  itself.  Extensive  streets  of 
villas  and  houses  are  continued  in  almost  every  direction  within 
seven  or  eight  miles.  Yet  few  of  the  public  edifices  in  London 
can  pretend  to  much  magnificence.  The  cathedral  of  St.  Paul's 
forms  one  of  the  chief  exceptions  ;  the  exterior  architecture  of  this 
principal  cathedral  of  the  Protestant  faith  being  majestic  to  a  de- 
gree of  sublimity,  but  the  interior  is  defective  in  decoration. 

Westminster-abbey  may  claim  the  next  rank  to  St.  Paul's 
cathedral ;  being  not  only  in  itself  a  grand  impressive  edifice  of  the 
Gothic  class,  but  as  being  the  sanctuary  of  the  illustrious  dead  of 
all  ranks,  periods,  and  professions,  from  the  victorious  monarch 
down  to  the  humble  pedagogue.  It  was  founded  by  Scbert,  king 
of  the  East  Saxons ;  was  afterwards  ruined  by  the  Danes,  and  re- 
founded  by  Edward  the  confessor,  whose  tomb  is  the  most  ancient 
now  remaining.  The  present  edifice  was  the  work  of  Henry  HI. ; 
and  Henry  VII.  added  an  elegant  chapel,  and  his  tomb  the  work  of 
Torrigiano  :  in  the  vaults  under  this  chapel,  the  late  monarchs  and 
their  offspring  have  been  deposited.  Adjacent  are  the  two  houses 
of  parliament,  and  Westminster-hall ;  a  vast  room,  230  feet  long 
and  70  wide,  with  a  curious  ceiling  of  Irish  oak,  and  apartments 

•  Ibid.  267.  Mr.  Pennant,  Brit.  Zool.  i v.  9,  says  60,000  lobstsrs  arc  Runu.iny  bmu jUt 
to  London  IVoni  n«tar  Montrose. 

t  Cliristian  Observer,  I.  333. 


'60  ENGLAND. 

on  the  side,  in  which  are  held  the  principal  courts  of  justice. 

The  churches  and  chapels  exceed  200  in  number,  and  a  few  are 
of  beautiful  architecture.  Some  are  the  productions  of  Inigo 
Jones;  as  is  also  the  noble  banqueting-house  at  Whitehall,  with 
a  masterly  ceiling  painted  by  Rubens,  representing  the  apotheosis 
of  James  I. 

Near  London-bridge,  is  a  pillar  of  193  feet,  called  the  Monu- 
ment ;  being  destined  to  commemorate  the  conflagration  of  Lon- 
.don  in  the  reign  of  Charles  IL  The  Tower  is  venerable  from  an- 
cient fame  ;  and  remarkable  for  the  curiosities  wliich  it  contains. 
The  royal  palace  of  St.  James's  is  an  irregular  building,  of  very 
modest  aspect.  The  queen's  palace,  formerly  Buckingham-house, 
only  aspires  to  elegant  convenience  ;  but  contains  some  valuable 
paintings,  and  an  excellent  library  formed  solely  by  the  taste  of 
the  reigning  monarch.  The  palace  of  Kensington  presents  an 
exuberance  of  valuable  pictures,  little  known,  and  rarely  visited. 
The  houses  in  the  west  end  of  the  town,  of  themselves  shew  the 
gentle  gradations  of  rank  in  England  ;  those  of  the  chief  nobility 
being  rarely  distinguishable  from  the  others. 

York.  Next  to  the  capital  in  dignity,  though  not  in  extent  nor 
opulence,  is  York  ;  which  is  not  only  the  chief  of  a  large  and  fertile 
province,  but  may  be  regarded  as  the  metropolis  of  the  North  of 
England.  The  name  has  been  gradually  corrupted  from  the  an- 
cient Eboracum  ;  by  which  denomination  it  was  remarkable  even 
in  the  Roman  times,  for  the  temporary  residence  and  death  of  the 
Roman  Emperor  Severus.  This  venerable  city  is  divided  by  the 
river  Ouse  ;  and  the  Gothic  cathedral  is  of  celebrated  beauty,  the 
western  front  being  peculiarly  rich,  the  chief  tower  very  lofty,  and 
the  windows  of  the  finest  painted  glass.  York  divides  with  Edin- 
burgh tlie  winter  visits  of  the  northern  gentry.  Its  inhabitants,  ac- 
cording to  the  enumeration  in  1801,  amounted  to  16,145,  and  its 
houses  to  2,000. 

Liverpool.  Liverpool,  in  Lancashire,  is  now  much  nearer  to 
London  in  wealth  and  population  ;  being  the  seat  of  a  vast  commerce, 
which  has  been  continually  on  the  increase  since  the  beginning  of 
the  last  century,  when  it  was  merely  a  village.  In  1699,  Liverpool 
Avas  admitted  to  the  honor  of  being  constituted  a  parish.  In  1 7 1 0, 
the  first  dock  was  constructed ;  and  the  chief  merchants  came 
originally  from  Ireland,  a  circumstance  which  has  given  a  distinct 
tinge  to  the  manners  of  the  town.  Thencefoi'th  the  progress  was 
rapid,  and  in  1760  the  population  was  computed  at  25,787  souls.* 
In  1773,  they  amounted  to  34,407  ;  in  1787,  to  56,670  ;  and  by  the 
enumeration  in  1801,  they  were  fovmd  to  have  increased  to  77,653. 
The  number  of  houses  was  then  9,925. 

The  number  of  ships  which  paid  duty  at  Liverpool  in  1757,  was 
1371  ;  in  1794,  they  amounted  to  4^265.  In  the  African  trade,  till 
lately,  a  distinguishing  feature  of  Liverpool,  there  was  only  one 
ship  employed  in  1709;  in  1792,  they  amounted  to  132.  In  the 
recent  act  for  the  contribution  of  seamen  to  the  royal  navy,  ac- 
cording to  the  ships  registered  in  each,  the  estimate  is  as  follow^ : 
*  Aikin's  Man.  333,  et  seq. 


ENGLAND.  61 

London         5725         Hull,  731  Bristol,         666 

Liverpool,     1711         Whitehaven,  700         Whitby,       573 
Newcastle,   1240         Sunderland,    669         Yarmouth,  506. 

Bristol  is  still  a  large  ami  flourishing  city,  though  much  of  its 
commerce  with  the  West  Indies  and  America  have  passed  to  Liv- 
erpool. This  metropolis  of  the  west  of  England  gradually  rose  to 
eminence  in  the  Anglo  Saxon  period ;  and  was  so  flourishing  and 
opulent  in  the  reign  of  Henry  H.  that,  besides  other  charters,  he  - 
granted  the  possession  of  Dublin,  in  Ireland ;  and  a  colony  from 
Bi-istol  was  accordingly  transplanted.*  The  trade  with  Ireland 
has  continued  chiefly  to  centre  in  this  city  :  even  in  that  reign,  as 
ancient  writers  inform  us,  the  port  of  Bristol  Avas  replete  with  ves- 
sels from  Ireland,  Norway,  and  other  parts  of  Europe.  Bristol  is 
pleasantly  situated  at  the  confluence  of  the  Fromc  with  the  Avon. 
The  hot-wells  in  the  neighborhood  appear,  to  have  been  known  in 
1480  :  but  the  water  was  chiefly  used  externally,  till  about  the  year 
1670;  when  a  baker  dreaming  that  his  diabetes  was  relieved  by 
drinking  the  water,  he  tried  the  experiment  and  recovered.!  Since 
tliat  period  its  reputation  has  increased,  and  many  commodious  and 
elegant  erections  have  contributed  to  recommend  these  wells  to  in- 
valids. In  the  adjacent  rocks  are  found  beautiful  crystals,  which, 
before  the  introduction  of  artificial  gems,  were  greatly  in  fashion 
for  female  ornaments.  The  trade  of  Bristol  is  chiefly  with  Ireland, 
the  West  Indies,  or  North  America,  Hamburg  and  the  Baltic.  By 
the  navigation  of  the  two  rivers  Severn  and  Wye,  Bristol  also  en- 
grosses much  of  the  trade  of  Wales.  In  1787,  Bristol  employed 
about  1600  coasting  vessels,  and  416  ships  engaged  in  foreign 
commerce. :J     Inhabitants  in  1 80 1  ;   63,645.     Houses  10,896. 

Bath.  The  proximity  may  here  authorize  the  mention  of  Bath, 
esteemed  the  most  elegant  town  in  England.  The  hot-baths,  from 
which  it  derives  its  name,  were  known  in  the  Roman  times  ;  nor 
was  their  celebrity  lost,  even  in  the  dark  period  of  Anglo-Saxon 
history.  But  the  town  has  been  greatly  enlarged  and  decorated  in 
the  last  century.  The  waters  are  used  both  internally  and  exter- 
nally, chiefly  in  gout,  bilious,  and  paralytic  cases  ;  being  frequent- 
ed at  two  seasons  in  the  year,  what  is  called  the  spring  season  from 
April  to  June,  and  the  autumnal  from  September  to  December. 
Two  thirds  of  the  company  are  attracted  merely  by  amusement, 
society, and  dissipation;  in  all  which,  it  is  only  second  to  London. 
Situated  in  a  vale,  Bath  is  very  hot  in  summer.  The  houses  arc 
constructed  of  white  stor.c,  which  abounds  in  the  vicinity.  Its  in- 
habitants in  1801,  amounted  to  32,200,  and  its  houses  to  4,463. 

But  next  to  Bristol  in  point  of  opulence,  must  be  classed  thi 
towns  of  Manchester,  Birmingham,  and  Sheflield. 

Manchester,  in  Lancashire,  was  known  in  the  Roman  times 
under  the  name  of  Mancunium,  a  small  Roman  station  ;  but  it  con- 
tinued in  obscurity  till  the  time  of  Elizabeth^,  when  Camden  mcn- 
Jions  its  manufacture  of  woollen-cloths,  tlien  called  cottons.    Dur- 

•  Barrett's  Bristol,  49,  57.  j^I^''-  53.  +  V>u\.  19". 

§  .\ikin's  Manchester,  149,  UC. 


C2  ENGLAND. 

ing  the  civil  wars  under  Charles  I.  Manchester  remained  in  the 
hands  of  the  parliament.  In  1708,  the  inhabitants  were  only  com- 
puted at  8,000.  In  1757,  they  fell  short  of  20,000;  in  1802  they 
were  84,020,  The  number  of  houses  was  12,823.  The  cotton 
manufactures  of  Manchester  are  sufficiently  known  over  Europe.* 

Birmingham,  in  Warwickshire,  was  originally  a  village,  belong- 
ing to  a  family  of  the  same  name,  whose  monuments  remain  in  the 
©Id  church.  Leland  mentions  it  as  a  town  inhabited  by  smiths  and 
cutlers,  in  the  time  of  Henry  VIII. ;  and  by  lorimers,  now  called 
bit-makers.  The  extension  and  improvement  of  Birmingham 
originated  in  a  great  degree  from  Mr.  John  Taylor,  who  intro- 
duced the  manufacture  of  gilt  buttons,  and  japanned  and  enamelled 
works  ;  but  the  toy  manufacture  was  known  in  the  reign  of  Charles 
II.  The  great  fabric  called  Soho,  belonging  to  Messrs.  Boulton 
and  Watt,  is  situated  about  two  miles  from  Birmingham,  but  in 
Staffordshire.  Between  the  year  1741  and  1790,  Birmingham  had 
received  an  augmentation  of  seventy  two  streets,  4172  houses,  and 
23,320  inhabitants  :f  the  population  in  1802,  amounted  to  73,670  ; 
and  the  houses  to  1 6,403. 

Sheffield,  in  the  most  southern  part  of  Yorkshire,  is  styled 
fey  Leland  the  chief  market-town  in  Hallamshire  (for  in  the  north, 
many  particular  districts  usurp  the  name  of  shires).  The  com- 
pany of  cutlers  of  Hallamshire  was  established  by  act  of  parliament 
in  1 625  :  but  Sheffield  had  been  distinguished  for  a  kind  of  knives 
called  whittles,  and  other  articles  of  cutlery,  as  early  as  the  thir- 
teenth century  ;  yet  till  within  the  last  half  century,  the  manufac- 
tures of  Sheffield  were  conveyed  weekly  to  the  metropolis,  on 
pack  horses.  In  1751,  the  river  Don  was  rendered  navigable  to 
within  two  miles  of  the  town ;  which  facilitated  the  export.  The 
plated  goods  commenced  about  1758.  In  the  year  1615,  the  pop- 
ulation only  amounted  to  2152  ;  in  1755jto  12,983;  in  1789,  about 
30,000.|     in  1 802,  it  was  3 1 ,3 1 4. 

The  other  chief  towns  in  England,  shall  be  classed,  in  a  geo- 
graphical order,  beginning  at  the  south-west,  and  proceeding  to 
the  north. 

Falmouth,  in  Cornwall,  the  most  westerly  port  in  England, 
with  a  population  of  5,855,  is  chiefly  remarkable  for  the  arrival  and 
despatch  of  packet  boats.  Exeter,  in  the  county  of  Devon,  is  an 
ancient  and  respectable  city.  It  is  the  seat  of  an  extensive  com- 
merce in  coarse  woollen  goods,  manufactured  in  a  part  of  Somer- 
setshire and  in  Devon  and  Cornwall.^  They  are  exported  to  Italy, 
and  other  parts  of  the  continent,  to  the  annual  valtie,  as  is  supposed, 
of  600,0001.  and  the  East  India  company  purchase  yearly  to  a  con- 
siderable amount.  Besides  the  native  wool  of  the  above-mention- 
ed counties,  Exeter  imports  from  Kent  about  4000  bags  a  year. 
Some  ships  are  also  occupied  in  the  codf.shery  of  Newfoundland, 
and  in  the  Greenland  capture  of  whales.  The  imports  are  from 
Spain,  Italy,  Hamburgh,  and  the  Baltic ;  and  coals  from  the  north 
of  England  and  Wales.     It  is,  moreover,  the  residence  of  many 

*  Aikin's  Man.  149.  156.  f  Hutton's  Hist,  of  Birmingham, 

i  ALkin's  Man.  539.  etseq,.  §   Aikiu's  Engl,  delineated,  p.  355. 


ENGLAND.  63 

gentftel  families;  and  the  frequent  resort  of  others  from  the  neigh- 
bouring counties.     Inhabitants,  17,398. 

Dorchester,  the  chief  town  of  the  county  of  Dorset,  is  a  place 
of  considerable  antiquity,  situated  on  the  river  Fromc  ;  but  has  no 
manufactures,  and  is  only  celebrated  for  its  malt  liquor.  Inhab- 
itants, 2,402. 

Salisbury,  the  principal  town  of  Wiltshire,  is  chiefly  remarka- 
ble for  extreme  neatness  ;  and  for  its  cathedral,  a  beautiful  piece 
of  Gothic  architecture,  with  the  loftiest  spire  in  England,  the 
height  being  400  feet.  There  is  a  manufacture  of  flannels, 
and  another  of  cutlery  goods  and  hardware,  the  superiority  of  the 
scissars  being  particularly  noted.  Inhabitants,  9513  ;  houses,  1353. 
Wilton,  in  the  same  county,  is  famed  for  the  manufacture  of  beau- 
tiful carpets. 

Winchester,  the  chief  city  of  Hampshire,  was  for  many  cen- 
turies the  metropolis  of  England;  a  pre-eminence  which  it  did  not 
wholly  loose  till  the  thirteenth  century.*  The  port  was  South- 
ampton ;  but  the  superior  safety  and  convenience  of  that  of  Lon- 
don, gradually  restored  the  latter  to  that  metropolitan  dignity  which 
it  held  in  the  Roman  period.  Winchester  remains  a  venerable 
city,  with  many  vestiges  of  ancient  fame  and  splendor.  It  is  situ- 
ated in  a  bottom,  amid  open  chalky  downs,  upon  the  small  river 
Itchyn.  The  cathedral  rather  impresses  the  idea  of  majestic 
gravity,  than  of  magnificence  ;  and  has  no  spire,  having  been 
erected  before  that  mode  of  architecture  was  used.  The  ashes  of 
several  Saxon  monarchs  are  here  preserved  with  reverence.  Not 
far  from  the  cathedral  stands  the  celebrated  college  founded  by 
William  of  Wickham,  and  which  has  set  forth  many  illustrious 
characters.  The  regulations  of  this  school  are  in  some  instances 
peculiar  and  severe ;  but  in  this,  and  the  other  grand  English 
seminaries,  the  equality  of  the  pupils,  except  in  respect  of  age 
and  abilities,  and  even  the  subserviency  in  which  the  younger  are 
held  by  the  elder,  tend  to  steel  and  fortify  the  mind  against  the 
subsequent  cares  and  emulations  of  life.  In  the  centre  of  the  city, 
is  a  small  but  most  elegant  Gothic  cross  ;  and  at  the  western  ex- 
tremity is  the  shell  of  a  palace,  built  under  the  direction  of  Sir 
Christopher  Wren,  yet  heavy  and  inelegant;  it  was  begun  by 
Charles  II.,  but  left  unfinished  at  his  death.  It  has  since  been 
used  for  French  prisoners,  and  in  1796  was  the  residence  of  about 
640  emigrant  priests  from  France.  The  inhabitants  of  this  city, 
by  the  late  enumeration,  amount  to  5,826. 

In  the  same  county  is  situated  Portsmouth,  the  grand  naval 
arsenal  of  England.  The  harbor  is  noble  and  capacious  ;  nar- 
row at  the  entrance,  but  spreading  out  into  an  inland  bay  five  or 
six  miles  in  length,  and  from  two  to  four  in  breadth.  The  advan- 
tages derived  from  nature  have  been  improved  by  the  art  and  in- 
dustry of  successive  generations  ;  and  to  a  patriot,  Portsmouth 
presents  one  of  the  most  interesting  scenes  to  be  found  in  the 
British  dominions.     The  regular  fortifications  towards  the  land,  in. 

*  ZVianei's  Winchcst 


64  ENGLAND. 

themselves  happily  a  novelty  to  the  British  eye,  the  magnitude  and 
variety  of  the  maritime  objects  and  manufactures,  and  the  prospect 
of  Spithead,  the  grand  focus  of  naval  armament,  conspire,  with  a 
thousand  relative  ideas  concerning  the  power  of  England,  supreme 
in  every  sea,  to  excite  our  astonishment  and  exultation.  Inhab- 
itants, exclusive  of  Gosport,  32,166. 

Lewes  is  esteemed  the  chief  town  of  Sussex  ;  the  situation  is 
lofty  and  picturesque,  especially  the  site  of  the  ancient  castle  be- 
longing to  the  once  powerful  Earls  of  Warren  and  Sussex.  Be- 
neath, in  a  pleasant  plain  watered  by  the  river  Ouse,  stand  the 
ruins  of  an  ancient  nunnery.     Inhabitants,  6,200. 

Chichester  retains  some  little  traffic.  Brighthelmstone  is  a. 
fashionable  resort  for  the  sea-air  and  bathing.  It  presents  the 
nearest  open  shore  to  the  capital,  and  is  distinguished  for  the  pe- 
culiar mildness  and  salubrity  of  the  air.     Inhabitants,  7,339. 

Cantebbury,  the  chief  town  of  Kent  and  the  metropolis  of  the 
English  church,  is  chiefly  remarkable  for  ecclesiastical  antiquities. 
Its  inhabitants  amount  to  9000.  The  county  town  is  Maidstone, 
noted  for  hops  and  thread.  Kent  presents  many  other  important 
towns,  as  Deptford,  Greenwich,  \Voolwich,  Gravesend,  Chatham, 
Rochester,  and  the  fashionable  resorts  of  Margate,  Ramsgate,  and 
Tunbridge.     Dover  and  Deal  are  remarkable  havens. 

Having  completed  this  brief  survey  of  the  chief  towns  to  the 
south  of  the  Severn  and  the  Thames,  those  of  the  middle  and 
northern  counties  may  be  again  commenced  from  the  west. 

Hereford,  the  capital  of  a  county  bordering  on  Wales,  was 
known  in  the  Saxon  times  as  an  episcopal  see.  The  castle,  supposed 
to  have  been  founded  in  the  reign  of  the  Confessor,  is  on  the  Ixift  bank 
of  the  river  Wye.  The  cathedral  is  large  ;  but  the  town  presents 
little  remarkable,  having  gone  into  great  decay  i  the  only  manu- 
facture is  that  of  gloves.*     Inhabitants,  6,828  ;  houses,  1279. 

Gloucester,  the  capital  of  the  county  so  called,  is  admired  for 
the  regularity  of  the  four  principal  streets  joining  in  the  centre  of 
the  town.  It  avails  itself  of  the  traffic  of  the  Severn  ;  which,  among 
other  fish,  affords  a  luxurious  supply  of  lampreys.  This  town  has 
been  recently  celebrated  for  its  neatness,  and  the  cheapness  of  pro- 
visions.    Inhabitants,  7,579. 

Worcester  is  also  situated,  on  the  noble  river  Severn,  over 
which  there  is  a  beautiful  bridge.  The  manufactures  ai'e  chiefly 
gloves  and  woollen  stuffs  ;  and  the  porcelain  maintains  a  high  rep- 
utation.    Inhabitants,  11,353. 

On  the  east,  the  first  town  of  note  is  Coventry,  esteemed  the  most 
inland  and  central  of  the  English  towns ;  whence,  perhaps,  the  mil- 
itary phrase  of  sending  a  man  to  Coventry,  where  he  would  be  the 
most  remote  from  service.  The  manufactures  are  chiefly  ribbons, 
•with  a  few  gauzes  and  camlets.  The  beautiful  cross,  erected  in 
1541,  after  being  much  damaged  by  the  lapse  of  years,  has  been 
taken  down.f     Inhabitants,  1 6,034. 

The  next  memorable  town  is  Norwich,  the  capital  of  Norfolk ; 

•Cough's  Ciunderijii.  450,  f  Gough'sCamden,  vol.  u.  p.  345. 


ENGLAND.  4^ 

trom  its  size  and  consequence,  justly  styled  a  city.*  It  is,  how- 
ever, not  mentioned  till  the  year  1004 ;  when  it  was  ruined  by  the 
Danes.  The  worsted  manufactory  is  supposed  to  have  been  in- 
troduced here  by  the  Flemings,  iv  the  twelfth  century,  and  was 
followed  by  that  of  sayes,  arras,  bombazecns,  &c.  Of  late  the 
damasks,  camlets,  crapes,  stuffs,  &c.  here  wrought,  have  been 
computed  at  the  yearly  value  of  700,0001. ;  but  the  fashionable 
use  of  cottons,  and  the  interruption  of  commerce  by  war,  have  con- 
siderably lessened  the  consumption.  The  wool  is  chiefly  from  the 
counties  of  Lincoln,  Leicester,  and  Northampton ;  the  chief  exr 
ports,  to  Holland,  Germany,  and  the  Mediterranean,!  Norwich 
is  of  course  opulent  and  extensive,  but  the  streets  are  confined  and 
devious.     Inhabitants,  36,850  ;  houses,  7,500. 

Yarmouth  is  a  noted  sea-port,  with  a  beautiful  quay ;  and  re- 
markable for  its  fisheries  of  mackerel  in  May  and  June,  and  her- 
rings in  October  and  November :  the  latter,  cured  by  salt  and 
dried  in  the  smoke  of  wood,  are  called  red-herrings ;  and,  beside?; 
home  consumption,  form  a  considerable  article  of  export  to  Spain 
and  Italy.     Inhabitants,  14,845. 

In  proceeding  northwards,  Lincoln  must  arrest  attention ;  though 
now  much  fallen  from  its  former  ^ame.  The  interior  of  the  catlie- 
dral  is  admired  for  its  lightness  and  magnificence.  The  sheep  of 
the  county  form  a  celebrated  breed,  but  the  wool  goes  chiefly  to 
Norwich.  Lincoln  ti'ades  in  coals,  imported  on  the  Trent.  In- 
habitants, 7,398. 

The  city  of  Chester  is  of  Itoman  origin,  and  the  chief  streets  are 
singular  in  their  construction,  being  excavated  beneath  the  level 
of  the  ground,  while  a  covered  portico,  in  the  front  of  the  houses, 
affords  an  elevated  and  sheltered  foot-path  ;  beneath  are  the  shops 
and  warehouses,  on  the  level  of  the  street,  to  which  the  passenger 
descends  by  occasional  stairs.  The  trade  of  Chester  is  not  consid- 
erable, but  it  carries  on  a  share  of  the  traffic  with  North  Wales; 
and  its  two  annual  fairs  are  famous  for  the  sale  of  Irish  linens.  It 
is  the  favorite  residence  of  many  genteel  families  from  Wales.| 
Inhabitants,  15,053;  houses,  2,583. 

Near  an  extensive  bay  of  the  Irish  sea,  which  might  now  be 
termed  the  bay  of  Lancaster,  while  antiquaries  affect  to  retain  the 
Roman  name  of  Aloricambe,  stands  Lancaster,  an  ancient  and  pop- 
ulous town.  The  name  is  in  the  north  pronounced  Loncaster,  the 
proper  etymology,  as  it  stands  upon  the  river  Lon.  When  the 
counties  of  Cumberland  and  Westmoreland  belonged  to  the  Scots, 
this  was  regarded  as  a  kind  of  frontier  place  ;  and  was  defended 
by  a  strong  castle,  situated  on  a  commanding  eminence.  Lancaster 
afterwards  gave  the  title  of  Duke  to  princes  of  the  i-oyal  blood;  and 
the  contentions  of  the  houses  of  York  and  Lancaster  are  w<;ll 
known.  There  is  a  bridge  of  five  arches  over  the  Lon ;  which 
opens  into  a  considerable  haven,  the  seat  of  a  moderate  commerfvc, 
especially  with  the  West-Indies.     Inhabitants,  9,030. 

*  A  Bishop's  £ee  constitutes  a  citv. 
t  Aikhi,  216.  i  Penroint's  TouM.'jMUn,  90. 

VOL.   II.  9 


66  ENGLAND. 

On  the  east,  the  extensive  province  of  Yorkshire  contains  many 
flourishing  towns,  besides  York,  and  Sheffield,  ah-eady  described. 
On  the  Humbcr,  the  wide  receptacle  of  many  rivers,  stands  the 
great  sea-port  of  Hull,  or  Kingston-upon-HulI ;  the  latter  name 
being  only  that  of  the  rivulet.  The  town  was  founded  by  Edward 
I.  Several  privileges  were  obtained  from  Richard  II. ;  and  the 
first  staple  of  ti-ade,  was  stock-fish  imported  from  Iceland.  In  the 
civil  wars  of  last  century,  Hull  displayed  the  first  flag  of  defiance 
against  the  monarch.  The  harbor  is  artificial,  and  is  supposed  to 
present  the  largest  dock  in  the  kingdom.  The  trade  is  important 
with  America  and  the  south  of  Europe,  but  chiefly  with  the  Baltic  ; 
and  several  ships  are  employed  in  the  northern  whale  fishery. 
The  coasting  traffic  is  extensive  in  coals,  corn.  Wool,  and  manu- 
factures :  and  Hull  supplies  the  commerce  of  many  northern 
counties ;  having  not  only  communication  with  the  Trent,  and 
other  branches  of  the  Humber,  but  with  the  rivers  and  canals  of 
Yorkshire.*     Its  inhabitants  amounted  in  1801  to  29,516. 

Leeds,  Bradfield,  Halifax,  and  Wakefield,  are  the  chief 
centres  of  the  great  manufactures  of  woollen-cloths  and  stuff's. 
Leeds  is  the  principal  part  for  broad-cloths,  or  what  foreigners 
teiTTi  fine  English  clotli.  It  is  situated  on  the  river  Aire,  in  an 
extensive  vale.  The  population  of  the  parish  amounts  to  53,162, 
and  the  houses  to  6691 :  the  cloths  are  Avoven  in  the  neighboring 
villages  ;  but  are  dyed,  prepared,  and  sold  at  Leeds.  The  cloth- 
hall  appropriated  to  the  sale,  is  a  vast  edifice  ;  and  the  whole  bu- 
siness is  transacted  within  the  space  of  an  hour  on  the  market 
days.  Halifax  is  an  elevated  situation,  and  very  populous.  It  is 
the  chief  market  for  the  thinner  woollen-cloths ;  such  as  stuff's, 
calimancos,  See.  Scarborough,  on  the  eastern  coast,  is  a  j>Iace  of 
celebrated  resort  for  sea-bathing,  and  on  account  of  its  mineral 
■water ;  the  site  is  romantic,  but  the  port  is  small,  and  chiefly  fre- 
quented by  fishing  vessels. 

■  Durham  is  a  pleasant  and  venerable  city,  extending  partly  over 
an  eminence :  the  river  Were,  winding  around  in  the  form  of  a 
horse  shoe,  renders  it  peninsular.  Near  the  neck  of  land  is  placed 
the  castle,  of  which  little  more  than  the  keep  remains;  which  is 
surrounded  by  the  pleasant  garden  of  the  bishop's  adjacent  palace. 
Some  branches  of  the  woollen  manufacture  are  carried  on  at  Dur- 
ham, and  a  few  elegant  carpets  have  been  lately  made  there  in  a 
kind  of  Mosaic  form.     Inhabitants,  7530. 

Stockton  on  the  river  Tees,  Sunderland  at  the  mouth  of  the 
Were,  and  South  Shields  on  that  of  the  Tyne,  are  sea-port  towns 
in  the  bishopric  (for  so  the  county  of  Durham  is  commonly  styled 
in  the  north)  of  considerable  size,  trade,  and  population.  Hart-le- 
Pool  is  only  a  bathing  place. 

On  the  river  Tyne  stands  Newcastle,  so  termed  from  a  fortress 
erected  by  Edward  I.  This  large  and  populous  town,  containing 
28,366  inhabitants,!  is  placed  in  the  centre  of  the  grand  coal-mines 
in  the  counties  of  Durham  and  Northumberland,  which  have  for 

»  Aikin,  Eng.  delin.  5B.  f  Hassel  says  36,9C3  in  ISOl. 


ENGLAND.  e? 

centuries  supplied  London  and  most  of  the  east  and  south  of  Eng- 
land with  that  fuel ;  which  has,  perhaps,  contributed  more  to  the 
manufactures  and  commerce,  and  consequent  wealth  and  power 
of  this  kingdom,  than  any  other  matei'ial  or  circumstance.  The 
coal  fleets  sometimes  amount  to  five  hundred  sail  ;  their  station 
is  at  Shields,  and  the  quays  Jarrow  and  Willington.  Even  as  a 
nursery  of  seamen,  the  trade  is  invaluable.*  In  all  parts  of  the 
neighborhood  are  seen  large  carts  laden  with  coals,  and  proceed- 
ing towards  the  port,  on  inclined  planes,  without  the  heip  of  horses 
or  men,  to  the  gi'eat  sui-prise  of  the  strangcr.f  Near  Newcastle 
are  also  found  quarries  of  grind-stone  ;  and  many  glass  houses 
smoke  around,  the  productions  of  which  have  been  recently  of  re- 
markable purity.  Other  exports  are,  pickled  salmon,  lead,  salt, 
butter,  and  tallow.  The  suburb  of  Gateshead  stands  on  the  south 
of  tlie  Tyne,  and  is  connected  with  the  city  by  a  grand  bridge. 
The  shops  and  crowded  streets  recal  the  idea  of  London  ;  but  the 
latter  are  generally  narrow,  steep,  and  incommodious. 

Berwick-upon-Tweed,  being  on  the  Scottish  side  of  the  river, 
shall  be  reserved  for  the  description  of  that  country.  The  chief 
remaining  town  in  England  is  Carlisle,  the  capital  of  the  county  of 
Cumberland,  placed  at  the  confluence  of  the  rivers  Pcttril  and  Cal- 
dew,  with  the  Eden.|  The  old  fortifications  remain  nearly  entire. 
It  is  supposed  to  have  been  the  ancient  Luguballia  ;  but  neither 
the  castle  nor  cathedral  are  remarkable.  The  chief  manufactures 
are  linens  printed  and  checked,  whips,  and  fish  hooks.  The  toAvii 
is  little,  but  populous,  containmg  10,221  inhabitants  ;  and  is  chiefly 
memorable  for  transactions  in  the  ancient  wars  between  Scotland 
and  England. 

Wales,  a  country  abounding  in  the  sublime  and  beautiful  fea- 
tures of  nature,  contains  many  towns  of  note  ;  and  the  description 
of  a  few  has  been  reserved  to  this  place,  for  the  greater  clearness 
of  arrangement. 

Caermartlien,  the  capital  of  a  county,  is  also  regarded  as  the 
principal  town  in  South  Wales :  it  stands  upon  the  river  Towy, 
and  was  anciently  defended  by  a  castle,  now  demolished.  The 
haven  is  shallow,  and  the  trade  of  course  not  very  considerable.^ 
Inhabitants,  5548. 

Pembroke,  on  a  creek  of  Milford  haven,  is  a  small  town  of  little 
commerce. 

Caernarvon  is  esteemed  the  chief  town  of  North  Wales  for  the 
beauty  of  the  situation,  regularity  of  the  streets,  and  above  all  for 
the  grandeur  of  the  castle,  one  of  the  most  magnificent  in  Europe, 
founded  by  Edward  I.  in  1282.  Here  was  born  Edward  II.  sur- 
named  of  Caernanon,  who  was  immediately  created  the  first 
English  Prince  of  Wales  ;  his  father  having  equivocally  promised 
to  the  vanquished  Welsh  a  prince  born  in  their  own  coiuiti^,  and 
who  could  not  speak  one  word  of  English.  The  town  has  a  con- 
siderable trade  with  London,  Bristol,  Liverpool,  and  Ireland,  and 

*  Goiigli's  Camden,  iii.  252.  -j-  Gongh's  Camden,  iii.  17.5. 

^  Sr.  Fond,  voyage  eu  Angl.  i.  16.3.  ■§  Gough'i  C.-injileii,  u.  60i»  507. 


68  ENGLAND. 

has  a  beautiful  quay  along  the  side  of  the  Menai,  a  streight  be- 
tween North  Wales  and  Anglesea.* 

bridges."]  The  bridges  are  worthy  the  superiority  of  the  Eng- 
lish roads  ;  and  a  surprising  exertion  in  this  department,  is  the 
recent  construction  of  bridges  in  cast  iron,  an  invention  unknown 
to  all  other  nations.  The  first  example  was  that  of  Coalbrook- 
dale,  in  Shropshire,  erected  over  the  Severn  in  \779.  This  bridge 
rests  on  abutments  of  stone-work,  the  main  rib  consisting  of  two 
pieces,  each  70  feet  long,  connected  by  a  dove-tail  joint  fastened 
with  screws.  The  road  over  the  bridge  is  made  of  clay  and  iron 
flag,  24  feet  wide  and  one  deep  ;  the  span  of  the  arch,  100  feet  6 
inches ;  height  from  the  base  line  to  the  centre,  40  feet ;  the 
weight  of  iron  employed,  378  tons  10  hundred  weight-t  Another 
iron  bridge  has  since  been  erected  in  the  vicinity.  A  stupendous 
iron  bridge  was  thrown  over  the  harbor  at  Sunderland,  about  five 
years  ago  ;  the  height  of  which  is  100  feet,  and  the  span  of  the 
arch  236  :  it  is  composed  of  detached  pieces,  which,  if  damaged 
in  any  of  the  parts,  may  be  withdrawn  and  replaced  by  others.  It 
is  supported  between  two  strong  and  elevated  stone  piers,  and  the 
arch  is  surmounted  at  either  end  by  vast  hoops,  supporting  the 
platform  or  passage  of  the  bridge,  which  is  thus  rendered,  almost 
level.  When  viewed  from  beneath,  the  elegance,  lightness,  and 
surprising  height,  excite  admiration,  and  the  carriages  appear  as 
if  passing  among  the  clouds. 

Inland  A'ax'igation.~\  This  article  is  important  to  the  best  in- 
terests of  the  country,  and  demands  partic\ilar  attention.  The 
earliest  inland  navigation  that  can  be  authenticated,  is  the  Sankey 
canal,  leading  from  the  coal-pits  at  St.  Helens,  in  Lancashire,  to 
the  river  Mersey,  and  constructed  in  order  to  convey  coals  to 
Liverpool. I  The  length  of  the  canal  is  twelve  miles,  with  a  fall 
of  ninety  feet.  The  act  of  parliament  passed  in  1755  ;  the  original 
intention  was  only  to  vender  the  rivulet  called  Sankey  Brook, 
navigable  ;  but  it  v/as  found  more  advantageous  to  form  a  canal 
along  its  course.     The  surveyor  was  Mr.  John  Eyes. 

But  the  Duke  of  Bridge  water  is  justly  venerated  as  the  grand 
founder  of  inland  navigation :  his  spirit  and  opulence  were  happily 
seconded  by  Brindley,  than  whom  a  greater  natural  genius  in  me- 
chanics never  existed.  It  was  in  the  year  1758  that  the  first  act 
was  obtained  for  these  great  designs.  The  first  canal  extends 
from  Worsley  mill,  about  seven  computed  miles  from  Manchester, 
and  reaches  that  town  by  a  course  of  nine  miles.  In  this  short 
space  almost  every  difficulty  occurred  that  can  arise  in  similar 
schemes  ;  but  mountains  and  rivers  yielded  to  the  genius  of  Brind- 
ley. There  are  subterraneous  passages  to  the  coal  in  the  moun- 
tain, of  near  a  mile  in  length,  sometimes  cut  through  the  solid 
rock,  and  occasionally  arched  over  with  brick  ;  with  air-funnels 
to  the  top  of  the  hill,  some  of  them  thirty-seven  yards  perpendicu- 
lar.    This  beautiful  canal  is  brought  pver  the  river  Irwell,  by  an, 

*  rennant's  Wales, ii.  223.  227.  f  Goiigli's  Camden, ii.  417. 

4  Philips,  Hist,  of  Inland  Navigation. 


ENGLAND.  69 

arch  of  thirty-nine  feet  in  height,  and  under  which  barges  pass 
without  lowering  their  masts.  The  Duke  of  Bridgewatcr  soon  af- 
terwards extended  a  canal  of  twenty-nine  miles  in  length,  from 
Longford-bridge,  in  Lancashire,  to  Hempstones,  in  Cheshire. 

After  this  deserved  tribute  to  the  fathers  of  inland  navigation  in 
England,  it  will  be  eligible  to  review  the  other  canals  in  a  geo- 
graphical manner,  proceeding  from  the  north  to  the  south. 

First  in  order  is  the  Lancaster  canal,  extending  from  Kendal,  in 
Westmoreland,  by  Lancaster,  to  West  Houghton,  in  Lancashire,  a 
space  of  about  seventy -four  miles. 

The  canal  from  Leeds  to  Liverpool,  directed  in  a  northerly 
course  by  Skipton,  winds  through  an  extent  of  one  hundred  and 
seventeen  miles ;  and  from  this  canal  a  branch  also  extends  to 
Manchester,  begun  in  1771. 

From  Halifax  to  Manchester  is  another  considerable  canaU 
commonly  called  that  of  Rochdale  ;  length  thirty-one  miles  and  a 
half,  begun  in  1794. 

Another  canal  extends  from  Manchester  towards  Wakefield  ; 
and  another  called  the  Peak  Forest  canal,  stretches  from  the  for- 
mer, southeast,  about  fifteen  miles. 

Another  joins  the  river  Dun,  several  miles  ^bove  Doncaster,  to 
the  river  Calder,  near  Wakefield. 

To  pass  several  of  smaller  note,  the  Chesterfield  canal  extends 
from  Chesterfield,  in  the  county  of  Derby,  to  the  Trent  at  Stock- 
"with,  a  course  of  44  miles  and  three  quarters,  begun  in  1770. 

In  Lincolnshire,  one  canal  extends  from  Lincoln  to  the  Trent, 
and  another  from  Horncastle  to  Sleaford.  Grantham  canal  reaches 
from  that  town  to  the  j-iver  Trent,  a  course  of  30  miles. 

The  grand  design  of  Brindley  was  to  join,  by  inland  navigation, 
the  four  great  ports  of  the  kingdom,  Bristol,  London,  Liverpool, 
and  Hull.  Liverpool  is  accordingly  connected  with  Hull  by  a 
canal  from  that  long  navigable  river  the  Trent,  and  proceeding  N. 
to  the  Mersey.  The  canal  which  joins  these  two  rivers  is  styled 
the  Grand  Trunk  ;  and  was  begun  in  1766,  under  the  direction  of 
that  great  engineer ;  but  was  not  completed  till  1777:  the  length 
is  99  miles.  It  was  attended  with  great  difficulties,  particularly 
in  passing  the  river  Dove,  in  Derbyshire,  where  there  is  an 
aqueduct  of  twenty-three  arches,  the  tunnel  through  the  hill  of 
Hare-castle  in  Stafibrdshire,  is  in  length  2880  yards,  and  more 
than  70  yards  below  the  surface  of  the  ground,  and  was  executed 
with  great  labor  and  expense.*  But  the  utility  corresponds  with 
the  grandeur  of  the  design  :  salt  from  Cheshire,  coals  and  pottery 
from  Staffordshire,  and  manufactures  from  various  places,  arc 
transported  on  this  canal. 

From  the  Grand  Trunk  five  or  six  branches  extend  in  various 
directions  :  among  which  must  not  be  omitted  that  to  the  river 
Severn,  near  Bewdley,  which  connects  the  port  of  Bristol  with 
those  of  Liverpool  and  Pluli;  the  length  is  46  miles  ;  completed 
in  1772.        ' 

•  Cary's  Plans,  p.  20,  27,  28.  The  account  of  the  Grand  Tnuik  in  Philips,  is  ven 
defcJ  ive ;  he  may  here  be  referred  to  in  jjsnerul  for  the  (('hers.    See  also  lluusman,  lav 


70  ENGLAND. 

From  the  city  of  Chester  one  canal  extends  to  the  Mersey,  an4 
another  to  Namptwich  ;  another  proceeds  south  to  Shrewsbury^ 
uniting  the  Mersey  and  the  Severn ;  with  north-west  and  south-east 
branches  of  considerable  length. 

From  Coventry,  in  the  centre  of  the  kingdom,  canals  extend  to 
the  Grand  Trunk ;  to  Ashby-de-la-Zouch,  and  to  the  Braunston, 
or  Grand  Junction  canal. 

What  is  called  the  Staffordshire  canal,  extends  from  the  Grand 
Trunk  to  the  river  Severn  ;  and  is  met  by  the  Kington  canal, 
which  reaches  to  Kington,  in  Herefordshire,  so  as  almost  to  join, 
tlie  rivers  Trent  and  Wye.  It  may  be  here  observed,  that  in  this 
description  the  grand  courses  of  navigation  are  attended  to,  rather 
than  the  minute  names  and  divisions  of  the  canals. 

Several  inland  navigations  pass  by  Birmingham.  The  Unioa 
c?anal  completes  a  course  of  forty-three  miles  and  three  quarters^ 
from  Leicester  to  Northampton,  whence  the  river  Nen  is  navigable 
to  the  sea. 

Another  canal  extends  from  Gloucester  to  Hereford  :  and  the 
south  of  Wales  presents  several  navigations  of  considerable  length, 
particularly  that  from  Brecon,  in  Brecknockshire,  to  Newport,  in 
Monmouthshire. 

The  Severn  is  not  only  joined  with  the  Trent  and  the  Humber, 
by  various  courses  of  navigation,  but  is  united  with  the  Thames, 
by  a  canal  extending  by  Stroud  to  Lechlade,  a  course  of  near  40 
miles. 

Other  canals  branch  out  from  the  Thames  in.  various  directions : 
that  of  Oxford  extends  to  the  Grand  Trunk,  or  rather  joins  the 
Coventry  canal,  after  a  course  of  ninety-two  miles. 

The  13raunston,  or  Grand  Junction  canal,  reaches  from  Brent- 
ford, on  the  Thames,  and  joins  the  Oxford  canal  at  Braunston,  in 
Northamptonshire,  after  a  course  of  ninety  miles.  It  is  styled  the 
Grand  Junction,  because  it  may  be  said  to  unite  the  numerous 
courses  that  pervade  the  central  counties,  with  the  capital  of  the 
Jiingdom. 

On  the  south  of  the  Thames,  a  canal  pi'oceeds  from  Reading  to 
Bath  ;  and  another  from  Weybridge  to  Basingstoke  ;  and  a  third 
from  Weybridge  to  Godalming. 

A  small  canal  or  two  have  been  executed  in  Devonshire.  The 
Andover  canal,  in  Hampshire,  extends  from  Andover  to  South- 
ampton water.  Sussex  presents  two  canals,  that  of  Arundel,  and 
that  of  Lewes. 

Manufactures  and  Commerce?^  The  manufactures  and  com- 
merce of  England,  form  so  extensive  a  theme,  that  only  a  brief  and 
fugitive  idea  of  them  can  be  here  attempted.  The  earliest  staple 
commodity  of  England  was  tin,  a  metal  rarely  found  in  other  coun- 
tries. The  Phoenicians  first  introduced  it  into  commerce,  at  least 
five  or  six  hundred  years  before  the  Christian  sera;  and  their  ex- 
tensive trade  soon  diffused  it  among  the  Oriental  nations.  The 
Romans,  upon  their  conquest  of  these  regions,  did  not  neglect  this 
source  of  wealth  ;  but  as  Cornwall  was  not  conquered  by  the  Anglo- 
Saxons,  till  the  reign  of  Athelstan,  we  know  not  whether  the  Cor- 


jENGLAND.  71 

msh  Britons  carried  on  any  considerable  traffic  In  this  coaimodity, 
though  it  be  probable  that  it  was  at  least  exchanged  for  the  wines  of 
France.  Yet  even  in  the  reign  of  John,  the  product  was  so  incon- 
siderable, that  the  mines  were  farmed  to  Jews  for  100  marks ;  but 
in  that  of  Henry  III.,  they  began  again  to  yield  a  large  profit,  which 
has  gradually  increased.* 

Cornwall,  like  most  countries  that  abound  with  minerals,  pre- 
sents an  external  aspect  of  desolation :  a  series  of  barren  hills  and 
bleak  heaths  pervades  its  whole  length ;  and  the  violent  winds 
from  the  sea  check  the  vegetation  of  trees  and  shrubs.  The  tin 
mines  are  numerous,  and  of  various  descriptions.  This  metal  is 
either  found  in  the  mass,  in  what  are  called  lodes  and  stools  ;  or  in 
grains,  or  bunches,  in  the  rocks ;  or  detached  in  separate  stones, 
called  shades  or  strings  ;  or  in  a  course  of  such  stones  called  the 
beuheyl  or  living  string  ;  or  in  the  pulverized  shape  of  sand.  Af- 
ter having  been  pounded  in  a  mill,  it  is  melted  into  blocks  of  320 
pounds  weight.  In  the  ore  it  is  styled  black  tin ;  and  is  some- 
times, though  very  rarely,  found  in  a  metallic  state. 

The  singularity  and  importance  of  this  first  national  staple,  may 
apologize  for  this  discussion  j  but  the  abundance  of  the  other  top- 
ics will  require  more  brevity.  Wool  had  been  regarded  as  a  grand 
staple  of  England,  as  early  as  the  twelfth  century,  but  was  chiefly 
exported  in  a  crude  state,  till  Edward  III.  encouraged  settlements 
•f  Flemish  manufacturers.  Wool  soon  became  the  standard  of 
private  property,  and  the  prime  article  of  commerce.  Taxes  and 
foreign  subsidies  were  estimated  by  sacks  of  this  commodity-t 
Great  quantities  of  raw  wool  continued  to  be  exported  to  the  Neth- 
erlands and  Hanse  Towns  ;  but  in  the  reign  of  Elizabeth  it  began 
to  be  chiefly  manufactui'cd  at  home,  and  the  exportation  of  woollen 
cloths  was  then  valued  at  a  million  and  a  half  annually.  The  ex- 
portation of  raw  wool  was  at  length  prohibited  j  and  the  woollen 
manufactures  preserve  great  importance,  though  they  no  longer 
attract  such  particular  regard,  amidst  the  exuberance  of  English 
manufactures. 

In  recent  times  the  manufactui'cs  of  iron  and  copper,  native 
minerals,  have  become  great  sources  of  national  wealth ;  nor  must 
the  new  and  extensive  exportation  of  elegant  earthen  ware  be  for- 
gotten. The  cotton  manufacture  is  diff'used  far  and  wide,  forming 
a  grand  source  of  industry  and  prosperity.  That  of  linen,  except 
of  sail-cloth,  is  not  much  cultivated  in  England.  The  manufac- 
tures of  glass  and  fine  steel,  clocks,  watches,  &c.  are  deservedly 
eminent  and  extensive.  As  the  nation  is  indebted  to  Wedgewood 
for  converting  clay  into  gold,  so  to  Boydell  for  another  elegant 
branch  of  exportation,  that  of  beautiful  prints. 

Besides  manufactured  articles,  England  exports  a  aumber  of 
native  products  too  numerous  to  be  here  mentioned. 

The  English  manufactures  have  been  recently  estimated  at  tJiQ 
annual  value  of  63,600,000/.  and  supposed  to  employ  1,585,000  per- 

•  Boi  Use's  Coi-nwall.  f  CiimxjbeH's  Politieal  Survey,  vol.  ii.  p.  161, 

152.    A  ivork  opvtleat  in  materials,  but  of  most  lectious  nnd  uncouth  execution. 


72  ENGLAND. 

sons.*  Of  these,  the  woollen  manufacture  is  supposed  to  yield  in 
round  sums,  15,000,000/.  the  leather  10,000,000/.  the  iron,  tm,  an^ 
lead  10,000,000/.  the  cotton  9,000,000/.  The  other  chief  manu- 
factures, which  yield  from  1  to  4,000,000/.  may  be  thus  arranged* 
according  to  their  consequence ;  steel,  plating,  &c.  copper  and 
brass,  silk,  potteries,  linen  and  flax,  hemp,  glass,  paper. 

The  commerce  of  England  is,  at  the  present  period,  enormous, 
and  may  be  said  to  extend  to  every  region  of  the  globe.  1  he 
trade  with  the  West  Indies  is  one  of  the  most  important,  and  that 
with  the  East  Indies  alone,  would  have  astonished  any  of  the  cele- 
brated trading  cities  of  antiquity. 

The  following  table  exhibits  the  amount  of  the  imports,  exports, 
and  tonnagef  of  Great  Britain  every  10th  year  of  the  last  century, 
and  every  year  of  the  present. 


Year. 

Imports. 

Exports. 

Tonnaije. 

1700 

£5,970,175 

£7,302,716 

317,328 

1710, 

4,011,341 

6,690,828 

1720 

6,090,083 

7,936,728 

1730 

7,780,019 

11,974,135 

1740 

6,703,778 

8,869,939 

471,451 

1750 

7,772,039 

15,132,004 

661,184 

1760 

9,832,802 

15,579,073 

573,978 

1770 

12,216,937 

14,266,653 

760,971 

1780 

11,714,967 

13,689,073 

753,977 

1790 

19,130,886 

20,120,121 

1,404,960 

1800 

30,570,605 

43,152,019 

1,924,042 

1801 

32,795,557 

42,301,701 

1,958,373 

1802 

31,442,318 

41,411,966 

1,895,116 

1803 

27,992,464 

31,578,495 

1,788,768 

1804 

29,201,490 

34,451,367 

1,802,063 

1805 

30,344,628 

34,954,845 

1,857,652 

1806 

31,094,089 

36,528,132 

1,897,603 

1807 

28,854,658 

34,566,570 

1,791,072 

1808 

27,186,025 

34,554,267 

1,425,592 

1809 

30,406,560 

50,301,763 

1,993,188 

1810 

The  extent  of  the  commercial  shipping  of  the  British  empire 
was  September  30th,  1805,  as  follows : 


Ships. 

Tons. 

Men  and  Boys. 

England 

14,790 

1,799,210 

117,668 

Jersey  Isles 

185 

16,528 

2,011 

Man 

404 

9,650 

2,336 

Scotland 

2,581 

210,295 

15,160 

Ireland 

1,067 

56,806 

5,070 

The  Plantations 

3,024 

190,953 

15,467 

Total 

22,051 

2,283,443 

157,713 

•  Mr.  GreUier  in  the  Monthly  Mag.  January  1801. 
t  Tonnage  of  ships  eleared  outwards  British  and  Foreign* 


ENGLAND.  73 

The  following  table  exhibits  the  number  of  vessels  which  en- 
tered inwards  from  various  counti'ies  and  cleared  outwards  for 
them  from  Great  Britain,  principally  in  1806. 


Year. 

Inwards. 

Outward 

Russia 

1806 

1,127 

702 

Denmark 

1806 

1,607 

1,690 

Sweden 

1806 

353 

362 

Prussia 

1805 

1,946 

1,627 

Germany 

1806 

604 

956 

Holland 

1804 

790 

521 

Portugal 

1806 

468 

332 

Spain 

1806 

222 

126 

Streights 

1806 

24 

85 

Italy 

1806 

90 

61 

Malta 

1806 

26 

6 

Minorca 

1802 

25 

5 

Turkey  and  Levant 

1806 

23 

3 

Africa 

1804 

176 

West  Indies 

1804 

721 

790 

United  States 

1806 

5G1 

575 

The  following  table  gives  the  value  of  the  imports  and  exports 
of  Great  Britain  to  and  from  various  countries  in  the  latest  year  of 
which  we  have  information. 

Year.  Importi.                               Exports. 

Ireland                             1800  2,312,824                       3,741,499 

Russia                             1802  2,182,430                       1,376,399 

Denmark                      1803  155,672                        537,517 

Sweden                            1803  288,651                             98,045 

Prussia                            1803  831,225                        1,916,502 

Germany                       1801  1 1 ,  U  5,304 

Holland                           1803  630,403                        1,565,355 

Franco                            1792  1,228,166 

Portugal                       1800  916,848                      1,011,893 

Spain                                J  796  809,881                           546,126 

Streights                         1805  42,919                           183,824- 

Italy                                 1805  393,517                           507,535 

Malta                               1805  9,304                           127,515 

Minorca                       1802  22,106                         21,478 

Turkey  and  Levant    1805  103,590                        135,411 

Africa                              1800  82,289                        1,017,369 

India                               1804  5,866,073     (1791)         320,129 

China  (1791)      1,012,539 

West  Indies                   1803  6,148,436     (1804)       3,408,232 

United  States               1800  2,357,922                     6,885,507 

British  Provinces        1800  997,590 

The  imports  from  Ireland  to  Great  Britain,  are  produce  of  vari- 
ous kinds ;  linens,  yarn,  pearl  ash  and  copper  ore :  the  exports  to 

Ireland  are  coals,  herrings,  hops,  flax,  hemp,  and  almost  every 
species  of  manufactures. 

vot.  II.  10 


•f*  ENGLAND. 

The  imports  from  Russia,  are  iron,  hemp,  flax,  tallow,  pot  asli, 
lumber,  and  coarse  linens :  the  exports  are  West  India  produce 
and  British  manufactures. 

From  Denmark  and  Norway,  Great  Britain  receives  timber  and 
corn,  and  returns  West  India  produce  and  foreign  merchandize, 
and  but  few  of  her  own  manufactures. 

Great  Britain  imports  from  Prussia,  grain,  hemp,  flax,  madder, 
linseed,  quills,  bristles,  pearl  ash,  millstones  and  timber  j  and  ex- 
ports drugs,  groceries,  dry  goods,  and  crockery. 

Germany  receives  from  Great  Britain,  large  quantities  of  Brit- 
ish manufactures,  and  still  larger  of  foreign  merchandize.  The 
imports  from  Holland,  consist  of  butter,  cheese,  geneva,  juniper 
berries,  flax,  hemp,  oak  bark,  seeds,  books,  maps,  and  prints ;  the 
exports  returned,  are  sugars,  train-oil,  copperas,  cotton  and  wool- 
len goods,  coffee,  rice,  and  foreign  merchandize. 

From  Portugal  she  imports  wine,  cotton-wool,  indigo,  cash  and 
bullion ;  and  returns  British  produce  and  manufactures. 

From  the  Mediterranean  are  imported  cotton-wool,  mohair, 
goat's-hair,  drugs,  dye-stuffs,  currants,  figs,  raisins,  goat-skins, 
box-wood  and  raw  silk.  The  exports  consist  of  lead,  tin  plates, 
wrought  and  cast  iron,  hard  ware,  watches,  cotton,  woollen,  and 
India  goods,  coff'ee,  sugar  and  spices. 

The  coasts  of  Africa  furnish  the  arabic,  sandarach  and  Senegal 
gums,  cam-wood,  red-Avood,  ebony,  ivory,  ostrich  feathers,  and 
skins  ;  and  are  supplied  with  shells,  trinkets,  ardent  spirits,  guns, 
gunpowder,  cutlasses,  hard  ware,  rice,  groceries,  drugs,  woollen, 
cotton,  linen  and  India  goods. 

The  exports  to  India  are  woollens,  metals,  naval  and  military- 
stores  ;  the  imports  are  pi^ce  goods,  raw  silk,  tea,  pepper,  salt- 
petre, nankeens,  china  ware,  sugar,  cofl'ee,  indigo  and  drugs. 

The  exports  to  China,  are  bullion,  woollens,  lead,  tin,  skins,  furp, 
glass,  jewelry,  trinkets,  watches,  cutlery  and  hard  ware  ;  the  im- 
ports are  teas,  nankeens,  china  ware,  and  silks. 

The  imports  from  the  West  Indies,  in  return  for  British  manu- 
factures, are  sugars,  rum,  molasses,  coffee  and  cotton. 

From  the  United  States  are  imported  cotton,  flour,  timber,  pot- 
ash, iron,  rice,  indigo,  tobacco ;  and  the  exports  are  British  man- 
ufactures and  foreign  merchandize  of  almost  every  description. 

The  annual  income  of  Great  Britain  was  estimated  in  1799,  by 
Mr.  Pitt,  at  102,000,000;  and  including  the  money,  of  which  tlie 
estimate  is  far  from  certain,  the  whole  capital  of  Great  Britain 
may  perhaps  be  calculated  at  more  than  one  thousand  two  hun- 
dred millions. 


ENGLAND  7^ 

CHAPTER  II. 
NATURAL  GEOGRAPHY. 

CLIMATE  AND  SEASONS,  FACE  OF  THE  COUNTRY,  SOIL  AND  AG- 
RICULTURE, RIVERS,  LAKES,  MOUNTAINS,  FORESTS,  BOTANY, 
ZOOLOGY,  MINERALOGY,  MINERAL  WATERS,  NATURAL  CURIOSI- 
TIES. 

Climate  and  seasons.']  THE  climate  of  Great-Britain  is 
perhaps  more  variable  than  that  of  any  other  country  on  the  globe, 
as  the  vapors  of  the  Atlantic  Ocean  are  opposed  to  the  dryiaig 
winds  from  the  Eastern  Continent.  The  Western  coasts  ih  par- 
ticular, are  subject  to  frequent  rains ;  and  the  Eastern  part  of 
Scotland  is  of  a  clearer  and  dryer  tempei-ature  than  that  of  Eng- 
land. The  humidity  of  the  climate,  indeed,  clothes  the  delicious 
vales  and  meadows  with  a  beautiful  verdure  ;  but  is  injurious  to 
the  health  of  the  inhabitants,  by  causing  colds  and  catarrhs,  the 
frequent  sources  of  more  deadly  disorders. 

In  consequence  of  the  mutability  of  the  climate,  the  seasons 
themselves  are  of  uncertain  tenor,  and  the  year  might  more 
properly  be  divided  into  eight  months  of  winter,  and  four  of  sum- 
mer ;  than  into  any  theoretic  arrangement,  originating  in  the  south- 
ern latitudes.  What  is  called  the  spx'ing,  dawns  in  April,  com- 
monly, indeed,  a  mild  month  ;  but  the  eastern  winds  prevalent  in 
May,  seem  commissioned  to  ruin  the  efforts  of  I'eviving  nature,  and 
destroy  the  promise  of  the  year.  June,  July,  August,  and  Sep- 
tember, are  usually  warm  summer  months ;  but  a  night  of  frost 
is  not  unknown,  even  in  August,  and  sometimes  a  cold  East  wind 
will  blow  for  three  days  together ;  nor  of  late  years  arc  summers 
unknown  of  almost  constant  rain.*  The  winter  may  be  said  to 
commence  with  the  beginning  of  October,  at  which  time  domestic- 
fires  become  necessary ;  but  tliere  is  seldom  any  severe  frost  till 
Christmas,  and  January  is  the  most  stern  month  of  the  year. 
March  is  generally  the  most  unsettled  month  of  the  yeai*,  inter- 
spersed with  dry  frost,  cold  rains,  and  strong  winds,  with  storms 
of  hail  and  sleet. 

Face  of  the  country.']  Mr.  Pennant,  in  his  Arctic  Zoology,  has 
given  an  admirable  description  of  part  of  the  English  shores,  which 
shall  here  be  abbreviated,  with  an  alteration  in  the  arrangement, 
as  he  chooses  to  begin  with  the  Streights  of  Dover. 

From  the  mouth  of  the  Tweed  to  Bamborough,  extends  a  sandy 
shore  ;  and  the  most  remarkable  object  is  Lindesfarn,  or  Holy  Island, 
divided  from  Northumberland  by  a  level,  which  is  dry  at  low  water, 
but  out  of  which  the  flowing  tide  oozes  suddenly,  to  the  terror  and 
peril  of  the  unwary  traveller.  From  Bamborough  Castle,  to 
Flamborough-head,  are  mostly  low  cliffs,  of  lime-stone,  and  other 
materials.  •  Scarborough  stands  on  a  vast  rock,  projecting  into  the 

*  The  summer  of  1800  was  remarkable  for  dr}nessand  warmth,  scarcely  any  rain 
fulling  from  thefth  of  June  to  theSOth  of  August,  when  a  thunder  storm  succetdeU. 


f^  ^NiGLAND. 

waves;  but  Flamborough-head  is  a  far  more  magnificent  object, 
being  formed  of  lime-stone,  of  a  snowy  whiteness,  and  stupendous 
height,  visible  far  off  at  sea. 

Hence  to  the  Humber  are  commonly  clay  cliffs  ;  and  near  Spurn- 
head,  amber  is  sometimes  found.  The  extensive  coast  of  Lin- 
colnshire is  flat,  and,  according  to  Mr.  Pennant's  opinion,  has  been 
gained  from  the  sea ;  though,  in  some  parts,  the  sea  has  in  its  turn 
invaded  the  land,  and  the  remains  of  a  forest  are  visible  under  the 
waves.  The  county  of  Lincoln,  and  part  of  six  others,  arc  the  low 
countries  of  Britain  ;  and  the  coast  is  distinguishable  by  churches,nct 
by  hills.  The  shores  of  Norfolk  and  Suffolk  present  sometimes 
loamy  or  clayey  precipices,  sometimes  hillocks  of  sand,  and  some- 
times low  and  flat  spaces.  Hunstantoncliff  rises  to  the  height  of  about 
eighty  feet,  composed  of  chalk  and  friable  stone,  resting  on  a  base 
of  what  is  called  iron-colored  pudding  stone,  projecting  into  the 
sea.  The  coast  of  Essex  is  generally  low  ;  but  to  the  south  of  the 
Thames,  arise  continued  cliffs  of  chalk,  with  layers  of  flint,  re- 
sembling masonry.  The  north  Foreland  is  a  lofty  chalky  promon- 
tory ;  and  the  cliffs  of  Dover  are  known  to  every  reader  of  Shakes- 
peare. 

It  is  to  be  regretted,  that  Mr.  Pennant  did  not  extend  his  ani- 
mated description  to  the  southern  and  western  coasts :  cliffs  of 
chalk  and  clay  are  interspersed  with  flat  gravel,  till  the  island  of 
Portland  presents  its  bold  rocky  front.  The  western  shores  abound 
with  granite,  slate  rocks,  and  lime-stone. 

Soil  and  agriculture.~\  The  soil  is  greatly  diversified,  but  in 
general  fertile  ;  and  in  no  country  is  agriculture  more  thoroughly 
understood,  or  pursued  in  a  grander  style,  except,  perhaps,  in 
Flanders  and  Lombardy.  The  nobility  and  gentry,  mostly  residing 
upon  tlieir  estates  in  summer,  often  retain  considerable  farms  in 
their  own  hands,  and  practise  and  encourage  every  agricultural 
improvement.  The  writings  of  Mr.  Young,  the  institutions  in  the 
west,  and  the  Board  of  Agriculture,  recently  erected,  have  con- 
tributed to  diffuse  a  wide  and  lasting  knowledge  of  this  interesting 
branch.  The  intermixture  of  the  green  crops  with  those  of  grain, 
the  use  of  turnips,  the  irrigation  of  meadows,  the  regular  substitu- 
tion of  crops  appropriated  to  the  state  of  the  land,  the  art  of  drain- 
ing conducted  on  scientific  principles,  may  be  mentioned  among 
the  recent  advances  of  knowledge  ;  nor  must  the  improvements  in 
the  breed  of  sheep  and  cattle,  introduced  by  Bakewell  and  others, 
be  forgotten. 

The  cultivated  acres  in  England  and  Wales  are  computed  at 
upwards  of  39,000,000,  while  tliose  uncultivated  are  7,888,777.  ^  Of 
these  it  is  supposed  that  not  above  half  a  million  is  wholly  unim- 
provable, and  perhaps  a  million  is  only  fit  for  plantations,  while  of 
the  remainder  one  quarter  is  fit  for  tillage,  and  three  fourths  for 
meadow  and  upland  pasture.*  The  grain  of  every  kind  annually 
consumed  in  England,  for  three  years  ending  in  1 809,  was  20,600,800 
quarters  ;  and  in  Scotland,  3,988,400  ;  total  24,589,200.     Of  tbi? 

*  First  Report  of  the  Committee  of  tlie  house  of  Commons,  p.  22. 


ENGLAND.  77 

^^st  part  is  imported,  and  -^th  part  from  Ireland.     So  that  only  be- 
tween ^^jd  and  -^d  part  comes  from  foreign  countries. 

Horticulture,  or  the  art  of  gardening,  is  also  pursued  in  England 
with  great  assiduity  and  success.  The  large  supply  of  the  capital 
in  vegetables  and  fruits,  and  the  high  prices  given  for  early  pro- 
duce, occasion  such  a  spirit  of  cultivation,  that  each  acre  thus  em- 
ployed, is  supposed  to  yield  about  120/.  annually,  the  yearly  con- 
sumption in  the  metropolis  being  computed  at  more  than  1 ,000,000/. 
Of  ornamental  gardens,  laid  out  with  a  just  attention  to  the  beau- 
ties of  nature,  and  free  from  the  uncouth  affectations  of  art,  England 
is  deservedly  regarded  as  the  parent  country.* 

Rivers.^  England  is  intersected  by  four  important  rivers,  the 
Severn,  the  Thames,  the  Humber,  and  the  Mersey. 

The  Severn  rises  from  the  mountain  Plinlimmon,  and  after  an 
easterly  course  to  Shrewsbury,  bends  its  progress  almost  south  to 
Gloucester,  whence  it  flows  south-west  into  the  Bristol  Channel,  a 
progress  of  about  150  miles,  navigable  as  far  as  Welch-pool.  Its 
chief  tributary  streams  are  the  Northern  and  Southern  Avons,  the 
Teme  and  the  Wye.f 

The  Thames  originates  in  Cotswold-hills,  Gloucestershire  ;  and 
maintains  a  south-easterly  direction,  to  its  egress  into  the  German 
Ocean,  after  receiving  the  Cherwel,  the  Teme,  the  Kennett,  another 
Wye,  the  Mole,  and  Lee.  The  Medway  flows  into  the  estuary  of 
the  Thames,  as  the  Wye  into  that  of  the  Severn.  The  course  is 
computed  at  140  miles,  navigable  to  Cricklade.:f 

The  Humber  is  a  name  almost  confined  to  a  large  estuary,  which 
receives  many  considerable  rivers,  that  fertilize  the  central  parts 
of  England.  Of  these  the  Trent  is  the  most  important,  which  rises 
at  New-pool,  in  Staffordshire,  and  proceeding  north-east,  enters 
the  Humber,  after  a  direct  course  of  about  100  miles,  being  navi- 
gable to  Burton,  in  Staffordshire.  The  other  principal  rivers  that 
issue  into  the  Humber  are  the  Dun,  a  navigable  stream,  which 
runs  by  Doncaster ;  the  Aire  navigable  to  Leeds,  and  the  Caldcr 
to  Halifax,  both  singularly  useful  in  transporting  the  woollen  man- 
ufactures ;  the  Warf  to  Tadcaster ;  the  Ure,  or  Ouse,  which  runs 
by  York,  navigable  to  Rippon ;  the  Derwent,  which  is  navigable  to 
New  Malton  ;  and  the  Hull. 

Though  the  Mersey  present  a  grand  estuary,  its  course  is  not  of 
great  extent.  It  arises  in  the  West  Riding  of  Yorkshire,  and  runs 
to  the  south-west ;  but  the  estuary  bends  towards  the  north.  The 
direct  course  is  not  above  fifty  miles  ;  and  it  is  navigable  to  Stock- 
port :  as  the  Irwell  to  near  Manchester,  and  the  Weever  to  near 
Northwich,  and  the  mines  of  rock-salt. 

In  briefly  describing  the  other  navigable  rivers  of  this  kingdom, 
it  may  be  proper  to  return  to  the  Severn,  and,  proceeding  south 
west,  pursue  the  outline  of  the  coast.  The  Avon  is  navigable  to 
Bath,  the  Parret  to  Illchester,  the  Tone  to  Taunton,  the  Taw  to 
Barnstaple,  and  another  branch  to  Biddeford :  the  Camil  of 
Cornwall,  to  Wedbridge,  while  the  Plym,  Dart,  and  Ex,  can  also 

•  Lord  Orford  on  Modem  Gardening.        t  Campbell,  i.  146.  i  lUd.  I.  139. 


78  ENGLAND. 

be  pervaded  to  a  considerable  height.  Another  Avon  is  navigable 
to  near  Salisbury,  the  Itchyn  to  Winchester,  the  Arun  to  Arundel, 
the  Ouse  to  Lewes  :  the  Rother,  which  forms  the  haven  of  Rye,  is 
yet  navigable,  though  fallen  in  fame.  The  Stour  admits  boats 
even  to  Canterbury ;  but  the  MedAvay  presents  a  navigable  stream 
as  far  as  Tunbridge.  On  the  north  of  the  Thames,  the  Lee  is  nav- 
igable to  Bishop's  Stortford  and  Hertford :  the  Crouch  conveys 
boats  from  the  sea  to  Hull-bridge  in  Essex ;  the  Black-water  to 
Chelmsford,  and  another  branch  to  Colchester.  The  Stour  is  nav- 
igable to  Sudbury  ;  the  Orwell  to  Stow,  the  Dcbento  Woodbridge  ; 
the  Yare  and  Waveney  present  access  to  Fonlsham,  Norwich,  and 
Bungay.  Next  is  the  estuary  called  the  Wash,  which  receives  the 
Ouse,  the  Nen,  the  Welland,  the  Witham,  all  streams  of  consider- 
able navigation. 

On  the  North  of  the  Humber,  the  Tees  admits  vessels  to  Stock- 
ton ;  the  Tyne  to  Newcastle.  On  the  West,  the  Eden  is  navigable 
to  Carlisle  ;  the  Lun  or  Loyne  to  Lancaster  and  Hornby ;  the  Dee 
to  Chester  ;  the  Conway  to  within  two  miles  of  Llanrwst ;  the 
Tivey  to  Llanbedr.  Milford  Haven  presents  branches  navigable 
to  Haverford-west,  and  to  near  Wiston  :  and  lastly,  the  Wye  may 
be  pursued  as  far  as  Hay  in  Brecknockshire. 

In  general  it  may  be  observed  of  the  British  rivers,  that  the 
length  of  their  course  is  inconsiderable,  when  compared  with  that 
of  the  Continental  streams.  The  rivers  of  the  southern  and  the 
niiddle  parts  of  England,  present  a  striking  contrast  to  those  of 
the  north ;  the  former  pursuing  a  slow  and  inert  course  over  mud, 
between  level  banks,  amid  rich  and  extensive  meadows ;  while  the 
latter  roll  their  clear  torrents  over  beds  of  gravel,  between  elevated 
banks  and  rocky  precipices ;  and  even  when  verdant  levels  occur, 
the  stream  still  retains  its  banks  and  beds  of  gravel. 

Mountains.  Bennevi.s,  the  highest  mountain  in  Scotland,  is  not 
much  above  one  quarter  of  the  height  of  Mont  Blanc,  the  sove- 
reign of  the  Alps,  and  the  English  and  Welch  summits  aspire  to 
heights  still  less  considerable;  Snowdon  being  only  3568  English 
feet  above  the  sea,  while  Bennevis  is  4387,  or,  by  other  accounts, 
4350.  Wharn,  or  Wharnside,  in  Yorkshire,  was  estimated  at  4050  ; 
and  Ingleborough  at  5280  feet.  A  late  accurate  measurement  has, 
however,  reduced  this  latter  to  2480  feet,  and  probably  Wharnside 
ought  also  to  be  diminished  in  the  same  proportion. 

Even  at  the  present  day,  the  geography  of  some  parts  of  New 
Holland,  is  better  understood  than  that  of  some  parts  of  Great 
Britain.  There  is  not  even  a  separate  map  of  the  English  rivers, 
though  France  set  an  example  of  this  kind,  a  century  and  a  half 
ago ;  nor  has  there  been  any  attempt  to  delineate  the  chains  of 
mountains  in  England.  The  imperfections  of  the  materials  must 
therefore  apologize  for  any  errors  or  defects  in  the  subsequent 
slight  sketch.  The  mountains  of  Cheviot  may  be  said  to  form  a 
regular  ridge,  running  from  the  south-west,  where  they  join  those 
of  Galloway  to  the  north-east.  But  there  is  a  central  ridge  which 
pervades  England  from  north  to  south,  beginning  at  Geltsdale  for- 
est, 14  miles  S.  E.  of  Carlisle,  and  passing  on  the  west  of  Durham 


ENGLAND.  79 

and  Yorkshire,  where  it  contains  mines  of  coal  and  lead.  The 
chief  elevations,  such  as  Kelton-fell,  Stamnore,  Widehill-fell,  Wild- 
boar-fell,  Bow-fell,  Home-fell,  Bunhill,  8cc.  &c.  arise  on  the  wes- 
tern limits  of  Yorkshii'e.  Cumberland  and  Westmoreland  present 
many  detached  mountains,  Skiddaw,  See.  which  can  hardly  be  re- 
duced to  any  distinct  arrangement ;  but  those  of  Craven,  in  the 
West  Riding  of  Yorkshire,  as  Whai'nside,  Ingleborough,  and  Pen- 
nigent ;  and  Pendle,  on  the  east  of  Lancaster,  belong  to  the  Cen- 
tral Chain,  which  proceeds  south,  through  Dei'byshire,  still  abound- 
ing with  minerals  and  natural  curiosities ;  but  here  it  seems  to 
terminate,  spreading  a  little  into  Cheshire.  A  central  chain,  of 
smaller  elevation,  may  be  traced,  in  a  zig-zag  line,  to  near  Salis- 
bury, with  two  diverging  and  irregular  branches  on  the  east,  one 
towards  Norfolk,  another  into  Kent,  while  a  third  runs  south-west 
into  Cornwall.  To  the  first  belong  the  hills  of  Gogmagog,  in 
Cambridgeshire,  &c.  to  the  second  the  hills  of  Hampshire,  Surrey, 
and  Kent.  Another  upland  tract  of  considerable  elevation,  called 
the  Chiltern  hills,  extends  from  Tring,  in  Hertfordshire,  to  Henley, 
in  Oxfordshire.  Malvern  hills,  in  Worcestershire,  deviate  from 
the  central  ridge,  while  those  ofCotswold,  in  Gloucestershire,  may 
be  regarded  as  a  continuation  of  it.  The  hills  of  Mendip,  Polden, 
Sedgemoor,  Blackdown,  in  Somersetshire  ;  the  Tors  and  Wilds  of 
Dartmoor,  in  Devon  ;  and  the  hills  and  upland  downs  of  Cornwall, 
extend  this  chain  to  the  Land's  End :  and  after  passing  this  last 
rocky  province,  it  expires  in  the  Islands  of  Scilly. 

Wales  is  a  country  abundant  in  mountains,  especially  ihd  north- 
em  provinces ;  but  their  orology  remains  indeterminate,  and  it 
Avould  require  the  actual  survey  of  an  experienced  engineer,  to 
reduce  them  to  chains  or  groupes.  To  begin  with  the  north, 
Snowdon  commands  the  first  attention,  a  mountain  of  eminent 
height  and  fame.  The  top  is  called  Y  Widdfa,  or  the  conspicuous, 
forming  almost  a  point,  and  presenting  a  view  of  the  county  of 
Chester,  the  mountains  of  Yorkshire,  part  of  Scotland  and  Ireland, 
and  the  Isles  of  Man  and  Anglesey.* 

The  stone  that  composes  it  is  hornslate  and  argillaceous  schistus, 
large  coarse  crystals  are  often  found  in  the  fissures,  and  very  fre- 
quently cubic  pyritae,  the  usual  attendants  on  Alpine  tracts.  From 
Snowdon,  a  line  of  mountains  extends  by  the  sea  to  Plinlimmon,  a 
boundary  of  North  Wales,  whence  issue  the  noble  rivers  Severn 
and  Wye.  Of  these  hills,  Urrou  Seth,  Caer  Idris,  and  Moel 
Vadiau,  are  the  most  memorable.  The  hills  on  the  east  of  North 
Wales  are  far  from  attaining  such  considerable  elevation,  and 
gradually  decline  to  the  hills  of  Shropshire,  of  which  the  Wrckin 
is  one  of  the  most  noted. 

A  chain  proceeds  due  south  to  near  Cardiff,  in  South  Wales ;  it 
is  of  far  inferior  height,  and  a  small  branch  diverges  to  the  west, 
consisting  of  Cwm  Cothy,  Mynydd,  Carreg,  Brilley,  and  Cwm 
Kerrun-hills.  On  the  east  of  South  Wales,  are  the  hills  of  Here- 
fordshire, the  Black  Mountain,  Cusop-hill,  Hargest,  Stockley-hill, 
&c. 

•  Pennimt's  Joureey  to  London,  p.  170. 


80  ENGLAND. 

In  the  northern  and  western  mountains  and  hills,  chalk  is  un- 
knoAvn,  while  it  forms  a  chief  material  of  those  of  the  south  and 
east.  An  eminent  naturalist  observes,  that  a  line  drawn  from 
Dorchester,  in  the  county  of  Dorset,  to  the  county  of  Norfolk, 
would  form  a  boundary  of  the  great  chalky  stratum  which  inter- 
sects the  kingdom,  none  being  found  in  any  quantity  to  the  north 
or  west  of  that  linei*  The  northern  mountains  are  mostly  com- 
posed of  lime-stone,  free-stone,  slate,  or  schistus,  with  mines  of 
lead  or  coal ;  those  of  Derbyshire  present  vast  masses  of  lime- 
stone, intersected  with  thick  veins  of  toad-stone,  and  numerous 
fossils  and  minerals,  the  consideration  of  which  is  reserved  for  a 
future  article.  The  summit  of  SkiddaAV  presents  white  shivery 
slate,  or  argillaceous  schistus ;  but  some  of  the  Westmoreland 
mountains  contain  siliceous  schistus ;  and  it  is  probable  that  granite 
may  exist  in  those  of  Cheviot.  The  vast  base  of  Ingleborough, 
near  30  miles  in  circuit,  consists  of  lime-stone  ;  on  the  east  side 
full  of  shells  to  near  the  sumiDit,  which  is  of  grit  and  sandstone 
flag  ;  the  fossils,  black  and  brown  marble,  thin  slate,  near  Ingleton, 
rotten  stone,  or  tripoli,  and  some  lead  ore.f  And  such  is  this  chain 
to  its  termination  ;  while  further  to  the  south,  the  easterly  eleva- 
tions are  of  chalk  ;  and  those  on  the  west,  as  Mendip  hills,  in  Som- 
ersetshire, are  wholly  calcareous.  The  granite  begins  at  Dart- 
moor, in  Devonshire,  and  continus^s  through  Cornwall,  where  it 
occurs  of  various  colours,  the  grey  granite,  or  moor  stone  ;  the 
red,  or  oriental ;  the  white,  the  yellow,  and  the  blueish,  or  pigeon- 
coloured. |  Near  the  Lizard  and  Mullion,  are  rocks  of  serpentine 
and  steatites,  together  with  a  decomposed  granite,  which  is  similar 
to  the  petunsi  of  China,  and  applied  to  the  same  purposes  in  the 
manufacture  of  porcelain. 

The  Welsh  mountains  abound  in  slate,  horn-stone,  and  porphy- 
ry, with  large  masses  of  quartz.  The  Wrekin,  about  ten  miles 
east  of  Shrewsbury,  is  chiefly  composed  of  reddish  chert,  or  pe- 
trosilex,  with  siliceous  sand-stone,  basalt,  and  a  kind  of  granite.§ 
The  great  coal  district  of  Colebrookdale,  rests  on  indurated  clay, 
while  that  near  Bristol  is  accompanied  by  black  free-stone,  and 
even  the  calcareous  free-stone  near  Bath,  is  interspersed  with 
numerous  veins  of  coal.  The  Malvern  hills,  on  the  S.  W.  of 
Worcestershire,  run  N.  and  S.  about  ten  miles,  and  afford  many 
granitic  rocks  with  chert  and  hornblende  slate.^  These  few  no- 
tices must  suffice  on  the  composition  of  the  English  mountains, 
a  subject  which  only  begins  to  attract  the  attention  which  its  cu- 
riosity deserves. 

2^orestsr\     To  the  reader  of  poetry,  the  v/ovd  Jbf  est  conveys  the 

idea  of  a  region  replete  with  thick  and  tall  woods,  interspersed 

with  romantic  lawns  and  murmuring  rivulets.     But  in  England  a 

forest  is  sometimes  bare  of  trees,  or  not  unfrequently  only  presents 

.  a  few  withered  oaks ;  and  the  tenn  is  even  applied  to  upland  downs 

*  Pennant's  Journey  from  Chester  to  London,  p.  214. 

■f  Guiileto  the  Lakes,  t265,  267. 

^  Pn  ce's  Mineralog}-  of  Cornwall.    Maton's  Western  Tour,  8cc. 

j  Townson's  Tracts,  p.  103.  U  Ibid.  310. 


ENGLAND.  81 

and  heaths.  Many  of  the  forests  were,  even  in  the  Anglo-Saxon 
times,  esteemed  royal  demesnes  ;  but  the  Norman  monarchs  were 
so  much  addicted  to  the  chase,  that  upwards  of  sixty  forests  at  one 
time,  appertained  to  the  crown ;  of  which  the  chief  now  remain- 
ing are  the  forests  of  Dean,  in  Gloucestershire ;  Sherwood,  in 
Nottinghamshire  ;  Windsor,  in  Berkshire  ;  and  the  New  Forest, 
in  Hampshire.  The  royal  forests  constituting  so  large  a  part  of 
the  kingdom,  subject  to  peculiar  regulations,  many  grievances  a- 
fose,  till  the  Barons  exacted  from  Henry  HI.  the  forest-charter ; 
in  which  several  despotic  laws  were  revoked,  and  more  equity  ex- 
tended to  the  neighboring  proprietors  and  tenants. 

General  sketch  of  Britinh  botany. ~\  Among  the  numerous  spe- 
cies of  vegetables  which  are  natives  of  Britain,  scarcely  any  arc 
adequate  to  the  sustenance  and  cloathing  of  man.  Its  frequent 
rains,  its  blasting  Avinds,  and  the  scanty  portion  to  which  it  is  stint- 
ed, of  the  light  and  heat  of  the  sun,  deprive  it  entirely  of  those 
vegetables  Avhich,  in  tropical  climates,  satisfy  the  wants  and  luxu- 
rious desires  of  their  human  inhabitants.  The  never-failing  ver- 
dure of  its  plains  and  hills,  shews  how  admirably  the  country  is 
qualified  for  the  support  of  graminivorous  quadrupeds ;  and  we 
find  accordingly,  that  its  ancient  forests  abounded  in  stags  and  roe- 
deer,  as  its  clear  and  cultivated  lands  do  now  in  sheep  and  cattle. 

The  Flora,  of  Britain,  though  it  cannot  boast  the  most  splendid 
and  exquisite  of  vegetable  productions,  yet  contains  as  great  a  va- 
riety of  genera  and  species,  as  any  other  country  of  equal  extent. 
The  investigation  of  indigenous  plants  is  continually  carrying  on 
here  with  increasing  ardor,  and  every  year  brings  new  accessions 
to  our  crouded  ranks  of  native  vegetables. 

The  first  for  importance  and  variety  is  the  family  of  Grasses. 
Almost  every  part  of  the  country  that  is  not  under  tillage,  is  prin- 
cipally covered  with  grass.  Twenty-seven  genera,  and  a  hundred 
and  ten  species  are  natives  of  the  island,  most  of  them  of  common 
occurrence  in  situations  where  they  are  found  at  all.  None  of 
them  have  been  proved  to  be  poisonous,  either  to  man  or  beast ;  on 
the  contrary,  whether  fresh  or  dried,  they  furnish  a  grateful  food 
to  all  the  domestic  cattle.  The  most  important  grasses  in  meadows 
and  pastures,  are  the  meadoiv  fox-tail  grass  ;  two  or  three  species 
of  hair  grass,  and  meadow-grass ;  the  cock''s-foot  fescue,  and  oat 
grass.  Other  species  are  natives  of  marshes,  and  wet  places  j  these 
are  generally  the  largest  and  most  luxuriant,  and  if  in  quality  they 
be  somewhat  inferior  to  the  preceding,  yet  the  defect  is  probably 
more  than  compensated  by  the  quantity  of  herbage  that  they  sup- 
ply. Light  sandy  soils,  especially  the  flat  parts  of  tlxe  eastern  and 
southern  coasts,  abound  in  grasses  that  are  distinguished  from  their 
kindred  species,  by  the  length  and  strength  of  their  creeping-roots. 
The  inhabitants  of  Skey,  and  the  other  western  islands  of  Scotland, 
manufacture  them  into  durable  ropes :  and  while  growing,  they 
serve  the  very  important  purpose  of  binding  together  the  loose 
sand,  which  otherwise  would  be  drifted  far  up  the  pountry.  Upon 
the  sides  and  summits  of  the  mountains  are  found  a  few  grasses 
that  do  not  appear  elseAvhcre,  mixed  with  some  ethers  of  more 

YOL.  ir.  11*' 


82  ENGLAND. 

general  occurrence ;  as,  however,  in  these  bleak  and  elevated  sit- 
uations, covered  with  snow  for  some  months  in  the  year,  and 
shrouded  in  clouds  for  the  principal  part  of  the  remainder,  it  would 
be  scarcely  possible  for  these  plants  to  bring  their  seeds  to  ma- 
turity, we  observe  in  them  a  wise  and  striking  deviation  from  the 
common  course  of  nature.  Like  the  rest  of  their  tribe,  they  throw 
up  flowering  stems  and  bear  blossoms  ;  but  these  are  .succeeded, 
not  by  seeds,  but  by  bulbs ;  which,  in  a  short  time,  vegetate,  and 
are  already  furnished  with  a  leaf  and  roots,  before  they  fall  to  the 
ground  :  all  the  viviparous  grasses  except  one  (Festuca  vivipara) 
if  transplanted  to  a  lower  and  warmer  situation,  accommodate  them- 
selves to  their  new  climate,  and  produce  seeds.  Besides  these 
there  are  others  of  a  more  hardy  constitution,  which  appear  to  be 
the  true  natives  of  the  mountains,  and  multiply  their  species  by  seed 
in  the  usual  way. 

Nearly  allied  to  the  grasses  in  general  habit,  are  a  number 
of  species,  natives  of  moors,  bogs,  and  pools ;  these  serve  to  give 
consistency  to  the  deep  mud  or  peat,  in  which  they  are  rooted,  and, 
when  young,  afford  a  coarse  pasture  to  sheep  and  cattle  ;  several 
of  them  are  used  for  matting,  thatching,  and  for  chair  bottoms. 
The  stately  Typha  (bull  rush)  is  one  of  the  principal  ornaments  of 
the  fens,  and  neglected  pools,  and  the  several  species  of  cotton- 
grass  enliven  many  a  dreary  mile  of  bog,  by  their  gracefully  pen- 
dent tufts  of  snowy  white. 

The  Leguminous,  or  papilionaceous  plants,  so  called  from  their 
winged  blossoms,  form  a  very  important  division  in  British  botany. 
The  herbage  of  all  when  fresh,  and  of  many  when  dry,  is  a  most 
grateful  food  to  horses,  cattle,  and  sheep ;  and  several  of  them,  as 
the  clovei's  and  vetches,  are  largely  cultivated  for  this  purpose. 
Many  of  this  class  are  climbers,  and  adorn  the  thickets  and  hedges 
with  elegant  festoons  of  blossoms  and  foliage.  Almost  all  the 
English  papilionaceous  plants  flourish  best  in  light  calcareous 
soils,  either  rocky  or  sawdy  ;  and  some  of  them,  as  the  lady's  finger, 
and  saintioin,  may  be  reckoned  certain  indications  of  chalk  or 
lime-stone. 

The  umbelliferous  plants  form  another  large  class  in  the  natural 
arrangement  of  British  vegetables,  consisting  of  about  sixty  species. 
The  roots  and  seeds  of  those  kinds  which  grow  on  dry,  light  soils, 
are  frequently  aromatic ;  those  that  are  natives  of  marshes  and 
moist  meadows,  are,  for  the  most  part,  in  a  greater  or  less  degree 
poisonous.  The  whole  class,  indeed,  is  a  suspicious  one,  and  ex- 
cepting the  fennel  and  celery,  not  a  single  native  species  is  culti- 
vated for  the  food  of  man  or  beast. 

Perhaps  the  most  splendid  of  all  the  herbaceous  plants,  are  the 
bulbous  rooted,  which,  from  their  general  resemblance  to  the  lily, 
have  obtained  the  name  of  Liliaceous ;  most  of  these,  however,  are 
natives  of  warmer  climates  ;  the  sandy  deserts  about  tlie  Cape  of 
Good  Hope,  and  the  shores  of  the  Indian  ocean,  produce  the  most 
beautiful  species.  Of  those  which  are  found  wild  in  England,  there 
are  only  twenty-eight  species ;  and  the  greater  number  of  these 
are  of  rare  occurrence  in  a  truly  native  state  ;  the  spring  and  au- 
tumnal crocus,  the  snow -drop,  the  snow-flake,  the  three  kinds  of 


ENGLAND.  83 

Narcissus  (including  the  daffodil),  the  friiillary,  tulip,  and  lily  of 
the  valley,  are  more  familiar  to  us  as  garden  plants,  than  as  natives 
of  the  woods  and  pastures.  The  common  ones  of  this  class  are 
Ramsons,  a  species  of  garlic,  meadow  saffron,  and  the  beautiful 
and  fragrant  hare  bell,  or  wild  hyacinth,  one  of  the  principal  or- 
naments of  the  groves  and  thickets,  even  at  a  time  when  they  are 
profuse  of  beauties. 

The  native  fruits  belong,  for  the  most  part,  to  the  class  of  Rosa- 
ceous plants  ;  such  as,  the  wood-strawberry,  the  bullace  and  black- 
thorn, the  hawthoi'n,  crab,  and  mountain  ash  ;  the  common  bram- 
ble, or  blackberry,  the  raspberry,  stone-bramble,  and  cloud-berry. 
The  cherry,  the  medlar,  the  service,  and  pear-trees,  whose»fruit, 
when  wild,  is  of  so  little  account,  andof  such  value  when  improved 
by  cultivation,  belong  also  to  this  class. 

One  of  the  largest  of  the  natural  classes  of  English  vegetables, 
is  that  of  the  radiated  or  compound  flowered  plants,  (including 
about  120  species.)  Only  one,  the  Tragopogon  poi'rifolius  (falsa- 
fy),  is  applied  to  the  sustenance  of  man,  and  not  one  is  cultivated 
for  the  use  of  cattle.  Most  of  this  class  have  an  ungrateful  bitter 
taste,  and  the  succulent  ones  contain  a  white  milky  juice,  of  an 
acrid  flavor.  The  sow  thistle,  hawk-weed,  burdock,  thistle,  cud- 
weed, coltsfoot,  groundsel,  dandelion,  daisy,  and  yarrow,  are  the 
most  commonly  occurring  genera. 

Such  of  the  trees  and  shrubs  as  have  not  been  already  mentioned, 
may  be  considered  as  forming  a  peculiar  class,  and  one  of  great 
importance ;  it  is  naturally  subdivided  into  the  evergreen  and 
deciduous. 

The  most  valuable  of  the  native  evergreens  are,  the  box,  the  pine, 
the  yew,  and  tlie  holly  ;  those  of  secondary  consequence,  are  the 
juniper,  and  ivy ;  the  spurge  laurel ;  the  cranberry,  and  those  ex- 
tremely ornamental  plants,  the  Vaccuiium  vitis  idaea  (red  whortle 
berries)  j  and  Arbutus  uva  ursi  (bear-berry). 

The  deciduous  timber-trees  that  are  either  aboriginal,  or  at  least 
have  been  long  naturalized  to  the  soil,  are  the  oak,  the  chesnut, 
and  beech,  the  birch,  the  alder,  the  horn  beam,  the  abele,  the  black 
poplar,  and  the  aspen,  bearing  catkins  ;  the  sycamore,  the  maple, 
and  the  ash  ;  the  lime,  the  elm,  and  wych  hazle.  A  middle  station 
between  the  timber-trees  and  shrubs  is  occupied  by  the  hazle,  and 
the  numerous  species  of  willow.  The  pulpy-fruit-bearing  shrubs 
are,  the  currant  and  gooseberry,  the  elder,  the  barberry,  the  bil- 
berry, the  cornel,  or  dogwood,  the  buckthorn,  the  guelder  rose, 
and  the  mezereon  ;  the  four  first  are  wholesome  and  grateful  to 
the  palate  ;  the  rest  are  either  insipid  or  noxious. 

The  ferns  comprise  a  number  of  elegant  plants  that  grow  in 
moist,  shady,  and  uncultivated  places,  the  uses  of  which  have  been 
but  little  inquired  into  ;  about  forty-four  species  are  natives  of 
Britain ;  the  roots  of  most  abound  in  a  mild  sweetish  mucilage, 
which  in  times  of  scarcity  has  been  resorted  to  for  nutriment ;  the 
larger  and  commonest  kinds,  such  as  common  fern,  or  brakes,  are 
collected  and  burnt  for  the  potash  which  is  yielded  from  their 
ashes  j  the  Equisetum  hyemale  (shave  grass)  is  much  used  by 


84  ENGLAND. 

turners  and  cabinet  makers,  as  a  fine  file  to  smooth  their  work 
■with. 

The  last  class  of  English  vegetables,  that  we  shall  mention,  i» 
that  of  the  marine  Algse,  or  sea-weeds.  Between  two  and  three 
hundred  species  are  found  upon  the  British  shores ;  the  more  ten*- 
der  and  gelatinous  kinds,  are  eaten  either  raw  or  boiled,  and  the 
rest  on  those  rocky  parts  of  the  coast,  where  they  can  be  collected 
in  great  quantities,  are  burnt  into  kelp  for  the  use  of  the  soap-boil- 
ers and  glass-makers. 

Zoology. ~\  Mr.  Pennant,  in  his  British  Zoology,  has  treated  this 
subject  at  due  extent,  and  with  his  usual  ability.  The  nature  of 
this  wgrk  will  only  admit  of  a  few  imperfect  notices.  Of  animals, 
that  celebrated  author  enumerates  twenty  genera,  from  the  horse 
down  to  the  seal  and  bat.  The  birds  extend  to  forty-eight,  the 
reptiles  to  four,  and  the  fish  to  forty  genera,  besides  the  crustaceous 
and  shell  fish. 

That  noble  and  useful  animal,  the  horse,  is  found  in  England  of 
many  mingled  breeds,  while  most  other  kingdoms  produce  only 
one  kind.*  Their  race-horses  descend  from  Arabian  stallions,  and 
the  genealogy  faintly  extends  to  our  hunters.  The  great  strength 
and  size  of  the  English  draught-horses  are  derived  from  those  of 
Germany,  Flanders,  and  Holstein ;  and  other  breeds  have  been  so 
intermingled,  that  native  horses  may  be  found  adapted  to  every 
purpose  of  pomp,  pleasure,  or  utility.  Those  of  Yorkshire  are 
particularly  celebrated  for  their  spirit  and  beauty  \  and  the  grooms 
of  that  country  are  equally  noted  for  their  skill  in  the  management 
of  this  valuable  animah 

The  indigenous  horned  cattle  are  now  only  known  to  exist  in 
Neidwood-forest,  in  Staffordshire,  and  at  Chillingham-castle,  xn 
Northumberland.  They  are  long-legged  and  wild  like  deer,  of  a 
pure  white  color,  with  black  muzzles,  ears,  and  tails,  and  a  stripe 
of  the  same  hue  along  the  back.  The  domesticated  breeds  of  cat- 
tle are  almost  as  various  as  those  of  horses  ;  those  of  Wales  and 
Cornwall  are  small,  while  the  Lincolnshire  kind  derive  their  great 
size  from  those  of  Holstein.  In  the  North  of  England  the  kyliesy 
so  called  from  the  district  of  Kyle,  in  Scotland  ;  in  the  South  are 
the  elegant  breed  of  Guernsey,  generally  of  a  light  brown  color, 
and  small  size,  but  remarkable  for  the  richness  of  their  milk. 

The  number  and  value  of  sheep  in  England  may  be  judged  from 
the  ancient  staple  commodity  of  wool.  Of  this  most  useful  animal 
several  breeds  appear,  generally  denominated  from  their  particular 
counties  or  districts  ;  those  of  Herefordshire,  Devonshii-e,  and 
Cotswold  downs,  are  noted  for  fine  fleeces,  while  the  Lincolnshire 
and  Warwickshire  kind  are  remarkable  for  the  quantity.  The 
Teesdale  breed  of  the  county  of  Durham,  though  lately  neglected, 
continue  to  deserve  their  fame.  The  wool  is  beautiful,  but  the 
length  of  their  legs  lessens  their  value  in  the  eyes  of  the  butcher. 

The  mutton  of  Wales,  on  the  contrary,  is  esteemed,  while  the 
v/ool  is  coarse,  yet  employed  in  many  useful  and  salutary  manu- 
factures'. 

*  PennJint's  Zoology,  vol.  i-p.  !■ 


ENGLAND.  85 

The  most  laudable  exertions  have  lately  been  made  by  the 
Board  of  Agriculture,  and  by  individuals,  for  the  improvement  of 
the  English  fleece. 

The  goat,  an  inhabitant  of  the  rocks,  has,  even  in  Wales,  for  the 
most  part  yielded  to  the  more  useful  sheep  ;  that  country  being, 
like  Scotland,  more  adapted  to  the  woollen  manufacture.  The 
breeds  of  swine  are  various  and  useful. 

England  also  abounds  in  breeds  of  dogs,  some  of  which  were 
celebrated  even  in  Roman  times  ;  nor  have  their  modern  descen- 
dants, the  mastiff  and  bull-dog,  degenerated  from  the  spirit  and 
courage  of  their  ancestors. 

Of  savage  animals  the  most  fierce  and  destructive  is  the 
wild  cat,  which  is  three  or  four  times  as  large  as  the  domestic, 
with  a  flat  broad  face,  color  yellowish  white,  mixed  with  deep 
grey,  in  streaks  running  from  a  black  list  on  the  back  ;  hips  always 
black,  tail  alternate  bars  of  black  and  white ;  only  found  in  the 
most  mountainous  and  woody  parts.  The  wolf  has  been  long  ex- 
tinct, but  the  fox  abounds. 

The  chief  of  birds  of  prey  are,  the  golden  eagle,  sometimes 
found  on  Snowdon  ;  the  black  eagle  has  appeared  in  Derbyshire  ; 
the  osprey,  or  sea  eagle,  seems  extinct  in  England.  The  pere- 
grine falcon  breeds  in  Wales  ;  and  many  kinds  of  hawks  in  Eng- 
land. An  enumeration  of  the  other  birds  would  be  superfluous. 
The  nightingale,  one  of  the  most  celebrated,  is  not  found  in  North 
Wales,  nor  any  where  to  the  North,  except  about  Doncaster,  Avhere 
it  abounds  ;  nor  does  it  travel  so  far  west  as  Devonshire  and  Corn- 
wall.* The  poultry  seem  to  originate  from  Asia  ;  the  peacocks  fromi 
India ;  the  pheasants  from  Colchis ;  the  guinea-fowl  are  from  Africa. 
The  smallest  bird  is  the  golden-crested  wren,  which  sports  on  the 
highest  pine-trees ;  and  the  largest  the  bustard,  some  of  which 
weigh  twenty  five  pounds,  and  are  found  in  the  open  countries  of 
the  south  and  east.  The  most  useful  of  the  water  fowl  is  the  mal- 
lard or  wild-duck,  which  is  chiefly  caught  in  the  fens  of  Lincoln- 
shire ;  the  numbers  sent  to  the  capital,  almost  exceed  credibility. 

The  reptiles  are  frogs,  toads,  several  kinds  of  liaards :  of  the 
serpents  the  viper  alone  is  venomous ;  other  kinds  are  the  snake, 
sometimes  found  four  feet  in  length  ;  and  the  blind  worm,  seldom 
exceeding  eleven  inches. 

Offish,  the  whale  but  seldom  appears  near  the  English  coasts,  the 
jjorpess,  and  others  of  the  same  genus  are  not  uncommon.  The 
basking  shark  appears  off  the  shores  of  Wales.  Numerous  are 
the  edible  sea-fish.  Some  of  the  most  celebrated  are  the  turbot, 
doree,  soal,  cod,  plaice,  smelt,  and  mullet.  The  consumption  of 
herrings  and  mackerel  extends  to  most  parts  of  the  kingdom  ;  but 
pilchards  are  confined  to  the  Cornish  coasts.  The  chief  river  fish 
are  the  salmon  and  the  trout,  which  are  brought  from  the  northern 
parts  in  prodigious  numbers,  generally  packed  in  ice.  It  is  said 
that  not  less  than  30,000  salmon  are  brought  from  one  river,  the 
Tweed,  to  London,  in  tlie  course  of  a  season.     The  lampiey  I3 

•  Pennant's  B.  Z.  I.  360. 


86  ENGLAND. 

chiefly  found  in  the  Severn,  the  charr  in  the  lakes  of  Westmore* 
land. 

The  lobster  is  found  on  most  of  the  rocky  coasts,  particularly  off 
Scarborough,  and  the  English  oysters  maintain  their  Roman  rep- 
utation. The  green  from  Colchester,  in  Essex,  and  the  juicy  white 
from  Milton,  in  Kent,  have  the  chief  reputation. 

MineraloE^ij.']  It  seldom  or  never  happens  that  countries,  abun- 
dant in  the  productions  of  agriculture  should,  at  the  same  time, 
present  an  opulent  mineralogy.  Yet  England  is  far  from  being 
deficient  in  this  respect. 

The  tin  mines  in  Cornwall  have  been  already  mentioned  ;  and 
they  are  not  only  venerable  from  their  antiquity,  but  are,  it  is  sup- 
posed, the  richest  of  the  kind  in  the  world.  That  kind  of  silver 
termed  by  mineralogists  horn  ore,  is  also  found  in  that  district ; 
but  the  profound  secrecy  observed  in  working  it,  forbids  any  in- 
vestigation of  the  amount.  The  Huel  rock  boasts  of  what  is  call- 
ed bell-metal  ore ;  and  of  wolfram. 

Cornwall  also  produces  copper  at  Redruth,  Alstone,  and  the 
Land's  End.  The  same  metal  is  found  in  Yorkshire  and  Stafford- 
shire ;  but  no  where  in  such  abundance  as  in  the  Parrys  mountain, 
in  the  north  west  of  Anglesea.*  Instead  of  descending  in  veins 
through  various  rocky  strata,  the  usual  form  of  metallic  ores,  it 
here  forms  a  prodigious  heap,  and  is  worked  in  the  manner  of  a 
quarry.  The  mountain  is  almost  bare  of  shrubs  or  grass  ;  and  is 
covered  with  aluirdnous  slate,  under  which,  in  grey  chert,  is  the 
ore,  being  chiefly  the  yellow  sulphuret,  of  very  variable  richness. 
This  valuable  mine  was  discovered  about  thirty  years  ago. 

Lead  is  found  in  the  Mendip-hills,  Somersetshire  ;  which  also 
produce  calamine  and  manganese.  The  lead-mines  in  Derbyshire 
are  well  known,  not  only  for  that  metal,  but  for  the  beautiful  veins 
of  fiuor,  which  accompany  it,  and  which  is  manufactured  into  sev- 
eral ornamental  articles.  In  general  the  northern  central  ridge 
of  mountains,  abounds  with  lead-ore.  The  lead-mines  of  Alston, 
on  the  eastern  vei'ge  of  Cumberland,  employ  about  1 100  men. 

No  metal  is  so  widely  diff'used  through  the  globe  as  iron ;  and 
England  not  only  contains  excellent  mines,  but  excels  all  nations 
in  the  variety  of  fabrication.  The  most  remarkable  mines  of  iron, 
are  those  of  Colebrookdale,  Shropshire,  Dean-forest  in  Glouces- 
tershire, with  some  in  the  north  of  England,  particularly  near  Ul- 
verston,  in  Lancashire. 

Among  the  mmor  metals,  zinc,  m  the  form  of  lapis  calimanaris, 
and  blende,  is  found  in  Derbyshire,  Denbighshire,  Cornwall,  and 
other  regions.  Nickel  and  arsenic  sometimes  appear  in  Corn- 
wall ;  and  recently,  what  is  called  menachanite.  But  one  of  the 
most  important  of  this  kind  is  plumbago,  or  black  lead,  which  is 
found  in  the  ridge  of  Borrodale,  near  Keswic,  in  Cumberland :  the 
mine  is  only  opened  at  certain  intervals  of  time. 

Gold  has  been  discovered  in  various  quarters  of  England,  but 
the  metal  has  never  recompensed  the  labor  and  expense.     The 

•Aiken's  Wales,  133. 


ENGLAND.  57 

"real  gold  mines  of  England  are  those  of  coal,  fotind  in  the  central, 
northern,  and  western  parts,  but  particularly  in  the  northern, 
around  Newcastle.  The  coals  of  Whitehaven  and  Wigan  are  more 
pure ;  and  the  cannel  and  peacock  coals  of  Lancashire,  are  so 
beautiful,  that  they  are  suspected  by  some  to  have  constituted  the 
gagatesy  or  jet,  which  the  ancients  ascribed  to  Britain.  A  singu- 
lar species  of  coal  is  found  in  Bovey-heath,  Devonshire,  resem- 
bling wood  impregnated  with  bituminous  matter.  Turf  or  peat  is 
common,  even  in  Hampshire,  and  other  southern  counties. 

The  mines  of  rock  salt,  in  Cheshire,  must  not  be  omitted.  They 
appear  to  have  been  known  to  the  Romans.  Leland  has  described 
them  in  the  time  ot  Henry  VHI ;  nor  were  they  unknown  even  in 
the  Saxon  periods.  Those  of  Northwich  are  the  most  remarkable  : 
at  Namptwich  and  Middlewich,  are  only  salt  springs :  and  others 
occur  at  Droitwich,  in  Worcestershire,  and  Weston  in  Staffordshire. 
The  immense  mines  on  the  south  side  of  Northwich,  were  discov- 
ered about  the  beginning  of  this  century.  The  quarries  with  their 
pillars  and  crystal  roof,  extending  over  many  acres,  present  a  beau- 
tiful spectacle ;  the  stratum  of  salt,  lies  under  a  bed  of  whitish 
clay,  at  the  depth  of  about  forty  yards.  The  first  stratum  is  about 
twenty  yards  thick,  so  solid  as  to  be  blasted  with  gunpowder,  this 
salt  resembles  brown  sugarcandy.  Next  is  a  bed  of  hard  stone, 
undej;;  which  is  a  second  stratum  of  salt,  about  six  yards  thick,  in 
some  parts  brown,  in  others  as  clear  as  crystal.  The  Witton  pit 
is  circular,  108  yards  in  diameter,  the  roof  supported  by  twenty- 
five  pillars,  each  containing  294  solid  yards  of  rock  salt;  the  whole 
covering  near  two  acres  of  land.  The  annual  produce  of  rock  salt 
at  Northwich,  has  been  estimated  at  65,000  tons  ;  of  which  about 
two  thirds  used  to  be  exported  to  Flanders  and  the  Baltic* 

Marbles,  and  free-stone,  or  calcareous  sand-stone,  of  various 
colors  and  textures,  also  occur ;  the  most  celebrated  of  the  latter 
are  those  of  Portland,  Purbeck,  &c.  Fine  alabaster  appears  in 
Derbyshire  ;  fullers-earth  in  Berkshire,  and  some  other  counties. 

Mineral  tvadrs.J^  Nor  is  England  less  productive  of  mineral 
"waters,  of  various  properties  and  descriptions.  Those  of  Bath 
have  been  celebrated  since  the  Roman  times.  Next  to  that  place 
of  fashionable  resort,  may  be  mentioaed  the  hot-wells  of  Bristol, 
those  of  Tunbridge  in  Kent,  and  of  Buxton  and  Scarborough  in 
the  North.  Those  of  Cheltenham  in  Gloucestershire,  have  been 
esteemed  beneficial  in  scorbutic  cases;  but  to  enumerate  the 
springs  of  inferior  note,  would  be  infinite,  as  chalybeat  wells  at 
least  must  occur  in  almost  every  county,  and  new  waters  are  daily 
starting  into  celebrity. 

Aatural  curiosities.^  Among  the  natural  curiosities,  those  of 
Derbyshire  have  always  been  esteemed  the  most  memorable. 
Hobbes  and  oihers  have  long  since  celebrated  the  wonders  of  the 
Peak,  a  mountain  not  equal  in  height  to  tliose  of  Wales,  or  tlie 
more  northern  pait  of  England,  but  perforated  with  such  verti- 

*  Pennant's  Jonrnej  from  Chester  to  London,  p.  2C.  G<mgh'»  C«mden,  ii.  438. 
Aikin's  Maaokeitcr,  4U7. 


as  ENGLAND, 

cal  chasms,  and  such  surprising  caverns  as  have  deservedly  ex- 
cited admiration. 

Other  remarkable  caverns  are  found  in  the  northern  ridge  of 
English  mountains.  In  the  vale  of  Kingsdale,  on  the  western  ex- 
tremity of  Yorkshire,  is  Yordas  cave,  which  presents  a  subterran- 
eous cascade.  But  the  most  noted  is  Wethercot  cave,  not  far 
from  Ingleton.  It  is  surrounded  with  trees  and  shrubs,  is  in  form 
like  a  iozenge,  divided  by  an  arch  of  lime-stone,  passing  under 
which  you  behold  a  large  cascade,  falling  from  a  height  of  more 
than  twenty  yards ;  the  length  of  this  cave  is  about  sixty  yardst, 
the  breadth  thirty. 

The  lakes  of  Cumberland  form  another  grand  scene  of  atti*ac- 
tion,  but  it  would  be  idle  to  attempt  to  depict,  in  a  few  words,  beau- 
ties which  have  been  described  by  so  many  authors,  and  particularly 
by  the  glowing  pencil  of  a  Gray,  Suffice  it  to  observe,  that  the  three 
most  celebrated  lakes  are  those  of  Coniston,  Windermere,  and 
Derwent.  The  beauties  of  the  first  have  been  compared  to  the 
delicate  touches  of  Claude ;  the  noble  scenes  of  the  second,  to 
those  of  Poussin  ;  while  Derwent  has  much  of  the  sublime  mild- 
ness of  Salvator  Rosa:  but  most  travellers  esteem  Ulswater  to  be 
the  most  truly  sublime. 

The  mountainous  regions  of  Wales  may  well  be  supposed  to 
present  many  natural  curiosities ;  and  the  Parrys  mine  in  Angle- 
sea,  is  in  itself  a  surprising  object.  The  cataracts  in  Cumberland 
are  rivalled  by  a  remarkable  fall  of  the  Tees,  on  the  west  of  the 
county  of  Durham,  over  which  is  abridge  suspended  by  chains,  sel- 
dom passed  but  by  the  adventurous  miners ;  nor  must  Asgarth 
force,  in  Yorkshire,  be  passed  in  silence. 

The  sub-marine  relics  of  a  forest,  on  the  coast  of  Lincolnshire^ 
may  be  deservedly  classed  among  the  most  remarkable  natural 
curiosities.  On  the  N.  W.  side  of  the  Mendip  hills,  is  a  considerable 
cavern,  at  the  bottom  of  a  deep  ravine,  near  the  little  village  ofBer- 
rington,  or  Burrington.  Here  are  a  number  of  human  bones,  grad- 
ually incorporating  with  the  lime-stone  rock  ;  there  being  a  con- 
tinual dripping  from  the  roof  and  sides,  which  deposits  a  stalactitic 
sediment  on  the  bones.  Several  nodules  contain  perfect  human 
skulls.  At  the  farther  end,  where  the  height  is  about  fifteen  feet, 
there  is  a  large  conic  stalactite,  which  nearly  meets  a  pillar  rising 
from  the  floor.  This  cave  was  only  discovered  about  two  years 
ago  ;  and  as  the  matter  increases  so  fast,  it  is  conjectured  that  it 
would  soon  have  been  closed  up.*  Hence  it  is  probable  that  these 
bones  are  of  no  remote  antiquity,  and  may,  perhaps,  be  the  remains 
of  some  wretches  who  had  here  taken  shelter  from  the  cruelty  of 
Jefferies,  after  the  insurrection  of  Monmouth. 

ENGLISH  ISLES, 

In  the  Southern,  or  English  Channel,  first  appears  the  Isle  of 
Wight,  by  the  Romans  called  Fectis,  by  the  Saxons  Vihtlond^  ois.xi 
oval  form,  about  twenty  miles  in  length,  and  twelve  in  breadth. 
*  Transact,  of  the  liiinsean  Society,  vol.  v. 


ENGLAND.  .89 

^his  isle  is  fertile  and  beautiful,  and  decorated  with  many  pictur- 
esque villas  ;  the  principal  haven  is  that  of  Newport.  The  popu- 
lation of  the  island  in  1801,  was  twenty-four  thousand.  The  chief 
mineral  products  are  pipe  clay,  and  fine  white  sand,  for  the  fabri- 
cation of  pure  glass  ;  and  at  Alum-bay,  on  the  nortli  side  of  the 
Needles,  are  found  considerable  quantities  of  native  alum.f  One 
of  the  most  remarkable  buildings  is  Carisbrook-castle,  where 
Charles  I.  was  imprisoned ;  it  was  built  soon  after  the  conquest^ 
as  appears  from  the  book  of  Doomsday.  The  lofty  white  rocks 
styled  the  Needles,  seem  to  have  been  disjoined  from  the  western 
extremity  of  the  isle  by  the  violence  of  the  waves.  There  were 
formerly  three  j  but  about  the  year  1782,  the  tallest,  which  rose 
about  120  feet  above  the  low-water  mark,  was  overthrown,  and 
totally  disappeared.! 

At  the  distance  of  about  seventy  miles  from  Wight,  to  the  S.  W. 
arises  the  little  isle  of  Alderney,  off  the  Cape  la  Hogue  ;  which 
is  afterwards  followed  by  the  more  important  isles  of  Guernsey 
and  Jersey  ;  Sark  being  a  small  isle  interposed  between  the  tw» 
latter.  Guernsey,  the  largest  of  tliese  isles,  is  twelve  miles  long, 
nine  broad,  and  about  thirty-six  in  circuit.  It  is  a  verdant  isle, 
though  the  soil  be  hilly,  and  barren  of  wood.  The  only  town  is 
that  of  Port  St.  Pien'e.§  The  population  of  the  island  in  1801,  was 
2 15,000.  Jersey  is  about  tAvelve  miles  in  length,  and  six  in  breadth, 
a  well  watered  and  fertile  island,  producing  excellent  butter  and 
honey.  The  winters  are  milder,  but  more  windy,  than  tho«e  of 
England.  The  northern  side  of  the  island  is  high,  but  the  south- 
ern subsides  into  pleasant  vales,  covered  with  orchards.  The  re- 
markable places  are  the  two  towns  of  St.  Helier  and  St.  Aubin, 
both  standing  on  a  bay,  opening  to  the  south ;  and  the  castle  of 
Mont  Orgueil.  The  inhabitants  of  Jersey  are  computed  at  20,000, 
of  whom  3000  are  capable  of  bearing  arms.  In  January  1781,  St. 
Helier  was  surprised  by  800  French,  under  Ruliicourt,  who  was 
killed,  while  Major  Pierson  fell  on  the  side  of  the  English,  his  val- 
or being  commemorated  by  paintings  and  pi'ints,  and  by  a  hand- 
some monument  in  the  church  of  St.  Helier.  Alderney  is  a  small 
isle,  with  a  town,  and  about  1000  inhabitants  in  all.  Sark  has  about 
."OO  inhabitants.! 

Returning  to  the  English  shore,  we  first  descry  Eddistone  light- 
house, beat  by  all  the  fury  of  the  western  waves.  This  edifice  has 
repeatedly  been  overthrown,  but  the  present  erection  by  Mr. 
Smeaton,  composedof  vast  masses  of  stone,  grooved  into  the  rock, 
and  joined  with  iron,  promises  alike  to  defy  accidental  fire,  and  the 
violence  of  the  ocean,  though  the  waves  sometimes  wash  over  the 
very  summit  in  one  sheet  of  foam. 

About  thirty  miles  to  the  west  of  the  Land's  End,  appear  the 
isles  of  SciLLY,  which  have  been  deemed  the  Cassiterides  of  the 
ancients.     This  cluster  is  said  to  consist  of  145  isles  covered  wifh 

t  Gongh'a  Ciimden,  i,  143.  +  Worsley's  Isle  of  Wight,  p.  274-. 

§  Guernsey  is  chiefly  rem.'U'kable  for  its  small  brewl  of  cattle, 
ir  Gou};h's  Camden,  iii,  75S. 
VOL,    II.  13 


00  ENGLAND. 

grass  or  moss,  besides  innumerable  dreary  rocks.  The  largest 
isle  is  that  of  St.  Mary,  which  is  about  five  miles  in  circuit,  and 
has  a  castle  and  garrison :  inhabitants  about  600.  That  of  St.  Ag- 
nes is  rather  fertile,  inhabitants  about  300.  The  whole  inhabi- 
tants of  the  Scilly  isles  are  computed  at  about  1000.  The  cattle 
and  horses  small ;  but  sheep  and  rabbits  thrive  well.  Considera- 
ble quantities  of  kelp  are  prepared  amid  these  rocks.* 

On  turning  to  the  north,  first  appears  the  little  isle  of  Lundy, 
situated  in  the  Bristol  Channel,  about  three  miles  long,  but  not  a 
mile  in  breadth,  with  about  500  acres  of  good  land,  some  rivulets, 
and  a  castle.     It  was  formerly  a  noted  retreat  for  pirates. 

Some  small  isles  lie  off  the  Welch  coast  of  Pembrokeshire  and 
Caernarvon,  such  as  Caldy,  Skomar,  Bardsey.,  and  others  :  but  the 
isle  of  Anglesca  deserves  more  attention,  being  the  Mona  of  Taci- 
tus. Anglesea  is  about  twenty-five  miles  in  length,  and  eighteen 
in  breadth.  The  chief  towns  are  Newburg,  Beaumaris,  and  on 
the  western  extremity,  fronting  Ireland,  Holyhead.  This  isle  is 
so  extremely  fertile,  that  the  Welch  have  emphatically  styled  it 
the  mother  of  Wales  ;  and  of  late  has  been  also  productive  of  rich 
copper  found  in  the  Parrys  mountain,  in  the  N.  E.  part  of  the 
island,  near  Amlwich,  of  which  an  account  has  been  given  in 
treating  of  the  English  minerals.  Its  population  in  1801  amount- 
ed to  35,806.  Beaumaris  is  a  large  town,  with  a  castle  built  by 
Edward  I.  Newburg  is  a  corporation  of  smaller  moment.  Holy- 
head, originally  a  fishing  town,  has  become  of  consequence,  by  the 
Irish  packets  which  pass  daily,  the  average  time  being  twelve  hours. 

The  last  English  isle  worth  notice  is  that  of  Man ;  it  is  about 
thirty  miles  in  length,  and  fifteen  in  its  greatest  breadth.  In  the 
midst  is  a  high  mountain,  called  Snafel.  The  chief  minei'al  pro- 
ductions are  black  marble,  slate,  lime  stone,  lead,  copper,  and  iron. 
Man  is  also  well  stored  with  black  cattle,  and  sheep;  and  the 
population  has  of  late  years  greatly  increased.  This  isle  was 
seized  by  the  Norwegians,  along  with  the  Western  isles  of  Scot- 
land, in  the  ninth  century :  and  remained  under  these  lords  an  in- 
dependent kingdom,  till  the  thirteenth  century,  when  it  fell  with 
those  islands  to  Alexander  III.  of  Scotland.  The  Scots  were  ex- 
pelled in  the  reign  of  Edward  II.  but  the  title  continued  dubious  ; 
for  in  the  15th  and  16th  centuries  Alexander  and  John,  Dukes  of 
Albany,  styled  themselves  lords  of  Man,  and  interwove  the  arms 
in  their  heraldry.  In  the  reign  of  Henry  IV.  the  kingdom  of 
Man  was  conferred  on  the  Stanleys,  afterwards  Earls  of  Derby,  and 
latterly  passed  to  the  family  of  Athol  by  marriage.  This  petty 
sovereignty  has  been  since  purchased  and  annexed  to  the  En- 
glish crown.  The  chief  places  are  Douglas  and  Castletown,  and 
there  are  some  considerable  villages.  The  population  in  1 80 1  was 
about  30,000. 

There  are  also  some  small  islands  off  the  eastern  coast,  as  Lin- 
disfarn,  and  Coquet  island,  near  the  mouth  of  the  river  of  that 

*  Goqgh's  Camden,  iii.  753. 


SCOTLAND.  91 

name,  in  Northumberland.  The  isle  of  Thanet  is  now  joined  to 
the  land  of  Kent ;  but  Sheppey  remains  a  pleasant  and  interest- 
ing; isle. 


SCOTLAND. 

CHAPTER  I. 
HISTORICAL  GEOGRAPHY. 

NAMES,  EXTENT,  ORIGINAL  POPULATION,  PROGRESSIVE  GEOGRA- 
PHY, HISTORICAL  EPOCHS,  ANTIQUITIES,  RELIGTON,  GOVERN- 
MENT, LAWS,  POPULATION,  MANNERS  AND  CUSTOMS,  LANGUAGE, 
LITERATURE,  EDUCATION,  UNIVERSITIES,  CITIES,  INLAND  NAVI- 
GATION,   MANUFACTURES    AND    COMMERCE. 

SCOTLAND  was  first  discovered  to  the  Romans  by  Agricola  ; 
and  in  the  works  of  Tacitus  the  northern  part  of  Britain  is 
for  the  first  time  distinguished  from  the  southern,  by  the  sp"ecial 
and  repeated  appellation  of  Caledonia,  a  name  said  to  be  derived 
from  a  Cumraig  word,  signifying  woodlands,  forests,  or,  perhaps, 
rather  a  mountainous  country  ;  for  the  ancients  often  blended  the 
ideas  of  forest  and  mountain. 

The  names  Caledonia,  and  Caledonians^  continued  to  be  used  till 
the  Roman  power  expired.  Bede,  the  father  of  English  history, 
calls  the  inhabitants  of  tlie  country  by  the  name  of  Picti,  which 
had  also  been  used  by  the  latter  Roman  writers  as  synonymous 
with  that  of  Caledonii.  The  country  he  denominates  Provincia 
Pictorum,  the  province  or  region  of  the  Picti.  This  new  name 
seems  to  have  originated  fi'om  a  country  so  styled,  in  the  south  of 
Norway,  whence  this  colony  had  arrived.  The  Saxon  writers,  and 
among  them  king  Alfred,  called  the  people  Pcohts,  and  the  coun- 
try Peohtlonel. 

These  distinctions  continued  till  the  eleventh  century,  when  the 
new  name  of  Scotia  was  taken  from  Ireland,  its  former  object,  and 
applied  to  modern  Scotland. 

Extent.^  From  the  Mull  of  Gallotvay,  in  lat.  54  44,  to  the 
parallel  of  Dungisbay-hcad,  in  58  45  is  a  length  of  280  miles;  and 
from  the  Point  or  Ru  of  Ardnamurchan  to  Buchanness  is  a  breadth 
of  1 80.  The  land  however,  is  so  indented  by  arms  of  the  sea  that, 
the  breadth  is  very  various,  and  no  part  is  distant  above  40 
miles  from  the  coast.  The  number  of  square  miles  is  estimated 
at  27,794. 

Boundaries^]  Scotland  is  bounded  W.  and  N.  by  the  Atlan- 
tic ;  E.  by  the  German  Ocean,  and  S.  by  England. 

Divi8ions.~\  Scotland  is  divided  naturally  into  Highlands  and 
Lowlands.  The  Highland  district  is  in  the  N.  and  N.  W.  and  is 
subdivided  into  two  parts,  the  West  Highlands,  comprising  the 
sljires  of  Dumbarton,  Bute,  part  of  P^rth,  and  Argyle  ;  with  the 


92 


SCOTLAND. 


isles  of  Sute^  Arran^  the  two  Cambraysf  and  Inchmarnock  ;  and  the 
North  Highkindsy  comprehending  Inverness^  Hoss,  Sout/ierlandy 
Caithness,  Athol,  Bannock,  Braidalbm,  Marr,  and  Afonteithj  with 
all  the  proper  Hebrides.  This  district,  from  Dumbarton  to  the 
coast  of  Caithness^  is  200  miles  long,  and  from  80  to  1 00  broad. 

l*lie  Lowland  district  comprises  the  E.  S.  E.  and  S.  W.  parts  of 
the  country.  Scotland  is  also  divided  with  equal  propriety  into 
three  divisions,  the  northern,  middle,  and  southern.  The  northern 
is  divided  from  the  middle  by  the  chain  of  lakes  reaching  from  the 
Moray  Firth  to  Loch  Linnhe,  The  middle  is  separated  from  the 
southern  by  the  Firths  of  Forth  and  Clyde,  and  the  great  canal. 

The  third,  or  southern  division,  comprehends  those  counties 
that  lie  between  the  Firths  of  Forth  and  Clyde,  and  the  English 
frontier ;  we  shall  also  add  to  each  county  the  amount  of  its  popu- 
lation, according  tp  the  general  enumeration  of  the  island  in  the 
year  i801. 


COUNTIES. 

INHABITANTS 

'Orkney  and  Shetland         -      '  - 

46,824 

Caithness         „         -         -         - 

22,609 

Northern 

Sutherland         -         .         -         - 

23,lir 

Division. 

Ross         -         -         - 

53,525 

Cromarty         _         -         .         - 

3,052 

Inverness         r         -         -         - 

74,292 

'Argyle         -         -           -           - 

75,700 

Bute 

U,791 

Nairn         -         -             •         , 

8,257 

Murray,  or  Elgin 

26,705 

Banff        -            -         -            - 

35,807 

Aberdeen         -         - 

123,071 

Midland 
Division. 

Mearns,  or  Kincardine 

-     26,349 

Angus,  or  Forfar 

99,127 

Perth 

126,366 

Fife             -             ... 

93,743 

Kinross          -             -             . 

6,725 

Clackmannan           _        .        . 

10,858 

Stirling            -             -          - 

50,825 

^Dumbarton         -             -            - 

20,710 

'West-^Lothian,  or  Linlithgow 

-      17,844 

Mid-Lothian,  or  Edinburgh 

122,954 

East-Lothiap,  or  Haddington     - 

29,986 

Berwick             ^         - 

30,206 

Renfrew             -             -         - 

78,056 

Southern 

Ayr         ,             .             -             . 

84,306 

Division.     < 

Wigton         -        -          ,           - 

22,918 

Lanark             .             .             - 

147,796 

Peebles             .            .             - 

8,717 

Selkirk 

5,070 

Roxburg         -             -            - 

33,712 

Dumfries         ... 

54,597 

,  Kirkudbright        ... 

29,211 

1,604,826 


SCOTLAND.  ji 

Original  Po/iulation.']  So  far  as  histoi'ical  researches  can  dis- 
cover, the  original  population  of  Scotland,  consisted  of  Cimbri, 
from  the  Cimbric  Chersonese.  About  two  centuries  before  the 
Christian  era,  the  Cimbri  seem  to  have  been  driven  to  the  south 
of  Scotland  by  the  Caledonians,  or  Picti,  a  Gothic  colony  from 
Norway.  The  Cimbri,  a  congenerous  people  with  the  Welch, 
continued  to  hold  the  country  south  of  the  two  Firths  of  Forth  and 
Clyde  :  but  from  the  former  region  they  were  soon  expelled  by 
the  Picti,  who,  in  this  corner,  became  subject  for  a  time  to  the 
Anglo-Saxon  kings  of  Bernicia.  On  the  west,  the  Cumraig  king- 
dom of  Strath  Clyde  continued  till  the  tenth  century,  when  it  be- 
came subject  to  the  kings  of  North  Britain  ;  who,  at  the  time,  ex- 
tended their  authority,  by  the  permission  of  the  English  monarchs, 
over  the  counties  of  Cumberland  and  Westmoreland,  which 
abounding  with  hills  and  fortresses  on  the  south  and  east,  were 
little  accessible  to  the  English  power;  and  while  the  Danes  pos- 
sessed the  country  to  the  north  of  the  Humber,  could  yield  little 
revenue,  or  support  to  the  Anglo-Saxon  monarchs.  From  the 
Picti  originates  the  population  of  the  Lowlands  of  Scotland,  the  Low- 
landers  having  been,  in  all  ages,  a  distinct  people  from  those  of  the 
western  Highlands,  though  the  Irish  clergy  endeavored  to  ren- 
der their  language,  which  was  the  most  smooth  and  cultivated  of 
the  two,  the  polite  dialect  of  the  court  and  superior  classes.  About 
the  year  of  Christ  258,  the  Dalraids  of  Bede,  the  Attacotti  of  the 
Roman  writers,  passed  from  Ireland  to  Argyleshire,  and  became 
the  germ  of  the  Scottish  Highlanders,  who  speak  the  Irish,  or  Cel- 
tic language,  while  the  Lowlanders  have  always  used  the  Scandi- 
navian, or  Gothic. 

Progressive  Geography.']  The  progressive  geography  of  Scot- 
land is  little  opulent  in  materials.  In  the  second  century  we 
find  a  map  of  North  Britain,  by  Ptolemy ;  but  he  represents  the 
Mull  of  Galloway  as  the  most  northern  promontory  of  Scotland,  and 
thence  bends  the  country  due  east,  so  that  all  his  longitudes  and 
latitudes  were  fictitious.  But  his  distribution  of  the  tribes  which 
then  inhabited  Scotland,  may  be  regarded  as  tolerably  exact.  In 
the  centre  of  the  country  he  places  a  vast  forest,  which  he  calls 
the  Sylva  Caledonia,  chiefly  extending  over  modem  Perthshire  ; 
an  indication  that  the  colonies  had  settled  on  the  shores,  and  that 
the  interior  part  of  the  country  was  little  known.  The  Olade7ii 
were  the  people  of  modern  Northumberland  and  Lothian ;  the  Sel- 
gova  extended  over  Dumfrieshire  and  Kirkudbright,  to  the  bay 
«f  Wigton,  while  the  JVovanta  filled  modern  Wigtonshire,  and 
extended  upwards  to  Ayr-bay.  The  fourth  southern  tribe  was 
that  of  the  Damnii,  who  possessed  the  central  region  from  near 
the  source  of  the  Clyde,  to  that  of  the  Erne.  On  the  northeast  of 
the  Damnii  were  the  Fenicentes,  from  the  Firth  of  Forth  to  the 
river  Dee,  whiie  the  Texali  held  the  modem  shires  of  Aberdeen 
and  Banff.  To  the  west  of  them  were  the  Vacomagi,  extending 
from  Fort  William  to  the  Castra  Alata,  or  Inverness.  The  other 
tribes  scarcely  deserve  enumeration  :  the  Cornabii  possessed  the 
most  northern  parts  of  Scotland,  from  Dunsbee-head  to  Strathna- 


$4  SCOTLAND. 

ver.  Four  tribes  extended  along  the  north-west,  down  to  Loch 
Linny ;  to  the  south  of  which  are  placed  the  E/iidii,  in  Argylcshire, 
who  were  divided  by  Loch  Fyn  from  the  Gadeni,  who  held  that 
part  to  the  cast  of  Argyleshirc,  called  Cowal,  in  the  county  of 
Dumbarton. 

After  the  time  of  Ptolemy  little  information  arises  concerning 
tlie  geography  of  Scotland,  till  after  the  lapse  of  seven  or  eight 
centuries,  we  find  the  dawn  of  the  present  names  and  divisions. 
In  the  latter  Roman  period,  the  province  of  Valentia  embraced 
that  part  which  was  south  of  the  Clyde  and  Forth ;  as  for  a  short 
space,  from  about  A.  D.  140  to  170,  the  nam.e  of  Ves^iasiana  had 
been  imparted  to  the  region  extending  from  the  Forth  to  Loch- 
Ness.  The  remains  of  Roman  roads  form  the  chief  evidence  of 
of  the  firm  possession  of  the  latter  province. 

In  the  middle  ages  the  name  of  Albany  had  been  applied  to  that 
part  of  Scotland  which  lies  on  the  north  of  the  Firths  ;  and  about 
the  year  1200  was  written  the  Descriptio  Albaniae.  In  the  four- 
teenth century,  Fordurn  produced  a  larger  and  more  precise  idea 
of  Scottish  geography.  Harding,  who  wrote  his  rhyming  chroni- 
cle in  the  time  of  Edward  IV.  gives  a  tolerably  exact  description 
of  Scotland,  which  he  had  visited  ;  and  some  manuscripts  of  his 
work  contain  a  rude  map  of  the  country.  The  first  engraved  map 
is  that  published  by  bishop  Lesley,  with  his  history;  but  it  abounds 
with  portentous  errors,  which  have  been  slowly  removed.  The 
atlas  published  in  the  last  century  does  honor  to  the  industry  and 
abilities  of  Pont,  and  the  munificence  of  Sir  John  Scott ;  and  the 
recent  exertions  of  Dorrett,  Roy,  Mackenzie,  Huddard,  Ainslie, 
and  others,  have  contributed  to  establish  some  exactness  in  the  ge- 
ographical and  hydrographical  delineation  of  the  country. 

Historical  Epochs.]  1.  The  original  population  of  Scotland 
by  the  Cimbri,  and  by  the  Picti,  forms  the  first  historical  epoch. 

2.  The  entrance  of  Agricola  into  Scotland,  and  the  subsequent 
conflicts  with  the  Romans,  till  the  latter  abandoned  Britain. 

3.  The  settlement  of  the  Dalriads,  or  Attacotti,  in  Argyleshirc, 
about  the  year  258,  and  their  repulsion  to  Ireland  about  the  mid- 
dle of  the  fifth  century. 

4.  The  commencement  of  what  may  be  called  a  regular  history 
of  Scotland,  from  the  reign  of  Drust,  A.  D.  414. 

5.  The  return  of  the  Dalriads,  A.  D.  503,  and  the  subsequent 
events  of  Dalriadic  story, 

6.  The  introduction  of  Christianity  among  the  Caledonians,  in 
tlie  reign  of  Brudi  II.  A.  D.  565. 

7.  The  union  of  the  Picti  and  Attacotti,  under  Kenneth,  A.  D. 
843. 

8.  The  reign  of  Malcolm  III.  A.  D.  1056;  from  which  period 
greater  civilization  began  to  take  place,  and  the  history  becomes 
more  authentic. 

9.  The  extinction  of  the  ancient  line  of  kings,  in  the  person  of 
Margaret,  of  Norway,  grand-daughter  of  Alexander  III.  A.  D. 
1290.  This  event  occasioned  the  arbitrary  interposition  of  Ed- 
ward I.  king  oi  England,  which  was  the  sole  source  of  the  enmi- 


SCOTLAND.  93 

ty  which  afterwards  unhappily  prevailed  between  the  kingdoraa. 

10.  The  accession  of  the  house  of  Stuart  to  the  Scottish  throne  ; 
a  family  which  produced  most  ingenious  and  intelligent,  but  most 
unfortunate  princes. 

11.  The  establishment  of  the  Protestant  religion,  A.  D.  1560. 

12.  The  union  of  the  two  crowns,  by  the  accession  of  James  VI. 
to  the  English  sceptre,  A.  D.  1 603. 

13.  The  civil  wars,  and  the  subsequent  disputes  between  the 
Presbyterians  and  the  Independents ;  causes  that  extinguished  all 
sound  literature  in  Scotland,  for  the  space  of  twenty  years,  A.  D. 
1640-1660. 

14.  The  revolution  of  1688,  and  tlie  firm  establishment  of  the 
Presbyterian  system. 

15.  The  union  of  the  two  kingdoms  in  1707. 

16.  The  abolition  of  the  hereditaiy  jurisdictions,  1755,  which 
laid  the  first  foundation  of  ^e  subsequent  prosperity  in  Scotland. 

Antiquities. ~\  The  monuments  of  antiquity  belonging  to  the 
more  early  epochs,  may  be  considered  in  the  following  order.  Of 
the  first  epoch,  no  monuments  can  exist,  except  those  of  the  tu- 
mular  kind ;  and  it  is  impossible  to  ascertain  the  period  of  their 
formation.  The  remains  of  the  Roman  period  in  North  Britain 
chiefly  appear  in  the  celebrated  wall,  built  in  the  reign  of  Antoni- 
us  Pius,  between  the  Firths  of  Forth  and  Clyde,  in  the  ruins  of 
which  many  curious  inscriptions  have  been  found.  Another 
striking  object  of  this  epoch,  was  a  small  edifice  on  the  stream  of 
Carron,  vulgarly  called  Arthur's  Oven,  which  seems  rightly  to 
have  been  regarded  by  some  antiquaries,  as  a  small  temple  dedi- 
dated  to  the  God  Terminus. 

The  most  northerly  Roman  camp  yet  discovered,  is  that  near 
the  source  of  the  river  Ythan,  Aberdeenshire ;  the  periphery  of 
which  is  about  two  English  miles.  A  smaller  station  has  also  been 
observed  at  Old  Meldrum,  a  few  miles  to  the  S.  E. 

Roman  roads  have  been  traced  a  considerable  way  in  the  east  of 
Scotland,  as  far  as  the  county  of  Angus,  affording  some  evidence 
of  the  existence  of  the  province  Vespasiana ;  but  the  chief  re- 
mains are  within  the  wall.  The  smaller  remains  of  Roman  an- 
tiquity found  in  Scotland,  as  coins,  utensils,  &c.  are  numerous. 

With  the  fourth  epoch  may  be  said  to  commence  the  Pikish 
monuments  of  antiquity.  The  tombs  it  would  be  difficult  to  dis- 
criminate from  those  of  the  first  epoch ;  but  as  the  Caledonian 
kings,  when  converted  to  Christianity,  held  their  chief  residence 
at  Inverness,  tlie  singular  hill  in  its  vicinity,  presenting  the  form 
of  a  boat  reversed,  may,  perhaps,  be  a  monument  of  regal  sculp- 
ture. The  places  of  judgment  among  the  Gothic  nations,  or  what 
are  now  styled  Druidic  temples,  are  numerous ;  and  there  is  a  re- 
markable one  in  the  isle  of  Leuis.  Some  of  these  monuments  are 
of  small  circuit,  and  such  are  sometimes  found  at  no  great  dis- 
tance from  each  other ;  as  they  were  not  only  erected  as  temples 
to  Odin,  Thor,  Freyga,  and  other  Gothic  Deities ;  but  every  chief 
or  lord  of  a  manor,  having  jurisdiction  over  many  ser\'ants  and 
s-laves,  such  small  courts  became  places  of  necessary  awe. 


96  SCOTLAND. 

The  houses  seem  to  have  been  entirely  of  wood  or  turf ;  but  in 
some  spots  singular  excavations  are  found  rudely  lined  with  ston^ : 
these  are  called  JVeems,  and  it  is  likely  that  they  were  always  ad- 
jacent to  the  wooden  residence  of  some  chief,  and  were  intended 
as  depositories  of  stores,  Sec.  the  roofs  being  too  low  for  comfort- 
able places  of  refuge.  The  stations  and  camps  of  the  natives  are 
distuiguished  by  their  round  form,  while  those  of  the  Romans  be- 
long to  the  square. 

Under  the  next  epoch  it  would  be  difficult  to  discover  any  genu- 
ine remains  of  the  Dali'iads.  The  houses,  and  even  churches,  were 
constructed  in  wattle-work ;  and  the  funeral  monuments  were 
cairns,  or  heaps  of  stones. 

To  the  sixth  epoch  may  probably  belong  a  chapel  or  two,  still 
remaining  in  Scotland  ;  but  it  is  probable  that  these  sacred  edifices 
in  stone  were  soon  followed  by  the  erection  of  those  rude,  round 
piles,  without  any  cement,  called  Piks  houses  ;  yet  they  may  more 
probably  belong  to 

The  seventh  epoch,  when  the  Danes  may  share  in  the  honor 
of  the  erection,  for  such  edifices  have  been  traced  in  Scandinavia* 
They  seem  to  have  consisted  of  a  vast  hall,  open  to  the  sky  in  the 
centre,  while  the  cavities  in  the  wall  present  incommodious  reces- 
ses for  beds,  8cc.  These  buildings  are  remarkable,  as  displaying 
the  first  elements  of  the  Gothic  castle  ;  and  the  castle  of  Konings- 
burg,  in  Yorkshii^e,  forms  ah  easy  transition.  The  engraved  obe- 
lisks found  at  Forres,  and  in  other  parts  of  Scotland,  have  been 
ascribed  to  the  Danish  ravagers,  who  had  not  time  for  such  erec- 
tions. They  are,  probably,  monuments  of  signal  events,  raised  by 
the  king,  or  chiefs,  and  as  some  are  found  in  Scandinavia  as  recent 
as  the  fifteenth  century,  it  is  probable  that  many  of  the  Scottish 
obelisks  are  far  more  modern  than  is  generally  imagined. 

Religionr^  It  is  generally  believed,  on  the  authority  of  the  ancient 
Scotch  historians,  the  venerable  Bede,  and  other  writers,  that  Chris- 
tianity was  first  taught  in  Scotland  by  one  of  the  disciples  of  St. 
John  the  Apostle,  who  fled  to  avoid  the  persecution  of  Domitian. 
It  was  established  in  the  third  century ;  one  of  the  moharchs,  with 
his  family,  being  then  solemnly  baptized.  About  565,  St.  Columba 
established  the  university  in  the  island  of  I-colm-Kill^  which  was 
long  the  pride  of  the  north.  His  followers  the  Culdees,  continued 
a  distinct  order  of  regular  clergy  to  the  fourteenth  century,  and  re- 
tained their  original  manners  and  doctrines.- After  that,  the  Romish 
religion  reigned  paramount  till  the  Reformation.  Still  the  depend- 
ence of  the  people  on  the  Pope  was  very  slender ;  and  the  doc- 
trines of  Luther  and  Calvin  were  no  sooner  promulgated,  than 
they  were  adopted  by  the  great  body  of  the  nation.  Protestant- 
ism in  the  Presbyterian  form  was  established  in  1560.  In  1578, 
an  attempt  was  made  to  establish  Episcopacy.  Scotland  was  par- 
celled out  into  two  archbishopricks,  St.  Andrews,  and  Glasgow  j 
and  twelve  bishopricks,  Edinburgh,  Dunkeld,  Dumblane,  Brech- 
in, Aberdeen,  Moray,  Ross,  Caithness,  Orkney,  Galloway,  Argyie, 
and  the  Isles.  This  continued  the  established  religion  till  1688. 
All  this  time  the  country  was  distracted  by  the  quarrels  of  the 


SCOTLAND.  97 

Episcopalians,  Presbyterians,  and  Independents.  In  1688,  Pres- 
byterianism  was  reestablished  and  is  now  the  national  religion.  In 
1 732,  a  large  body  of  the  Presbyterians  seceded  from  the  establish- 
ment. They  preserved  the  same  form  of  church  government, 
but  were  more  strict  in  their  sentiments  than  those  whom  they  left 
behind.  In  1747  the  Seceders  were  subdivided  into  Burghers  and 
Antiburghers.  The  former  allow  the  oaths  taken  by  the  burghes- 
ses  of  the  royal  boroughs  to  be  legal:  the  latter  object.  The  for- 
mer are  the  most  numei'ous. 

Many  respectable  families  embrace  the  Episcopal  form  of  the 
church  of  England.  The  other  sectaries  are  not  numerous.  There- 
are  few  Roman  Catholics,  even  in  the  remote  Highlands ;  the 
scheme  of  education  being  excellent,  and  generally  supported 
with  liberality. 

The  Presbyterian  form  of  religion  is  Calvinistic  in  its  doctrines, 
andjestablishes  an  entire  equality  of  ecclesiastical  authority  amonij 
its  clergy.  The  revenues  of  the  clergy  also  have  been  nearly  equal, 
none  having  been  more  than  200  pounds  sterling,  and  none  less 
than  50  pounds /?£»?•  anniLm.  By  a  late  act  of  parliament  the  smaile** 
revenues  have  all  been  raised  to  150  pounds. 

There  are  four  grades  of  ecclesiastical  courts,  the  General  As- 
sembly ^  Provincial  Synods^  Presbyteries^  and  Kirk  Sessions.  1st. 
The  General  Assembly  is  the  highest  ecclesiastical  court  in  Scot- 
land, and  may  with  propriety  be  termed  the  Ecclesiastical  ParliO' 
ment.  It  consists  of  commissioners,  some  of  whom  are  laymen, 
under  die  naine  of  ruling  elders,  from  Presbyteries,  royal  bor- 
oughs, and  universities.  One  of  the  commissioners,  usually  a  no- 
bleman of  high  rank,  represents  the  king.  A  moderator  is  chosen 
by  the  Assembly,  who  presides  and  regulates  the  proceedings. 
This  is  the  high  court  of  appeals  from  the  other  ecclesiastical 
courts,  and  its  decisions  are  final.  Its  authority  extends  over 
Scotland.  2d.  Provincial  Synods  are  composed  of  delegates  from 
a  number  of  adjacent  presbyteries  over  which  they  have  power. 
5d.  Presbyteries  are  composed  of  delegates  from  a  number  of  ad- 
jacent parishes.  They  inspect  into  the  behaviour  of  the  ministers 
and  elders  of  their  respective  bounds,  ordain  pastors,  examine 
and  licence  schoolmasters,  &c.  4th.  The  Kirk  Session,  com- 
posed of  the  minister,  elders  and  deacons  of  a  parish,  is  the 
lowest  ecclesiastical  court.  It  has  the  superintendence  of  the 
poor,  visits  the  sick,  and  assists  the  clergyman  in  his  clerical 
functions. 

The  following  is  a  view  of  the  ecclesiastical  establishment  of 
Scotland,  as  divided  into  -Synods  and  Presbyteries,  with  the  num- 
ber of  ministers  in  each  synod,  in  1803. 


Syumls. 

Lothian  and  Tv/eedale 

Presbj 

teriea. 
7 

AfiDisten. 
116 

Merse  and  Teviotdale 

. 

6 

6.6 

Dumfries         -             _           - 

. 

5 

54 

Galloway 
Glasgow  and  Ayr 

, 

3 
7 

37 
130 

VOL.    II.                           13 

98 


10 


SCOTLAND. 

Perth  and  Stirlii^g        -         - 

3 

80 

Fife 

4 

71 

Angus  and  Mcarns 

6 

81 

Aberdeen         -             -             -         - 

8 

101 

Moray             .... 

7 

54 

Ross             -             -         - 

3 

23 

Sutherland  and  Caithness 

3 

23 

ArgylA         .... 

5 

41 

Glenelg             -             ... 

5 

29 

Orkney             -             -         - 

4 

30 

78  936 

These  936  clergymen  are  settled  over  877  chui'ches,  31  of  the 
churches  being  collegiate.  The  Scotch  clergy  deserve  the  high-, 
est  praise  as  men  of  enlightened  minds,  and  unblemished  life. 

The  Seceders  are  also  very  numerous.  The  Burghers  have 
about  100  ministers,  and  each  has,  at  a  medium,  a  congregation  of 
about  1000.     The  number  of  the  Antiburghcrs  is  less. 

Go-vern7nent.']  The  government  of  Scotland,  since  the  union, 
has  been  blended  with  that  of  England.  The  chief  distinction  be- 
tween the  original  constitution  of  the  two  countries,  was,  that 
Scotland  had  no  House  of  Commons,  the  Parliament,  consisting  of 
all  descriptions,  assembled  in  one  hall.  That  enlightened  prince, 
James  I.  of  Scotland,  endeavoured  in  vain  to  establish  a  House  of 
Commons,  in  imitation  of  that  of  England,  where  he  was  educated. 
The  most  splendid  remaining  feature  of  government  in  Scotland, 
is  the  General  Assembly.  Next  to  which  may  be  classed,  the 
High  Courts  of  Justice,  especially  that  styled  the  Session,  consist- 
ing of  a  president,  and  fourteen  senators.  The  Lords  of  Session, 
as  they  are  styled  in  Scotland,  upon  their  promotion  to  office,  as- 
sume a  title,  generally  from  the  name  of  an  estate,  by  which  they 
are  known  and  addressed,  as  if  peers  by  creation,  while  they  are 
only  constituted  lords  by  superior  interest,  or  talents.  This  court 
is  the  last  resort  in  several  causes,  and  the  only  appeal  is  to  the 
parliament  of  Great  Britain. 

It  is  to  be  regretted  that  the  causes  are  not  determined  by  jury 
as  in  England.  The  justiciary  court  consists  of  five  judges,  who 
are  likewise  Lords  of  Session :  but,  with  a  president,  styled  the 
Lord  Justice  Clerk,  as  he  is  only  understood  to  represent  the  for- 
merly great  office  of  Justice  General.  This  is  the  supreme  court 
in  criminal  causes,  which  are  determined  by  the  majority  of  a  ju- 
ry, and  not  by  the  unanimity,  as  in  England.  There  is  also  a 
court  of  Excheqxier,  consisting  of  a  Lord  Chief  Baron,  and  four 
Barons ;  and  a  High  Court  of  Admiralty,  in  which  there  is  only 
one  judge.  The  keepers  of  the  great  and  privy  seals,  and  the 
lord  register  or  keeper  of  the  records,  may  also  be  mentioned  un- 
der this  head. 

The  Scots  are  represented  in  the  Imperial  Parliament  by  1 6 
peers,  elected  by  the  nobility  by  writ  at  the  calling  of  every  par- 
liament, who  bit  and  vote  in  the  House  of  Lords.     To  the  House 


SCOTLAND.  99 

of  Commons,  Scotland  sends  35  members^  viz.  30  knighis  of  the 
shires,  and  15  from  the  royal  boroughs. 

Zcws.]  The  law  of  Scotland  differs  essentially  from  that  of 
England,  being  founded,  in  a  great  measure,  upon  the  civil  law. 
It  partly  consists  of  statute  law  ;  but  many  of  the  ancient  statutes 
never  having  been  enforced,  the  chief  rule  of  this  sort  arises  from 
the  decisions  of  the  session,  which  are  carefully  preserved  and 
published,  and  afford  precedents,  generally  deemed  unexception- 
able. Of  common  law  there  is  hardly  a  trace,  while  the  civil  and 
canon  laws  may  be  said  to  form  the  two  pillars  of  Scottish  judica- 
ture. The  modes  of  procedure  have,  however,  the  advantage  of 
being  free  from  many  of  those  legal  fictions,  which  disgi'ace  the 
laws  of  some  other  countries.  The  inferior  courts  are  those  of  the 
sheriffs,  magistrates,  and  justices  of  the  peace.  Under  the  hered- 
itary jurisdictions,  happily  abolished,  the  peers,  and  otlier  great 
men,  maintained  a  power,  almost  absolute,  over  their  tenants  and 
foUov.'^ers,  so  that  there  was  no  law  but  the  will  of  the  master,  and 
the  cities  alone  could  be  deemed  seats  of  freedom. 

Pofiulation.'\  The  population  of  Scotland,  in  1755,  was  at 
1 ,265,380  ;  according  to  the  documents  furnished  by  Sir  J.  Sii>clair's 
statistical  account,  the  numbers  in  1798,  were  1,527,892;  and  by 
the  government  enumeration  in  1801,  the  inhabitants  appeared  to 
amount  to  1,604,826.  The  increase  in  46  years  was  339,446,  or  a 
little  more  than  26  and  |  per  cent. 

The  army,  navy,  revenues,  political  importance,  and  relations 
of  Scotland,  are  now  inseparably  intermingled  with  those  of  En- 
gland. 

Manners  and  Customs.^  The  manners  and  customs  of  the  Scots 
begin  to  be  much  assimilated  with  those  of  the  English.  In  their 
religious  ceremonies,  attending  baptism  and  marriages,  there  arc 
variations  arising  from  the  Presbyterian  form  which  does  not  ad- 
mit of  god-fathers  or  god-mothers,  but  renders  the  parents  alone 
answerable  for  the  education  of  the  child.  The  clergyman  docs 
not  attend  at  funerals,  nor  is  there  any  religious  service,  but  gener- 
ally great  decency.  Among  the  lower  classes  the  funerals  are 
generally  far  more  numerously  attended  than  in  England  ;  nor  is 
black  an  indispensable  colour  of  dress  on  such  occasions. 

In  the  luxuries  of  the  table  the  superior  classes  rival  the  Eng- 
lish ;  several  national  dishes,  formerly  served  up  at  the  begt  ta- 
bles, and  originating  from  the  Frencii  cooking,  in  the  reign  of 
Mary,  being  now  vulgar  or  neglected.  The  diet  of  the  lower 
classes  passes  in  a  gradual  transition  from  the  north  of  England. 
The  chief  food  is  fiarich^  or  thick  pottage,  formed  \yith  oatmeal 
and  water,  and  eaten  with  milk,  ale,  or  butter;  in  a  hard  lumpy 
form  it  is  called  brosc.  With  this  the  laborer  is  generally  con- 
tented twice  or  thrice  in  the  day,  with  a  little  bit  of  meat  for  Sun- 
day ;  nor  does  he  repine  at  the  bacon  of  the  English  poor,  there 
being  a  theological  antipathy  to  swine,  which  also  extoiids  to  eels, 
on  account  of  their  serpent-like  form. 

The  sobriety  of  the  lower  classes  is  in  general  exemplary  ;  and 
the  Scottish  manufacturer  or  iaboror,  instead  of  wasting;  his  week- 


100  SCOTLAND. 

ly  gains  at  an  ale-house,  is  ambitious  to  appear  with  his  family  in 
decent  clothes  on  Sundays  and  other  holidays.  This  may  be  re- 
garded as  a  striking  characteristic  of  the  Scottish  peasantry,  who 
prefer  the  lasting  decencies  of  life  to  momentary  gratifications. 
To  this  praise  may  be  added,  that  of  intelligence,  arising  from  the 
diffusion  of  education,  which  is  such,  that  even  the  miners  in  the 
south  possess  a  circulating  library. 

The  houses  of  the  opulent  have  been  long  erected  upon  the  En- 
glish plan,  which  can  hardly  be  exceeded  for  interior  elegance  and 
convenience.  Even  the  habitations  of  the  poor  have  been  greatly 
improved  within  these  few  years,  and  instead  of  the  thatched  mud 
hovel,  there  often  appears  the  neat  cottage  of  stone,  covered  with 
tile  or  slate. 

The  dress  of  the  superior  classes  is  the  same  with  that  of  the 
English.  The  gentlemen  in  the  Highlands,  especially  in  the 
time  of  war,  use  the  peculiar  dress  of  that  country.  Among  the 
other  classes,  the  Scottish  bonnet  is  now  rarely  perceived,  except 
in  the  Highlands ;  it  Avas  the  usual  covering  for  the  h6ad  all  over 
Europe,  till  towards  the  end  of  the  sixteenth  century,  when  the 
hat,  formerly  only  worn  in  riding  or  hunting,  came  into  general  use. 

The  amusements  of  the  rich  are  on  a  parallel  with  those  of  the 
English  ;  but  those  of  the  peasantry  have  several  diversities,  which 
the  reader  may,  perhaps,  best  learn  from  the  poems  of  Burns. 
That  of  curling  consists  in  rolling  large  stones,  with  iron  handles, 
upon  the  ice,  towards  a  fixed  mark,  a  healthy  and  favourite  diver- 
sion in  the  winter.  The  English  quoits  are  supplied  by  penny 
stanes,  round  flat  Stones,  which  are  tossed  in  the  same  manner. 
Two  exquisite  poems  of  Mr.  Bui-ns,  his  Hailoween,  and  his  Cot- 
ter's Saturday  A'ight,  will  convey  more  information  concerning  the 
amusements,  superstitions,  and  manners,  of  the  Scottish  peasant- 
ry, than  the  longest  and  most  animated  detail. 

Langua^e.^  The  Scottish  language  falls  under  two  divisions, 
that  of  the  Lowlands  consisting  of  the  ancient  Scandinavian  dia- 
lect, blended  with  the  Anglo-Saxon ;  and  that  of  the  Highlands, 
which  is  Irish.  The  Lord's  prayer,  in  the  most  ancient  language 
of  the  Lowlands,  would  be  as  follows  : 

1.  Uor  fader  quhilk  beest  i  Hevin.  2.  Hallowit  weird  thyne 
nam.  3.  Cum  thyne  kingrik.  4.  Be  dune  thyne  wull  as  is  i  Ke- 
vin sva  po  yerd.  5.  Uor  dailie  breid  gif  us  thilk  day.  6.  And 
forleit  us  uor  skaiths,  as  we  forleit  tham  quha  skath  us.  7.  And 
leed  us  na  intil  temtation.     8.  Butan  fre  us  fra  evil.     Amen. 

The  islands  of  Orkney  were  seized  by  the  Norvegians,  in  the 
ninth  century,  and  the  inhabitants  retained  the  Norse  language 
till  recent  times,  when  they  began  to  speak  remarkably  pure  En- 
glish. Chamberlayne  has  given  the  Lord's  prayer  in  their  ancient 
dialect : 

\.  Favor  ir  i  chimre.  2.  Helleur  ir  i  nam  thite.  3.  Gilla  cos- 
dum  thite  cumma.  4.  Beya  thine  mota  vara  gort  o  yurn  sinna  gort 
i  chimi'ie.  5.  Ga  vus  da  on  da  dalight  brow  vora.  6.  Firgive  vus 
sinna  vora  sin  yee  firgive  sindara  mutha  vus.     6.  Lyve  us  ye  i 


SCOTLAND.  101 

tuntation.  8.  Min  delivera  vus  fro  olt  ilt.  Amen:  or^  On  sa 
meteth  vera. 

In  the  Erse,  or  Irish,  of  the  Highlands,  the  same  supplication 
runs  thus : 

A  n'  Athair  ata  air  Neamh.  1.  Gu  naamhaichear  t  Tinm.  2. 
Tigeadh  do  Rioghachd.  3.  Deanthar  do  Thoil  air  an  Talmah 
mar  a  nithear  air  Neamh.  4.  Tabhair  dhuinn  an  diu  ar  n  Aran 
laitheil.  5.  Agus  maith  dhuinn  ar  P'iacha  amhuil  mar  mhaithmid 
d'ar  luekdfia  chaibh.  6.  Agus  na  leig  am  buaircadh  sinn.  7. 
Ach  saor  sinn  o  Ole.     Amen. 

Literature.^  The  literature  of  Scotland  recompenses  for  its  re- 
cent origin  by  its  rapid  progress  and  extensive  fame.  The  coun- 
try that  produced  Buchanan  in  the  sixteenth  century,  could  not, 
in  the  twelfth,  boast  of  one  native  writer. 

Yet,  it  m.ust  not  be  forgotten,  that  in  this  dark  period,  on  the 
sacred  ground  of  Hyona,  flourished  several  respectable  Irish  wri- 
ters, who  are  also  classed  among  the  apostles  of  religion  and 
learning  in  England ;  such  wore  Columba,  who  converted  the 
northern  Caledonians,  and  his  biographers,  Cuminius  and  Adom- 
nan,  the  latter  the  friend  of  Bedc.  Among  the  Strathclyde  Welch 
may  be  named  Patrick,  in  his  turn  the  apostle  of  Ireland. 

One  of  the  eai'liest  native  writers  is  Thomas  of  Erceldon,  called 
the  Rimer,  who  flourished  about  the  year  ]  270,  and  wrote  a  me- 
trical romance,  called  Sir  Tristram,  now  unfortunately  lost.  John 
Barbour,  Archdeacon  of  Aberdeen,  wrote  his  poem  on  the  actions 
of  Robert  I.  in  the  year  1 375.  At  the  same  time  flourished  John 
Fordun,  the  father  of  Scottish  history.  James  I.  of  Scotland,  wrote 
some  excellent  poems  early  in  the  fifteenth  century  ;  and  he  was 
followed  by  Holland,  and  Henry  the  Rimer.  In  the  end  of  that 
century  arose  Dunbar,  the  chief  of  the  ancient  Scottish  poets  ;  and, 
in  the  beginning  of  the  next,  Gawin  Douglas  and  David  Linsay. 
The  Scottish  muse  continued  to  warble  till  the  middle  of  the  sev- 
enteenth century,  when  religious  fanaticism  extinguished  all  the 
arts  and  sciences,  but  not  before  Drummond  had  wove  his  web  of 
Doric  delicacy.  In  more  modern  times  the  names  of  Thompson, 
BMir,  Armstrong,  Beattie,  Burns,  Sec.  are  universally  known. 

The  other  departments  of  science  are  of  yet  more  recent  culti- 
vation in  Scotland  ;  even  theology  seems  unknown  till  the  begin- 
ning of  the  sixteenth  century  ;  and  of  medicine  there  is  no  trace  till 
the  seventeenth :  wJiile  now  Edinburgh  ranks  among  the  first  me- 
dical schools  of  Europe.  Natural  philosophy  and  history  were  total- 
ly neglected  till  after  the  Restoration ;  yet  Scotland  can  now  pro- 
duce able  writers  in  almost  every  branch,  and  equal  progress  has 
been  made  in  moral  philosophy.  Among  the  new  departments  of 
literature  in  which  the  Scottish  authors  have  been  unsuccessful, 
may  be  named  epic  poetry,  comedy,  and  the  critical  illustration  of 
the  classics. 

Education.']  The  mode  of  education  pursued  in  Scotland  is 
highly  laudable,  and  to  judge  from  its  eff'ccts  is,  perhaps,  the  bcbt 
practical  system  pursued  in  any  country  in  Europe.  The  plan 
which  is  followed  in  tlie  cities  is  nearly  similar  to  that  of  England, 


102  SCOTLAND. 

cither  by  private  teachers,  or  at  large  public  schools,  of  which  that 
of  Edinburgh  is  the  most  eminent,  and  may  be  traced  from  the 
sixteenth  century.  But  the  superior  advantage  of  the  Scottish 
education  consists  in  every  country  parish  possessing  a  school- 
master, as  uniformly  as  a  clergyman;  at  least  the  rule  is  general, 
and  the  exceptions  rare.  The  schoolmaster  has  a  small  salaiy, 
or  rather  pittance,  which  enables  him  to  educate  the  children  at  a 
Tate  easy  and  convenient,  even  to  indigent  parents.  In  the  High- 
lands the  poor  children  attend  to  the  flocks  in  the  summer,  and 
the  school  in  the  winter.  There  is  no  country  on  the  globe,  ex- 
cept New-England,  in  which  the  education  of  the  poor  is  so  uni- 
versally attended  to. 

Universities.^  The  ilniversities  of  Scotland,  or  rather  colleges, 
(for  an  English  university  includes  many  colleges  and  founda- 
tions,) amount  to  no  less  than  four,  three  on  the  eastern  coast,  St. 
Andrew's,  Aberdeen  and  Edinburgh  ;  and  one  on  the  western, 
that  of  Glasgow. 

The  university  of  St.  Andrew's  was  founded  by  Bishop  Ward- 
law,  in  the  year  1412  ;  but  as  it  is  now  of  small  importance  in  the 
proximity  of  that  of  Edinburgh,  it  Avould  be  a  patriotic  measure  to 
transfer  it  to  the  Highlands.  That  of  Glasgow  was  founded  by 
Bishop  Turnbull,  in  the  year  1453,  and  it  has  produced  many  il- 
lustrious professors  and  able  students.  The  late  Mr.  Anderson, 
professor  of  natural  philosophy,  founded  an  institution  to  promote 
the  knowledge  of  natural  philosophy  and  history,  and  more  espe- 
cially the  application  of  these  sciences  to  the  useful  purposes  of 
commerce  and  manufactures.* 

The  third  university,  that  of  Aberdeen,  was  founded  by  Bishop 
Elphinstone,  in  the  year  1500,  and  it  has  always  supported  its  high 
character  and  intentions.  In  the  year  1593,  George  Keith,  fifth 
Earl  Marshall,  founded  a  college  at  Aberdeen,  being  the  only  Scot- 
tish nobleman  who  can  claim  that  high  honor.  The  last,  not  least, 
is  that  of  Edinburgh,  founded  by  James  VI.  in  1580 ;  and  the  bare 
enumeration  of  its  illustrious  professors  and  writers  would  occu- 
py too  much  space  for  the  present  plan.  The  buildings  being 
mean  and  confined,  the  foundation  of  a  new  edifice  was  laid  in 
1789,  and,  it  is  hoped,  will  soon  be  completed  on  the  magnificent 
plans  adjusted  by  Adams. 

Cities  and  Towns. ~\  The  chief  cities  and  towns  in  Scotland  must 
now  be  considered.  Edinburgh,  the  capital,  is  comparatively  of 
modern  name  and  note,  the  earliest  hint  that  can  be  applied  to  it, 
occurring  in  the  Chronicon  Pictorum.,  about  the  year  955,  where 
mention  is  made  of  a  town  called  Eden,  as  resigned  by  the  Eng- 
lish to  the  Scotts,  then  ruled  by  Indulf.  Holyrood  house  was  tlie 
foundation  of  the  first  David. 

The  population  of  Edinburgh,  including  the  port  of  Leith,  was, 
in  1678,  computed  at  35,500;  in  1755,  at  70,430;  and  in  1791,  at 
84,886.t 

■*  G^-net's  Tour,  ii.  193.  t  Statist,  Accoun',  ^i.  £61, 


SCOTLAND.  103 

,  The  whole  number  of  inhabitants  in  the  old  and  new  town  of 
Edinburgh  together  with  the  suburbs  and  the  sea  ports  of  north 
and  south  Leith  were  found  by  actual  enumeration  in  1801  to 
amount  to  82,560.* 

The  arrivals  and  clearances  at  Leith  Harbor,  exceed  the  number 
©f  iroo  vessels  of  various  descriptions.  Of  these  165  belong  to 
the  town.  The  commerce  has  been  stated  at  half  a  million  an- 
nually. 

The  houses  in  the  old  town  of  Edinburgh,  are  sometimes  of  re- 
"markable  height,  not  less  than  thirteen  or  fourteen  floors,  a  singu- 
larity ascribed  to  the  wish  of  the  ancient  inhabitants,  of  being  un- 
der the  protection  of  the  castle.  This  part  of  the  city  stands  on 
the  ridge  of  a  hill,  gradually  descending  from  the  lofty  precipice  on 
which  the  castle  is  situated,  to  a  bottom,  in  which  stands  the  pal- 
ace of  Holyrood-house.  Adjacent  to  this  edifice,  is  a  park  of  con- 
siderable extent,  replete  with  mountainous  scenery ;  for  the  basal- 
tic heights  of  Arthur's  seat,  and  Salisbury  crags,  are  witliin  its 
precincts.  The  new  town  of  Edinburgh  is  deservedly  celebrated 
for  regularity  and  elegance,  the  houses  being  all  of  frec-stonc, 
and  some  pf  them  ornamented  Avith  pillars  and  pilasters. 

There  are  several  public  edifices  in  Edinburgh,  which  would 
do  honor  to  any  capital ;  among  such  may  be  named  the  castle, 
the  palace,  the  principal  church,  Heriot's  hospital,  register  office, 
the  new  college,  and  several  buildings  in  the  new  city.f  There 
is  an  elegant  bridge,  reaching  from  the  hill  on  which  the  ancient 
city  stands,  to  the  elevated  side  of  tlae  new  town.  Another  bridge 
passes  in  a  line  with  the  former,  towards  the  south,  over  a  street 
called  the  cow-gate  :  and  an  artificial  mound  extends  from  the 
western  part  of  the  ridge  to  the  opposite  hill.  The  environs  of 
Edinburgh  are  singularly  pleasing  and  picturesque.  On  the  north 
is  an  elevated  path,  leading  to  the  harbor  of  Leith  :  on  the  east  are 
Musselburgh  and  Dalkeith,  rural  villages.  Watered  by  a  beautiful 
stream.  On  the  south,  Pentland  hills  ;  and  towards  the  west,  the 
rivulet  Leith,  and  banks  of  romantic  variety. 

The  second  city  in  Scotland  is  Glasgow,  of  ancient  note  in  ec- 
clesiastical story,  but  of  small  account  in  the  annals  of  commerce, 
till  the  time  of  Cromwell's  usurpation.:}:  The  population  of  Glas- 
gow, in  1755,  was  computed  at  23,546,  including  the  suburbs  ;  the 
number  in  1791,  was  estimated  at  61,945  ;  and  the  amount  of  the 
enumeration  in  1801,  was  77,385.  The  aaiciei^t  city  was  ratlier 
venerable  than  beautiful,  but  recent  improvements  havo  rendered 
it  one  of  the  neatest  cities  in  Scotland.  Its  western  situation 
exposes  it  to  frequent  rains,  a  disadvantage  recompensed  by  its 
favoi'able  position  for  commerce  with  America  and  the  West  In- 
dies. Its  commerce  has  arisen  to  great  extent  since  the  year 
1718,  when  the  first  ship  that  belonged  to  Glasgow  crossed  the 
Atlantic.§  The  number  of  ships  belonging  to  the  Clyde,  in  1790, 
was  476,  the  tonnage  46,581 ;  but  before  the  American  war,  it  was 

•  Abstract  of  the  answers  and  retums,  &o.  P.  II.  i  Denholmc's  Glv^n^. 

f  Araol's  EdinburgJi.  Kincaid's  do,  §  Statist.  Ace.  v.  498. 


104  SCOTLAND. 

supposed  to  have  amounted  to  60,000  tons.  Though  the  manu- 
factures scarcely  exceed  half  a  century  m  antiquity,  they  are  now 
nvimerous  and  important.*  That  of  cotton  in  1791,  was  computed 
to  employ  15,000  looms;  and  the  goods  produced,  Averc  supposed 
to  amount  to  the  yearly  value  of  1,500,000/.  the  manufacturers  of 
linens,  woollens,  Sec.  are  far  from  being  of  similar  consequence. 
The  ancient  cathedral  of  Glasgow  survived  the  reformation,  when 
the  other  Scottish  edifices  of  that  denomination  sunk  into  ruins. 
Two  convenient  bridges  are  thrown  over  the  Clyde.  The  envi- 
rons of  Glasgow  present  little  remarkable. 

Next  in  eminence  arc  the  cities  of  Perth  and  Aberdeen,  and  ther 
town  of  Dundee.  Perth  is  an  ancient  town,  supposed  to  have  been 
the  Victoria  of  the  Romans.  It  is  pleasantly  situated  on  the  west- 
ern bank  of  the  river  Tay ;  and  has  been  known  in  commerce 
since  the  thirteenth  century,  but  at  present  the  trade  is  chiefly  of 
the  coasting  kind,  Dilndee  possessing  a  more  advantageous  situa- 
tion for  foreign  intercourse.  Linen  forms  the  staple  manufacture, 
to  the  annual  amount  of  about  160,000/.  There  are  also  manufac- 
turers of  leather  and  paper.  Perth  displays  few  public  edifices 
worth  notice.  Inhabitants,  about  23,000.  There  is  a  noble  bridge, 
of  recent  date,  over  the  Tay,  and  the  environs  are  interesting, 
particularly  the  hill  of  Kinnoul,  which  presents  singular  scenes, 
and  many  curious  mineral  productions. 

About  18  miles  nearer  the  mouth  of  the  Tay,  stands  Dundee,  in 
the  county  of  Angus,  a  neat  modei-n  town.  The  firth  of  Tay  is  here 
between  two  and  three  miles  broad  ;  and  there  is  a  good  road  for 
shipping  to  the  east  of  the  town,  as  far  as  Broughty-castle.  On 
the  1  St  of  September  1 65 1 ,  Dundee  was  taken  by  storm  by  gener- 
al Monk  ;  and  Lumisden,  the  governor,  pei'ished  amidst  a  torrent 
of  bloodshed.  The  population  is,  however,  now  equal  to  26,084  ; 
the  public  edifices  are  neat  and  commodious.  In  1792,  the  ves- 
sels belonging  to  the  port,  amounted  to  116,  tonnage  8,550.  The 
staple  manufacture  is  linen,  to  the  annual  value  of  about  80,000/, 
canvass,  Sec.  about  40,000/.  Colored  thread  also  forms  a  consider- 
able article,  computed  at  33,000/.  and  tanned  leather  at  14,000/.t 

Aberdeen  first  rises  to  notice  in  the  eleventh  century,  and  con- 
tinued to  be  chiefly  memorable  in  ecclesiastical  story.  In  the 
fourteenth  century  it  was  destroyed  by  Edward  III.  of  England. 
The  population  in  1795  was  computed  at  24,493,  and  in  1801  it 
amounted  to  27,500.  Though  the  harbor  be  not  remarkably  com- 
modious, it  can  boast  a  considerable  trade,  the  chief  exports  being 
salmon  and  woollen  goods.  In  1795,  the  British  ships  entered  at 
the  port,  were  6 1 ,  the  foreign  five ;  and  the  British  ships  cleared 
outwards,  amounted  to  28.  The  chief  manufactures  are  woollen 
goods,  particularly  stockings,  the  annual  export  of  which  is  com- 
puted at  123,000/.  The  coarse  linen  manufacture  is  not  of  much 
account,  but  the  thread  is  of  esteemed  quality. 

The  other  chief  towns  of  Scotland  shall  only  be  briefly  mention- 
ed, beginning  with  the  south  east  part  of  the  kingdom.     Berwick 

»  Statist.  Ace,  V.  502,  f  I^'*^-  ^^'^-  "*'"-P-  ^^^-  ^®- 


SCOTLAND. 


ViS 


is  a  fortified  town  of  some  note,  and  carries  on  a  considerable 
trade  in  salmon.  The  vessels  built  at  this  port  are  constructed 
on  excellent  principles. 

Jedburgh,  on  the  river  Jed,  which  descends  from  the  Cheviot 
hills,  is  chiefly  rcmai'kable  for  the  beautiful  ruins  of  an  abbcy^ 
founded  by  David  I.     Present  number  of  inhabitants  3,834. 

Dumfries  stands  on  a  rising  ground,  on  the  eastern  banks  of 
the  Nith,  and  contains  7,288  inhabitants. 

Ayr,  in  the  S.  W.  of  Scotland,  is  situated  on  a  sandy  plain,  on  a 
river  of  the  same  name  ;  the  chief  trade  is  in  grain  and  coals  ;  and 
a  few  vessels  are  built.  Inhabitants  5,492.  Kilmarnock  has  a 
population  of  8,079.    Irwine  has  4584. 

Lanark  stands  in  a  most  picturesque  country,  near  the  cele- 
brated falls  of  the  Clyde.  It  was  only  noted  for  its  academy,  un- 
der the  management  of  Mr.  Thompson,  brother-in-law  of  Thom- 
son the  poet,  till  the  recent  cotton  manufacture,  and  other  erec- 
tions by  the  patriotic  Mr.  Dale,  rendered  this  town  still  more 
worthy  of  attention.  Inhabitants  4,692.  Hamilton  in  the  same  shire 
contains  5,908  souls. 

Greenock  and  Port-Glasgow,  are  considerable  towns,  which 
have  arisen  to  celebrity,  by  sharing  in  the  trade  of  Glasgow. 
Greenock  contains  17,458  inhabitants  ;  Port-Glasgow  about  3,865. 
Paisley,  in  the  pame  county,  is  celebrated  by  its  manufacture  of 
muslin,  lawns,  and  gauzes,  to  the  annual  amount  it  is  said,  of 
660,000/.  The  population  amounts  to  31,179.  Dumbarton,  on 
the  opposite  shore  of  the  Clyde,  contains  about  2,541  soul^,  and  is 
also  subservient  in  the  manufactures  of  Glasgow. 

Sterling  is  rather  remarkable  for  its  commanding  and  truly  roy- 
al situation,  than  for  its  industiy.  The  inhabitants  amount  to 
5,256.  Between  Sterling  and  Edinburgh  stands  Boness,  former- 
ly called  Borrowstowness,  in  the  midst  of  collieries  and  salt- 
works :  the  harbor  is  good  and  there  are  2,790  inhabitaiits.  Fal- 
kirk in  the  same  shire  contains  8,838  souls  ;  and  St.  Ncnian's 
6,849. 

The  county  of  Fife  contains  many  towns,  some  of  which  were 
in  a  more  flourishing  situation,  when  Scotland  carried  on  a  con- 
siderable intercourse  with  France.  Dunfermline  is  a  pleasant 
town,  containing  9,980  inhabitants,  and  carries  on  a  considerable 
manufacture  of  diapers.  There  are  ruins  of  a  palace,  the  royal 
residence  in  the  time  of  Malcolm  III.  St.  Andrews  has  4,203  ; 
it  is  chiefly  remarkable  for  its  ruined  cathedral.  Dysart  contains 
5,385. 

Forfar,  in  Angus,  contains  5,165  souls,  and  the  linen  manufac- 
tures deserve  mention. 

Dunkeld  is  of  venerable  and  picturesque  fame,  but  its  linen 
manufactures  are  inconsiderable.  Brechin  contains  5,466  peo- 
ple :  its  products  are  linen,  cotton,  and  tanned  leather.  Mont- 
rose has  a  population  of  7974,  and  a  few  manufactures  j  the  build- 
ings are  mostly  modern  and  neat. 

The  county  of  Mearns  presents  no  to^vtt  worth  mention.  Peter- 
head, in  Aberdeenshire,  contains  about  2000  souls.     It  has  a  min- 

VOL.   II.  14 


\06  SCOTLAND. 

cral  spring,  and  carries  on  some  trade  with  the  Baltic.  Frazer- 
burgh,  near  the  promontory  of  Kinnaird  Head,  has  also  a  good  har- 
bor.   Inhabitants  2,215. 

Portsoy  is  a  sea-port  town,  peopled  with  about  2000  souls.  In 
the  neighborhood,  are  the  rocks  well  known  to  mineralogists,  con- 
taining elegant  granites  of  different  kinds,  serpentines  and  steat- 
ites, with  their  usual  concomitants,  asbestos  and  amianthus. 

Elgin,  the  capital  of  the  county  of  Moray,  boasts  of  the  remains 
of  an  elegant  cathedral,  and  contains  4,545  inhabitants. 

Inverness  is  an  ancient  and  flourishing  town,  the  capital  of  the 
northern  Highlands.  The  population  equals  8,732.  The  chief 
manufactures  are  ropes  and  candles.  An  academy  has  lately  been 
founded  here  on  an  excellent  plan. 

The  few  towns  further  to  the  north  are  of  little  account.  Port 
Rose  has  only  800  souls  ;  but  Cromarty  has  2,208,  a  small  manu- 
facture of  coarse  cloth,  and  some  coasting  trade  in  corn,  thread, 
yarn,  nails,  fish  and  skins.  Dingwall  contains  1,418  souls,  and  a 
small  linen  manufacture.  Tain  has  2,277  inhabitants.  Dornoch  was 
once  the  residence  of  the  bishops  of  Caithness:  population  2372. 

After  a  dreary  interval  Wick  occurs,  the  last  town  on  the  east- 
em  coast;  the  inhabitants,  3,986,  chiefly  deal  in  cod  and  herrings,. 

Thurso,  on  the  northern  shore,  fronting  the  Orkneys,  has  manu- 
factures of  woollen  and  linen.     Population  3,628. 

Hence  there  is  a  lamentable  void  along  the  western  half  of 
Scotland,  till  we  arrive  at  Inverary,  in  Argyleshire,  the  founda- 
tion of  the  noble  house  of  Argyle,  after  passing  a  space  of  about 
160  miles,  where  only  a  few  scattered  hamlets  can  be  found.  In- 
verary is  a  neat  and  pleasant  town,  of  about  1000  souls;  there  arc 
manufactures  of  linen  and  woollen,  and  a  considerable  iron  work. 
The  ore  is  brought  from  the  west  of  England,  and  is  smelted  with 
charcoal  from  the  woods  of  Argyleshire. 

In  the  same  county  is  Campbeltown,  a  royal  borough,  in  the 
southern  part  of  the  peninsula  of  Cantire.  The  trade  is  consider- 
able, as  it  is  the  general  resort  of  the  fishing  vessels ;  and  the  in- 
habitants amount  to  7,095.  The  harbor  is  excellent,  in  the  form 
of  a  crescent,  opening  to  the  east,  in  front  of  the  island  of  Arran. 
About  fifty  weavers  are  employed  in  the  cotton  manufacture.* 

Inland  A''avigation.~\  The  most  remarkable  inland  navigation 
in  Scotland,  is  the  excellent  and  extensive  canal  from  the  Forth 
to  the  Clyde,  commenced  in  1768,  from  a  survey  by  Smeaton  four 
years  before. 

"  The  dimensions  of  this  canal,  though  greatly  contracted  from 
the  original  design,  are  much  superior  to  any  work  of  the  same 
nature  in  south  Britainf.  The  English  canals  are  generally  from 
three  to  five  feet  deep,  and  from  twenty  to  forty  feet  wide,  and  the 
lock  gates  from  ten  to  twelve  feet ;  but  they  answer  the  purpose 
of  inland  carriage  from  one  town  to  another,  for  which  alone  they 
were  designed.  The  depth  of  the  canal  between  the  Forth  and 
Clyde   is  seven  feet ;  its  breadth  at  the  surface  fifty  six  feet ; 

*  Statist.  Account,  X.  552.  f  PhiHip**  276. 


SCOTLAND.  loy 

the  locks  are  seventy  five  feet  long,  and  their  gates  twenty  feet 
wide.  It  is  raised  from  the  Carron  by  twenty  locks,  in  a  tract 
often  miles,  to  the  amazing  height  of  155  feet  above  the  medium 
full  sea  mark.  At  the  twentieth  lock  begins  the  canal  of  partition 
on  the  summit,  between  the  east  and  west  seas ;  which  canal  of 
partition  continues  eighteen  miles,  on  a  level,  terminating  at 
Hamilton-hill,  a  mile  N.  W.  of  the  Clyde,  at  Glasgow.  In  some 
places  the  canal  is  carried  through  mossy  ground,  and  in  others 
through  solid  rock.  In  the  fourth  mile  of  the  canal  there  are  ten 
locks,  and  a  fine  aqueduct  bridge,  which  crosses  the  great  road 
leading  from  Edinburgh  to  Glasgow.  At  KirkintuUock,  the  canal  is 
carried  over  the  water  of  Logic,  on  an  aqueduct  bridge,  the  arch 
of  which  is  ninety  feet  broad.  There  are  in  the  whole  eighteen 
draw  bridges,  and  fifteen  aqueduct  bridges,  of  considerable  size, 
besides  small  ones  and  tunnels." 

The  supplying  the  canal  with  water,  was  of  itself  a  very  great 
work.  One  reservoir  is  above  twenty  four  feet  deep,  and  covers  a 
surface  of  fifty  acres,  near  Kilsyth.  Another,  about  seven  miles 
north  of  Glasgow,  consists  of  seventy  acres,  and  is  banked  up  at 
the  sluice,  twenty-two  feet. 

The  distance  between  the  Firths  of  Clyde,  and  Forth,  by  the 
nearest  passage,  that  of  the  Pentland  Firth,  is  600  miles,  by  this 
canal  scarcely  100.  On  the  28th  of  July  1790,  the  canal  was  com- 
pletely open  from  sea  to  sea,  when  a  hogshead  of  the  water  of 
Forth  was  poured  into  the  Clyde,  as  a  symbol  of  their  junction. 
The  length  of  the  canal  is  precisely  thirty-five  miles,  and  no  work 
of  the  kind  can  be  more  ably  finished. 

Mariufactures  and  Commerce.~\  The  general  commerce  of  Scot- 
land, though  on  a  smaller  scale,  and  with  smaller  capitals,  is  in 
most  respects  similar  to  that  of  England,  and  shares  in  the  nation- 
al prosperity.  That  of  the  capital,  through  Leith  its  port,  has 
been  estimated,  as  we  have  seen,  at  half  a  million  yearly.  The 
chief  exports  are  linen,  grain,  iron,  glass,  lead,  woollen  stuffs, 
soap,  &c.  &c.  The  imports  are  wines,  brandy;  and  from  the 
West  Indies  and  America,  rum,  sugar,  rice,  indigo.  Glasgow  ex- 
ports cottons  of  all  kinds,  muslins,  lawns,  gauzes,  8cc.  glass,  stock- 
ings, earthen  ware,  coi'dage,  &c.  candles,  soap,  iron,  leather,  8cc. 
&c.  The  chief  imports  are  tobacco,  sugar,  rum,  and  cotton,  from 
the  West  Indies  ;  Irish  beef,  butter,  and  linen ;  wines  from  Por- 
tugal, and  other  countries. 

The  herring  and  salmon  fisheries  on  the  coast,  the  whale  fish- 
ery in  Greenland  and  Davis' Straits,  and  the  cod  fishery  on  the 
banks  of  Newfoundland  are  productive  of  great  wealth  to  Scot- 
land, and  have  met  with  the  direct  patronage  of  the  government. 
The  exports  of  Scotland  in  1800  amounted  to  £  2,346,069  ;  in  1805 
to  £  2,504,867  ;  and  in'l809  to  £  4,383,100.  In  1805  the  trade  em- 
ployed 2,581  vessels,  amounting  to  210,295  tons,  and  15,160  sea- 
men. 

The  annual  amount  of  the  linen  manufactures  is  said  to  be 
£  750,000.  They  have  been  much  injured  of  late  by  the  rivalry 
of  Ireland.    Of  woollens,  Scotch  carftetsy  cheap,  neat  and  dura- 


108  SCOTLAND. 

ble  ;  cafis^  and  stockings  form  the  chief  branch.  The  thread  manu- 
facture of  Scotland  is  uncommonly  excellent.  The  quantity  of 
ardent  spirits  distilled  in 

1708"^  50,844"! 

1760  i  145,460  I  ,, 

1784  ^  '''^'  268,503  >  S^"°^'^- 

179 1 J  1,69  6,000  J 

The  iron  manufactures,  particularly  that  at  Caron,  deserve  also 
to  be  enumerated  among  the  chief  national  advantages.  In  1763, 
there  were  396  four-wheeled  carriages,  and  462  two-wheeled,  en- 
titled to  pay  duty.  In  1790,  there  were  1427  of  the  first  kind,  and 
643  of  the  last. 


CHAPTER  II. 
NATURAL  GEOGRAPHY. 

CLIMATE  AND  SEASONS,  FACE  OF  THE  COUNTRY,  SOIL  ANb  AG- 
RICULTURE, RIVERS,  LAKES,  MOUNTAINS,  FORESTS,  BOTANY, 
ZOOLOGY,  MINERALOGY,  MINERAL  WATERS,  NATURAL  CURI- 
OSITIES. 

Cli?naie  and  Seasons.^  THE  climate  of  Scotland  is  such 
as  might  be  expected  in  a  latitude  so  remote,  and  a  country 
so  mountainous.  In  the  eastern  parts,  there  is  not  so  much 
humidity  as  in  England,  as  the  mountains  on  the  west  arrest 
the  vapors  from  the  Atlantic.  On  the  other  hand,  the  western 
countries  are  deluged  with  rain,  an  insuperable  obstacle  to  the 
progress  of  agriculture.  Even  the  winter  is  more  distinguish- 
,able  by  the  abundance  of  snow,  than  by  the  intensity  of  the 
frost ;  but  in  summer  the  heat  of  the  sun  is  reflected  with  great 
power  in  the  narrow  vales  between  the  mountains.  These  obser- 
vations chiefly  apply  to  the  north  and  west.  In  the  east  and  south, 
the  climate  diff'ers  but  little  from  that  of  Yorkshire ;  and  com 
sometimes  ripens  in  the  vales  of  Moray,  as  early  as  in  Lothian. 

Face  of  the  Country. ~\  The  face  of  the  country  is  in  general 
mountainous,  to  the  extent,  perhaps,  of  two  thirds  ;  whence  the 
population  is  of  necessity  slender,  in  comparison  with  the  admeas- 
urement. But  the  name  of  Highlands  is  more  strictly  confined  to 
Argyleshire,  the  west  of  Perthshire,  and  of  Inverness ;  and  the 
entire  counties  of  Ross,  Sutherland,  and  Caithness.  In  proceed- 
ing from  the  south  east,  the  entrance  into  the  Highlands  near 
Dunkeld,  is  very  impressive,  there  being  a  considerable  tract  of 
plain,  just  before  what  may  be  termed  the  gates  of  the  mountains. 
Even  the  eastern  parts  have  little  of  uniform  flatness,  but  are 
sweetly  diversified  with  hill  and  dale.  The  rivers  in  general  are 
remarkably  pure  and  transparent,  and  their  course  rapid.  The  rich 
roughness  of  an  English  prospect,  diversified  with  an  abundance 
of  wood,  even  in  the  hedge  rows,  is  in  Scotland  rarely  visible  j 


SCOTLAND.  109 

■whence  the  nudity  of  the  country  makes  a  strong  impression  on 
the  stranger.  But  the  laudable  exertions  of  many  of  the  nobility 
and  gentry,  who  plant  trees  by  millions,  will  soon  remove  this  re- 
proach. 

Soil  and  Agriculture.']  For  a  minute  account  of  the  various  soils 
that  prevail  in  Scotland,  and  the  different  modes  of  agriculture, 
the  reader  must  be.  referred  to  the  Statistical  Accounts,  published 
by  Sir  John  Sinclair.  The  excellence  of  the  English  agriculture, 
has  justly  entitled  it  to  an  imitation  almost  universal.  But  this 
advantage  is  of  recent  date  ;  and,  fol  a  long  period  of  time,  Scot- 
land was  remarkable  for  producing  the  best  gardeners  and  the 
worst  farmers  in  Europe. 

Rivers.]  The  three  chief  rivers  of  Scotland,  are  the  Forth,  the 
Clyde,  and  the  Tay.  The  chief  source  of  the  Forth  is  from  Ben 
Lomond,  or  rather  from  the  two  lakes.  Con  and  Ard  :  the  stream 
of  Goudie  soon  joins  it  from  the  lake  of  Menteith  ;  and  the  river 
Teith,  fed  by  the  lakes  Ketterin,  Lubnaig  and  others,  swells  the 
Forth  to  a  noble  stream,  about  four  miles  above  Stirling. 

The  Clyde  is  said  to  issue  from  a  hill  in  the  S.  E.  corner  of 
Tweeddale,  called  Arrik  Stane,  which  is  undoubtedly  the  chief 
source  of  the  Tweed,  and  one  source  of  the  Annan  :  but  the  Clyde 
has  a  more  remote  source  in  Kirshop,  or  Dair  water,  rising  about 
six  miles  further  to  the  south,  in  the  very  extremity  of  Lanark- 
shire ;  and  the  true  source  of  the  Annan  seems  to  be  Loch  Skeen, 
in  the  county  of  Selkirk.  However  this  be,  the  Clyde  passes 
through  Crauford  Moor,  leaving  the  range  of  Leadhills  on  the 
left,  and  winding  under  the  lofty  hill  of  Tinto,  near  Symington, 
pursues  a  northerly  course,  till  about  two  miles  to  the  south  of 
Carnwaith,  when  it  resumes  its  chief  westerly  direction. 

The  principal  source  of  the  Tay,  is  the  lake  of  the  same  name, 
or  the  river  may  be  traced  to  the  more  westerly  sources  of  the 
Attrick  and  the  Dochart,  and  the  smaller  stream  of  Lochy ; 
which  fall  into  the  western  extremity  of  Loch  Tay.  Soon  after 
this  noble  river  issues  from  the  lake,  it  is  joined  by  the  i-iver  Ly- 
on ;  and,  at  no  great  interval,  by  the  united  streams  of  the  Tarf, 
the  Garry,  and  the  Tumel,  the  last,  a  rapid  and  romantic  river. 
The  streams  of  Ericht  and  Hay,  swell  the  Tay,  about  nine  miles 
to  the  north  of  Perth ;  after  passing  which  city,  it  receives  the 
venerable  stream  of  the  Ern,  and  spreads  into  a  wide  estuary. 

Next  in  consequence  and  in  fame,  is  the  Tweed,  a  beautiful 
and  pastoral  stream,  which,  receiving  the  Teviot  from  the  south, 
near  Kelso,  falls  into  the  sea  at  Berwick. 

The  Scottish  Tyne  is  an  inconsiderable  river,  which  runs  by 
Haddington. 

In  the  south  west,  the  Annan  contributes  largely  to  the  Firth  of 
Solway,  but  no  town  worth  mentioning  adorns  its  banks.  Dum- 
fries stands  upon  the  Nith,  a  river  of  longer  course  than  the  An- 
nan, and  marked  at  its  estuary  by  the  ruins  of  Caerlavroc  castle, 
an  important  fortress  in  ancient  times.  The  rivcc  Ore,  and  that 
recently  styled  Kirkudbright,  anciently  and  properly  called  the 
Ken,  (whence  is  derived  the  title  of  Kcnmure,)  and  the  Fleet,  are 


iio  SCOTLAND. 

surpassed  by  the  river  Crec  or  Crief ;.  which  fonnerly  split  Gal- 
loway into  two  divisions,  and  which  opens  into  the  noted  bay  of 
Wigton. 

The  rivers  of  Ayrshire,  flowing  into  the  grand  estuary  of  the 
Clyde,  are  of  inconsiderable  size. 

To  the  north  of  the  estuary  of  Forth,  occurs  the  Eden,  which, 
after  watering  the  royal  park  of  Falkland  and  Coupar,  the  county 
town,  meets  the  ocean,  about  two  miles  to  the  north  of  St.  An- 
drews. 

To  the  north  of  Tay  are  the  South  Esk,  which  passes  by  Bre- 
chin and  Moutrose ;  and  the  North  Eske,  a  less  considerable- 
stream. 

In  the  county  of  Kincardine  there  is  no  river  of  consequence. 
But  the  Dee  is  a  considerable  and  placid  stream,  issuing  from  the 
mountains  Scairsoch,  and  pursuing  a  due  easterly  course  to  Ab- 
erdeen. The  Don  runs  almost  parallel,  a  few  miles  to  the  north, 
joining  the  sea  about  two  miles  from  Aberdeen,  after  passing  Old 
Aberdeen,  or  rather,  in  the  old  orthography,  Aberdon. 

A  few  miles  to  the  north  of  the  Don,  the  river  Ythan  falls  into 
the  German  ocean,  a  streSlm  formerly  celebrated  for  its  pearl  fish- 
eries, of  which  some  relics  remain.  The  Uggie  is  the  last  stream 
of  any  consequence  in  Aberdeenshire. 

The  following  rivers  direct  their  course  to  the  north.  The 
Devon  joins  the  sea  at  Banff.  The  Spey  is  a  grand  impetuous 
river,  rising  from  a  small  lake,  called  Loch  Spey,  in  the  vicinity 
of  the  high  mountain  of  Corriarok,  near  Fort  Augustus,  whence  it 
rolls  to  the  south  east,  amid  mountainous  wilds,  till  it  suddenly 
turns  to  its  fixed  direction,  the  north  east,  being,  perhaps,  upon 
the  whole,  the  most  considerable  Alpine  river  in  Scotland. 

The  water  of  Lossie  is  only  remarkable,  as  it  washes  the  ven- 
erable remains  of  Elgin ;  but  Findorn,  which  runs  by  the  Forres 
of  Macbeth  and  Shakespeare,  is  a  considerable  torrent. 

The  Ness,  issuing  from  the  lake  so  called,  and  the  Beuly,  con- 
spire to  form  the  large  estuary,  called  Murray  Firth  ;  while  that  of 
Cromarty  is  formed  by  the  Grady,  the  Conon,  and  other  streams. 

The  estuary  of  Dornoch  is  formed  by  a  river  which  issues  from 
Loch  Shin,  by  the  Caran,  and  by  the  intermediate  stream,  called 
Okel. 

The  other  streams  in  the  furtliest  north  of  Scotland,  are  un- 
happily of  small  consequence.  The  water  of  Thurso,  and  that  of 
Naver,  are  the  chief.  In  the  north-west  extremity  are  the  Strath- 
more,  the  Strathbeg,  and  the  Durness,  which  enters  the  sea  to  the 
cast  of  the  stupendous  promontory  of  Cape  Wharf,  now  moderniz- 
ed Wrath. 

On  the  west  of  Scotland  there  is  no  river  of  any  moment ;  but 
the  defect  is  compensated  by  numerous  lakes,  or  rather  creeks,  of 
Avluch  the  most  considerable  are  Laxford,  Calva,  Ennard,  and  that 
of  Broome,  which  forms  a  noble  bay,  studded  with  islands,  nearly 
parallel  with  the  bay  of  Domoch.  On  its  shore  is  the  projected 
settlement  of  Ullapool,  to  which  every  pati'iot  must  wish  success. 
Next  are  the  En  and  the  Gare,  the  Torridon,  the  Kessern,  and  oth- 


SCOTLAND.  1 1 1 

ers  of  smaller  note.  Argyleshire  exhibits  the  Sunart,  a  long  in- 
let, which  terminates  at  Strontian  ;  and  the  Linney,  extending  to 
Fort  William.  The  Etif  is  impeded  by  a  singular  cataract,  at  its 
entrance  into  the  sea.  The  small  inlet  of  Crinan  attracts  obser- 
vation, by  the  promised  canal ;  and  the  list  is  closed  by  Loch  Fyne, 
and  Loch  Long,  forming  vast  inlets  from  the  estuary  of  Clyde. 

Lakes.']  Among  the  lakes  of  Scotland,  the  chief  in  extent  and 
beauty  is  that  of  Lomond,  studded  with  romantic  islands,  and 
adorned  with  shores  of  the  greatest  diversity.  The  isles  are  sup- 
posed to  form  part  of  the  Grampian  chain,  which  here  terminates 
on  the  west.  The  depth  of  this  lake  in  the  south,  is  not  above 
twenty  fathoms  ;  but  the  northern  creek,  near  the  bottom  of  Ben 
Lomond,  is  from  sixty  to  eighty  fathoms.  This  lake  is  thirty  miles 
long,  and  in  some  places  eight  or  nine  broad.  Its  surface  contains 
upwards  of  20,000  acres  of  water.  It  has  about  thirty  islands  scat- 
tered over  it,  eleven  of  considerable  size.  These  and  the  country 
bordering  on  the  lake  are  distinguished  for  their  beauty  and  fer- 
tility. The  Endrick  falls  into  it  on  the  south  east,  and  its  waters 
are  discharged  through  the  Leven  into  the  Firth  of  Clyde.  It 
abounds  with  delicious  salmon  and  trout. 

The  country  from  Moray-Firth  to  the  sound  of  Mull  is  a  contin- 
ued valley  running  in  a  direction  from  N.  E.  to  S.  W.  It  is  cal- 
led Glen-more-na-h' al-abin^  or  the  Great  glen  of  Caledonia^  and  is 
almost  filled  with  extensive  lakes.  A  chain  of  lakes  and  rivers 
passing  through  it  almost  insulate  the  northern  division  of  Scot- 
land. This  chain  consists  of  Loch  Linnc,  Lochy  river,  Loch 
Lochy,  Land,  Locn  Oich,  Oich  river,  Loch  Ness,  and  Ness  riv-er. 
This  distance  is  divided  as  follows : 


Miles. 

MUes. 

Loch  Linne 

40 

Loch  Oich 

4 

River  Lochy 

17 

River  Oich 

5 

Loch  Lochy 

10 

Loch  Ness 

22 

Land 

3 

River  Ness 

8 

98 

Loch  I^nn^  is  a  deep  narrow  arm  of  the  sea.  At  Fort  William 
it  turns  to  the  N.  W.  and  is  called  Locheil.  The  whole  length  of 
Loch  Lochy  in  its  windings  is  fourteen  miles,  and  its  breadth 
from  one  to  two.  Loch  Ness  is  22  miles  long,  from  1  to  2  ^  broad, 
and  from  60  to  135  fathoms  deep.  Its  shores  are  remarkably 
bold,  and  a  ship  of  the  line  might  sail  in  any  part  of  it.  Its  waters 
abound  with  fine  trout,  and  are  never  frozen.  The  high  hills, 
which  environ  it,  present  a  delightful  view  of  woods,  pasture,  cul- 
tivated lands,  cascades,  and  rugged  and  broken  precipices. 

Loch  Awe  in  Argyleshire  is  thirty  miles  long  and  from  one  to 
two  broad.  It  contains  many  islands,  on  one  of  which  arc  the  ruins 
of  an  ancient  castle.  At  the  N.  E.  extremity  rises  Ben  Cruachar 
to  the  height  of  3,390  feet  above  its  surface,  from  the  top  of  which 
descends  the  I'iyer  that  form?  the  lake.    Tho  scenery  of  this  lak*- 


in  SCOTLAND. 

and  its  shores  is  remarkably  picturesque.  Its  waters  abound  with 
salmon,  trout,  and  eels  ;  and  fall  into  Loch  Etive  an  arm  of  the 
sea  at  Bunaw,  a  place  cejebrated  for  its  salmon  fishery. 

Loch  Shin,  in  the  county  of  Sutherland,  is  20  milss  long,  and 
from  one  to  two  broad.  Its  waters  flow  through  the  river  Sliin  six 
or  eight  miles,  over  several  cascades  to  tli«  head  of  the  Pirth  of 
Dornoch. 

Loch  Ericht  in  Perthshire,  in  the  very  heart  of  the  Grampians, 
is  24  miles  long  and  scarcely  one  broad.  It  is  encompassed  on  all 
sides  by  lofty  mountains  and  rugged  cliffs  of  the  most  tremendous 
aspect.  Cultivation  is  a  stranger  to  its  banks,  which  are  occupied 
by  heath  and  a  few  straggling  birches  and  alders.  Its  outlet  joins 
the  Tay. 

Loch  Tay^  in  Braidalbin  in  Perthshire,  is  15  miles  long,  and 
from  one  to  two  broad.  Its  depth  is  from  15  to  100  fathoms.  Its 
banks  on  both  sides  are  fruitful  and  populous,  and  finely  diversi- 
fied by  the  windings  of  the  coasts  and  the  various  appearances  of 
the  mountains.  Its  waters  like  those  of  Lomond,  Ness,  and  oth- 
ers, are  liable  to  violent  and  unaccountable  agitations.  The  Loch- 
ay  and  the  Dochart  flow  into  it  on  the  S.  W.  and  the  Tay  on  the 
N.  E.  empties  its  waters  into  the  Firth  of  Tay. 

Loch  Archaig  in  Inverness-shire,  16  miles  long,  and  1  \  broad,  of 
great  depth  and  abounding  with  trout,  empties  by  the  Archaig  in- 
to Loch  Lochy,  which  is  only  one  mile  distant. 

Loch  Laggan^  in  Invernesss-hire,  15  miles  long  and  1  1- broad, 
is  exceedingly  deep  with  a  bold  rocky  shore  and  surrounded  with 
woody  mountains.  On  the  S.  side  is  the  Coill-More,  or  Great 
Woody  the  largest  remnant  of  the  ancient  Caledonian  forest. 
Its  waters  abound  with  char  and  various  kinds  of  trout.  They 
empty  through  the  Spen,  into  Loch  Lochy  near  Fort  William. 

Loch  Rannock  in  Perthshire,  twelve  miles  long  and  from  one  to 
two  broad,  empties  at  its  east  end  through  the  Tummel  into  the 
Tay. 

Loch  Shield  in  Inverness-shire,  ten  miles  long  and  two  broad 
discharges  itself  by  the  Shiel  into  the  western  sea  at  Castle  Ti- 
Oram. 

Loch  Leven,  in  the  counties  of  Kinross  and  Fife,  is  Iwelve  miles 
in  circumference.  It  contains  four  islands.  On  the  largest  of 
these  St.  Serb's  was  formerly  situated ;  the  ancient  priory  of  St. 
Serf,  the  monks  of  which  were  Culdees.  On  another  are  the  re- 
mains of  the  castle  oj"  Loch  Leven,  formerly  a  royal  residence,  in 
which  Mary  Queen  of  Scots  w^as  for  some  time  kept  close  prison- 
er after  the  battle  of  Pinkie.  This  lake  abounds  with  pike,  perch, 
eels,  char,  and  trout.  Its  waters  pass  through  the  Lcven  a  course 
of  twelve  or  fourteen  miles  into  the  Firth  of  Forth. 

Mountains. ~\  But  the  chief  distinctive  feature  of  Scotland  con- 
sists in  its  numerous  movmtains,  which  intersect  the  country  in 
various  directions.  In  the  south-west,  the  ancient  province  of 
Galloway  presents  an  extensive  assemblage  of  hills,  which  seldom 
describe  any  uniform  chain.  From  the  bay  gf  Glenluce,  which 
extends  tow  ards  Loch  Ryan ;  and  thence  in  a  N.  E.  direction  to 


SCOTLAND.  113 

Loch  Doon,  the  source  of  the  river  of  the  same  name.  Other 
ridges  run  in  vai-ious  directions,  generally  north  and  south,  accord- 
ing to  the  course  of  the  rivers,  till  we  arrive  at  the  Nith,  near 
which  is  Cruffel,  a  detached  summit  of  considerable  height.  Ac- 
cording to  general  Roy,  than  whom  there  cannot  be  a  better  au- 
thority, the  mountains  of  Galloway  fprm  a  connected  chain  with 
those  of  Cheviot  on  the  N.  E. 

But  the  chief  elevation  of  this  part  of  Scotland  is  that  metalli- 
ferous ridge  in  its  very  centre,  called  the  Lead  Hills.  The  small 
stream  of  Elvan  conveys  particles  of  gold  to  the  Clyde,  and  Ger- 
man miners  are  said  to  have  discovered  considerable  quantities  of 
that  precious  metal.  The  chief  summit  of  this  ridge  is  Hartfell, 
which,  according  to  some  accounts,  is  3,300  feet  above  the  level  of 
the  sea;  but  by  others  2,582.  To  the  eastwe  find  the  uniform 
ridge  of  Lamermoor,  terminating  in  St.  Abb's  head.  The  hills  of 
Pentland,  on  the  south  of  Edinburgh,  are  rather  picturesque  than 
important.  Berwick  Law,  and  the  romantic  summits  in  the  vi- 
cinity of  Edinburgh,  close  the  list  of  the  southern  hills.  The 
Lead  Hills  chiefly  consist  of  argillaceous  schiatus ;  but  the  grey 
granite  abounds  in  the  mountains  of  Galloway.  In  all,  however, 
the  chief  portion  seems  to  be  calcareous ;  the  summits  are  round, 
some  verdant,  others  covered  with  heath.  The  red  granite,  and 
other  grand  Alpine  rocks,  seem  here  unknown.  In  the  Lothians 
the  calcareous  strata  support  vast  masses  of  whin,  trap,  and  bas- 
alt, which  extend  to  the  northern  shore  of  the  Firth  of  Forth. 

On  passing  the  Forth  appears  the  range  of  Ochill-hills,  more  re- 
markable for  their  singular  agates  and  calcedonies,  than  for  their 
height.  On  the  northeast  of  Aberdeenshire  is  Mormond,  a  remarka- 
ble solitary  summit ;  whence  no  mountains  of  note  occur  till  Inver- 
ness, on  the  west,  opens  the  path  to  the  Highlands.  Yet,  it  must 
not  be  forgotten,  that  from  the  lofty  promontory  of  Trouphead  to 
Portsoy,  extend  vast  masses  of  beautiful  red  granite,  interpersed 
with  schorl,  and  of  serpentine  with  steatites,  and  other  valuable 
stones.  Before  leaving  the  Lowland  hills,  it  may  be  observed, 
tliat  the  small  ridge  in  Fifeshire,  between  the  Eden  and  Leven, 
called  Loman  hills,  consists  mostly  of  hard  free-stone,  with  super- 
incumbent strata  of  whin  and  basalt. 

The  Grampian  hills  may  be  considered  as  a  grand  frontier 
chain,  extending  from  Loch  Lomond  to  Stonehaven,  and  forming 
the  southern  boundary  of  the  Highlands,  though  four  or  five  coun- 
ties on  the  northeast  of  that  chain,  have,  in  their  eastern  and  nor- 
thern parts,  the  name  and  advantage  of  Lowlands.  The  transition 
to  the  Grampians  is  gradual,  the  first  chain,  according  to  General 
Roy,  consisting  of  the  Sadley-hills  on  the  east,  the  Ochills  in  the 
middle,  and  Campsy-hiUs  on  the  west.  To  the  Grampian  chain 
^belongs  Ben  Lomond  (3,262  ;)  Ben  Ledy  (3,009  ;)  Ben  More 
(3,903;)  Ben  Lawres,  the  chief  summit  (4,015  ;)  Shihallion 
(3,564 ;)  Ben  Vorlich  (3,300  :)  and  other  less  important  elevations 
on  the  east.  Mount  Battock,  in  Kincardinshire,  is  3,465  feet.  Ben 
Cruachan,  in  Argyleshire,  is  a  solitary  mountain,  3,390  feet  above 
the  sea. 

VOL.  n.  15 


114  SCOTLAND. 

Ben  Nevis  is  the  highest  mountain  in  Great  Britain,  being  esti- 
mated at  4,350  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea,  not  much  above  a 
quarter  of  the  height  of  Mont  Blanc.  It  lies  in  the  parish  of 
Kilmalie,  in  Inverness-shire.  It  has  not  hitherto  been  ex- 
plored by  any  mineralogist.  On  the  N.  E.  side  it  presents  a  prec- 
ipice, nearly  perpendicular,  and  of  prodigious  height,  by  some  ac- 
counts 1500  feet.  The  view  from  the  summit  is  grand,*  exhibit- 
ing most  of  the  western  Highlands,  from  the  paps  of  Jura,  to  the 
hills  of  Cullen,  in  Skey ;  on  the  east  it  extends  to  Ben  Lawres,  in 
Perthshire,  and  the  river  Ness :  extent  of  view  about  80  miles. 
The  superior  half  of  the  mountain  is  almost  destitute  of  vege- 
tation. 

It  would  be  difficult  to  divide  the  remaining  mountains  of  the 
Highlands  into  distinct  lines  or  groups  ;  they  shall,  therefore, 
be  briefly  mentioned  in  the  order  of  proximity.  To  the  N.  W. 
of  Ben  Nevis  is  the  long  mountain  of  Cori'iarok,  near  Fort  Au- 
gustus, over  which  a  military  road  has  been  directed,  in  a  zig-zag 
direction.  From  the  foot  of  this  mountain  arises  the  rapid  river 
Spey ;  and  other  streams  run  to  the  west,  circumstances  which 
indicate  great  elevation.  About  thirty  miles  to  the  east  rises  the 
mountain  Cairngorm  (4,060  feet,)  or  the  blue  mountain,  clothed 
with  almost  perpetual  snow,  and  remarkable  for  quartz  of  differ- 
ent colors,  chiefly  the  smoaky  kind,  well  known  to  lapidaries. 
The  other  chief  mountains  in  this  region  are  those  of  Braemar, 
or  Scairsoch,  at  the  source  of  the  Dee  ;  Ben  Awn,  and  many  of 
smaller  height,  such  as  Bcnibourd,t  Benachie,  &c. 

In  the  second  division  of  the  Highlands,  which  lies  beyond  Loch 
Linny  and  Loch  Ness,  the  mountains  are  yet  more  numerous,  but 
not  so  memorable.  The  western  shore,  in  particular,  is  crowded 
with  hills,  from  the  island  of  Skey  to  Cape  Wrath,  while  a  branch, 
spreading  eastward  towards  Ord-head  (1,250  feet)  forms,  what  are 
termed  by  seamen,  the  Paps  of  Caithness  (1,929  feet.)  The  chief 
mountains  on  the  west  of  Ross-shire,  ai-e  Ben  Chasker,  on  the 
Siouth  of  Loch  Broom  ;  and  Ben  Wevis  (3,720  feet.) 

On  proceeding  to  the  most  northern  parts  of  Scotland,  the 
counties  of  Sutherland  and  Caithness,  first  occurs  Ben  Ormoid  ; 
then  extends  the  chain,  called  the  Paps,  consisting  of  the  moun- 
tains Morben,  Scuraben,  &c.  from  which  run  in  a  northerly  direc- 
tion, according  to  the  course  of  the  rivers,  inferior  chains.  The 
N.  W.  extremity  of  Scotland  presents  some  pleasant  vales  to- 
ward the  sea,  and  inland  that  of  Dornadilla,  and  an  elevated  plain 
on  the  west  of  Loch  Loial,  called  Dirrymore  forest::}:  further  to 
the  west  no  names  occur,  except  that  of  Cape  Wrath,  and  the  re- 
'  gion  is  described  by  an  intelligent  traveller  in  the  following  terms  :§ 

"  A  wide  extent  of  desert  country  lay  before  us,  and  exhibited 
a  most  august  picture  of  forlorn  nature.  The  prospect  was  a* to- 
gether immense,  but  wild  and  desolate  beyond  conception.     The 

*  Statist.  Ace.  viii.  414. 

•j-  Always  covered  with  snow,  and,  perhaps,  as  Mr.  Aikin  conceives,  higher  than 
Cairngorm.    At  about  the  height  of  4,000  t'eet,  snow  remains  all  the  year  in  $coUau<l 
t  Cordiner's  Letter  to  Pennant,  p.  111.  §  Ibid.  104. 


SCOTLAND.  -  115 

niountains  presented  nothing  to  view  but  heath  and  rock  ;  between 
them  formless  lakes  and  pools,  dark  with  the  shades  thrown  from 
prodigious  precipices,  gave  grandeur  to  the  wilderness  in  its  most 
gloomy  forms." 

Having  thus  explained,  at  some  length,  the  directions  and  posi- 
tions of  the  Scottish  mountains,  because  they  constitute  the  most 
remarkable  feature  of  the  country,  and  yet  have  never  received 
due  illustration,  their  constituent  parts  remain  to  be  briefly  exam- 
ined.* On  entering  the  Highlands,  near  Dunkeld,  the  first  ridges 
are  alluvial  hills  of  gravel,  containing  pebbles  of  micaceous  schis- 
tus,  quartz,  and  granite.  The  rocks  immediately  to  the  north  of 
Dunkeld  are  composed  of  micaceous  schistus,  penetrated  in  every 
direction  by  veins  of  quart*.  From  the  junction  of  the  Tay  and 
Tumel,  westward  to  Loch  Tay,  the  northern  bound  of  the  vale  is 
of  the  same  substances,  sometimes  intei'spersed  with  garnets. 
The  whole  summit  of  the  higher  chain  is  covered  with  large 
rounded  masses  of  granite.  The  southern  shores  of  Loch  Tay 
consist  of  micaceous  schistus,  with  a  few  garnets,  interrupted 
about  the  middle  with  banks  of  compact  bluish  grey  lime-stone. 
The  northern  shores  are  similar,  but  the  lime-stone  is  mica- 
ceous. The  mountains  in  Glenlochy  are  mostly  of  micaceous 
schistus,  interspersed  with  garnet;  Glen  Lyon  presents  small 
veins  of  lead.  The  vale  of  Tumel,  between  Loch  Tumel  and 
Loch  Rannock,  is  overspread  with  rounded  fragments  of  gran- 
ite and  micaceous  schistus,  but  contains  granitoid,  and  some 
granite.  The  lower  part  of  Glen  Tilt  chiefly  exhibits  mica- 
ceous  schistus ;  the   upper   principally  granite  and  lime-stone. 

Such  are  the  more  southern  parts  of  the  Highlands.  In  the 
west,  towards  Ben  Lomond,  micaceous  schistus  also  abounds  ;  but 
that  mountain  is  chiefly  of  gneiss,  and  the  like  features  are  found 
in  the  peninsula  of  Cantire.  In  the  north  of  Argyleshire  appears 
the  beautiful  red  granite,  which  chiefly  constitutes  the  central 
chain,  already  indicated  ;  to  the  north  of  which  first  appears  mi- 
caceous schistus,  and  afterwards  a  remarkable  course  ot  pudding- 
stone,  extending  from  Loch  Ness  to  Oban.  The  mountains  in  the 
north  have  been  little  explored,  but  Mr.  Jameson  tells  us,  that  the 
coast  is  chiefly  a  course  of  argillaceous  sand  stone,  often  appear- 
ing in  the  form  of  flags,  while  in  some  places  are  masses  of  brec- 
cia, being  pebbles  of  red  granite,  micaceous  schistus  and  quartz, 
in  arenaceous  bases.  Mount  Scuraben  is  sand-stone,  with  a  sum- 
mit of  white  quartz.  Morben,  and  other  mountains  in  this  dis- 
trict, from  their  white  color,  seem  to  be  of  the  same  composi- 
tion. About  the  Ord  of  Caithness  appear  granite  and  micaceous 
schistus. 

The  central  and  western  parts  of  Sutherland  and  Ross-shire 
have  not  been  explored ;  but  it  would  seem  that  the  west  of  Suth- 
erland is  chiefly  primitive  lime-stone.  The  mountains  seem  to  be 
of  granite  and  micaceous  schistus,  but  often  present  the  singular 
feature  of  vast  summits  formed  of  white  quartz.     Near  Loch 

•  Mr.  Aikin's  Notes. 


116  SCOTLAND. 

Broom  is  found  that  sort  of  granite  which  is  best  adapted  for  mill- 
stones. 

Upon  the  whole  it  would  appear,  that  the  chief,  or  granitic 
chain  of  the  Scottish  mountains,  extends  in  a  S.  W.  and  N.  E. 
direction,  from  Ben  Nevis  to  Portsoy.  In  many  parts  it  has  sunk 
or  subsided,  as  is  not  unusual,  but  the  line  is  marked  by  the  grad- 
ual transitions  from  lime-stone,  and  sand-stone,  to  micaceous 
schistus,  and  thence  to  granite.  Ben  Nevis,  Cairngorm,  and  oth- 
er lofty  summits,  mark  this  primitive  chain.  The  Grampians, 
which  form  the  outer  skirt  of  this  chain,  consist,  according  to  a 
Gei'man  mineralogist,*  of  micaceous  lime-stone,  gneiss,  porphy- 
ry, slate,  and  granite,  alternating  with  each  other ;  and  another 
German  says,  that  the  fundamental  rock  of  the  country  consists  of 
granitic  aggregates.  The  mountains  in  the  S.  W.  are  chiefly 
schistose,  and  the  granite  is  grey,  and  of  an  inferior  kind ;  but  Mr. 
Williams  informs  us,  that  Ben  Nevis,  and  other  mountains  in  that 
quarter,  are  composed  of  elegant  red  granite,  in  which  the  pale 
rose,  the  blush,  and  the  yellonvish  colors,  are  finely  mixed  and 
shaded.f  The  like  granite  is  found  at  Portsoy  and  Trouphead, 
and  is  probably  continued  through  the  whole  chain,  the  superior 
height  of  the  region  being  marked  by  the  extreme  rapidity  of  the 
river  Spey.  This  tendency  of  the  leading  chain  is  not  only  mark- 
ed out  by  the  Grampians,  but  by  that  of  the  islands,  and  of  the 
grand  chain  in  Norway,  which,  indeed,  seems  a  continuation  of 
the  Scottish  chain,  and  the  last,  probably  contains  silver  as  well 
as  the  Scandinavian.  The  mountains  on  the  north  west  of  the 
lakes  Ness  and  Linny,  are  probably  only  exterior  skirts  of  the 
same  chain,  and  present  the  usual  declension  of  micaceous  schis- 
tus terminating  in  lime-stone  and  sand-stone,  in  the  northern  parts 
of  Sutherland  and  Caithness.  The  islands  of  Shetland  chiefly  pre- 
sent micaceous  schistus,  interspersed  with  a  few  masses  of  gra- 
nite ;  and  the  Orkneys,  &c.  consist  mostly  of  sand-stone.  The 
western  islands  may  be  supposed  to  be  chiefly  calcareous.  It  is 
remarkable  that  the  space  from  Inverness  to  Dunolla,  on  the  west, 
abounds  with  pudding-stone,  composed  of  pebbles  of  quartz,  prob- 
ably washed  down  from  the  granitic  chain,  and  afterwards  ce- 
mented by  some  unknown  process  of  nature,  either  by  irpn  or  sil- 
iceous earth. 

General  Roy  mentions  two  remarkable  features  of  the  High- 
lands, first  the  moor  of  Rannock,  a  high  desert  of  twenty  miles 
square,  on  the  S.  E.  of  Ben  Nevis,  a  flat  uninhabited  morass.  The 
second  is  part  of  the  N.  W.  coast,  extending  from  Loch  Inchard 
twenty  four  miles  to  the  south,  breadth  about  ten  miles,  whicl 
presents  a  most  singular  appearance,  as  if  mountains  had  beei 
broken  into  fragments,  interspersed  with  pools  of  water. 

Forests.']  The  forests  of  Scotland  are  very  rare  in  the  proper 
acceptation  of  the  term ;  and  the  Sylva  Caledonia  has  long  since 
vanished.     The  whole  county  of  Selkirk  was  formerly  denominat- 

•  Kirwan's  Geol.  Essaj's,  481. 

4  Prov.  of  Moray,  Aber.  17S8.  8vo.  p.  2C7. 


SCOTLAND.  117 

ed  Ettric  forest.  There  was  also  a  considerable  forest,  that  of 
Marr,  in  the  west  of  Aberdeenshire,  where  now  remains  the  for- 
est of  Abernethyl,  extending  to  Cairngorni.  In  the  county  of 
Sutherland  was  the  forest  of  Sletadale,  on  the  north  of  Dunrobin, 
the  scat  of  the  earls  of  Sutherland ;  and  in  the  north  of  the  same 
county,  are  marked  Parff-forest,  between  Ashir  and  Dunan  ;  to 
the  south  of  which  were  Reay  forest,  or  that  of  Dirrymore  ;  with 
those  of  Dirrymore,  and  Dirrymena  on  the  north  and  south  of 
Loch  Shin.  No  other  forest  occurs  till  we  reach  the  county  of  Ar- 
gyle,  which  contains  Boachiltive  forest  on  the  north. 

£otany.~\  Having  given  a  general  account  of  the  indigenous 
plants  of  England,  it  will  suffice,  for  the  botany  of  Scotland,  to 
point  out  the  particulars  in  which  the  two  floras  differ,  together 
with  the  causes  of  the  difference. 

The  northern  part  of  Britain  differs  from  the  southern  as  to  cli- 
mate, in  being  colder  and  more  rainy  ;  and  as  to  soil,  in  consisting 
chiefly  of  mountainous,  granitic,  or  micaceous  districts,  the  high- 
est peaks  of  which  arc  buried  in  perpetual  snow.  There  are  no 
chalk-hills  in  Scotland ;  nor  any  of  that  soil  which  characterises 
the  southern  part  of  the  island,  and  is  composed,  for  the  most 
part,  of  sand  and  calcareous  marl.  We  might,  therefore,  a  firiorij 
expect  to  meet  with  more  alpine  plants  in  Scotland  than  of  those 
which  flourish  best  in  a  light,  chalky  soil,  and  in  a  mild  climate  ; 
this  is  found  to  be  in  fact  the  case.  The  greater  number  of  vege- 
table species  is  the  same  in  both  countries  ;  but  the  warm,  moist 
region  of  Cornwall,  Devonshire,  and  Dorset ;  the  range  of  chalk- 
hills  on  each  side  of  the  valley  of  the  Thames ;  the  dry,  sandy 
tracts  of  Norfolk,  Suffolk,  and  Cambridge,  and  the  fens  of  Lin- 
colnshire, contain  many  plants  that  are  unknown  to  Scotland  ;  as, 
on  the  other  hand,  the  snowy  summits  of  the  Grampians,  the  ex- 
tensive forests  of  Badenoch  and  Braemar,  and  the  bleak,  shelter- 
less ix)cks  of  the  Hebudes,  possess  many  hardy  vegetables,  which 
are  not  to  be  found  in  England.  South  Britain  contains  a  greater 
number  of  species  peculiar  to  itself;  but  those  that  are  similarly 
circumstanced  in  the  nortliern  part  of  the  island,  are  of  more  fre- 
quent occurrence,  and  therefore  more  characteristic  :  to  the  Eng- 
lish botanist,  Scotland  will  have  more  the  air  of  a  foreign  country 
than  England  will  to  a  Scottish  naturalist.  Amidst  the  grand  ro' 
mantic  scenery  of  the  Highlands  the  search  of  the  English  botan- 
ist is  continually  solicited  and  repaid  by  the  appearance  of  plants, 
either  altogether  new  to  him,  or  which  he  has  been  accustomed  to 
consider  as  the  rare  reward  of  minute  investigation.  In  travers- 
ing the  vast  natural  forests  of  birch  and  pine,  although  his  notice 
will  be  first  attracted  by  the  trees  themselves,  in  every  stage  of 
growth,  from  the  limber  sapling  to  the  bare  weather-beaten  trunks, 
that  have  endured  the  storms  of  five  or  six  hundred  winters,  yet 
the  new  forms  of  the  humbler  vegetables  will  soon  divide  his  at- 
tention ;  the  red  and  white  blossoms  of  the  trailing  Linnxa^  the 
Pyrola   secunda,  and  unijlora^  Satyrium  rciicns^  Ophrya  coratlor- 

t  Mineral  King.  II.  13. 


118  SCOTLAND. 

hiza^  and  Convallaria  verticillatasy  will  each  attract  their  share  of 
regard.  The  moist  and  shady  recesses  of  the  slate  mountains  are 
carpeted  by  the  three  Veronicas.^  the  Alfiina^  the  saxatilisy  and 
fruticulosa.  The  mountainous  districts  of  granite  are  peculiarly 
rich  in  alpine  plants ;  the  ledges  and  crevices  of  the  rocks  are 
adorned  by  tufts  of  the  golden  cinquefoil,  and  luxuriant  festoons 
of  the  Arbutus  aljiina^  and  Arbutus  uva  ursi^  glowing  with  their 
scarlet  and  deep  blue  berries  among  their  glossy  leaves.  The 
cloud  berry,  and  some  of  the  lichens,  flourish  amidst  the  snow  and 
solitude  of  the  most  elevated  summits ;  and  afford  at  the  same 
time  shelter  and  food  for  the  Ptarmigan,  almost  the  only  one  of 
our  native  birds  that  can  inhabit  so  cold  a  situation.  The  Lowlands 
of  Scotland  seem  to  contain  no  plants  which  are  not  found  in  simi- 
lar soils  in  England ;  the  sea  coast,  however,  exhibits  two  umbel- 
liferous vegetables,  the  JJguslicum  Scoticmn,  and  Imperatoria  Os- 
truthium-f  which  cannot  be  met  with  on  the  southern  shore. 

Zoology^  The  zoology  of  Scotland  presents  little  remarkable, 
as  distinct  from  that  of  England.  The  small  horses  of  Galloway 
seem  to  have  been  a  primitive  breed,  and,  in  diminutive  size,  are 
exceeded  by  those  of  Shetland.  The  cattle  in  Galloway  are  often 
without  hoi'ns,  a  defect  which  is  supposed  to  be  recompensed  by 
the  superior  quantity  and  quality  of  the  milk.  The  kylies,  as  al- 
ready mentioned,  are  a  middle-sized  breed  from  the  province  of 
Kyle,  and  other  districts  of  Ayrshire  and  Galloway.  On  the  cast 
are  found  large  cattle  of  various  breeds.  The  sheep  are  smaller 
and  shorter  than  those  of  England  ;  those  of  Shetland  are  remark- 
able for  the  fineness  of  the  wool,  which  is,  however,  interspersed 
with  coarser  piles.  Goats  are  not  so  numerous  in  the  Highlands 
and  Isles  as  might  be  expected. 

Of  wild  animals,  the  wolf  has  been  extirpated  in  Scotland  only 
since  the  year  1 680.  The  beaver  and  the  bison  formerly  were  found 
here.  The  wild  cat  is  still  occasionally  found  ;  the  other  classes 
correspond  with  those  of  England,  except  that  the  Roe  is  still  not 
unfrequent.  Among  the  birds,  eagles  are  not  unknown,  nor  ele- 
gant falcons.  The  shores  and  islands  present  numerous  kinds  of 
sea-fowl. 

Scotland  abounds  with  fish  of  all  kinds,  and  contributes  great 
supplies  to  the  English  market,  particularly  in  lobsters  and 
salmon.  The  transparent  lakes,  I'ivers,  and  rivulets,  present  a 
beautiful  variety  of  fish  :  on  the  northern  and  western  coasts  are 
numerous  seals.  The  whale  sometimes  appears,  and  the  basking 
shark  frequently  plays  in  the  western  inlets.  Pearls  are  found  in 
the  rivers  Teith  and  Ythan,  in  a  large  kind  of  mya,  or  muscle. 
Many  beautiful  zoophites,  on  the  northern  shores,  have  been  found 
and  introduced  to  public  notice  by  Mr.  Cordiner. 

Mineralogy .~\  The  small  quantity  of  gold  found  in  Scotland  has 
been  procured  from  the  Lead-hills,  which  are  mostly  composed  of 
coarse  slate.  None  worth  mentioning  has  been  met  with  recent- 
ly. The  silver  found  in  Scotland  has  hitherto  been  of  little  ac- 
count ;  the  chief  mine  was  that  at  Alva,  which  has  since  only  af- 
forded cobalt.     Nor  can  Scotland  boast  of  copper,  though  a  small 


SCOTLAND.  119 

quantity  was  foUnd  in  the  Ochills,  near  Alva,  with  silver  and  co- 
balt :  and  it  is  said  that  the  islands  of  Shetland  offer  some  indica- 
tions of  that  metal.  Copper  has  also  been  fovmd  at  Col  vend,  in 
Galloway;  at  Curry,  in  Lothian;  at  Oldwick,  in  Caithness;  and 
Kissern,  in  Ross-shire. 

The  chief  minerals  of  Scotland  are  lead,  iron,  and  coal.  The 
lead  mines  in  the  south  of  Lanarkshire  have  been  lonp;  known. 
Those  of  Wanlock-head  are  in  the  immediate  neighborhood,  but 
in  the  county  of  Dumfries.  Some  slight  veins  of  lead  have  also 
been  found  in  the  western  Highlands,  particularly  Arran.  Iron  is 
found  in  various  parts  of  Scotland ;  the  Carron  ore  is  the  most 
known,  it  is  an  argillaceous  iron-stone,  and  is  found  in  slaty  masses, 
and  in  nodules,  in  an  adjacent  coal-mine,  of  which  it  sometimes 
forms  the  roof.  At  the  Caron-works  this  ore  is  often  smelted  with 
the  red  greasy  iron  ore  from  Ulverston,  in  Lancashire,  which  im- 
parts easier  fusion,  and  superior  value.  Calamine,  or  zinc,  is  al- 
so found  at  Wanlock-head ;  and  it  is  said,  that  plumbago  and  an- 
timony may  be  traced  in  Scotland. 

But  the  chief  mineral  is  coal,  which  has  been  worked  for  a  suc- 
cession of  ages.  Pope  Pius  IL  in  his  description  of  Europe,  writ- 
ten about  1450,  mentions  that  he  beheld  with  wonder,  black  stones 
given  as  alms  to  the  poor  of  Scotland,  The  Lothians  and  Fife- 
shire  particularly  abound  with  this  useful  mineral,  which  also  ex- 
tends into  Ayrshii-e ;  and  near  Irwine  is  found  a  curious  variety,  cal- 
led ribbon  coal. 

In  passing  to  the  less  important  minerals  of  Scotland,  the  new 
earth  originally  found  at  Strontian,  and  called  after  the  name  of 
the  place,  deserves  the  first  notice.  Fine  statuary  marble  is  found 
in  Assynt,  and  the  marble  of  Tiree  ranks  among  the  most  beauti- 
ful varieties. 

Among  the  precious  stones  of  Scotland  are  the  sapphire,  of  dif- 
ferent shades,  from  a  deep  red,  to  a  transparent  white,  and 
of  equal  hardness  with  the  oriental ;  the  topaz,  of  various  hues, 
generally  in  hcxahedral  cry-tals ;  the  ruby  and  hyacinth,  near 
Ely  in  Fifeshire,  usually  small  and  of  inferior  lustre  ;  the  em- 
erald and  annethyst,  frequently  to  be  met  with,  the  latter  often  very 
large  and  beautiful ;  garnets  in  many  places  of  the  Highlands, 
large,  and  frequent ;  agates  and  cornelians,  abundant,  and  unrival- 
led in  their  variety  and  beauty  ;  jaspers  in  almost  every  district, 
some  of  great  beauty  and  value  ;  the  chalcedony,  in  Fifeshire,  equal 
in  hardness  to  the  oriental  granite ;  that  of  Ben  Nevis  equal  in 
beauty  to  the  Egyptian,  and  that  of  Portsoy  of  the  kind  called 
Moses'  Tables,  resembling  Hebrew  characters  on  a  white  ground. 

Mineral  Waters.']  The  mineral  waters  of  Scotland  are  numer- 
ous, but  none  of  equal  fame  with  those  of  England.  The  chief 
are  Moffat  wells  in  the  south,  and  those  of  Peterhead  in  the  north. 

Mitural  Curiosities,']  Scotland,  like  other  mountahious  coun- 
tries, abounds  with  singular  scenes,  and  natural  curiosities.  The 
beautiful  falls  of  the  Clyde,  near  Lanark,  have  deservedly  excited 
much  attention.     The  beauties  of  Loch  Lomond  have  been  so  of- 


120  SCOTLAND. 

ten  described,  that  it  is  unnecessary  to  repeat  so  trivial  a  theme. 
The  rocks  off  the  coast  of  Aberdeenshire  often  assume  singular 
forms  of  arches  and  pillars,  of  which  the  Bullers  of  Buchan  are 
the  most  remarkable  ;  and  the  space  from  Trouphead  to  Portsoy 
abounds  in  uncommon  rocks,  and  singular  marine  productions. 

SCOTTISH  ISLES. 

The  islands  that  belong  to  Scotland  are  numerous  and  impor- 
tant, and  fall  naturally  into  three  grand  divisions ;  the  Hebudes,* 
or  Western  Islands  ;  the  Orkneys  ;  and  the  islands  of  Shetland. 

On  passing  the  conic  rock,  called  Ailsa,  towards  the  north,  two 
beautiful  islands  adorn  the  Fij'th  of  Clyde,  those  of  Arran  and 
Bute.f  The  first  is  about^  twenty-three  miles  in  length  by  four- 
teen in  breadth,  and  has  5,179  inhabitants.  The  chief  place  is  the 
village  of  Ranza  ;  and  Brodie  castle  is  memorable  in  history.  The 
exports  are  black  cattle  and  barley4  Mr.  Jameson  has  recently 
published  an  account  of  this  island,  particularly  its  miineralogy, 
from  which  it  appears  that  it  is  a  mountainous  region  :  and  Goat- 
fell  is  near  3000  feet  in  height.  The  southern  parts  of  the  island 
pres.ent  low  and  cultivated  grounds. 

Bute  is  about  eighteen  miles  in  length,  and  from  four  to  five  in 
breadth;  inhabitants  6,i06;  the  chief  town  is  Rothsay,  containing 
5,231  inhabitants;  and  in  the  vicinity  is  Mount  Stuart,  the  orna- 
mented residence  of  the  Marquis  of  Bute,  and  woi'thy  of  the  dis- 
tinguished taste  of  the  noble  proprietor.  Kingarth,  the  other 
town,  contains  875  inhabitants.  The  two  Cambrays,  lying  east  of 
Bute,  contain  506  inhabitants. 

To  the  west  of  the  Chersonese  of  Cantire  begin  the  Hebudes  ; 
or  Western  Islands,  properly  so  called.  The  first  is  Ila,  twenty- 
eight  miles  in  length  and  eighteen  miles  in  breadth.  Ila  produc- 
es many  black  cattle,  which  arc  exported,  and  sometimes  pass  as 
far  as  England.§  But  the  sheep  are  i-are  ;  small  horses  are  much 
used,  as  the  country  is  not  very  mountainous.  This  isle  belongs  to 
Mr.  Campbell,  of  Shawfield.  Inhabitants,  8364.  Lead-mines 
were  here  discovered  in  the  sand-stone,  1763;  this  lead  is,  as 
xisual,  mingled  with  silver. 

Jura  is  divided  from  the  last  by  a  narrow  sound :  it  is  thirty 
miles  in  length,  and  on  an  average  seven  in  breadth.  It  is  the 
most  rugged  of  the  Hebudes,  which,  in  genei'al,  are  mountainc  us 
regions.  The  paps  of  Jura,  a  line  of  conic  hills,  present  a  singu- 
lar appearance  ;  they  are  on  the  western  side  of  the  island,  and  al- 
most bare  of  vegetation.||  The  best  crops  are  potatoes  and  bar- 
ley ;  and  the  isle  contains  abundance  of  peat.  The  cattle  are  small, 
but  the  sheep  excellent.  The  noted  gulf  or  whirlpool  of  Bre- 
can  or  Corryvrekan,  is  on  the  northern  extremity  of  Jura.l  In- 
habitants 1202. 

•  This  name  was  corrupted  by  Rector  Boyce,  into  Hebrides. 

t  Pennant's  Vojrtge,  168.  +  Stat.  Account,  vol.  ix.  p.  169. 

§  S.  A.  xi.  Srs.  ,1  S,  A,  xii.  318.  H  Kuox's  View,  ii.  431. 


-h'A 


SCOTLAND.  121 

To  the  west  of  Jura  are  the  isles  of  Oransa  and  Colonsa;  and 
the  strait  between  them  being  dry  at  low  water,  they  may  be  con- 
sidered as  one  island,  about  ten  miles  in  length.  The  soil  is  gen- 
erally light  and  arable,  producing  barley  and  potatoes.  The  ven- 
erable ruins  of  the  ancient  monastery  of  Canons  regular  in  Colon- 
sa now  exist  no  longer ;  but  those  of  a  curious  priory  in  Oransa 
still  remain.*  Inhabitants  of  both  718.  Balnahuaigh  contains 
132  inhabitants,  and  Scarba  and  Lurga  79. 

The  next  isle  of  any  consequence  is  that  of  Mull,  one  of  the 
largest  of  the  Hebudes,  and  surrounded  with  smaller  interesting 
islands.  Mull  is  about  twenty-eight  miles  in  length,  by  a  medial 
breadth  of  about  eighteen,  containing  425  square  miles.  The  pop- 
ulation is  8,367.t  On  the  north-east  is  the  new  village  of  Tober- 
mory. 

But  the  most  curious  objects  in  the  vicinity  of  Mull,  are  Icolm- 
kill  and  Staffa.  Hyona,  or  Icolm-kill,  is  about  three  miles  long, 
by  one  broad,  and  is  venerable,  as  the  primitive  seat  of  Scottish 
literature  and  religion,  founded  by  St.  Columba  in  the  sixth  cen- 
tury. Its  history  and  ruins  have  been  often  described  ;  but  it  may 
be  added,  from  a  recent  traveller,  that  the  isle  produces  beautiful 
white  marble,  and  large  blocks  of  indurated  steatites. 

Staffa,  about  six  miles  to  the  north  of  Hyona,  was  first  introduc- 
ed to  public  notice  by  Sir  Joseph  Banks.  Buchanan  has  men- 
tioned the  isle,  but  not  its  grand  singularities,  its  beautiful  basal- 
tic columns,  and  one  of  the  most  surprising  objects  of  nature,  tlie 
vast  basaltic  cavern,  called  Au-ua-vine. 

Fiuhn  Mac  Caul's.,  or  Fingal's  Cave  or  Grotto.  This  cave  is 
on  tlie  west  side  of  the  island.  It  is  an  immense  excavation  in  the 
side  of  a  mountain  of  solid  rock,  the  roof  of  which  is  arched,  and 
is  supported  by  numberless  basaltic  pillars  of  various  sizes  and 
heights  of  3,  4,  5,  6,  and  7  sides,  the  pentagonal  and  hexagonal 
being  most  numerous.  These  columns  are  mostly  above  50  fee, 
high.  The  bottom  of  the  cave  is  filled  with  the  sea,  reaching  to 
the  very  extremity.  In  calm  weather  a  boat  may  sail  in  safely  ; 
but  if  the  waves  are  agitated  in  a  slight  degree,  it  is  inevitably 
dashed  to  pieces.  Sir  Joseph  Banks,  who  visited  it  in  1772,  gives 
the  following  as  its  dimensions : 


Breadth  of  the  moutli  -  - 

Do.  at  the  farther  end  -  - 

Height  of  the  arch  at  the  mouth 

Do.  at  the  end  -  .  , 

Length  from  the  pitch  of  the  arch  to  the  farther  end 

Height  of  the  talk  st  columns  on  the  right  side  of  the 

entrance  .... 

Depth  of  water  at  the  mouth  .         .         -         . 

Do.  at  the  farther  end  -  -  -        - 

•  SuUst.  Ace.  Jtil  327.  t  St-  Fowl,  tome  ii.  p.  19. 

VOL.  II.  '    16 


Feet    1 

Fnchcs. 

53 

7 

20 

0 

117 

6 

ro 

0 

250 

0 

45 

0 

18 

0 

9 

0 

123  SCOTLAND. 

A  small  cave  at  the  farther  extremity  sends  forth  an  agreeable 
noise  every  time  the  Avatcr  rushes  into  it ;  from  which  circum- 
stance it  has  received  the  name  of  ^u-ua-vine,  or  the  melodicus 
cuve.  The  light  from  without  is  sufficient  to  illuminate  the  whole 
cave,  and  the  air  is  perfectly  free  from  damp  and  noxious  vapors. 

To  the  N.  W.  of  Mull  are  the  isles  of  Tirey  and  Col,  the  for- 
mer 1 1  miles  long  and  2  ^  broad,  producing  a  most  beautiful  mar- 
ble, of  a  rose  color,  penetrated  with  small  irregular  crystals  of 
green  hornblende,  and  which  the  French  naturalists  have,  from 
the  name  of  the  isle  called  Tirite,  no  similar  marble  being  any 
where  found.  Tirey  is  generally  plain  and  fertile.  Population 
2,416.  Col,  on  the  contrary,  is  rocky,  but  has  several  small  lakes, 
replenished  with  fish.  It  is  thirteen  miles  long  and  three  broad. 
Population  11,622. 

Another  group  consists  of  Skey,  in  the  Scandinavian  styled 
Skua,  and  the  surrounding  isles.  Skey  is  the  largest  of  the  He- 
budes,  being  about  50  miles  in  length,  and  about  40  in  breadth. 
Inhabitants  17,691  ;  chief  exports  black  cattle  and  small  horses  : 
the  land,  as  usual  in  the  Hebudes,  rough  and  hilly.  The  houses 
are  chieily  turf,  covered  with  grass.  The  face  of  the  country 
wild,  heathy,  and  deluged  with  continual  rains.  Skey  contains 
eight  parishes.  To  the  south  of  Skey  are  the  isles  Canna,  Rhum, 
Eig,  and  Muck  ;  and  to  the  N.  E.  of  Skey,  Rona,  Raza  and  Scalpa. 
The  population  of  these  four,  Canna,  Rhum,  Eig,  and  Muck,  is 
1,339.  The  other  isles  in  this  group  offer  little  memorable.  Canna 
and  Eig  contain  basaltic  pillars,  and  in  the  former  is  Compass  hill, 
which  strongly  affects  the  needle. 

It  now  remains  to  give  some  idea  of  the  exterior  chain  of  the 
Western  Isles,  forming,  as  it  wci'e,  a  barrier  against  the  Atlantic. 
Two  small  and  remote  isles  have  attracted  considerable  notice. 
The  first  is  that  of  Rona,  about  twelve  leagvies  to  the  N.  W.  of 
Cape  Wrath,  and  about  thirty  leagues  W.  from  the  Orkney.s, 
This  little  isle,  with  its  companion  Suliska,  or  Bara,  has  almost 
escaped  from  the  Scottish  maps,  being  little  known,  and  rarely 
visited.  In  the  last  century.  Sir  George  M'Kenzie,  of  Tarbat,  af- 
terwards Earl  of  Cromarty,  drew  up  a  short  account  of  Rona,  from 
the  oral  information  of  inhabitants,  at  that  time  consisting  only  of 
five  families.* 

The  small  isle  of  Hirta,  or  St.  Kilda,  mvist  have  attracted  much 
notice,  even  in  Lesley's  time,  for  in  his  map  he  has  represented  it 
as  about  six  times  the  size  of  Skey,  while  in  truth  it  is  only  three 
miles  long  and  two  broad.  St.  Kilda  is  about  60  miles  to  the  west 
of  North  Vist,  and  140  fi'om  Scotland;  and  has  been  repeatedly 
described  ;  the  singular  and  simple  manners  of  its  inhabitants  have 
excited  considerable  attention.  Its  shores  are  every  where,  ex- 
cept in  the  bay,  a  perpendicular  face  of  rock  of  prodigious  height. 
Inhabitants  about  300. 

Having  thus  briefly  mentioned  these  remote  and  little  visited 
isles,  the  plan  here  followed  must  be  resumed  by  some  account 

*  Mom-o's  Descript.  of  the  W.  Isles,  in  1549.  Eflin.  1774.  Deuodecimo,  p.  63.  The 
Slat  Ace.  six.  -ZTl,  adds  uotliiiijj. 


SCOTLAND.  123 

of  Leuis,  the  principal  island  of  the  western  chain.  It  is  about  60 
miles  in  Length,  by  twenty  in  breadth.  The  face  of  the  country 
consists  of  a  heathy  elevated  ridge  full  of  morasses  from  the  S. 
W.  to  N.  E.  but  near  the  shores  are  several  verdant  vales  capable 
of  cultivation.  The  Harris,  or  south  end  of  this  isle,  is  still  more 
mountainous,  and  presents  what  is  called  a  forest,  because  some 
deer  are  there  found.  James  VI.  attempted  to  introduce  indus- 
try into  the  Hebudes  by  planting  a  Dutch  colony  at  Storna- 
way, in  Leuis ;  but  it  was  soon  extirpated  by  the  inhabitants. 
Stornaway  is,  however,  now  a  considerable  and  flourishing:  town, 
with  an  excellent  harbor,  and  contains  2,974  inhabitants.  Besides 
cottages,  there  are  about  seventy  hotises  covered  with  slate.  The 
seasons  in  Leuis  are  oppressed  with  rain,  as  usual  in  the  western 
Highlands  and  isles ;  but  there  is  a  considerable  fishery.  The 
crops  are  oats,  bigg,  and  potatoes ;  no  trees  will  thrive  except  al- 
der and  mountain  ash  ;  and  hardly  a  shrub  appears  :  but  there  are 
many  black  cattle  and  sheep,  nor  is  there  any  want  of  small  horses. 
Population  of  the  whole  island  12,164. 

To  the  south  of  Leuis  is  North  Vist,  about  twenty  two  miles 
in  length  from  E.  to  W.  and  about  seventeen  in  breadth  N.  to  S. 
for  recent  discoveries  have  restored  this  isle  to  its  proper  form, 
among  many  other  improvements  which  have  taken  place  within 
these  few  years  in  Scottish  geography.  The  face  of  the  country 
corresponds  in  general  with  that  of  Leuis ;  and  trees  are  equally 
unknown.  Potatoes  are  generally  cultivated.  Westerly  winds, 
with  rain  or  fog,  usurp  two  thirds  of  the  year.  Lord  Macdonald  is 
the  proprietor.*     Inhabitants  3,010. 

The  small  isle  of  Benbecula,  and  some  others,  lie  betwixt  North 
and  South  Vist ;  the  latter  is  about  32  miles  in  length  N.  to  S.  by 
about  ten  in  breadth  W.  to  E.  The  morassy  central  chain  extends 
also  through  this  isle  ;  but  to  the  east  are  dry  hills  covered  with 
heath  and  verdure.  The  productions  also  resemble  those  of  Leu- 
is ;  and  there  are  many  small  lakes  full  of  excellent  trout.  Chief 
exports  black  cattle  and  kelp.  This  isle  is  also  naked  of  wood, 
Inhabitants  4,595.  The  whole  population  of  the  Hebudes  in  1801, 
was  80,880. 

Berra,  a  little  to  the  S.  W.  is  eight  miles  long,  and  four  broad. 
It  is  mountainous.  Produces  corn  and  oats  ;  but  the  chief  atten- 
tion is  paid  to  rearing  cattle,  burning  kelp,  and  to  the  cod-fishery. 
Inhabitants  1,925.  Between  it  and  South  Vist  lie  Eriskay,  Eiarra, 
Giga,  Cara,  and  Helisay,  and  south  of  it  Watera,  Deer  1.  Samdera, 
Pabba,  Mingalla,  and  Bernera. 

The  islands  of  Orkney  and  Shetland  remain  to  be  described. 
The  Orkneys  form  a  numerous  group  around  the  Main  Land,  or 
what,  by  some  new  and  fabulous  term,  is  called  Pomona.f  The 
Main  Land  is  about  thirty  miles  in  length  E.  to  W.  by  about  thir- 
teen in  breadth  N.  to  S.  Kirkwall,  the  chief  town  of  the  Orkneys, 
contains  2,62 1  inhabitants,  and  has  a  stately  cathedral  dedicated 

•  Stat  Ace.  xiii.  300. 

t  The  old  accounU  are  Wallace's  1C93,  and  Brand's  1701 ;  the  modern,  the  Su- 
Jistic  Survey. 


-i*» 


124  SCOTLAND. 

to  St.  Magnus.  Opposite  stands  the  bishop's  palace,  nov/  called  a 
castle.  The  chief  exports  of  Kirkwall  are  beef,  pork,  butter,  tal- 
low, hides,  calf  skins,  rabbit  sTcins,  salted  fish,  oil,  feathers,  linen 
yarn,  and  coarse  linen  cloth,  kelp,*  and  in  fruitful  years  corn. 
The  chief  imports  are  wood,  flax,  coal,  sugar,  spirits,  wines,  to- 
bacco and  snuff,  flour,  and  biscuit,  soap,  leather,  hardwares,  broad- 
cloth, printed  linens  and  cottons.  In  1790  the  exports  were  val- 
ued at  26,598/;  and  the  imports  at  20,803/.  The  harbor  is  excel- 
lent. The  manufactures  are  linen  yarn,  and  coarse  linens,  and 
kelp.  This  last  was  introduced  about  sixty  years  ago,  and  has 
been  since  diffused  OA^er  the  Highlands  and  isles.  In  most  parts 
of  the  main  land  the  soil  is  good,  though  shallow,  with  a  calcare- 
ous bottom.  The  horses  are  small,  but  spirited  ;  and  the  cows, 
though  also  small,  yield  excellent  milk.  The  sheep  in  the  Isl- 
ands of  Orkney  are  computed  at  50,000.  Swine  also  abound,  of  a 
dirty  white  color,  and  di  ainutive  size.  The  numbers  of  sea- 
fowl  may  be  easily  imagined.  The  Noi-se  language  has  yielded  to 
the  English,  and  the  manners  of  the  people  are  singularly  civil- 
ized for  so  remote  a  region.     Their  number  is  13,176. 

Hoij-Island,  S.  W.  of  Pomona,  is  ten  miles  long  and  six  broad. 
Its  surface  is  mountainous.  Inhabitants  244.  They  are  employed 
in  rearing  cattle  and  sheep.  The  Dwarfic  Stone^  a  celebrated  I'elic 
of  antiquity  is  in  this  island.  It  measures  32  feet  in  length,  16|  iu 
breadth,  and  71  in  height,  hollowed  into  several  apartments.  A 
very  rich  ore  of  lead  was  lately  discovered  here.  South  Ronald' 
s/iai/,  E.  of  Hoy,  is  six  miles  long  and  three  broad.  Surface  level, 
soil  fertile.  Inhabitants  1,610.  It  possesses  two  excellent  harbors, 
Widetvall  Bay,  and  St.  Margaret's  Hofie. 

Shafiinsha,  three  miles  north  of  Pomona,  is  seven  miles  long 
and  three  broad,  in  the  shape  of  a  cross.     Inhabitants  744. 

Rousa,  N.  W.  of  Pomona,  is  nine  miles  long  and  four  broad.  It 
is  generally  hilly.  Its  inhabitants  with  those  of  Eglishay,  Weir, 
and  Inhallow  are  1,061.  They  prosecute  the  fisheries  with  great 
diligence. 

Stronsoy  7\  miles  long  and  nearly  as  broad,  is  extremely  indent- 
ed with  bays.  It  is  very  hilly  and  contains  about  3,000  sheep, 
900  cattle,  500  houses,  and  300  swine.     Inhabitants  924, 

Eda  is  5^  miles  long  and  \\  broad,  and  is  hilly.  Inhabitants 
718. 

Westray  is  ten  miles  long  and  from  two  to  six  broad,  and  is  val- 
uable for  its  cattle,  its  sheep,  and  its  kelp.  With  the  little  isle  of 
Pafia  Westray  it  contained,  in  1801,  1,624  souls. 

Sanda,  twelve  miles  long  and  three  broad,  is  generally  low  and 
productive.  The  domestic  animals  in  1792,  were  4,200  sheep, 
1,314  cattle,  356  horses,  and  140  swine.  It  anmially  produces 
from  500  to  600  tons  of  kelp.  With  North  Ronaldshay  it  contained, 
in  1801,  2,148  inhabitants.  This  last  is  the  farthest  north  of  the 
Orkneys.     The   total  population  of  these  islands  in    1801   was 

•  Sanba  produces  great  quantities  of  kelp  ;  when  the  Orkneys  in  general  may  yield 
2,500  tons,  500  and  600  are  drawn  from  that  isle  only.    S.  A.  vii.  455. 


SCOTLAND.  125 

24,478.     The  number  of  the  islands  is  30,  of  winch  26  arc  in- 
habited. 

The  islands  of  Shetland  present  another  group  similar  to  those 
of  Orkney ;  with  a  main  land  or  chief  island  in  its  centre.  The 
main  land  is  much  intersected  by  the  sea  :  and  is  about  60  miles 
in  length,  by  12  miles  of  medial  breadth.*  Inhabitants  I5,5y3. 
They  are  hardy,  docile,  and  ingenious  ;  and  manufacture  coarse 
linen  and  woollen  cloths  for  their  own  use,  and  very  fine  worsted 
stockings  for  exportation.  Their  great  occupation  is  fishing. 
Yell^  or  Zell,  farther  north,  is  about  twenty  miles  long,  and  twelve 
broad.  Its  coast  is  bold,  rocky,  and  indented,  surface  level,  and 
soil  tolerable.     Inhabitants  2,965. 

Unst^  the'most  northern,  is  in  61,  15,  N.  It  is  twelve  miles  long, 
and  four  broad,  and  generally  level.  It  is  very  rich  in  minerals, 
and  in  cattle.  Eighty  tons  of  cured  fish  are  annually  exported. 
Inhabitants  2,259. 

These  islands  are  86  in  number,  of  which  26  are  inhabited. 
Their  whole  population  in  1801,  Avas  22,379. 

The  hills  in  Shetland  are  chiefly  composed  of  sand-stone,  brec- 
cia, &c.  The  basis  seems  gneiss,  and  micaceous  schistus,  which 
are  sometimes  exposed  to  the  air.  Lime-stone  is  also  found,  and 
some  granite ;  but  on  the  whole  the  mass  is  arenaceous. 

The  climate  of  the  Shetland  isles  is  variable,  and  disturbed 
with  rains  and  thick  fogs.  The  frosts  are  seldom  severe,  and  snow 
rarely  continues  long  on  the  ground.  The  inhabitants  are  indeed 
sufficiently  wretched,  without  additional  evils ;  and  a  benevolent 
government  ought  to  pay  a  particular  attention  to  those  distant 
prisoners.  The  corruscations  of  the  Aurora  Borealis  illuminate 
the  long  gloom  of  winter,  and  delight  the  inhabitants,  who  call 
tliem  vierry  dancers.  The  arable  land  is  mostly  near  the  coast, 
and  produces  a  coarse  kind  of  oats  and  bigg.  Potatoes  have  lately 
formed  an  addition  of  singular  advantage.  The  chief  food  of  the- 
inhabitants  consists  of  fish,  and  various  kinds  of  sea-fowl,  which 
cover  the  rocks ;  the  captors  of  the  last  shew  singular  skill  and 
intrepidity,  and  often  meet  with  a  violent  fate  amidst  the  stupen- 
dous precipices.  The  cattle  are  rather  larger  than  those  of  Ork- 
ney, and  the  butter  is  excellent  if  pi'operly  prepared.  Sheep  are 
not  uncommon,  and  have  been  recently  praised  for  tlie  fineness  of 
their  fleece.  The  horses  have  mettle  and  beauty,  and  on  account 
of  the  singular  minuteness  of  their  size  have  become  objects  of 
luxury  and  curiosity  in  England. 

Lerwick,  the  chief  town  or  rather  village  containing  about  15C 
families,  stands  on  an  excellent  harbor  called  Brassa  Sound,  fomi- 

•  We  have  better  cliaris  of  the  coasts  of  New  IloUand,  than  of  tlie  isles  of  Orkney 
and  Shetland.  Capt.  Donnelley's  chart  of  the  Shetland  isles,  seems  the  most  accurate-, 
in  which  the  Main  land  corresponds  in  length  with  Leuis,  while  Ainslej's  woid<l  give* 
length  of  almost  ninety  miles.  Yell  and  Unst  seem  also  more  properly  disposed  in 
Captain  Donnelley's  map.  The  Danish  Captain  Von  Lowenom  (Zach's  Geogi-aphicid 
.Tournal,  May,  1"'J9)  found  that  the  Shetland  isles  -were  about  one  thiiii  shorter  than 
represented  in  the  English  map  (Preston's;)  which  also  \)Uts  ihe  northern  cxtrcniilf. 
half  a  degree  further  noitli  than  it  was  foun<l  by  minute  observations.  Lowenom  pub- 
iTIihed  a  map  of  these  isles  iu  1  ~87. 


226  IRELAND. 

ed  by  the  little  isle  of  Brassa  on  the  cast  of  the  Main  land,  and 
formerly  greatly  frequented  by  the  Dutch  fishers. 

The  chief  exports  of  Shetland  are  fish  of  various  kinds,  chiefly 
herrings,  cod,  ling,  and  torsk,  or  tusk.  In  this  distant  region  there 
are  neither  roads  nor  bridges,  which  may  be  pronounced  the  first 
steps  in  any  country  towards  the  progress  of  industry.  The  same 
deficiency  occurs  in  the  Orkneys,  and  even  in  the  Northern  ex- 
tremity of  Scotland ;  where  however  a  road  has  been  recently 
opened  between  Ullapool  and  Dornoch. 


IRELAND. 

CHAPTER  I. 
HISTORICAL  GEOGRAPHY. 

NAMES,    EXTENT,  ORIGINAL  POPULATION,  PROGRESSIVE    GEOGRA- 
PHY,   HISTORICAL    EPOCHS,    ANTIQUITIES. 

Mimes.^  THE  large  and  fertile  island  of  Ireland,  being 
situated  to  the  west  of  Great  Britain,  was  probably  discovered  by 
the  Phoenicans  as  early  as  the  sister  island ;  and  it  appears  that 
the  island  was  known  to  the  Greeks  by  the  name  of  Juvcrna,  about 
two  centviries  before  the  birth  of  Christ.  When  Caesar  made  his 
expedition  into  Britain,  he  describes  Hiber?iia  as  being  about  half 
the  size  of  the  island  which  he  had  explored ;  and,  while  the  Ro- 
mans maintained  their  conquests  in  the  latter  region,  Ireland  coai- 
tinued  of  course  to  be  well  known  to  them,  and  Ptolemy  has  given 
a  map  of  the  island  which  is  superior  in  accuracy  to  that  which 
represents  Scotland.  Towards  the  decline  of  the  Western  Em- 
pire, as  the  country  had  become  more  and  more  known,  and  had 
been  peopled  with  various  tribes,  the  Romans  discovered  that  the 
ruling  people  in  Ireland  were  the  Scoti ;  and  thenceforth  the  coun- 
try began  to  be  termed  Scotia.,  an  appellation  retained  by  the  mo- 
nastic writers  till  the  eleventh  century,  when  the  name  Scotia  hav- 
ing passed  to  modern  Scotland,  the  ancient  name  of  Hibernia  be- 
gan to  reassurae  its  honors.  It  is  supposed  that  this  name,  and 
the  Gothic  denomination  Ireland,  are  mere  modifications  of  the 
native  term  Erin,  implying  the  country  of  the  west. 

ExtentT^  The  extent  of  this  noble  island  is  about  300  miles  in 
length,  and  about  160  at  the  greatest  breadth.  The  contents  in 
square  miles  may  be  computed  at  27,457*,  and  the  population  be- 
ing about  four  millions,  there  will  be  about  146  inhabitants  to  each 
square  mile. 

Original  Population.~\     It  is  probable  that  the  original  popula- 

*  Beaufort,  p.  14,  says  S0,370  English  miles. 


IRELAND.  1-7 

tion  of  Ii'eland  passed  from  Gaul,  and  was  afterwards  increased 
by  their  brethren  the  Guydil  from  England.  About  the  time  that 
the  Belgae  seized  on  the  south  of  England,  it  appears  that  kindred 
Gothic  tribes  passed  to  the  south  of  Ireland.  These  are  the  Fir- 
bolg  of  the  Irish  traditions ;  and  appear  to  have  been  the  same 
people  whom  the  Romans  denominated  Scoti,  after  they  had 
emerged  to  their  notice,  by  not  only  extending  their  conquests  to 
the  north  and  east  in  Ireland,  but  had  begun  to  make  maritime  ex- 
cursions against  the  Roman  provinces  in  Britain. 

Progre&dve  Geografihy.~\  The  map  of  Ireland  by  Ptolemy, 
above  mentioned,  is  the  first  geographical  document  of  the  island. 
The  general  shape,  rivers,  and  promontories,  are  delineated  with 
as  much  accuracy  as  could  have  been  expected.  Nay  as  we  ad- 
vance into  the  middle  ages,  the  geography  of  Ireland  becomes 
more  obscure.  The  chief  tribes  mentioned  by  Ptolemy  are  the 
Darni  upon  the  north-east,  the  Fenicni  and  Robogdii  on  the  north- 
west. Beneath  them  are  the  JVagnati,  Juteri,  and  Gangani,  on  the 
west,  the  Erdini  in  the  cenire,  and  the  Voluntii,  Ebla7ii,  and  Cauci, 
on  the  east ;  succeeded  by  the  southern  tribes  of  the  Mcnafiii-, 
Brigantes^  Bodiij  Invelni,  Velabri,  and  Luceni.  Ptolemy  also  men- 
tions ten  towns  ;  of  which  the  chief  is  Eblana  now  Dublin.  In  the 
middle  ages  we  find  the  Dalriadi  on  the  north-east ;  and  the  Cru- 
theni  on  the  north-west.  The  large  tribe  of  J^elli  occupy  much  of 
the  centre.  The  Voluntii  seem  transformed  into  the  people  of 
UUagh  ;  the  Erdini  of  Ptolemy  yield  the  name  to  Jrgialli ;  and  the 
JVagnati  to  Maigh  Nais.  The  Gavgani  of  Ptolemy  seem  the  Gal- 
eng  of  the  middle  ages.  The  Mena/di,  &c.  must  be  traced  in 
Muman,  or  present  Munster.  The  towns  mentioned  by  Ptolemy 
might  also  be  traced  with  some  degree  of  accuracy. 

The  ravages  of  the  Danes,  in  the  ninth  and  following  centuries, 
cannot  be  supposed  to  throw  much  light  on  tlie  progressive  geog- 
raphy of  Ireland  :  but  the  settlements  of  the  English  under  Hen- 
ry II.  certainly  contributed  to  that  end,  for  Giraldus  Cambrensis 
at  that  period  composed  his  description  of  Ireland,  which  amidst 
numerous  fables  contains  some  curious  facts ;  and  the  geography 
of  Ireland  was  little  better  known  till  the  reign  of  Elizabeth,  when 
Stanihurst  published  his  description,  which  was  soon  followed  by 
that  of  Spencer  the  poet.  The  most  remarkable  distinction  in- 
troduced by  the  new  invaders  into  Ireland  was  that  of  the  English 
pale,  or  circuit  of  a  few  counties  around  Dublin,  within  which  the 
English  language  was  chiefly  spoken.  So  inconsiderable  indeed 
were  the  English  possessions  in  Ireland,  that  the  monarchs  only 
assumed  the  style  of  Lords  of  Ireland,  till  the  reign  of  Henry 
VIII.  when  king  of  Ireland  became  a  part  of  the  sovereign's  style. 
Nor  was  Ireland  completely  subjugated  till  the  reign  of  the  first 
James,  wlio  adds  this  merit  to  that  of  founding  the  American  colo- 
nies ;  but  mankind  will  ever  be  infatuated  by  the  triumphs  of  war, 
and  prefer  a  meteor  to  the  pure  light  of  a  pacific  reign. 

Historical  E/iochs.']     The  first  historical  epoch  of  Ireland  is  its 
original  population  by  the  Celtic  Gauls,  and  the  subsequent  colo- 
.nization  by  the  Belgje. 


128  IRELAND. 

2.  The  maritime  excursions  of  the  Scoti  against  the  Roman 
provinces  in  Britain. 

3.  The  conversion  of  Ireland  to  Christianity  in  the  fifth  centu- 
ry, which  was  followed  by  a  singular  effect ;  for  while  the  mass 
of  the  people  retained  all  the  ferocity  of  savage  manners,  the  mon- 
asteries produced  many  men  of  such  piety  and  learning,  that  Sco- 
tia or  Ireland  became  celebrated  all  over  Christendom. 

4.  This  lustre  was  diminished  by  the  ravages  of  the  Scandina- 
vians, which  began  with  the  ninth  century,  and  can  hardly  be  said 
to  have  ceased  when  the  English  settlement  commenced.  The 
island  had  been  split  into  numerous  principalities,  or  kingdoms,  as 
they  were  styled  ;  and  though  a  chief  monarch  was  acknowledged, 
yet  his  power  was  seldom  efficient,  and  the  constant  dissensions  of 
so  many  small  tribes  rendered  the  island  an  easy  prey. 

5.  In  the  year  1170,  Henry  II.  permitted  Richard  Strongbow 
Earl  of  Pembroke  to  effect  a  settlement  in  Ireland,  which  laid  the 
foundation  of  the  English  possessions  in  that  country.  There  are 
however  coins  of  Canute  king  of  England,  struck  at  Dublin,  per- 
haps in  acknowledgment  of  his  power  by  the  Danish  settlers. 

6.  Ireland  began  to  produce  some  manufactures  about  the  four- 
teenth century,  and  ker-sayes  or  thin  woollen  cloths  were  exported 
to  Italy.  It  is  probable  that  these  were  produced  by  the  Bristoli- 
an  colony,  which  had  passed  to  Dublin,  as  mentioned  in  the  de- 
scription of  England. 

7.  Richard  II.  king  of  England,  attempted  in  person  the  con- 
quest of  Ireland,  but  being  imprudent  and 'ill  served,  nothing 
of  moment  was  effected.  The  subsequent  attempts  of  the  Eng- 
lish monarchs  to  accomplish  this  purpose  need  not  be  enumerated. 

8.  In  the  reign  of  James  I.  Ireland  became  entirely  subjugated ; 
and  colonies  of  English  and  Scots  were  established  in  the  north. 

9.  The  chief  mean  of  the  assimilation  of  the  countries  having 
been  completely  neglected,  namely,  the  universal  institution  oi* 
parochial  schools,  for  the  education  of  children  in  the  protestant 
religion  and  English  language,  the  IrisJi  continued  a  distinct  peo- 
ple ;  and  being  instigated  by  their  fanatic  priests  executed  their 
dreadful  massacre  of  the  English  settlers  in  1641.  This  in- 
surrection was  not  totally  crushed  till  Cromwell  led  his  veterans 
into  Ireland. 

10.  The  appearance  of  James  II.  in  Ireland  to  reclaim  his 
crown,  may  also  deserve  a  place. 

1 1 .  The  amazing  progress  of  Ireland  in  manufactures  and  com- 
merce, within  these  twenty  years,  may  be  classed  as  the  most  il- 
lustrious of  its  historical  epochs. 

12.  The  deplorable  events  which  have  recently  Ijappened  in 
Ireland,  have  led  the  way  to  its  union  with  Great  Britain,  a  meas- 
ure which  has  been  pi'oductive  of  great  reciprocal  advantages. 

jlntiquities.~\  Upon  a  review  of  the  moi'e  ancient  of  these  his- 
torical epochs,  and  of  the  monuments  which  may  be  considered 
as  belonging  to  each,  it  must  be  considei-ed  that  the  edifices  hav- 
ing been  constructed  of  wood  till  the  eleventh  or  twelfth  century, 
it  cannot  be  expected  that   any  remains  of  them  should  exist. 


IRELAND.  129 

Stone  was  chiefly  employed  in  the  construction  of  funeral  erec- 
tions of  various  kinds,  nor  are  barrows  wanting  in  Ireland,  being 
hillocks  of  earth,  thrown  up  in  commemoration  of  the  illustrious 
dead.  Other  monuments,  commonly  styled  Druidic,  may  also  be 
found  in  Ireland  ;  such  as  single  stones  erect,  circular  temples 
or  rather  places  of  judgment  and  the  like,  Avhich  may  more  prop- 
erly be  ascribed  to  the  Belgic  colony.* 

The  conversion  of  Ireland  to  Christianity  was  followed  by  the 
erection  of  a  vast  number  of  churches  and  monasteries,  the  latter 
being  computed  to  exceed  one  thousand  in  number ;  but  all  these 
edifices  were  originally  small,  and  constructed  of  inter^voven 
withes,  or  hewn  wood ;  for  St.  Bernard  in  the  twelfth  century, 
mentions  a  stone  church  as  a  singular  novelty  in  Ireland. 

But  the  Scandinavian  chiefs  must  before  vhis  period  have  intro- 
duced the  use  of  stone  into  the  castles  necessaiy  for  their  own  de- 
fence against  a  nation  whom  they  oppressed.  To  the  Scandinavi- 
an period  also  belong  what  are  called  the  Danes  Raths,  or  circu- 
lar intrenchments  ;  and  probably  some  chapels. 

Of  the  eleventh  and  twelfth  centuries  many  monuments,  castel- 
lated or  religious,  may  probably  exist  in  Ireland.  Brian  Boro, 
king  of  Munster,  having  been  declared  sovereign  of  Ireland  in 
the  year  1002,  distinguished  himself  by  his  virtues  and  courage; 
and  Dermid  III.  A.  D.  1041 — 1073  was  also  an  excellent  and  pow- 
erful prince.  Under  these  monarchs  and  their  successors,  Tud- 
clvac  and  Morieriac,  the  power  of  the  Ostmen  or  Scandinavians 
was  considerably  weakened.  The  native  chiefs  had  been  taught 
the  necessity  of  fortresses,  and  were  generally  devoutly  attached 
to  religion;  it  is  therefore  to  be  inferred  that  many  castles, 
churches,  and  monasteries  now  began  to  be  partly  constructed  in 
stone  by  architects  invited  from  France  and  England ;  but  per- 
haps the  round  towei's  were  erected  by  native  buildei's. 

The  castles,  churches,  and  monasteries,  erected  since  the  pei'i- 
od  of  the  English  settlement  might  be  counted  by  hundreds,  and 
for  them  one  general  reference  may  be  made  to  the  works  of  Led- 
wich  and  Grose.  Among  smaller  reliques  of  antiquity,  the  gold- 
en trinkets  found  in  a  bog  near  CuUen,  in  the  south,  deserve  men- 
tion ;  as  gold  was  found  in  Gaul,  they  are  perhaps  ornaments  of 
the  ancient  chiefs  brought  from  that  region. 

CHAPTER  II. 
POUTICAL  GEOGRAPHY. 

KELIGION,  ECCLESIASTIC  GEOGRAPHY,  CIVIL  DIVISIONS,  GOV- 
ERNMENT, POPULATION,  ARMY,  NAVY,  REVENUES,  POLITICAL 
IMPORTANCE    AND    RELATIONS. 

Feligion.']     THE  legal  religion  of  Ireland  is  that  of  the 
church  of  England;  but  it  is  computed  that  three  fourths  of  the 

•  Lt'.lwich's  introduction  to  Gi-ose's  Anti<iuitic8  of  Ireland,  for  Cromlechi  m  th« 
Cf  i"  C  iirlow,  and  a  cave  in  Meath, 

L.    11.  17 


lao 


IRELAND. 


people  are  Catholics;  and  of  the  remaining  fourth,  the  Presbyte- 
rians are  supposed  to  constitute  one  half. . 

Ecclesiastical  Gcograp/iy.~\  The  ecclesiastic  geography  of  Ire- 
land comprises  four  arch-bishoprics,  in  themselves  an  evidence  of 
the  great  number  of  churches  formerly  existing  ;  and  eighteen 
bishoprics. 

'IVIeath 

Kilmore  and  Ardagh 
Dromore 

Under  the  archbishop  of  Armagh  <{  Clogher 
are  the  bishops  of  Raphoe 

Dovi^ne  and  Conner 
Derry 
fKildare 

ynder  the  archbishop  of  Dublin  •  Ferns  and  Laughlin 

Ossory 

' Waterford  and  Lismore 
Limerick 
Under  tlie  archbishop  of  Cashel  -^  Killaioe 

I  Cork  and  Ross 
l^Cloyne 
r  Elphin 
Under  the  archbishop  of  Tuam     ■<  Cloyne 

(^Killala  and  Achonry* 

The  Catholics  have  also  a  hierarchy  nearly  similar,  but  the 
metropolitans  and  bishops  are  considered  by  the  protestants  as 
merely  titular.  The  presbytei'ians  being  here  dissenters,  their 
form  of  ecclesiastic  government  necessarily  approaches  that  of 
the  independents. 

Government. '^  The  government  of  Ireland  was  constructed 
upon  the  plan  of  that  of  England  being  vested  in  a  house  of  com- 
mons, and  another  of  peers,  while  the  king  was  represented  by  a 
lord  lieutenant  or  viceroy.  But  no  act  of  in^portance  was  con- 
sidered as  valid,  till  it  received  the  sanction  of  the  king  and  coun- 
cil of  Great  Britain.  At  present  Ireland  being  united  to  England, 
the  form  of  government  is  of  course  identically  the  same.  There 
are  some  minute  variations  between  the  statute  and  common  laws 
of  Ireland  and  those  of  England. 

Civil  Divisions.^  Ireland  is  primarily  divided  into  four  provinc- 
es, viz  Ulster  to  the  North,  Connaught  to  the  West,  Leinster  to 
the  East,  and  Munster  to  the  South.  The  subdivisions  are  coun- 
ties, of  which  the  following  is  a  list : 

•  Goagh's  Camden,  iii.  487.  The  primac}^  is  worth  8000/.  a  year,  Derry  7000^.  the 
other  bishoprics  from  4000/r  to  2000/.    Young,  ii.  189. 


IRELAND. 


131 


In  Ulster 


'Donegal 
Loodonderry 
Antrim 
Tyrone 
Fermanagh 
Monaghan 
Armagh 
Down 
_Cavan 
'Leitrim 
Sligo 
In  Connaught<^  Mayo 
j  Gal  way 
(^Roscommon 


In  Lienster    < 


In  Munster 


"Louth 
Meath 
Longford 
Westmeath 
Dublin 

King's  county 
Kildare 

Queen's  county 
Wicklow 
Carlow 
Kilkenny 
Wexford 
rClare 
j  Tipperary 
J  Waterford 
j  Limerick 

Cork 
(^  Kerry 
Pofiulation.']  The  population  of  Ireland  is  generally  estimat- 
ed at  four  millions.  By  a  census  taken  some  years  since  they 
amounted  to  3,427,209.  The  number  of  houses  was  489,897.  Nu- 
merous migrations  have  taken  place  from  Ireland  to  the  various 
British  settlements ;  but  no  separate  colony  of  Irish  has  been 
founded. 

^rTny.~\  Besides  large  contributions  to  the  British  army,  Ire- 
land in  1780  raised  upwards  of  40,000  volunteers,  and  has  recent- 
ly equipped  a  considerable  militia  and  yeomanry.  If  we  suppose 
every  eighth  person  capable  of  arms,  Ireland  might  raise  a  force 
of  500,0(;0  men.  Of  mariners  Ireland  contributes  an  inadet^uate 
proportion,  and  inferior  in  skill  to  the  British. 

Revenu'^s.']  The  average  amount  of  the  Irish  revenue  in  three 
years,  viz.  1796-''-8  was  ;C1 ,860,000.  Its  amount,  in  1806,  was 
/:  5,604,000  ;   and  in  1808,  6,174,000. 

Political  Im/iortance,  iJfcJ]  The  political  importance  and  rela- 
tions of  Ireland  are  great,  but  intimately  blended  with  those  of 
England  ;  while  her  western  position  imparts  singular  advantages 
in  the  commerce  with  America  and  the  West  Indies. 


CHAPTER  III. 


MANNERS  AND  CUSTOMS,  LANGUAGE,  LITERATURE,  EDUCATIONj 
UNIVERSITIES,  CITIES  AND  TOWNS,  EDIFICES,  INLAND  NAVI- 
GATION,   MANUFACTURES    AND    COMMERCE. 

Manners  and  Customs.']  THE  manners  of  the  superior 
classes  of  people  in  Ireland  now  nearly  approach  to  the  English 
sta  >dard,  except  that  excess  in  wine,  unfashionable  in  Eni^landi 
continues  to  prevail  too  much  in  the  sister  island.  The  Irish 
gentry  are  also  seldom  addicted  to  literature  or  the  arts  ;  but 
amuse  themselves  with  hunting  and  other  robust  exercises.  Hence 
an  overflow  of  health  and  spirits  ;  and  the  observation  of  an  able 


1S2  IRELAND. 

writer,  that  Ireland  produces  the  stoutest  men,  and  the  finest 
women  in  Europe,  must  not  be  confined  to  the  inferior  classes. 
The  common  people  of  Ireland  still  retain  too  many  features  of 
national  manners.  A  funeral  is  joined  by  all  the  men  and  women 
of  the  vicinity,  and  is  accompanied  with  dreadful  howls,  and  other 
barbarous  ceremonies.  Their  diet  consists  chiefly  of  potatoes 
and  buttermilk  ;  and  the  rural  cottage  is  a  wretched  hovel  of 
mud.  The  favorite  liquor  is  usquebaugh,  or  the  water  of  life ; 
but  more  properly  the  water  of  death,  being  an  ardent  and  perni- 
cious distillation  from  corn. 

Language^]  The  English  language  daily  gains  ground  in  Ire- 
land, and  might,  if  proper  attention  had  been  bestowed  on  the  na- 
tional education,  have  become,  ere  now,  the  general  idiom  of  the 
country.  The  ancient  Irish  is  a  dialect  of  the  Celtic  intermin- 
gled with  many  Gothic  words,  imported  by  the  Belgic  colonies, 
by  the  Scandinavians,  and  by  the  English. 

The  Lord's  prayer  in  the  Irish  idiom  runs  in  the  following  terms  : 

jir  nathair  ata  ar  J\''eamh.  JsFaomhthar  Hainm.  Tigcacih  do  Ri- 
oghachd.  Deuntar  do  Thoil  ar  an  Ttalamh  mar  do  nithear  ar 
A''eamh.  Ar  naran  la  athamhail  tabhair  dhuinn  a  niu.  Agus  maith 
dhiiinn  ar  Bhfiacha  mar  mliuithmidne  dar  bhftithcam/midbb  fein. 
Agus  na  leig  siiin  a  cathughadh.     Achd  sdir  sinn  o  Oic.     Amen. 

LiteraiureJ]  The  literature  of  Ireland  has  a  venerable  claim 
to  antiquity  ;  for  as  has  been  already  mentioned,  in  the  centuries 
immediately  following  the  introduction  of  Christianity  many  wri- 
ters arose,  whose  works  consist  of  lives  of  saints,  and  works  of  pie- 
ty and  discipline,  presenting  to  the  inquisitive  reader  many  sin- 
gular features  of  the  history  of  the  human  mind.  The  Anglo- 
Saxons  derived  their  first  illumination  from  Ireland  ;  and  in  Scot- 
land literature  continued  to  be  the  special  province  of  the  Irish 
clergy,  till  the  thirteenth  century. 

Hducation.^  In  no  quarter  of  the  British  dominions,  has  edu- 
cation been  conducted  upon  so  solid  and  rational  a  plan  as  in  Scot- 
land ;  and  no  Avhere  has  it  been  so  much  neglected  as  in  Ireland. 
It  is  to  be  hoped  that  one  consequence,  and  not  the  least  impor- 
tant, of  the  union,  will  be  the  introduction  of  parochial  education 
into  Ireland,  a  sure  mean  of  preventing  the  ebullitions  of  ignorant 
discontent. 

Univei'dties.']  With  four  archbishoprics  Ireland  only  possesses 
one  university,  that  of  Dublin.*  This  institution  was  first  pro- 
jected by  archbishop  Leech,  about  the  year  1311;  but  death  hav- 
ing interrupted  his  design,  it  was  revived  and  executed  by  Bick- 
nor,  his  successor,  and  enjoyed  moderate  prosperity  for  about  forty 
years,  wheji  the  revenues  failed. 

In  the  reign  of  Elizabeth  the  university  was  refounded  by  vol- 
untary contribution,  under  the  auspices  of  Sydney  the  Lord  Dep- 
uty. It  consists  of  a  chancellor,  vice-chancellor,  provost,  vice- 
provost,  twenty-two  fellows,  and  thirteen  professors  of  various 
sciences.  The  number  of  students  is  commonly  about  four  hun- 
dred, including  seventy  on  the  foundation.     The  building  consists 

•  Cough's  Camden,  iii.  555. 


IRELAND.  133 

of  two  quadrangles,  and  it  contains  a  library  of  some  account,  and 
a  printing-office. 

At  Kilkenny  there  is  an  endowed  school,  or  what  is  called  a 
college ;  but  its  institutes  seem  little  adapted  to  the  quiet  of  an 
academical  life. 

The  Dublin  Society  for  the  improvement  of  Agriculture  and 
Manufactures  was  instituted  by  the  effoi'ts  of  the  patriotic  Dr. 
Samuel  Madden  in  1731,  being  the  earliest  of  the  kind  now  exist- 
ing in  Europe,* 

Cities  and  Tonvns.']  Dublin,  the  capital  city  of  Ireland  seems 
to  be  the  Eblana  of  Ptolemy ;  but  continued  little  known  till  the 
tenth  century,  when  it  was  mentioned  in  the  Saxon  chronicle  ;  and 
in  the  beginning  of  the  next  century,  we  have  coins  of  Canute 
struck  at  Dublin.  The  situation  is  delightful,  in  a  bottom,  be- 
tween ranges  of  hills  on  the  south  and  north.  It  is  pervaded  by 
the  river  Liffy,  and  by  some  rivulets.  The  inhabitants  in  1802, 
were  167,899.t  This  capital  being  justly  accounted  the  second  in 
the  British  dominions. 

The  circumference  of  Dublin  may  be  about  ten  miles,  being 
about  two  miles  and  a  quarter  in  length,  and  as  much  i\\  breadth. 
The  harbor  is  incommodious,  being  impeded  with  two  banks  of 
sand,  called  the  north  and  south  bulls,  which  prevent  ships  of 
large  burden  from  passing  the  bar ;  but  some  improvements  have 
been  made,  and  others  might  be  carried  into  execution.  A  mole 
has  been  constructed  four  miles  in  length ;  and  the  quays  are  spa- 
cious and  beautiful.  There  are  six  bridges,  the  chief  of  which  is 
that  called  Essex.  The  castle  was  founded  about  the  year  1205, 
and  continues,  though  in  great  part  rebuilt,  to  be  the  sanctuary  of 
the  public  records,  as  it  formerly  was  the  residence  of  the  viceroy. 
The  parliament-house  is  a  superb  building,  erected  at  considera- 
ble expense.  The  church  of  St.  Patrick  is  the  cathedral,  a  ven- 
era"ble  building,  which  was  begun  in  the  end  of  the  twelfth  centu- 
ry ;  but  the  steeple,  the  highest  in  the  city,  was  not  erected  till 
the  year  1370.  The  royal  exchange  was  completed  in  1779  ;  and 
among  other  beautiful  edifices  must  not  be  omitted  that  whirlpool 
of  expenditure  the  custom  house  ;  and  the  houses  of  the  duke  of 
Leinster,  the  earl  of  Charlemont,  and  others. 

Dublin  has  an  ample  supply  of  native  provisions  ;  but  coals  arc 
imported  from  Scotland  and  Cumberland. 

Cork  is  a  city  of  considerable  importance,  situated  on  the  south 
cast  side  of  the  island,  and  supposed  to  contain  about  70,000  in- 
habitants. The  haven  ranks  among  the  most  capacious  and  safe 
in  Europe ;  and  the  exportation,  the  largest  in  the  sister  king- 
dom, consists  chiefly  of  beef,  hides,  tallow,  and  butter.  It  is  the 
grand  market  of  Irish  provisions ;  and  it  was  computed  tliat  not 
less  than  a  hundred  thousand  cattle  were  here  annually  kill- 
ed and  salted,  between  the  months  of  August  and  January.  This 
city  lies  chiefly  in  a  marshy  island,  surrount'.jd  by  the  river  Lee ; 
but  the  marshes  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  river  having  been 

•  Young,  il,  210.  f  Hasscl. 


134  IRELAND. 

drained,  ample  space  has  been  given  to  the  recent  improvements.* 
Limerick  unites  the  fortunate  situation  of  being  almost  central 
to  the  south  of  Ireland,  with  an  excellent  haven,  formed  by  the 
long  estuary  of  the  river  Shannon.  The  city  is  accounted  the 
third  in  Ireland,  and  was  formerly  fortified  Avith  great  care.  The 
episcopal  see  is  said  to  have  been  founded  in  the  year  652.  The 
Danes  held  the  city  from  the  ninth  century  to  the  eleventh. 
There  arc  three  bridges  over  the  river,  one.  of  which  consists  of 
fourteen  arches.  The  number  of  inhabitants  has  been  computed 
at  50,000.     The  chief  exports  are  beef  and  other  provisions.! 

The  other  chief  towns  in  Ireland  shall  be  briefly  mentioned,  in 
a  geographical  progress  from  the  south  towards  the  north. 

Galway  is  a  town  of  considerable  note,  and  carries  on  an  ex- 
tensive trade  with  the  West  Indies.  The  port  is  commodious  and 
safe,  but  distant  from  the  city,  which  can  only  be  reached  by  ves- 
sels of  small  burden :  the  number  of  inhabitants  is  computed  at 
12,000.  Greater  trade  is  now  carried  on  in  the  bay  of  Siigo  than 
at  Galway.| 

On  Klew  bay,  in  the  centre  of  the  west  of  Ireland,  stands  New- 
port, but  by  some  fatality  the  advantages  of  the  county  of  Mayo, 
have  not  been  improved,  nor  are  there  any  towns  of  much  conse- 
quence upon  the  whole  westfun  coast.  Siigo  is,  however,  increas- 
ing in  trade,  and  the  inhabitants  are  computed  at  8,000  ;  and  Cas-^ 
tlebar  is  also  a  prosperous  town.§ 

Londonderry  is  more  remarkable  for  its  ancient  and  military 
fame  than  for  its  present  commerce,  though  not  unimportant.  It 
stands  on  the  river  Foyle,  over  which  a  wooden  bridge  of  singu- 
lar construction,  one  thousand  and  sixty-eight  feet  in  length,  was 
thrown  in  1791.  Inhabitants  about  11,000,1 

Belfast  on  the  north-east  is  in  the  centre  of  the  linen  manufac- 
tures, and  may  almost  be  regarded  as  a  Scottish  colony.  The  in- 
habitants are  computed  at  18,000.  The  chief  manufactures,  cot- 
ton, cambric,  sail-cloth,  linen,  with  glass,  sugar  and  earthen  ware. 
It  maintains  considerable  intercourse  with  the  commercial  city  of 
Glasgow;  and  the  grand  exports  are  to  the  West  Indies  and 
America. 

Dundalk  has  also  its  manufactures  of  linen  and  muslin.  Drog- 
heda  imports  sea  coal  and  goods  from  England,  and  exports  con- 
siderable quantities  of  grain.  It  is  a  well  built  town  on  the  Boyne  : 
the  inhabitants  are  computed  at  10,000. 

Towards  the  south-east,  Wexford  claims  the  first  notice,  being 
remarkable  for  its  woollen  manufactures ;  but  the  haven,  though 
spacious,  is  not  sufficiently  deep  for  large  vessels.  The  inhabi- 
tants are  9,000. 

Waterford  is  a  city  of  considerable  importance,  situated  on  the 
river  Suir,  and  is  supposed  to  have  been  founded  by  the  Danes. 
It  suffered  greatly  in  the  late  disorders;  and  the  inhabitants  can- 
not now  be  suppostj  to  exceed  30,000.  The  chief  exports  arc 
beef,  pork.  Sec.  and  linen.  Packet-boats  sail  regularly  betwixt 
Waterford  and  Milford  Haven. 

*  Mr.  Young,  vol.  i.  417,  expressesi  his  astonishrnent  at  llie  populousness  of  Cork. 
The  duties  of  the  harbor  were,  in  1751,  fi<2,(XX)/  ;  in  1779,  140M»0'- 
t  Cough's  Camden,  iii.  517.  +  Beauf .  y.  §  Ibitl,  ZH.  ^  tlasscl. 


IRELAND  135 

The  sea-ports  of  Dunpjarvon  and  Youghall  are  lost  in  the  su- 
perior consequence  of  Cork  ;  but  Kinsuie  is  a  maritime  arsenal, 
and  is  supposed  to  contain  8,000  souls. 

The  chief  towns  in  the  interior,  Armagh,  Tuara,  Cashel,  8cc.  &c. 
arc  rather  venerable  from  their  ecclesiastic  antiquity,  than  impor- 
tant in  themselves.  Kilkenny  is,  howevei',  an  exception;  a  hand- 
some town,  with  16,000  inhabitants. 

Edifices!]  Many  of  the  chief  edifices  of  Ireland  have  been  al- 
ready mentioned  in  the  descfiption  of  Dublin.  The  cathedrals 
seldom  aspire  to  great  praise  of  architecture ;  and  the  villas  of  the 
nobility  generally  yield  in  splendor  to  those  of  England,  and  even 
of  Scotland. 

Roadn.'\  Though  the  turnpike  roads  in  Ireland  are  rather  ne- 
glected, yet  the  cross  roads  are  admirable ;  and  Mr.  Young  has 
explained  at  length  tne  principles  upon  which  they  are  con- 
structed.* 

Inland  JVavigation.~\  The  advantages  dei'ived  by  England  from 
inland  navigation  soon  attracted  the  attention  of  Ireland ;  and  not 
many  years  after  the  example  set  by  the  duke  of  Bridgewater,  a 
grand  canal  was  begun  from  the  city  of  Dublin  to  the  river  Shan- 
non, and  was  actually  carried  on  to  the  bog  of  Allen,  at  the  expense 
of  77,000/.t  But  the  enghieer's  want  of  ability  occasioned  great 
errors  in  the  original  plan  and  survey ;  and  the  work  was  inter- 
rupted in  1770.  Nor,  unhappily,  have  proper  means  been  adopt- 
ed to  execute  the  plan,  which  remains  imperfect,  after  an  expend- 
iture of  half  a  million  ;  and  an  able  writer  informs  us,  that  even 
the  design  was  absurd,  as  the  country  through  which  the  canal 
passes  is  one  of  the  'east  productive  for  the  Dublin  market.:^ 

A  canal  is  completed  from  the  town  of  Newry  to  the  sea,  which 
was,  however,  intended  to  have  passed  tliat  town  towards  the  col- 
lieries of  Drumglass  and  Dungannon.  This  attempt,  however,  to 
supply  Dublin  with  Irish  coals,  has  hitherto  been  only  successful 
in  part,  though  the  beds  of  coals  are  said  to  be  very  abundant. 

Manufactures  and  Commerce.]  Though  we  find,  as  has  been 
already  mentioned,  tliat  Ireland  was  distinguished  at  an  early  pe- 
riod for  her  manufacture  of  woollen-stuffs,  yet  the  spirit  of  indus- 
try made  little  progress,  and  the  chief  Irish  manufactures  are  of 
recent  institution.  But  the  linen  manufacture  was  not  unknown  in 
Ireland  in  more  early  times,  as  appears  from  the  acts  of  parlia- 
ment in  the  reigns  of  Henry  VIII.  and  Elizabeth. 

The  manufactures  and  commerce  of  Ireland  have  experienced 
an  unexampled  increase  since  the  union  with  Great  Britahi  in  1 800. 
The  value  of  hardware  imported  in  1799,  was  £  60,000  sterling  ; 
and  in  1808  /;250,000.  The  following  table  will  exhibit  this  in- 
crease in  various  articles  : 


1799 

1807 

1808 

Cotton,  lbs. 

460,000 

1,223,000 

1,486,000 

CarpeUng,  yds. 

51,000 

133,000 

187,000 

Sugar,  cwt. 

211,000 

245,000 

447,00(» 

Drapery,  yds. 

1,562,000 

2,233,000 

3,078,000 

Cotton  cloth,  yds. 

124,000 

141,000 

228,000 

*  V«l.  u.  151. 

t  riuUips,  339. 

^Young's  Tour  ia 

Ireland. 

136  IRELAND. 

The  exports  of  Ireland  in  various  articles  in  these  years  were 
as  follows  : 


1799 
Linen,  yds.         36,174,000 
Flax,  tons                      300 

1807 
41,587,000 
1,600 

1808 
43,904,382 
2,440 

Linen  yarn,  tons            830 

412 

1,290 

The  average  annual  export  in  1797-8-9  amounted  to,  ;C  6,121,757. 
In  1806,  yC  9,314,854  ;    1807, /;  10,1 10,385  ;    1808,  >f  1  2,577,5  17. 

The  amount  of  the  imports  in  1808,  was  £  8,860,325  j  of  which 
£  329,810  were  re-exported. 

The  amount  of  British  manufactures  purchased  by  Ireland  in 
1799,  was  £  2,087,672  ;   and  in  1808,  £  4,500,000. 

A  large  portion  of  the  commerce  of  Ireland  arises  from  her 
abundant  stores  of  black  cattle,  the  moisture  of  the  climate  ren- 
dering the  pasturage  remarkably  luxuriant. 

The  average  annual  exports  of  Ireland  for  the  seven  years 
previous  to  1791,  amounted,  according  to  Dr.  Beaufort,  to 
4,357,000/. 

CHAPTER  IV. 

NATURAL  GEOGRAPHY. 

CLIMATE  AND  SEASONS,  FACE  OF  THE  COUNTRY,  SOIL  AND  AG- 
RICULTURE, RIVERS,  LAKES,  MOUNTAINS,  FORESTS,  BOTANY, 
ZOOLOGY,  MINERALOGY,  MINERAL  WATERS,  NATURAL  CURI- 
OSITIES. 

Climate.~\  IRELAND  lying  nearly  in  the  same  parallel 
with  England,  the  difference  of  climate  cannot  be  supposed  to  be 
very  important.  The  mean  temperature  of  the  north  is  about  48  ; 
of  the  middle  50  ;  of  the  south  52  of  Fahrenheit.* 

Face  of  the  Country. ~\  In  considering  the  face  of  the  country  it 
must  be  remembered,  that  Ireland  forms  a  striking  contrast  to 
Scotland,  being  mostly  level,  fertile,  and  abundant  in  pasturage. 
The  chains  of  hills,  for  they  can  hardly  aspire  to  the  name  of 
mountains,  are  few,  and  unimportant. 

Soil  and  yJgriculture.']  The  soil  and  agriculture  of  Ireland  are 
topics  which  have  been  ably  illustrated  by  an  intelligent  writer.f 
He  observes,  that  the  quantity  of  the  cultivated  land  exceeds,  in 
proportion,  that  of  England.  The  most  striking  feature  is  the 
rocky  nature  of  the  soil,  stones  generally  appearing  on  the  surface, 
yet  without  any  injury  to  the  fertility.  The  stones  are,  for  the 
most  part,  calcareous,  and  appear  at  no  great  depth,  even  in  the 
most  flat  and  fertile  parts,  as  Limerick,  Tipperary,  and  Meath. 
The  climate  being  more  moist  than  that  of  England  ;  the  verdure 
never  appears  parched  with  heat.^     Tillage  is  little  understood, 

*  I  Trans.  R.  I.  A.  vol.  ii.  ■\  Young's  Tour,  il.  73. 

t  The  Curragk  of  Kiklare  is  a  most  beautiful  lawn,  of  almre  4,000  English  acres,  a 
sheep-walk  of  the  softest  turf,  aud  most  delicious  vei-dure.    Young  ii.  7. 


IRELAND.  137 

even  in  the  best  com  counties  ;  turnips  and  clover  being  almost 
unknown  :  the  wheat  sown  upon  fallow,  and  followed  by  several 
crops  of  spring  corn.  The  farmers  are  oppressed  by  the  shock- 
ing system  of  middle  men^  who  rent  farms  from  the  landlords,  and 
let  them  to  the  real  occupiers ;  who,  as  well  as  the  proprietors, 
suffer  greatly  by  this  strange  practice.  Lime-stone  gravel  is  a 
manure  peculiar  to  Ireland  ;  having,  on  uncultivated  land,  the 
same  wonderful  eftects  as  lime,  and  on  all  soils  it  is  beneficial.* 

River8.~\  Among  the  chief  rivers  of  Ireland  must  first  be  men- 
tioned the  Shannon,  which  rises  from  the  Lake  of  Allen,  and  pass- 
ing through  two  other  large  lakes,  Lough  Ree,  and  Lough  Derg, 
afterwards  extends  below  Limerick,  into  a  vast  estuary  or  firth, 
about  sixty  miles  in  length,  and  from  three  to  ten  in  breadth.f 
This  noble  river  is,  almost  through  its  whole  course,  so  wide  and 
deep,  as  to  afford  easy  navigation.  Boate  informs  us,  that  the  cel- 
ebrated earl  of  Straftbrd  designed  to  remove  a  rock,  six  miles 
above  Limerick,  which  forming  a  cataract,  impedes  the  inter- 
course between  the  upper  and  the  lower  parts.  The  whole  course 
of  the  Shannon  may  be  computed  at  170  miles. 

The  other  rivers  of  Ireland  haye  little  of  this  majestic  character. 

The  river  Barrow  rises  about  forty  miles  to  the  west  of  Dublin, 
near  the  source  of  the  Boyne ;  and,  after  a  course  of  about  one 
hundred  miles,  enters  the  sea  on  the  south  east,  having  received 
the  rivers  Nour  and  Suir,  and  formed  the  hai'bor  of  Waterford. 

The  Blackwater,  another  considerable  stream  in  the  south,  en- 
ters the  sea  at  Youghall  bay. 

The  Slaney  forms  the  harbor  of  Wexford. 

The  Liffy  is  an  inconsiderable  stream,  ennobled  by  the  capital. 

The  Boyne,  after  a  course  of  about  fifty  miles,  also  enters  the 
eastern  sea ;  the  other  j'ivers  on  the  east  are  small,  and  unim- 
portant. 

In  the  north  tlie  Banna  is  a  considerable  stream,  which  per- 
vades Lough  Neagh,  and  enters  the  sea  after  a  course  of  about 
seventy  miles.  By  the  canal  of  Newry  it  communicates  with 
Carlingford  bay ;  and  thus  insulates  the  north-east  projection  of 
Ireland. 

The  river  Foyle  passes  by  Londonderry,  and  has  a  considerable 
estuary  called  Lough  Foyle.  The  Swilly  is  of  considerable  length, 
but  forms  a  long  estuary. 

On  the  N.  W.  Lough  Em  issues  into  Donnegal  bay  by  a  con- 
siderable stream ;  but  no  other  river  of  consequence  occurs  till 
we  reach  the  ostuary  of  the  Shannon  ;  nor  are  the  rivers  on  tlie  S. 
W.  of  much  note. 

The  lakes  of  Ireland  are  numerous,  and  some  of  them  exten- 
sive. The  term  Lough,  corresponding  with  the  Scottish  Loch,  is 
sometimes  applied  to  an  estuary,  or  to  an  inlet  of  the  sea,  such  as 
the  Swilly,  the  Foyle,  that  of  Strangford,  Down,  &c.  The  chief 
lake  of  fresh  water  is  that  of  Ern,  which  exceeds  thirty  British 
mileg  in  length,  and  twelve  in  its  greatest  breadth  ;  it  is  divideU 

•  Young  171.  f  Boste,  p.  S6. 

VOL.   II.  18 


138  IRELAND. 

by  a  narrow  outlet  IVoni  the  southern  part  into  the  northern,  ot" 
about  four  miles  in  length. 

Next  in  mas^nitude  is  Neagh,  about  twenty-two  miles  in  length, 
and  twelve  in  breadth.  Both  these  lakes  are  studded  with  small 
islands ;  and  the  latter  is  said  to  possess  a  petrifying  quality. 

The  Lake  of  Corrib,  in  the  county  of  Galway,  is  about  twenty 
miles  in  length,  and  from  two  to  five  wide.  Those  of  Ree  and 
Derg  are  less  considerable  in  size  ;  and  there  is  a  smaller  lake  al- 
so named  Derg,  in  the  N.  W.  which  was  remarkable  in  supersti- 
tious times  for  a  little  Island,  containing  what  is  called  the  purga- 
tory of  St.  Patrick. 

Among  the  lakes  of  the  second  magriitude  must  be  first  named 
the  beautiful  and  interesting  Lough  of  Killarney  in  the  S.  W. 
abounding  with  romantic  views,  and  fringed  with  the  arbutv  s,  no 
where  else  a  native  of  the  British  dominions.  This  is  almost  the 
only  lake  in  the  south  of  Ireland  ;  and  the  observation  may  be  ex- 
tended to  the  east.  On  the  N.  W.  are  the  lakes  of  Eask,  Frierty, 
Melve,  Macnean,  and  Gill.  That  of  Allen,  as  already  mentioned, 
is  a  chief  source  of  the  Shannon,  into  which  the  Gara  and  Key  al- 
so pour  their  waters.  Further  to  the  west  are  two  considerable 
lakes,  the  Conn  and  the  Mask  ;  nor  must  those  of  Corrafin  be  for- 
gotton. 

Mountain!,-. ']  The  mountainous  chains  in  Ireland  are  neither 
numerous  nor  important ;  but  an  upland  ridge  divides  the  coun- 
try from  the  N.E.  to  the  S.  W.  giving  birth  to  several  of  the  rivers. 
The  Irish  hills  generally  form  short  lines,  or  detached  groups. 
One  group  of  considerable  height  appears  on  the  west  and  south 
of  Lough-Lane,  or  what  is  called  the  lake  of  Killarny :  of  these 
Mangerton  is  2,500  feet  above  the  sea.  A  small  line  of  hills  ex- 
tends on  the  N.  W.  of  Bantry  bay,  and  passes  to  the  east,  under 
the  name  of  the  Shehy  mountains.*  To  the  north  of  this  is  the 
line  of  Slihlogher  and  Nagles,  followed  by  the  Galtee  mountains  ; 
and  towards  the  east,  are  those  of  Knockendown,  which  bend 
southward  towards  the  bay  of  Dungarvon.  A  small  chain  also  ap- 
pears to  the  south  of  Tralee,  which,  with  a  group  to  the  N.  E. 
may  be  said  to  complete  the  enumeration  of  the  mountains  of 
Munster. 

In  Leinster  is  the  mountain  of  Leinster,  the  line  of  Slieb-loora 
on  the  S.  W.  and  a  considerable  group  to  the  soutb  of  Dublin, 
styled  the  Kippure  mountains,  or  those  of  Wicklow.  The  extent 
of  this  group  is  about  thirty  English  miles  in  length,  by  about 
twelve  in  breadth. 

In  Ulster  is  a  small  group,  called  the  mountains  of  Mourne, 
in  the  S.  E.  corner  of  the  province  :  one  of  them,  Donard,  is  said 
to  be  about  the  height  of  Mangerton.  The  hills  of  Slievecroob 
(in  the  Irish  language  sliebh,  signifies  a  inountain),  form  the  cen- 
tre of  the  county  of  Downe  ;  and  several  hills  are  sprinkled  over 
the  eastern  half  of  Antrim.  On  the  north  west  of  Loughneagh 
are  those  of  Slievegallan  and   Carntogher.     Slieve   Snaght  is  a 

*  Beaufort's  Memoir  of  a  Map  of  Ireland. 


IRELAND.  139 

considerable  mountain  N.  W.  of  Loughfoyl,   whence  other  lines 
and  groups  extend  down  to  Loughern. 

The  eastern  part  of  Connaught  presents  numerous  marshes  ; 
but  few  mountains,  except  those  of  Baughta  on  the  south.  The 
extreme  western  peninsula  is  one  of  the  most  mountainous  re- 
gions in  Ireland.  Among  other  names  may  be  mentioned,  Mount 
Nephin,  in  the  county  of  Mayo,  a  solitary  hill  of  2640  feet,  and 
One  of  the  most  considerable  in  the  island.  That  of  Croagh  Pat- 
rick, on  the  S.  E.  of  Clewbay,  a  cone  of  2666  feet ;  the  Ferua- 
moor  mountains  to  the  west  of  Loughmask ;  and  the  Twelve  Pins, 
a  line  of  so  many  small  peaks  in  Ballinahinch  ;  with  others  to 
the  south  of  Loughcorrib. 

Forestsr\  Scarcely  the  semblance  of  a  forest  remains  in  Ire- 
land ;  and  Boate  has  long  since  observed,  that  the  woods  have 
been  greatly  diminished  since  the  entrance  of  the  English,  partly 
from  the  extension  of  tillage,  and  partly  from  the  necessity  of 
opening  up  the  recesses  of  banditti.  Another  great  cause  was, 
the  consumption  in  domestic  fuel,  and  in  the  iron  manufactures, 
the  coal-mines  not  having  been  explored. 

jBogs.^  The  place  of  the  forests  is  unhappily  usurped  by  the 
moors  or  bogs,  which  form  a  remarkable  feature  of  the  country. 
Boate  divides  them  into  several  genera  and  species,  forming  an 
elaborate  scale  of  sterility.  The  dry  heaths  are  generally  con- 
fined to  the  mountains.  The  bogs  he  sub-divides  into  four  de- 
scriptions :  X.  The  grassy,  in  which  the  water  being  concealed  by 
herbage,  they  become  extremely  perilous  to  travellers  :  some 
of  these  are  dry  in  the  summer.  2.  The  pools  of  water  and  mire. 
3.  What  he  terms  hassocky  bogs,  or  shallow  lakes  studded  with 
tufts  of  rushes,  which  are  chiefly  found  in  the  province  of  Lein- 
ster,  especially  in  King's  and  Queen's  counties.  4.  The  peat 
moors.  Ornaments  of  gold,  and  other  relics  of  antiquity,  have, 
from  time  to  time,  been  discovered  in  the  bogs  at  great  depths  ; 
and  thei'e  are  other  indications  that  they  are  of  comparatively  re- 
cent formation.  It  is  hoped  that  the  hand  of  industry  will,  in 
time,  remove  many  of  these  blemishes ;  and  one  of  the  greatest 
improvements  of  modern  agi-iculture  is  that  of  reclaiming  peat 
moors,  by  means  of  calcareous  manure. 

The  Irish  bogs  differ  from  the  English  morasses  in  being  rarely 
level,  but  rising  into  hills  ;  and  there  is  a  bog  in  Donnegal  that  is 
a  perfect  scenery  of  hill  and  dale.  The  plants  are  heath,  with 
some  bog  myrtle,  and  a  little  sedgy  grass. 

Botany.']  The  study  of  botany  has  been  less  cultivated  here 
than  in  any  other  pan  of  the  united  empire  ;  and  the  neighbor- 
hood of  Dublin,  which  has  been  the  best  explored,  affords  no  rare, 
and  few  characteristic  plants.  From  the  general  mildness  of  the 
climate,  the  extensive  tracts  of  bog,  and  the  vast  mountainous 
ranges  that  intersect  the  country,  and  afford  capacious  basons  for 
its  numerous  lakes,  it  is  obvious  that  the  Flora  of  Ireland,  when 
complete,  will  probably  contain  several  species  that  are  strangers 
to  the  rest  of  the  British  islands.  On  the  mountains  of  Sligo  is 
found  the  Saxifraga  umbrosa,   (known  in  our  gardens  by  the 


14®  IRELAND. 

naine  of  London  pride.,)  and  the  romantic  scenery  of  Killarney,  in 
the  county  of  Kerry,  is  the  most  northern  habitat  of  the  Arbutus 
Unedo  :  the  heaths  abound  with  the  stately  Erica  Daboeci  :  and 
the  mountain  avcns,  bear-berry,  with  other  Alpine  plants,  already 
noticed  in  the  botany  of  Scotland,  blossom  unnoticed  amid  the 
\vide  solitude  of  their  rocky  fastnesses. 

Zoolog'y.']  In  passing  to  the  zoology  of  Ireland  it  may  be  ex- 
pected, that  not  many  varieties  should  be  found  between  the  Irish 
animals  and  those  of  England. 

The  Irish  horses,  called  hobbys,  are  of  a  small  breed,  remarka- 
ble for  the  gentleness  of  their  pace. 

The  Irish  hound  is  one  of  the  noblest  animals  of  the  class,  and 
formerly  celebrated  for  his  size  and  vigor,  but  the  breed  is  now 
almost  extinct. 

Bede  has  commemorated  the  praise  of  Ireland  for  abundance 
of  honey,  and  of  milk,  so  that  the  country  seems,  even  in  early 
times,  to  have  abounded  in  cattle.  He  also  mentions  the  numer- 
ous herds  of  deer,  Avhich  animal  the  progress  of  cultivation  has 
now  rendered  rare.  In  various  parts  of  Ireland  are  dug  up  enor- 
movis  horns,  probably  belonging  to  a  species  of  deer  now  extinct. 
Some  of  these  horns  have  been  found  of  the  extent  of  fourteen 
feet  from  tip  to  tip,  furnished  with  brow  antlers,  and  weighing 
three  hundred  pounds  ;  the  Avhole  skeleton  is  frequently  found 
with  them.  It  is  supposed  that  the  animal  must  have  been  about 
twelve  feet  high. 

Mineralogy.']  The  mineralogy  of  Ireland  has  been  recently 
ennobled  by  the  discovery  of  considerable  masses  of  native  gold, 
in  the  county  of  Wicklow,  to  the  south  of  Dublin.  These  were 
found  in  a  brook,  running  west  to  east,  to  the  river  of  Avonmore, 
■where  it  is  joined  by  the  river  Aghran  ;  and  on  a  declivity  of  the 
mountain  called  Croughan  Kinshelly,  about  seven  English  miles 
west  of  Arklow,  and  six  south-west  of  the  noted  copper  mines  of 
Cronbane.*  It  is  said  that  a  jeAveller,  who  lately  died  in  Dublin, 
often  declared,  that  gold  from  that  spot  had  passed  through  his 
hands  to  the  value  of  30,0001.  the  secret  being  retained  for  many 
years,  and  some  pieces  weighing  to  the  amount  of  70  or  80 
guineas.  It  is  now  worked  for  government,  and  it  is  said  that  a 
very  massy  vein  has  been  recently  discovered,  which,  it  is  hoped, 
will  greatly  benefit  the  country  ;  for  mines  have,  in  all  ages,  an- 
cient and  modern,  enriched  and  improved  the  countries  where 
they  were  found,  and  the  exception,  if  such,  of  Spanish  America 
is  to  be  assigned  to  causes  of  a  different  nature. 

The  silver  found  in  the  Irish  mines  deserves  more  attention. 
Boate  mentions  a  mine  of  this  metal,  intermingled  with  lead, 
which  v/as  wrought  in  the  county  of  Antrim,  and  yielded  a  pound 
of  pure  silver  from  thirty  pounds  of  lead.  Another,  less  produc- 
tive of  silver,  was  found  near  the  harbor  of  Sligo,  in  Connaught  ; 
and  a  third  in  the  county  of  Tipperary,  twelve  miles  from  Limer- 
ick.    The  ores  of  this  last  were  of  two  kinds,  most  generally  of  a 

•rbilos.Trw1s.ir9r. 


IRELAND.  141 

reddish  color,  hard,  and  glistering  ;  the  other,  which  was  the 
richest  in  silver,  resembled  a  blue  marl.  The  works  were  de- 
stroyed in  the  Irish  insurrections  under  Charles  I. 

Copper  has  been  recently  found  in  the  county  of  Wicklow,  and 
at  Muccross,  in  Kerry. 

One  of  the  chief  mineral  productions  of  Ireland  is  iron,  the 
mines  of  which  were  little  known  till  the  time  of  Elizabeth. 

The  beds  of  coal  to  be  seen  in  various  regions  of  Ireland  have 
not  yet  been  explored  to  their  proper  extent.  That  of  Kilkenny, 
found  at  Castlecomer,  is  deservedly  celebrated  among  mineralo- 
gists, as  the  purest  which  has  yet  been  traced  in  any  quarter  of 
the  globe. 

One  of  the  most  beautiful  marbles  of  Ireland  is  found  near 
Kilkenny,  and  others  have  been  discovered  in  various  parts  of  the 
island.     Slate,  of  various  kinds,  is  also  abundant. 

iN'atural  Curiosifies.^  Among  the  natural  curiosities  of  Ireland 
would,  in  ancient  times,  have  been  mentioned  the  purgatory  of  St. 
Patrick,  a  miserable  Monkish  delusion.  At  present  the  lake  of 
Killai'ney  attracts  more  deserved  devotion.  This  picturesque  ex- 
panse of  water  is  about  ten  miles  in  length,  and  from  one  to  seven 
in  breadth  :  it  is  divided  into  three  parts^  called  the  upper,  lower, 
and  Muckruss  lake  ;  and  is  surrounded  by  an  amphitheatre  of 
mountains,  clothed  with  trees,  whose  verdure  is  contrasted  with 
intervening  rocks.  The  Arbutus,  with  its  scarlet  fruit,  and  snowy 
blossoms,  here  vegetates  in  great  luxuriance.  Nor  are  cascades, 
and  other  features  of  rural  beauty  wanting  to  complete  the  scene.* 
The  isle  of  Innisfallen  is  not  only  romantic,  but  of  venerable  fame 
for  the  annals  there  written. 

What  is  called  tlie  Giant's  Causeway  must  be  distinguished 
among  the  most  remarkable  of  the  curiosities  of  Ireland.  The 
first  account  is  that  given  by  Sir  R.  Buckley,  in  a  letter  to  Doctor 
Lister,  1693.  This  surprising  collection  of  basaltic  pillars  is 
about  eight  miles  N.  E.  from  Coleraine.  The  adjacent  coast  is 
verdant,  but  precipitous  ;  and  from  it  the  Causeway  projects  into 
the  sea,  to  an  unknown  extent.  The  part  explored  is  about  600 
feet  in  length  ;  the  breadth  from  240  to  120  ;  the  height  from  16 
to  36  feet  above  the  level  of  the  strand.  It  consists  of  many  thou- 
sand pillars,  mostly  in  a  vertical  position  ;  some  of  them  high, 
others  broken,  and,  for  a  considerable  space,  of  an  equal  height, 
so  as  to  form  a  pavement.  They  are  closely  compacted  together ; 
though  the  form  be  various,  trigonal,  tetragonal,  pentagonal,  hex- 
agonal, and  heptagonal ;  the  most  numerous  are  the  pentagonal. 
The  pillars  are  rarely  composed  of  one  entire  piece,  but  mostly 
consist  of  short  or  long  joints,  either  plane  or  alternately  concave 
?ind  convex.  The  pillars  are  from  15  to  24  inches,  or  more,  in 
diameter.  Towards  the  N.  E.  is  what  is  called  the  organ,  in  the 
side  of  a  hill,  consisting  of  fifty  pillars  ;  that  in  the  middle  is  40 
feet  high,  the  others  gradually  diminishing.  Similar  pw  liars  arc 
also  found  a  mile  and  a  half  inland,  four  miles  to  the  west  of  the 
Giant's  Causeway,  and  at  the  capes  of  Bengore  and  Fairhead. 

•  Young  i.  444,  &»;,  4. 


142  IRELAND. 

The  basalt  of  the  Giant's  Causeway  is  of  a  very  compact  tex- 
ture, and  the  angles  of  the  pillars  have  preserved  their  sharpness, 
though  exposed  to  the  sea  for  perhaps  two  or  three  thousand 
years,*  The  same  shore  also  presents  horizontal  and  bending 
pillars,  like  those  of  Staffa  ;  the  attendant  minerals  are  zeolite  in 
the  irregular  basalt,  steatite,  and  bits  of  agate,  red  ochre,  and 
iron  ore. 

IRISH  ILES. 

The  few  and  small  isles  around  Ireland  are  unimportant,  but 
must  not  be  wholly  omitted.  To  the  N.  E.  of  Dublin  is  Lambey, 
a  small  island,  already  mentioned  ;  and  at  the  S.  E.  extremity  of 
Ireland,  appear  the  rocks  called  Tashard  and  the  Saltee  isles. 
At  the  southern  extremity  is  the  isle  of  Clare,  about  three  miles 
and  a  half  in  length,  and  more  remarkable  for  its  southern  prom- 
ontory called  Cape  Clear,  than  for  any  otlier  object.  Turning  to 
the  N.  W.  are  the  isle  of  Densey,  the  Hog  islands,  and  the  Skel- 
ligs  ;  to  the  north  of  the  latter  is  Valentia,  oif  the  coast  of  Kerry, 
which  is  followed  by  the  Blaskets,  or  Ferriter  islands.  The 
south  Arran  islands  lie  at  the  mouth  of  the  noble  bay  of  Galway, 
and  are  remarkable  for  a  small  khid  of  oats  without  any  husk, 
and  for  large  calves  :  the  chief  is  near  seven  niiles  in  length.  A 
number  of  small  islands  encircle  the  coast,  which  projects  fur- 
thest into  the  Atlantic,  such  as  Ganorena,  Littermore,  Minish,  In- 
conee  ;  and  further  to  the  N.  W.  Dunloghan,  Omey,  Crua,  &c. 
Bosin  was  famous  in  the  days  of  monastic  sanctity,  and  has  re- 
tained its  ancient  appellation.  To  the  N.  E.  are  the  Inisture,  and 
another  Clare  at  the  mouth  of  Clew  bay  ;  at  the  bottom  of  which 
is  a  numerous  group  of  small  islands.  To  the  north  is  Achill,  the 
largest  of  the  Irish  isles,  being  about  12  miles  long  by  10  broad. 
It  is  separated  from  the  coast  of  Mayo  by  a  narrow  channel,  but 
no  minute  description  of  it  has  appeared.  Inisnnorry  is  a  small 
isle  at  the  mouth  of  the  bay  of  Donnegal  ;  and  no  other  isles 
worth  mention  appear  till  we  arrive  at  the  northern  islands  of 
Arran,  off  the  coast  of  Donnegal.  The  N.  W.  extremity  of  Ire- 
land is  marked  by  Tory  isle  ;  and  returning  towards  the  east, 
we  meet  with  InistrahuU  ;  and  after  an  equal  distance,  Rach- 
lin,  the  Racina,  of  Ptolemy,  and  memorable  as  the  retreat  of  Rob- 
ert I.  of  Scotland. 

*  Kirwan  Miu.  i.  232. 


LAPLAND.  ]4Cy 


LAPLAND. 

EXTENT,  DIVISIONS,  ORIGINAL  POPULATION,  RELIGION,  GOVERN- 
MENT, POPULATION,  LANGUAGE,  TOWNS,  MANUFACTURES,  CLI- 
MATE, FACE  OF  THE  COUNTRY,  RIVERS,  LAKES,  MOUNTAINS, 
BOTANY,    ZOOLOGY,    MINERALOGY. 

Extent.']  LAPLAND  reaches  from  lat.  65,  N.  to  the 
North  Cape  ;  and  from  the  Atlantic  on  the  W.  to  the  government 
of  W.  Bothnia,  in  the  south,  and  farther  north  to  the  White  Sea, 
on  the  E. 

Divisions.']  Part  of  Lapland  is  in  Norway,  part  in  Sweden,  and 
part  in  Russia.  To  Norway  belong  the  northwestern  and  north- 
ern ;  to  Sweden  the  southern  ;  to  Russia  the  eastern. 

Original  Pofiulation.]  Very  little  is  known  with  certainty  of  the 
origin  of  the  Laplanders.  Some  writers  have  supposed  them  to 
be  a  colony  of  Finns  ;  others  have  thought  that  they  bore  a 
stronger  resemblance  to  the  Samoeids  of  Asia.  Their  language 
is  said,  by  Leems,  to  have  less  similitude  to  the  Finnish,  than  the 
Danish  to  the  German  ;  and  to  be  totally  unlike  any  of  the  dia- 
lects of  the  Teutonic. 

Religion.]  It  is  but  little  more  than  a  century  since  the  Lap- 
landers were  converted  from  Paganism.  They  are  still  very  fond 
of  many  of  their  old  superstitions.  Their  deities  were  of  four 
kinds  ;  1,  Supercelestial,  Radien  Atzhie.,  or  the  fountain  of 
power,  their  Jupite<r  ;  and  his  son  Radien  Kiedde^  the  creator  : 
these  were  the  supreme  gods.  2,  Celestial,  Beiive,  the  Sun  or 
Apollo  ;  and  Ailekes.,  to  whom  Saturday  was  consecrated.  3, 
SuBCELESTiAL,  or  In  the  air  and  on  the  earth  ;  Maderakka,  or 
the  Lapland  Lucina  ;  Saderakka,  or  Venus,  to  whom  Friday  was 
holy  ;  and  Juks  Akka^  or  the  nurse.  4,  Subterranean,  Saiwo, 
and  Saiwo-Olmak^  gods  of  the  mountains  ;  Sainvo  Guelle,  or  their 
Mercury,  who  conducted  the  shades  to  the  lower  regions ;  Jabme 
Akkot  or  he  who  occupied  their  Elysium,  in  which  the  soul  was 
furnished  with  a  new  body,  and  nobler  privileges  and  powers,  and 
entitled  at  some  future  day  to  enjoy  the  sight  of  Radien,  and 
dwell  with  him  for  ever  in  the  mansions  of  bliss.  Rota,  their 
Pluto,  who  occupied  and  reigned  in  Rota-Abimo,  or  the  infernal 
regions  ;  the  occupants  of  which  had  no  hopes  of  an  escape  ;  he, 
together  with  his  sub-ordinates,  Fudno,  Alubber  and  Paha  Engel, 
were  all  considered  as  evil-disposed  towards  mankind,  but  were 
nevertheless  worshipped.  To  their  various  deities  they  sac- 
rificed the  rein-deer,  the  sheep,  and  sometimes  the  seal  ;  and 
made  libatio^is  of  milk,  whey  and  brandy,  and  offerings  of  cheese. 

Governjnent.]  The  Danish  and  Russian  Laplanders  arc  still 
savages  in  their  mode  of  life,  and  hardly  know  what  is  meant  by 
governm.ent.  Those  of  Sweden  have  been  reduced  to  more  suIj- 
ordination. 

Pofiulaiion.]  This  country  will  always  be  thinly  inhabited. 
Its  present  population  is  thought  not  to  exceed  60,000.     Rnssian 


144  LAPLAND. 

Lapland  contains  about  1200  or  1300  families.  The  Laplanders 
are  generally  about  four  feet  high,  with  short  black  hair,  narrow 
dark  eyes,  large  heads,  high  cheek  bones,  wide  mouth,  thick  lips, 
and  a  swarthy  complexion.  They  call  themselves  Same  ;  their 
speech,  same  giel,  and  their  country  Same- Edna. 

Mariners  and  Customs.~\  Towards  the  shore  they  build  huts  ; 
and  on  the  mountains  are  tents  of  a  conical  shape,  divided  into 
apartments  for  themselves  and  their  cattle.  Their  dress  consists 
of  a  red  kersey  cap,  with  yellow  stripes  ;  a  tunic  of  sheep-skin  ; 
a  cloak  and  leggins,  (a  sort  of  pantaloons  reaching  from  the  ancle 
to  the  hip,)  made  sometimes  of  clotn,  and  sometimes  of  the  skin 
of  the  rein-deer  ;  and  shoes  of  the  undressed  hide  of  the  cow. 
The  maritime  Laplanders  subsist  on  fish,  and  on  their  cattle  and 
sheep  ;  the  mountaineers,  chiefly,  on  their  rein-deer  and  by  hunting. 

Language.']  The  language  of  Lo.pland,  commonly  called  the 
Laponic,  is  said  to  have  no  words  in  common  with  the  Gothic  or 
Teutonic,  except  a  few  Norwegian  words,  which  are  evidently 
foreign.  They  have  no  written  language.  Leems  mentions  a 
number  of  words  both  in  Hebrew  and  in  GrecK  and  Latin,  which 
are  to  be  found  in  the  Laponic.     The  Lord's  prayer  is  as  follows: 

jltki  7nijam  juco  lee  almensisne.  .4ilis  ziaddai  tu  nam.  Zivei- 
gubatta  tu  Ryki.  Ziaddus  tu  Willis  nankuchte  almesne  nau  ci  edna 
mannae.  IVadde  niijai  ulni  mijanfert  fiefiven  laibebm.  Jah  anda- 
gasloite  mi  jemijan  suddoi  naukuchte  niije^an-dagasloitebt  Rudi  mije 
ivelgogas  lien.  Jah  sissalaidi  mijabni.  £le  tocko  kcckzellcbma  fia- 
hast.     Amen. 

Tonvns.']  Kola  is  the  chief  town  of  Russian  Lapland.  It  is 
near  the  Frozen  Ocean,  on  the  river  Kola,  in  lat.  68,  50,  N.  It  is 
a  considerable  fishery  for  whales  ana  sea-dogs. 

Tornca^  the  capital  of  Swedish  Lapland,  stands  on  an  island 
formed  by  the  river  Toi-nea,  a  shoi't  distance  from  its  entrance  into 
the  Gulf  of  Bothnia.  Its  harbor,  formerly  excellent,  has  been 
greatly  injured  by  the  accumulation  of  sand,  and  the  gradual  de- 
pression of  the  Baltic.  It  contains  about  600  souls  :  the  houses 
are  all  of  one  story.  The  sun  on  the  longest  day  is  visible  at  mid- 
night. 

Enontekis  is  an  extensive  parish  in  Norwegian  Lapland,  con- 
taining 930  inhabitants,  prmcipally  nomades  or  wandering  families. 

Manufactures.]  The  men  make  cups  and  casks  of  beech-wood, 
and  spoons  of  the  horns  of  the  rein-deer.  Steel  they  work  into 
knives.  Their  sledges  are  made  in  the  shape  of  boats,  having  a 
flat  stern.  They  have  a  keel  and  thwai'ts,  with  side  planks  fast- 
ened with  wooden  pegs.  The  sledge  is  caulked,  and  has  the 
drawing  rope  fastened  to  the  head-post.  Sawing-mills  have  been 
lately  introduced.  The  women  prepare  the  furs  of  animals  taken 
in  hunting ;  and  manufacture  thread  out  of  their  sinews:  They 
manufacture  also  tinsel-wire,  and  dye  cloth  of  a  yellow  color. 
They  weave  blankets  for  their  beds,  and  for  their  tents. 

Climate.]  The  great  body  of  Lapland  is  situated  in  the  north- 
ern frigid  zone.  It  is  also  very  mountainous.  These  circum- 
stanoes  expose  it  to  a  cold  too  intense  to  be  borne  by  the  natives. 


LAPLAND.  145 

of  more  temperate  regions.  In  the  summer,  however,  the  heat 
is,  for  a  short  time,  often  excessive.  The  whole  process  of  vege- 
tation is  completed  in  two  months.  At  Uisjocki^  upon  the  Tana, 
in  lat.  69  53  N.  the  sun  is- hid  from  Jan.  21  to  Nov.  20.  The  ice 
disappears  from  the  lakes  about  June  20th.  The  night-frosts  be- 
gin in  July  ;  and  the  rivers  freeze  early  in  October. 

Face  of  the  Country r^  Norwegian  Lapland  is  almost  entirely 
mountainous,  the  principal  range  being  much  nearer  to  the  Ocean 
than  to  the  Gulf  of  Bothnia.  The  prevailing  appearance  of  Swed- 
ish Lapland  is  also  mountainous.  The  mountains  of  moderate 
elevation  are  covered  with  forest -trees,  as  is  almost  all  the  level 
country.  There  are  great  numbers  of  rivers  and  fresh  water 
lakes  generally  incapable  of  navigation,  and  the  country  at  large 
has  the  appearance  of  a  wilderness. 

Between  Alten,  on  the  v/estern  coast,  and  the  North  Cape,  the 
peninsula  is  a  continuation  of  mountains,  intersected  by  lakes, 
rivers  and  morasses. 

Rvversi^  The  Tornea  rises  in  a  lake,  called  Tomea  Trask,  in 
the  mountains  of  Kola.  It  receives  the  Muonis  a  mile  below 
Kengis,  which  rises  above  Enontekis.  Near  its  mouth  it  is  gen- 
erally 900  yards  wide,  and  in  some  places  10  yards  deep. 

The  Alten  rises  among  the  same  mountains,  and  after  a  course 
of  more  than  150  miles  in  a  N.  W.  direction,  falls  into  the  Ocean 
at  Alten. 

The  Tana,  a  larger  stream,  pursues  a  N.  E.  direction,  and 
empties  into  the  Tanafiard  east  of  the  North  Cape.  It  is  ex- 
tremely rapid,  and  distinguished  for  the  excellence  of  its  salmon. 
Its  source  is  among  the  mountains  of  Kemi,  a  chain  which  is  not 
broken  by  any  of  the  rivers. 

Lakes^  The  number  of  lakes  and  ponds  in  Lapland  is  very 
great.  They  are  to  be  met  with  every  where  among  the  mountains, 
and  are  the  sources  of  most  of  the  rivers.  Several  of  the  rivers 
also  widen  into  lakes,  in  one  or  more  instances,  during  their 
course.  The  Enara,  between  Swedish  and  Russian  Lapland,  is 
70  miles  long  and  50  broad. 

Mountains.']  A  chain  of  mountains  is  described  by  Tooke,  as 
proceeding  eastward  from  the  range  of  Kolen,  till  it  meets  the 
mountains  of  Olonetz.  This  chain  is  called,  on  the  maps,  the 
Mountains  of  Kemi.  It  reaches  more  than  15  degrees  of  longi- 
tude, and  divides  the  rivers  of  the  Baltic  from  those  of  the  Arctic 
Ocean.  The  only  summit  of  this  chain,  whose  name  we  know,  is 
Mount  Pallas.  Its  height  is  very  great,  but  has  not  been  meas- 
ured. 
_  The  range  of  Kolen  separates  Norwegian  Lapland  from  Swed- 
ish, and  continiics  as  far  as  the  North  Cape.  A  branch  of  it  is 
said  to  run  eastward,  as  far  as  the  White  Sea. 

Botany.']  Between  Alten  and  the  North  Cape  no  tree  is  found 
but  the  birch  ;  nor  on  the  mountains  north  of  Kautokcino  100 
miles  farther  north.  The  pine  begins  at  Alten  on  the  coast,  and 
at  Kautokeino  in  the  interior.     The  fir,  five  varieties  of  the  wil- 

VOL.  II.  19 


146  LAPLAND. 

low,  and  the  strawberry-tree  are  abundant  in  the  country  round 
Torhea. 

The  smaller  plants  are  butterwort,  meadowgrass,  bellflower, 
gentian,  cychnis,  cudweed,  ladyslippcr,  diapensia,  honeysuckle, 
sedge,  bulrush  2  varieties,  stichwort  3,  marshcistus  3,  saxifrage  4, 
raspberry  2,  crowfoot  3,  lousewovt  3,  Avhitlowgrass  3,  liverwort  4, 
moss  5.  The  arctic  raspberry  is  the  most  delicious  of  its  kind, 
and  has  a  very  agreeable  and  penetrating  smell. 

Zoology.^  The  rein-deer  is  the  pride  of  Lapland.  It  is  four 
feet  six  inches  high  ;  body  thick,  and  somewhat  square  ;  legs  short  ; 
color  brown  above,  and  white  beneath.  The  horns  are  long  and 
slender.  The  hoofs  are  large,  and  make  a  clattering  noise  as  they 
move.  It  is  one  of  the  fleetest  animals  known.  The  tame  ones 
draw  the  sledges  200  miles  a  day  ;  feeding  in  summer  on  leaves, 
and  in  the  winter  on  moss.  Their  flesh  is  well-tasted,  their  milk  and 
cheese  nutritive  and  pleasant ;  their  skins  furnish  excellent  cloth- 
ing for  the  bed  and  the  body  ;  and  their  intestines  and  sinews 
form  strong  thread  and  cordage.  Cows,  sheep,  goats,  and  dogs 
are  also  among  the  domestic  animals  of  the  Laplanders. 

Bears  are  very  numerous.  Red,  black,  silver-haired  and  white 
foxes  are  found  in  very  great  numbers.  Of  martens  there  are  the 
stoJie  ?>iarte7i,  the  birch  marten^  and  the  Jir-marten.  The  glutton 
is  rather  uncommon  ;  the  beaver  more  frequent.  Three  species 
of  otters  abound,  the  sea-otter^  the  bay-otter^  and  the  fresh-ivater- 
otter.  There  are  also  immense  numbers  of  erruine  and  mice,  and 
great  numbers  of  squirrels.  Notwithstanding  the  I'igor  of  the 
climate,  animals  both  wild  and  tame  are  remarkably  prolific. 
Seals  are  found  all  along  the  northern  and  western  coasts. 

Eagles,  falcons,  pelicans,  cormorants,  owls,  ravens,  swans,  daAvs, 
partridges,  the  eider-duck,  sea-crows,  wild  geese,  water-hens, 
snipes,  woodcocks,  magpies,  bustards,  plover,  thrushes,  snow- 
birds, linnets,  gold-finches,  and  siskins,  are  common  birds  in  Lap- 
land. Pigeons,  doves,  and  cuckows  are  here  occasionally.  The 
forests  abound  also  with  fine  singing  birds.  Many,  both  of  the 
birds  and  beasts  are  of  kinds  peculiar  to  the  country. 

Salmon  abound  in  the  rivers  ;  cod,  hake,  ling,  haddock,  whit- 
ing, skate,  turbot,  flounder,  and  halibut  arc  caught  in  great  num- 
bers on  the  coast  and  prepared  for  exportation.  Whales  appear 
in  astonishing  numbers  early  in  February.  There  are  several  va- 
rieties of  the  shark.  The  sword-fish,  springer,  and  porpoise  are 
very  numerous.  Herrings  are  in  immense  profusion  ;  but  the 
Laplanders  have  not  yet  learned  how  to  take  them.  The  story  of 
the  KrakeUf  a  marine  animal  several  miles  in  length,  is  on  the 
same  footing  with  the  narratives  of  hobgoblins. 

Minerals.^  Baron  Hermelin,  the  celebrated  Geographer  of 
Sweden,  Finland,  and  Lapland,  has  discovered  the  following 
among  the  minerals  of  the  latter  country. 

1.  Stones.  Of  the  calcareous  kind,  limestone,  calcareous  spar, 
scaly  limestone,  sidero-calcite,  marble,  gypsum,  and  lime  with 
garnets  ;  of  the  siliceous,  quartz,  rock  crystal,  amethyst,  garnet, 
black   and  common  jasper,  shorl,  zeolite,  hornstone,   siliceous 


DANISH  EMPIRE.  147 

schistus,  felspar;  of  the  muriatic  steatite,  serpentine,  chlorite,  as- 
bestus,  amianthus,  asbcstoid  ;  of  the  barytic,  ponderous  spar  ;  of 
the  argillaceous,  trap,  hornblendmica,  aluminous  earth,  wacken, 
and  clay  containing  iron  ;  of  aggregates,  serpentine  rock,  norka, 
amygdaloid,  porphyry,  breccias,  sandstones,  gneiss,  puddingstone, 
granitell. 

2.  Inflammable  substances.  These  are  plumbago,  native  sul- 
phur, martial  pyrites. 

3.  Metals  ;  lead,  zink,  iron,  antimony,  copper,  arsenic,  molyb- 
dena,  and  gold,  once  found  at  Svappawara  in  Torneo  Lapmark; 
There  are  no  less  than  twelve  mines  of  the  different  metals  enu- 
merated ;  but  we  do  not  know  their  kinds,  or  their  value. 


DANISH  EMPIRE. 

1.    IN  EUROPE. 

1.  Kingdom  of  Norway.  2.  Kingdom  of  Denmark.  3.  Ferro 
Islands. 

2.    IN  AMERICA. 

1.  Iceland.     2.  Greenland. 

3.    IN  ASIA. 

Three  of  the  Nicobar  Islands  are  said  to  belong  to  Denmark. 

4.    IN  AFRICA. 

Christiansburg  and  Freidensburg,  two  settlements  and  fortresses 
on  the  coast  of  Guinea. 

Denmark  till  lately  possessed  St.  Croix,  St.  Thomas,  and  St. 
John's,  in  the  West  Indies  ;  Serampore  in  Bengal  ;  and  Tran- 
quebar  in  Coromandel.     These  have  been  taken  by  the  British. 


NORWAY. 

CHAPTER  I. 

HISTORICAL  GEOGRAPHY. 

NAMES,  EXTENT,  BOUNDARIES,  DIVISIONS,  ORIGINAL  POPULATION, 
PROGRESSIVE  GEOGRAPHY,  HISTORICAL  EPOCHS,  RELIGION,  GOV- 
ERNMENT, LAWS,  POPULATION,  ARMY,  REVENUE,  MANNERS  AND 
CUSTOMS,  LANGUAGE,  EDUCATION,  CITIES,  ROADS,  COMMERCE. 

JVaines.'}  THIS  country  is  a  pai't  of  the  ancient  Scandi- 
navia. Its  present  name,  Norway,  formerly  written  JVorvic/:,  is 
said  to  denote  the  Northern  Kingdom.  The  natives  now  call  it 
J^orgie. 

Extent.']  Its  length  from  the  J^aze^  in  58  N.  to  North  Cape< 
in  71  10,  is  1000  miles.  Its  width,  in  lat.  59,  is  210  miles ;  in  lat. 
61  20,  about  235  ;  and  north  of  lat.  63,  it  is  rarely  more  than  80. 
On  the  north  of  Sweden  it  extends  considerably  cast  of  the  Noitll 


148  DANISH  EMPIRE. 

Cape  until  it  meets  Russian  Lapland.  It  contains,  according  to 
Hassel,  152,680  square  miles.  In  lat.  65  N.  the  Swedish  prov- 
ince of  Herndahl  pushes  westward  to  the  sea,  and  breaks  the  con- 
tinuity of  the  Norwegian  coast. 

Boundaries.^  Bounded  N.  by  the  Frozen  Ocean  ;  E.  by  Rus- 
sian Lapland,  and  also  by  Sweden,  from  which  the  northern  half 
of  the  country  is  separated  by  a  lofty  chain  of  mountains  ;  S.  by 
the  Scaggerac  ;  and  W.  by  the  Atlantic 

Divisions.']  Norway  is  naturally  divided  into  two  parts,  North- 
ern and  Southern. 

Northern  Norway  is  a  long  narrow  slip  of  land,  reaching  from 
the  North  Cape  to  the  narrow  Swedish  province  of  Herndahl, 
which,  between  lat.  65  and  66,  separates  it  from  Norway  proper. 
It  is  divided  into  Nordland,  Finmark,  and  Lapmark,  all  under  the 
government  of  Drontheim. 

Southern  Norway,  Avhich  is  the  great  body  of  the  country, 
reaches  northward  to  about  lat.  65,  N. 

Norway  is  politically  divided  into  four  governments. 
1.  Drontheim  in  the  N.  92,406  square  miles.* 
Cou7tties. 
Lapmark,  Vaerdals, 

Finmark,  Saelbo, 

Nordland,  Guledal, 

Nummedal,  Northmoer, 

Indero,  Romsdal. 

Fosen, 
2.  Berghen  in  the  W.  16,000  square  miles.f 
Cou?itics. 
Southmoer,  Vosse, 

South  Bay,  Hardanger. 

Sogne, 

3.  Aggekhuus,  in  the  E.  and  S.  29,808  square  miles. J 

Counties. 

Eastdal,  Romerige, 

Gulbrandsdal,  Buskemds, 

Hedemarke,  Chi'istiania, 

Valder,  Sandsvaer, 

Ringerika,  Rakestad, 

Toten,  Tarlsberg, 

Solloer,  Bamble. 

4.  Christiansand,  in  the  S.  W.  14,466  square  miles.§ 

Counties. 
Tellemarkens,  Lister, 

Delaguets,  Mandals, 

RyfFylkc,  Nedenaes. 

Dalernes, 
Original  PofiulatiQn.~\     The  original  possessors  of  Norway  ap- 
pear to  have  been  the  Fins  and  the  Laps,  who  were  driven  to  the 
northern  exti'emities  by  the  Go*')ic  Invasion,  conducted  by  Odin. 
The  population  has  since  continued  pure  and  unmixed  by  foreig^a 

*  Hassel.  f  Hassel.  ^  Hassel.  §  Hassel. 


NORWAY.  ^  149 

conquests,  and  the  inhabitants  stiil  retain  the  muscular  frame, 
blooming  countenance,  and  yellow  hair  of  the  Normans,  so  well 
known  in  France,  Italy,  and  England. 

Progreidve  Gecgrap/iy.']  The  early  Geography  of  Norway  is 
very  obscure.  There  is  reason  to  believe,  that  no  part  of  it,  ex- 
cept the  southern  extremity,  had  been  seen  by  the  Roman  mari- 
ners.  Few  materials  even  afterwards  arise  for  the  progressive 
geograpiiy  of  this  country,  till  the  time  of  Jormandes  ;  whose  ac- 
count is  succeeded  by  tlie  navigation  of  Ohter,  and  the  description 
by  Adam  of  Bremen,  in  the  eleventh  century. 

Historical  EfiQchs.']  1.  The  original  population  by  the  Fins 
and  Laplanders. 

2.  The  conquest  by  the  Goths. 

2.  The  consolidation  of  all  the  petty  monarchies  into  one,  by 
Harald  Harfagre,  about  A.  D.  910.  Many  of  the  petty  princes 
left  the  Kingdom.  Ganga  Hrolf,  or  Rollo  the  Walker,  went  to 
France  ;  and,  in  912,  subjugated  the  province,  which,  from  him, 
and  his  followers,  the  J^'ormen  was  called  Normandy. 

4.  The  conversion  of  the  country  to  Christianity,  in  the  reign 
ofOlafI,  A.  D.  994. 

5.  The  invasion  of  England  by  Harald  III.  who  was  slain  in  a 
battle  with  Harold,  King  of  England,  Sept.  25th,  1066. 

6.  Its  union  with  Sweden,  under  a  common  sovereign,  at  the 
death  of  Hagen  V,  A.  D.  1319. 

7.  Its  union  with  Denmark  and  Sweden  under  Olof  V,  the  hus- 
band of  Margaret,  A.  D.  1 380. 

Religion.~\  The  Lutheran  is  the  established  religion,  and  the 
great  body  of  the  inhabitants  profess  it.  Norway  is  divided  into 
4  Bishopricks  ;  1  ,Christiana,  the  bishop  of  which  is  a  metropolitan, 
though  without  the  title  of  archbishop  ;  revenue  <C400  sterling.  2, 
Christiansand,  revenue  /;600.  3,  Berghen,  I'evenue  £400.  4, 
Dronthein,  revenue  iC400.  The  inferior  clergy  are  provosts  or 
archdeacons,  parish  priests  and  chaplains.  Each  diocese  is  di- 
vided into  districts,  under  the  care  of  provosts  ;  each  district  into 
parishes.  A  large  parish,  beside  the  principal  church,  has  one 
or  more  chapels  of  ease,  under  the  care  of  chaplains.  The  livings 
vary  from  iG200  sterling  to  £60.  A  clergyman's  widow  is  entitled 
to  his  salary  for  the  year  following  his  decease,  and  to  a  pension 
from  his  successor  of  one  eighth  of  the  annual  income. 

Government.']  Norway  is  a  province  of  Denmark.  The  vice- 
roy, who  is  also  the  governor  of  Aggcrhuus,  resides  at  Christia- 
nia.  He  presides  in  the  high  court  of  Justice,  which  is  held  at 
that  place.  Inferior  governors  are  appointed  in  the  other  three 
governments. 

Laws.^  The  Code  called  Xorivay  Law,  compiled  by  Grieffel- 
fcld,  at  the  command  of  Christian  V,  is  still  in  full  force.  By  it 
all  the  peasants  of  Norway,  except  a  few  near  Frederickstadt,  are 
made  free. 

A  curious  custom  prevails,  called  odel's  right,  or  the  right  of 
inheritajice,  by  which  the  proprietor  of  freeholds  may  re-purchase 
an  estate,  which  he  or  his  ancestors  have  sold.     To  enforce  it, 


150  DANISH  EMPIRE. 

however,  he  or  his  ancestors  must  have  asserted  their  claim  every 
tenth  year,  at  the  sessions  ;  and  likewise  their  inability  to  re-pur- 
chase it  at  that  time. 

Pofiulation.~\  Coxe  estimated  the  population  of  Norway  at 
750,000.  By  a  census  taken  in  1802  it  amounted  to  910,074  ; 
and  Hasscl,  in  1809,  estimated  it  at  9 12,000,  which  is  probably  less 
than  the  truth,  for  the  births  are  to  the  deaths  as  2Si  to  171.* 

The  population  of  Northern  Norway,  in  1769,  was  only  5,984. 

Armyr\  Norway  maintains  its  own  army,  which  consists  of 
32,053  infantry,  and  10,478  cavalry.  Every  peasant,  not  born  in  a 
town  or  on  some  noble  estate,  is,  by  birth,  a  soldier,  and  enrolled 
at  the  age  of  16.  Till  26  he  is  classed  in  the  young  militia  ;  then 
he  enters  into  the  old  militia,  and  is  discharged  at  36.  The  troops 
are  esteemed  for  their  bravery,  and  much  attached  to  their  coun- 
try. The  horses  of  the  cavalry  are  small,  but  strong,  active,  and 
hardy.  These  troops  take  the  field  every  year  in  June,  and  re- 
main encamped  about  a  month. 

Beside  these,  a  regular  militia  has  been  enrolled  since  1801, 
who  are  to  fly  to  arms  at  a  moment's  warning.  Their  number  is 
40,000. 

Revenue.'^  The  revenue  annually  raised  by  Denmark  from 
Norway  was,  in  1809,  1,725,000  guilders,!  which  at  40  cts.  the 
guilder|  is  §690,000,  This  is  raised  from  the  land-tax,  customs, 
excise,  and  licenses  granted  by  government. 

Manners  and  Customs.^  The  common  food  of  the  peasants  is 
milk  ;  cheese  ;  dried  or  salted  fish  ;  oatbread,  which  they  bake 
but  twice  a  year  ;  and,  very"  rarely,  a  little  flesh  or  dried  meat. 
In  times  of  scarcity  they  eat  the  bark  of  the  fir,  ground  to  a  pow- 
der, and  mixed  with  oat  meal.  The  potatoe  has  been  lately  intro- 
duced ;  but  it  grows  only  of  a  moderate  size. 

The  Norway  houses  are  generally  of  wood.  Those  of  the  peas- 
ants have  an  opening  in  the  top,  which  serves  instead  of  a  chim- 
ney, and  windows.  This  hole  is  open  in  summer  and  is  covered 
in  winter  with  the  membrane  of  some  animal.  The  ceiling  is 
about  8  feet  high,  and  arched  like  a  cupola.  The  family  table 
stands  directly  under  this  opening.  Their  dress  consists  of  a 
flapped  hat,  or  cap,  ornamented  with  ribbands  ;  a  wide  loose 
coarse  jacket,  with  waistcoat  and  breeches  of  the  same  ;  a  broad 
leathern  belt  round  the  body,  adorned  with  brass  plates  and  a  brass 
chain  that  sustains  a  large  knife,  gimlet,  and  other  tackle  ;  shoes 
without  outer  soles,  and  in  the  winter  leathern  buskins,  also 
skates  and  snowshoes.  They  are  taught  in  youth  to  wrestle,  ride, 
swim,  skate,  climb,  shoot,  and  forge  iron.  Their  amusements 
are  making  verses,  blowing  the  horn,  playing  on  the  guitar  and 
violin,  and  dancing.  < 

The  Norwegians  are  tall,  well  formed,  robust,  brave,  honest,  ■ 
hospitable  and  ingenious  ;  yet  savage,  rash,  and  litigious.  They 
make  excellent  soldiers  and  sailors. 

*  Coxe.  f  Hassel. 

t  The  guilder  of  Saxony  is  51  cents  85  mills.  If  Hasscl's  was  the  Saxon  Guilder, 
the  revenue  will  have  been  more,  of  course. 


NORWAY.  151 

Language.']  The  original  language  of  Norway  was  that  which 
is  called  the  Icelandic,  the  purest  dialect  of  the  Teutonic  or  Goth- 
ic. The  inhabitants  now  generally  speak  an  intermediate  dialect 
of  the  Teutonic,  between  the  Danish  and  Swedish.  The  gentry 
and  inhabitants  of  the  principal  towns,  however,  speak  a  purer 
Danish,  than  is  usual  even  in  Denmark. 

Education.]  Each  parish  is  provided  with  two  or  threp  schools, 
where  children  are  taught  reading,  writing,  and  arithmetic.  The 
masters  have  £\2  sterling //cr  ann.  a  house,  and  some  other  ad- 
vantages. Four  Latin  schools  are  maintained  at  the  expense  of 
the  crown.  In  these  arc  taught  the  Latin,  Greek,  and  Hebrew. 
Thei'e  is  also  a  seminary  for  the  Laplanders  at  Berghen.  Nor- 
way has  always  been  behind  the  other  countries  of  Europ*^  in  lit- 
-.rature.     Till  lately  she  could  not  boast  a  single  native  writer. 

Cities  and  Towns.]  Berghen,  the  capital,  in  lat.  60  23  N.  long. 
5  33,  E.  was  founded  in  1070.  It  is  a  sea-port,  seated  in  the  cen- 
tre of  a  valley,  and  forming  a  semicircle  roiuid  a  small  gulf  of  the 
sea,  called,  by  the  inhabitants,  Waag.  The  public  buildings  and 
many  of  the  houses  are  of  stone.  Its  trade  is  in  fish,  fish-oil,  tal- 
low, tar,  hides  and  timber.  The  returns  are  corn  and  foreign 
merchandise.  It  was  formerly  connected  with  the  Hansetowns, 
and  to  them  it  owes  the  rise  of  its  commerce.  It  has  been  ex- 
posed to  frequent  conflagrations.  The  population  is  estimated  at 
19,000.     The  harbor  is  one  of  the  best  in  Europe. 

Christiania,  in  lat.  59  6,  37,  stands  in  a  semicircular  form  on 
the  northern  extremity  of  the  gulf  of  Christiania,  30  miles  from 
the  open  sea.  The  navigation  of  the  gulf  is  sometlnties  difficult  ; 
but  it  is  deep  enough  for  the  largest  ships,  having  6  or  7  fathom 
close  to  the  quay.  Its  shores  are  rocky,  and  overspread  with 
tliick  forests.  The  country  around  Christiania  is  fertile,  but  une- 
ven. The  town  is  divided  into,  1  st,  the  city  and  the  three  sub- 
urbs of  Waterlandt,  Peterwigen  andFierdingcn  ;  2d,  the  fortress 
of  Aggerhuus  ;  3d,  the  old  town  of  Opsloe  or  Ansloe.  The  city 
contains  418  houses,  the  suburbs  682,  and  Opsloe  400  :  total 
1500.  Population  10,000.  The  fortress  is  small  but  strong.  The 
harbor  is  excellent,  and  the  trade  considerable. 

Drontheim,  formerly  Nideroos,  stands  on  the  estftary  of  the 
Nid,  in  63  26,  2,  N.  It  was  built  in  997  ;  and  is,  except  Tornea, 
the  most  northern  city  in  Europe.  It  was  the  residence  of  the  an- 
cient kings  of  Norway,  and  afterwards  an  archbishoprick,  sup- 
pressed at  tlae  reformation.  There  arc  two  churches,  a  public 
school,  a  seminary  for  missionaries,  an  orphan  house,  a  poor- 
house,  an  infirmary,  and  a  house  of  correction.  Its  inhabitants  are 
9000  in  number.  From  400  to  500  ships  are  employed  in  its 
trade  annually  ;  and  the  principal  exports  are  salt-fish,  herrings, 
timber,  tallow,  and  copper,  from  the  celebrated  mines  of  Eoraas. 
It  is  285  miles  N.  N.  E.  of  Berghen. 

Christiansand,  in  lat.  58  12,  N.  on  the  Torisdal,  contains  about 
4000  inhabitants.  Christiansund,  in  63  10,  is  about  equally  popu- 
lous.    Kongsbcrg,  on  the  Louvcn,  40  miles  3-  W.  of  Christiania, 


152  DANISH  EMPIRE. 

contains  1000  houses  and  6000  inhabitants.  Two  miles  from  it 
are  the  celebrated  silver  mines. 

The  population  of  Frederickshall,  in  lat.  59  4,  N.  is  about  5000. 
On  a  rock,  which  overhangs  the  town,  is  the  hitherto  impregnable 
fortress  of  Frederickstein,  rendered  memorable  by  the  death  of 
Charles  XII.  of  Sweden.  The  houses  are  of  wood,  generally- 
painted  red ;  and  the  harbor  is  safe  and  commodious. 

JHoacls.']  The  roads  of  Norway  are  extremely  rugged  and  al- 
most impassable  with  carriages. 

Commn-ce.']  The  trade  is  principally  passive,  and  is  carried  on 
in  Danish  ships.  The  exports  are  fish,  timber,  lumber,  furs, 
horses,  horned  cattle,  fish-oil,  tallow,  butter,  copper,  hides,  mar- 
ble, mi'.lstones,  iron,  silver,  tar,  alum,  salt,  pot-ash,  and  Prussian- 
blue.  Corn  and  all  kinds  of  manufactures  are  imported.  The 
Norwegians  are  the  best  seamen  in  the  Danish  fleet. 

CHAPTER  II. 
NATURAL  GEOGRAPHY. 

CLIMATE  AND  SEASONS,  FACE  OF  THE  COUNTRY,  SOIL  AND  AG- 
RICULTURE, RIVERS,  LAKES,  MOUNTAINS,  FORESTS,  BOTANY, 
MINERALOGY,  NATURAL  CURIOSITIES,  ISLANDS. 

Climate  and  S€asQ7is.~\  THE  greatest  quantity  of  snow 
falls  before  the  middle  of  January  ;  and  of  rain,  in  April,  August, 
and  October.  March,  June,  and  July,  are  usually  clear.  The 
most  violent  winds  occur  in  April,  May,  and  October.  The  sea 
is  always  open  at  Berghen.  The  south  winds  prevail  on  the 
western  coast.  On  the  east  side  of  Norway  the  cold  is  intense, 
snow  usually  lying  from  the  middle  of  October,  to  the  middle  of 
April.  In  1719,  7500  Swedes  were  frozen  to  death  in  their  march 
over  the  mountains,  to  the  attack  of  Drontheim. 

Face  of  the  Country.']  This  is  probably  the  most  mountainous 
country  in  Europe.  In  the  north,  all  is  mountains  ;  but,  in  the 
south,  there  are  tracts  of  great  fertility,  and,  though  often  rocky, 
the  soil  is  rich.  "  The  face  of  the  country  is  prettily  sprinkled 
with  numerous  lakes  and  rivulets,  and  thickly  dotted  with  cotta- 
ges, rudely,  though  not  unpleasantly,  situated  on  rocky  eminen- 
ces in  the  midst  of  the  luxuriant  forest." 

Soil  and  Agriculture.']  There  is  little  arable  land,  and  most 
of  the  corn  is  imported  from  Denmark.  The  pasture  is  excellent 
and  abvmdant  ;  and  great  numbers  of  cattle  and  horses  arc  annu- 
ally raised.     The  agriculture  is  improving. 

Rivers.]  The  Glamme,  the  largest  river  of  Norway,  rises 
from  Lake  Oresund  on  the  norili  of  Lake  Foemund,  and  runs 
nearly  south,  about  300  miles,  to  Sarp,  near  Frederickstadt.  About 
80  miles  from  the  sea  it  receives  the  Worm,  which  runs  through 
Lake  Mioss,  and  is  almost  as  long  as  the  Glomme.  Before  the 
confluence  it  is  as  large  as  the  Thames,  at  Henley.  It  is  wholly 
unnavigable,  and  full  of  shoals  and  cataracts  ;  yet  about  50,000 
trees  ai'e  annually  floated  upon  it  to  Frederickstadt.    The  Dramnje 


NORWAY.  153 

flows  into  the  west  side  of  Christiania  Bay  after  its  confluence 
with  the  Beina.  The  Louven  and  the  Torrisdal  in  the  S.  are 
smaller.  The  western  rivers  are  all  short  and  rapid.  The  Tana 
a.nd  the  Alten  are  the  largest  streams  in  Northern  Norway. 

Lakes.']  These  are  numerous,  but  not  very  extensive.  Lake 
Mioss  is  60  miles  long,  and  near  the  middle  from  12  to  18  miles 
wide,  but  generally  narrow.  It  contains  an  island  10  miles  in 
circumference,  fertile  in  corn,  pasture,  and  wood.  Lake  Rands 
is  50  miles  long  and  2  broad.  Lake  Folmund  is  35  miles  long 
and  8  broad,  and  svirrounded  by  mountains  of  great  height.  Lake 
Tyri  is  a  beautiful  piece  of  water,  about  15  miles  in  length  and 
breadth,  diversified  with  many  bays  and  creeks. 

Mountains.]  The  mountains  of  Norway,  though  constituting  a 
united  chain,  receive  different  names  in  the  different  provinces. 
The  southern  part  of  the  chain  commencing  near  Cape  Lindes, 
or  the  Naze,  and  running  almost  due  N.  to  the  province  of  Roms- 
dal,  is  called  Langjiallj  or  the  Long  Mountains.  Here  it  bends 
eastward,  till  it  reaches  the  frontiers  of  Sweden,  above  Lake  Ore- 
sund,  in  about  63  N.  This  part-  of  it  is  called  Doffrefiall.  The 
third,  and  far  the  longest  part  of  the  chain,  passes  from  near  Ore- 
sund,  in  a  N.  N.  E.  course,  between  Norway  and  Swedish  Lap- 
land, to  about  lat.  69  ;  where  it  bends  in  the  form  of  a  horse-shoe 
on  the  south  of  Finmark,  and  probably  unites  with  the  mountains 
of  Olonctz  in  Russia.  This  is  called  the  chain  of  Kolen.  These 
three  united  chains  are  properly  called  the  JVorwcgian  Range.  Its 
length  is  not  less  than  1 100  miles.  At  the  last  mentioned  bend  a 
branch  divides,  and  proceeds  southerly  by  Swucku  through  Swe- 
den. Areskuten,  in  the  Kolen  chain,  near  Jemtland,  is  said  to  be 
6162  feet  above  the  level  of  the  nearest  rivers.  The  two  highest 
summits  in  NorAvay  are  said  to  be  Doffrefiall,  in  Dronthcim,  and 
Tille  in  Berghen.  Snvuckustoety  one  of  the  summits  in  the  Swed- 
ish branch,  yet  within  the  borders  of  Norway,  is  said  to  be  4658 
feet  above  the  Avaters  of  Lake  Falmund,  which  are  thought  to  be 
2000  or  5000  above  the  sea. 

Forests.]  Most  of  Norway  is  forested.  The  humbler  moun- 
tains are  entirely  covered  with  trees  ;  while,  on  tlie  more  lofty, 
no  trees  will  grow  at  a  little  more  than  half  their  height.  The 
pine  and  the  fir  are  most  common.  The  birch  and  oak  are  abun- 
dant. The  elm  is  rare.  The  forests  of  Norway  are  used  for  sev- 
eral purposes.  1,  For  shipbuilding.  2,  For  charcoal.  3,  For 
building  houses.  4,  For  making  roads.  5,  For  turpentine.  6, 
For  fencing.  7,  For  fuel.  8,  For  making  ashes  for  a  manure. 
This  last  application  is  very  extensive  and  extremely  destructive 
to  the  forests. 

Botany.]     See  Botany  of  Sweden. 

ZoologyT]  The  horses  of  Norway  arc  very  small,  but  strong 
and  patient  of  fatigue.  The  rein-dccr  abounds  in  Finmark  and 
throughout  Lapland.  They  are  used  by  the  inhabitairts  in  place 
of  horses.  The  elk,  the  bear,  the  wolf  the  lynx,  the  fox,  the  hare, 
and  the  beaver,  are  found  in  more  Southern  Norway.  The  lem- 
mings or  Norwegian  mouse,  proceeds  from  the  ridge  of  Kolen, 

VOL-  ir.  20 


Ii4  DANISH  EMPIRE. 

and  sometimes  spreads  desolation  like  the  locust.  Norway  boasUi 
of  the  eagle  ;  and  its  falcons  are  reckoned  the  boldest  and  most 
spirited  of  Europe.     Salmon  are  abundant  in  the  rivers  and  lakes. 

Miney^alogy .~\  About  the  year  1645,  some  gold  ore  was  found 
near  Arendal  on  the  coast  of  Christiansand.  At  Kongsberg  arc 
the  richest  silver  mines  in  Europe.  One  mass  of  native  silver  in 
the  royal  cabinet  at  Copenhagen,  taken  from  these  mines,  weighs 
409  marks,  and  is  worth  ;C600  sterling.  The  rock  consists  of 
vertical  banks  of  micaceous  schistus  with  garnets,  limestone,  and 
quartz.  The  veins  of  metal  are  from  half  an  inch  to  more  than 
two  feet  in  thickness.  There  were  36  mines  working  in  1780, 
the  deepest  652  feet  perpendicular.  The  annual  produce  is 
;C54,000  sterling,  and  the  number  of  mines  2500.  The  expenses 
of  the  establishment  often  equal  the  income.  The  principal  ad- 
vantage derived  from  them  is  to  supply  the  treasury  with  specie. 
These  mines  were  discovered  by  t^vo  peasants,  in  1623.  There  is 
a  silver  mine  of  much  less  value  at  Sarlsberg,  about  30  miles  S.  E. 
of  Kongsberg. 

The  copper  mine  of  Roraas,  about  68  miles  S.  E.  of  Drontheim, 
near  the  source  of  the  Glomme,  was  discovered  in  1644.  The 
veins  are  from  6  inches  to  6  ells  in  thickness,  and  the  ore  of  a  pale 
yellow.  In  general  the  mines  of  Roraas  are  very  productive,  and 
a  source  of  considerable  revenue.  The  annual  produce  is  about 
1 100  ship-pounds  of  pure  coppei*.  The  founderies  belonging  to 
it  consume  yearly  1400  lasts  of  coal,  and  500  fathoms  of  wood. 
There  are  other  copper  mines  at  Luckens,  20  miles  S.  of  Dron- 
theim ;  at  Seiboe,  30  miles  S.  S.  E.  of  that  place  ;  andatQuickne. 

At  Skaterud  on  the  Dramme,  26  miles  N.  of  Kongsberg,  is  a 
valuable  mine  of  cobalt,  on  the  top  of  a  mountain,  discovered 
about  the  year  1780.  There  are  really  two  mines  ;  each  with 
four  shafts  or  openings,  the  deepest  only  84  feet,  because  the  ore 
is  still  in  great  plenty  near  the  surface.  A  fine  quarry  of  quartz 
lies  near  them,  which  is  mixed  with  the  cobalt,  to  make  the  Prus- 
sian blue.  The  quartz  is  as  white  as  alabaster,  and  contains  large 
veins  of  Russian  talc  or  marien  glass.  The  number  of  miners  is 
360,  and  the  produce  3000  weight  of  cobalt,  yielding  a  net  profit 
to  the  crown  of  ;G  16,000  sterling. 

But  the  iron  mines  ot  Norway  are  the  most  profitable.  The 
richest  are  those  of  Skeen,  about  30  miles  S.  of  Kongsberg  ;  and 
those  of  Aj-endal,  about  56  S.  W.ot  Skeen.  Many  hundred  thou- 
sand quintals  are  annually  exported,  chiefly  in  bars  ;  part  of  it 
also  in  stoves,  pots,  kettles  and  cannon.  The  national  pi'ofit  aris- 
ing from  this  metal  is  thought  to  be  /;60,000  sterling //e?  ann. 

Lead  and  sulphur  are  found  near  Kongsberg.  Alum  is  found 
abundantly  between  the  slate-flakes,  near  Christiania.  Royal 
salt-works  are  established  on  the  peninsula  of  Valoe,  6  miles  from 
Tonsberg. 

Norway  contains  inexhaustible  quarries  of  excellent  marble, 
black,  white,  blue,  grey  and  variegated  ;  likewise  alabaster, 
chalk-stone,  cement  stone,  sandstone,  millstone,  bakingstone,  slate, 
talc,  magnets,  asbestos,  quartz,  crystals,  amethysts,  and  agates 


DENMARK.  I35 

in  great  abundance  ;  together  with  curious  ganicts,  especially 
the  green,  which  are  little  known  in  other  regions. 

.Yatural  Curiosities.^  The  Moskocstrom.,  or  Mals(rom,  is  a  re- 
markable whirlpool  off  the  coast  of  Nordland,  near  the  little  isl- 
and of  Moskoe,  one  of  the  Loffodcn  islands.  It  is  occasioned  by 
the  very  rapid  ebb  and  flood  of  the  sea  between  Moskoe  and  Lof- 
fodcn. About  a  quarter  of  an  hour,  at  high  and  low  water,  it  is 
quiet.  But,  when  the  tide  is  rising  or  falling,  the  sea  boils  -with 
immense  agitation  ;  its  roar  is  heard  to  the  distance  of  many 
leagues  ;  and  the  force  and  extent  of  the  vortex  is  so  great  that 
ships  3  miles  off  arc  sometimes  forced  towards  the  centre  and 
finally  dashed  in  pieces  against  the  bottom.  Whales  are  fre- 
quently absorbed  by  it  in  spite  of  their  endeavors  to  escape. 
Large  trees  are  often  sucked  down,  and  rise  again  all  shattered 
into  splinters. 

About  20  miles  north  of  Berghen  the  rocks  abound  with  singu- 
lar petrifactions.  The  mountains  are  sometimes  split  and  en- 
gulphed  by  subterranean  waters.  The  farm  of  Borre,  in  the  prov- 
ince of  Christiania,  was,  in  1703,  swallowed  up  with  all  its  build- 
ings; and  there  now  remains  only  a  chasm  full  of  ruins  and  sand. 

Islands.^  The  coast  presents  a  continued  series  of  small  isl- 
ands, generally  mountainous  and  craggy,  with  precipitous  rocks, 
and  a  sea  from  100  to  300  fathoms  deep  washing  their  bases.  Be- 
tween them  are  numerous  creeks,  overshadowed  by  the  precipi- 
ces, and  guarded  by  numberless  little  islands  of  rock  haunted  by 
sea-fowl.  Among  the  largest  are  Hitteren,  Karm,  Bommel,  Sartar 
and  Smolen,near  the  entrance  of  the  gulfof  Drontheim.  In  lat.65  are 
the  Vigten  islands  ;  and  between  67  and  69,  the  Loffoden  isles,  the 
most  numerous  and  extensive  cluster.  Scroe  is  a  little  S.  W.  of 
North  Cape,  which  is  on  the  island  of  Mageron  ;  and  Wardhus  is 
in  the  Arctic  Ocean,  near  the  Bay  of  Warangher.  On  this  last 
there  is  a  Danish  garrison. 


DENMARK. 

CHAPTER  I. 

HISTORICAL  GEOGRAPHY. 

NAMES,  EXTENT,  BOUNDARIES,  DIVISIONS,  ORIGINAL  POPULATION, 
PROGRESSIVE  GEOGRAPHY,  HISTORICAL  EPOCHS,  ANTIQUITIES. 

Aames.']  DENMARK  was  a  part  of  ancient  Scandinavia. 
Its  appropriate  name  was  ChersoJiesua  Cimbrica,  or  the  Peninsula 
of  the  Cimbri  or  Cimmerii.  The  name  Denmark.,  implying  the 
marches,  boundaries,  or  territories,  of  the  Danes,  is  derived  from 
the  inhabitants,  who  are  first  mentioned  by  this  appellation  in  the 
6th  century,  when  we  begin  to  acquire  a  faint  idea  of  Scandinavia 
from  the  history  of  Jornandcs. 


156  DANISH  EMPIRE. 

Extent^  Boundaries^  and  Divisions.^  As  the  large  islands  2^al- 
and  and  Funen,  make  an  integral  part  of  the  kingdom,  we  shall 
incorporate  our  account  of  them  jvith  the  geography  of  Denmark. 
The  kingdom  is  composed  of  the  following  territories. 

Square  miles, 
fl,  Aalborg,  -  -  2668 

J  2,  Aarhuus,     -  -  -     2547 

3,  Riperhuus,       -  -  3326 


of  Jutland. 


Islands. 


4,  Wiborg,       -  -  -        721 

5,  Schleswick,     -  -  3530 

6,  Holstein,     -  -  -      3156 


J  5,948 

2884 

Funen,      .         -         _  1938 


57,  Zealand,        -         -         -       2884 


20,770 

The  Peninsula  reaches  from  Altona,  on  the  Elbe,  in  lat.  53  55^ 
N.  to  the  Skaw,  in  lat.  57  45,  290  miles.  Its  breadth  varies  from 
35  to  105  miles;  and  its  extreme  meridians  are  7  55,  and  11  5. 
The  estuary  of  the  Elbe  lies  on  the  S.  W.  ;  the  Duchy  of  Saxe 
Lauenburg  in  Germany  on  the  S.  E.  ;  the  Baltic  on  the  E.  and  N. ; 
and  the  German  Ocean  on  the  W. 

The  island  of  Zealand  is  80  miles  long,  from  N.  to  S.  ;  and  from 
40  to  60  broad.  It  is  extremely  indented  witli  bays  and  harbors, 
so  that  its  circumference  is  about  700  miles.*  The  Sound,  in  the 
narrowest  place  3  miles  wide,  separates  it  from  Sweden;  and  the 
Great  Belt  on  the  W.  divides  it  from  the  island  of  Funen,  the 
nearest  point  of  which  is  18  miles  distant  from  Zealand. 

Funen  is  separated  by  the  Little  Belt  from  the  Peninsula.  The 
distance  from  Assens  to  Arroesound,  is  9  miles  ;  but  between 
Middlefarth  and  Snoghcy  it  is  not  quite  2.  Funen  is  50  miles 
long,  and  30  broad  ;  and,  owing  to  its  numerous  bays  and  head- 
lands, 340  miles  in  circumference.! 

Original  PofmIation.~]  The  original  population  of  Denmark  ap- 
pears to  have  consisted  of  Cimbri,  or  Northern  Celts,  the  ances- 
tors of  the  Welch  ;  and  who  in  particular  held  the  Cimbric  Cher- 
sonese, or  modern  Jutland  and  Sleswic.  On  the  progress  of  the 
Goths  from  the  N.  and  E.  the  Cimbri  were  expelled.  Yet  the 
Chersonese  continued  to  retain  their  name,  while  possessed  by 
seven  Gothic  tribes,  among  which  were  the  Angli,  who  afterwards 
gave  appellation  to  England,  and  who  appear  to  have  resided  in 
the  eastern  part  of  Sleswic,  where  there  is  still  the  province  of 
Anglen. 

Progressive  Geography.']  The  progressive  geography  of  Den- 
mark may  be  traced  with  some  precision  from  the  first  mention 
of  the  Cimbric  Chersonese  by  astonished  Rome.  Tacitus  describes 
the  Suionesj  ancestors  of  the  Danes,  as  constituting  states  situated 
in  the  sea,  that  is  in  the  islands  of  Zealand,  and  others  which  still 
form  the  seat  of  Danish  power.J     Jle  adds  that  they  had  fleets, 

*  Coxe.  f  Coxe.  +  Germ,  c,  44, 


DENMARK.  157 

their  ships  being  of  a  singular  form,  capable  of  presenting  either 
end  as  a  prow  ;  that  they  had  acquired  Avealth,  and  were  ruled  by 
a  monarch.  The  progressive  geography  of  Denmark  may  after- 
wards be  illustrated  from  various  passages,  especially  from  Jor- 
nandes,  and  the  Francic  historians,  till  Adam  of  Bremen,  in  the 
eleventh  century,  gave  a  minute  description  of  the  country,  and 
their  own  historian  Saxo  Grammaticus  composed  his  classical 
work  about  the  year  1 1 80. 

Historical  E^iochs.']  I.  The  most  ancient  population  of  the 
continental  part  of  Denmark  by  the  Cimbri. 

2.  The  conquest  by  the  Goths,  who  appear  to  have  proceeded 
from  Scandinavia  into  the  isles  and  Jutland,  as  the  dialect  differs 
greatly  from  the  German  Gothic,  while  it  is  a  sister  of  the  Swed- 
ish and  Norwegian. 

3.  The  Roman  and  Francic  accounts  of  Denmark,  from  the 
time  of  Pliny  and  Tacitus  to  that  of  Charlemagne, 

4.  The  fabulous  and  traditional  history  of  Denmark,  which  ex- 
tends from  about  the  year  of  Christ  500,  to  the  reign  of  Heriold, 
mentioned  by  the  Francic  historians  in  the  time  of  Charlemagne. 

5.  The  conquest  of  Denmark  by  Olaf  II.  king  of  Sweden,  about 
the  year  900. 

6.  The  more  certain  history  commences  with  Gurm  or  Govmo, 
A.  D.  920  ;  but  there  seenis  no  evidence  whether  he  sprung  from 
a  native  race,  or  from  the  Swedish,  or  Norwegian.  Gormo  is 
succeeded  by  his  son  Harald  Blaatand  945,  who  is  followed  by  his 
son  Swein  985,  well  known  by  his  invasion  of  England,  where  he 
in  some  measure  usurped  the  sovereignty,  and  died  A.  D.  1014. 

7.  The  reign  of  Canute  the  Great,  king  of  Denmark,  England, 
and  Norway.  The  conversion  of  Denmark  to  Christianity  had 
commenced  in  the  beginning  of  the  ninth  century  ;  but  Chris- 
tianity was  far  from  being  universal  there  till  the  reign  of  Canute 
the  Great,  when  it  was  followed  by  its  imiversal  consequences, 
the  cessation  of  piracy  and  rapine,  and  the  diffusion  of  industry 
and  civilization. 

8.  The  reign  of  Waldemar,  surnamed  the  Great,  A.  D.  1157, 
who  defeats  the  Wends,  or  Slavonic  inhabitants  of  the  southern 
shores  of  the  Baltic,  in  many  battles,  and  subdues  the  isle  of  Ru- 
gen.  Hence  followed  slowly  the  conversion  of  Pomerania,  and 
of  the  countries  on  the  east.  Waldemar  is  regarded  as  the  parent 
of  the  Danish  laws. 

9.  The  marriage  of  Hakon  VI.  king  of  Norway,  with  Marga- 
ret daughter  of  Waldemar  III.  king  of  Denmark,  A.  D.  1363,  pro- 
duced the  memorable  union  of  the  three  crowns  of  the  north.  On 
the  death  of  her  young  son,  Margaret  ascended  the  throne  of  Den- 
mark and  Norway  in  1 387,  and  that  of  Sweden  in  1 389.  Her  hus- 
band, Eric  of  Pomerania,  reigned  about  26  years  after  her  death, 
and  was  followed  by  Christopher  of  Bavaria,  who  removed  the 
royal  residence  from  Roskild  to  Copenhagen. 

10.  The  accession  of  the  house  of  Oldenburg,  in  the  person  of 
Christiem  I,  A.  D.  1448.  The  repeated  revolts  of  Sweden  were 
suppressed  by  liis  successor  John,  who  was  crowned  at  Stockholm 
in  1497. 


158  DANISH  EMPIRE. 

11.  The  tyrannical  and  unhappy  reign  of  Christiern  II,  when 
Sweden  was  emancipated  by  the  efforts  of  Gustaf  Wase. 

12.  The  abolition  of  the  Roman  Catholic  religion  by  Christiern 
III,  1537  ;  but  the  Lutheran  had  been  already  introduced  in  1526. 

13.  The  reigns  of  Christiern  IV.  and  his  successor  Frederic  III, 
who  was  constrained  to  sign  a  treaty  in  March  1660,  by  which  he 
abandoned  to  Sweden  the  valuable  province  of  Scone,  and  other 
parts  in  the  south  of  Scandinavia,  which  had  long  remained  in  the 
possession  of  the  Danes,  together  with  the  fertile  island  of  Rugen. 

14.  The  memorable  revolution  of  the  23d  October  1660,  by 
which  the  crown  was  declared  absolute  and  hereditary.  The 
subsequent  events  have  been  little  memorable. 

Antiquities.^  The  ancient  monuments  of  Denmark  and  Nor- 
way are  chiefly  what  are  called  Runic  ;  though  it  be  not  clear  at 
what  period  the  use  of  the  Runic  characters  extended  so  far  to 
the  north.  Circles  of  upright  stones  are  common  in  all  the  Dan- 
ish dominions.  Monuments  also  occur  of  the  other  forms  imag- 
ined by  antiquaries  to  be  Druidic. 

CHAPTER  II. 

POLITICAL  GEOGRAPHY. 

KELIGION,  ECCLESIASTICAL  GEOGRAPHY,  GOVERNMENT,  LAWS, 
POPULATION,  COLONIES,  ARMY,  NAVY,  REVENUE,  POLITICAL  IM- 
PORTANCE    AND    RELATIONS. 

Religion.']  THE  religion  of  Denmark  is  the  Lutheran. 
There  is  no  archbishop  ;  but  the  bishopricks  are  six  in  number, 
viz.  Zealand,  i-evenue  ^eiOOO  ;  Funen  ;G760  ;  Ripen  ;G400  ;  Aar- 
huus  ;t6oO ;  Wiborg  j(;400  ;  and  Aalborg  jC400.^ '  The  chief  see 
is  that  of  Zealand,  which  yields  about  jClOOO  a  year  ;  the  other 
clerical  orders  are  provosts,  or  archdeacons,  parish  priests,  and 
chaplains.  The  parochial  clergy  are  maintained  by  their  glebes, 
tithes,  and  surplice  fees  ;  but  in  Jutland  some  of  the  livings  do 
not  exceed  ,-?20  a  year. 

Govn^nment.]  The  constitution,  as  established  Nov.  1 4th  1 665,  is 
an  absolute  monarchy.  The  king,  in  ecclesiastical  and  civil  matters, 
acknowledges  no  superior.  He  has  the  sole  power  of  making  and 
repealing  laws,  of  forming  treaties  and  alliances,  of  making  war  and 
peace,  and  of  laying  taxes  ;  and  is  the  source  of  all  titles,  dig- 
nities, honors  and  offices.  The  administration  of  the  kingdom  is 
in  the  hands  of  a  privy  council,  in  which  the  king  presides.  Its 
numbers  are  not  limited.  Subordinate  to  this  are  5  departments  : 
1,  The  Danish  Chancery,  superintending  the  courts  of  justice,  ec- 
clesiastical affairs,  education,  patents,  privileges.  Sec.  for  Norway, 
the  Isles,  and  N.  Jutland.  2,  The  German  Chancery,  taking  the 
same  care  for  Sleswick  and  Holstein.  3,  The  Department  for 
Foreign  Affairs.  4,  The  financial  college.  5,  The  Treasury. 
There  is  a  minister  at  the  head  of  each. 

Z-Gws.]  The  laws  are,  1.  Fundamental.  These  arc,  1  Kongs 
Lano,  by  which  the  king  must  be  a  Lutheran,  descended  by  lawful 


DENMARK.  I59 

wedlock  from  Frederick  III,  and  is  made  of  age  at  14  ;  and  2  the 
Indigenate^ s  Laiv-,  by  which  foreigners,  unless  natm'alized,  are  ex- 
cluded from  office.  2,  Danske  Law^  or  the  civil  and  criminal 
code,  published  by  Christiern  III,  in  1683.  It  has  often  been  re- 
vised, and  is  now  much  enlarged.  It  is  concise,  clear,  and  re- 
markable for  its  mildness  and  equity. 

Courts.~\  There  are  three  classes  of  courts,  viz.  the  inferior 
Courts,  the  superior  courts,  and  the  supreme  tribunal. 

The  inferior  courts  are,  I,  The  herretsdingey  composed  of  one 
judge,  and  eight  assessors,  chosen  from  among  the  freeholders  of 
the  herredy  a  district  of  40  or  50  parishes.  2,  The  birkdinge,  simi- 
lar to  the  courts-baron  of  England.  3,  The  byetdinge^  or  city 
court. 

The  superior  courts  called  Lunddinge^  are  five  in  number  :  one 
for  Zealand,  at  Ringstaedt  ;  one  for  Funen  and  Langeland,  at 
Odensee  ;  one  for  Laaland  and  Falster,  at  Marieboe  ;  one  for 
Jutland,  at  Wyborg  ;  and  one  for  Bornholm.  They  hear  appeals 
from  all  the  inferior  courts. 

The  Supreme  Tribunal  of  Copenhagen  is  the  highest  court  of 
Justice,  and  the  forum  of  final  appeal  from  the  courts  in  all  the 
Danish  dominions.  It  sits  almost  all  the  year,  and  is  opened  bf 
tiae  king  in  person  in  the  beginning  of  March. 

The  process  in  tlie  inferior  courts  is  very  expeditious,  and  the 
Danes  are,  consequently,  extremely  prone  to  litigation. 

Pofiulation.']  Thenumber  of  inhabitants  in  1780,  was  1,248,952  ; 
in  1796,  1,490,384  ;  and  in  1808,  according  to  Hassel's  estimate, 
1,548,000.  Of  these  1,030,000  are  in  the  peninsula  ;  343,000  in 
Zealand,  including  Moen  and  Bamholm  ;  and  175,000  in  Funen, 
including  Langeland,  Laaland  and  Falsten.  The  population  of 
the  whole  empire  is  as  follows  : 

r  Denmark,  -         -         1,548,000 

In  Europe,  <  Norway,  -  -  -  912,000 
(^Ferro,  -  -  .  .  5,300 
In  America  5  Iceland,  (1808)  -  -  47,300 
m  America,  ^Greenland,  (1806)  -  -  6,100 
In  Africa,  .        .        ,        .         -  3,000 


2,521,700 
jirTny,'\     The  regular  army  of  Denmark  Proper,  from  the  lat- 
est accounts,  consisted  of 

Infantry,         -         -         _         -         ^  28,341 

Cavalry,  -         -         *         _         .       6,066 

Artillery,       -----  3,299 

Engineers,         -----  35 

In  garrisons,  -         -         -         -         -      710 

Barnholm  militia,      -         -         .         -        1,325 


38,776 
Add  the  Norwegian  troopsj        -        .        -       42,531 

81,307 


160  DANISH  EMPIRE. 

A  new  national  militia  has  lately  been  orc^anizecl,  by  the  name 
of  Landvaern.  It  consists  of  men  between  36  and  45  years  of  age, 
who  are  to  serve  only  on  emergencies.  Of  these  there  were,  in 
1808, 

In  Denmark  Proper,         _         .         .         59,000 
In  Norway, 40,000 

99,000 

There  are  two  military  schools  in  Denmark,  and  one  in  Nor- 
way. The  Danish  fortresses  are  Copenhagen,  Cronenburg,  Cor- 
soer,  Nyeborg,  Fredericia,  Fladishand,  Rendsberg  and  Gluckstadt. 

JVavy.~\  In  October  1803,  the  Danish  navy  consisted  of  19 
ships  of  the  line,  15  frigates,  8  brigs,  13  gunboats.  In  Jan.  1807, 
it  was  commanded  by  7  admirals,  10  commodores,  40  captains, 
and  151  lieutenants.  Soon  after  that  time,  it  fell  into  the  hands  of 
the  English. 

In  1809  it  consisted  only  of  2  frigates,  1  brig,  1  cutter,  I  schoon- 
er, 1  floating  battery,  9  gunboats  ;  in  all  17,  mounting  191  guns. 
The  Danish  marines  are  5000  in  number. 

Revenues.']  The  annual  revenue  is  stated  by  Hassel,  in  1808, 
at  10,875,000  guilders,  which  at  40  cts.  a  guilder  makes  4,350,000 
dollars.*  Of  this  sum  Denmark  contributes  §2,940,000;  Nor- 
way 690,000  ;  West  Indies  360,000  ;  the  toll  at  the  Sound  360,000. 
Deducting  that  from  the  West  Indies  there  remains  §3,990,000. 
The  toll  of  the  Sound  varies  from  §320,000  to  720,000,  The  ex- 
penses are  commonly  less  than  the  revenue.  The  debt  in  1795  was 
§7,500,000.     It  is  supposed  now  to  exceed  §12,000,000. 

Political  Importance  and  Rclations.~\  Denmark  and  Norway 
have  long  ceased  to  be  objects  of  terror  to  the  southern  powers, 
and  centuries  have  elapsed  since  any  of  the  monarchs  has  been 
distinguished  in  war  ;  while  the  Swedes  on  the  contrary  have 
maintained  their  martial  spirit.  A  timid  policy  has  long  united 
this  monarchy  in  alliance  with  Russia,  as  a  mean  of  security  against 
Sweden  ;  but  more  wisdom  would  appear  in  a  firm  alliance  with 
Sweden  and  Prussia  against  the  exorbitant  power  of  the  Russian 
and  French  empires. 

CHAPTER  III. 

CIVIL  GEOGRAPHY. 

MANNERS  AND  CUSTOMS,  LANGUAGE,  LITERATURE,  EDUCATION, 
UNIVERSITIES,  CITIES  AND  TOWNS,  EDIFICES,  ROADS,  INLAND 
NAVIGATION,  MANUFACTURES  AND  COMMERCE. 

Manners  and  Ciistom8.~\  THE  manners  and  cus- 
toms of  the  superior  Danes  diFer  little  from  those  of  the  same 
classes  in  other  parts  of  Europe.  The  peasantry  continue  in  a 
state  of  vassalage  ;  except  those  of  the  crown,  who  have  been 

•  Probably  the  Guilder  here  mentioned  by  Hassel,  is  the  Sason  Guilder,  v Inch  is 
about  51  cts.  in  value. 


DENMARK.  161 

recently  delivered  by  the  patnotism  of  the  hejr  apparent,  ard  a 
few  other  instances.  They  are  of  course  idle,  dirty,  and  dispirited. 
Language.']  If  we  except  the  Laponic,  the  languages  spoken 
in  the  Danish  dominions  are  all  sister  dialects  of  the  Gothic.  The 
Icelandic  is  the  most  ancient  and  venerable  ;  and  being  esteemed 
the  most  pure  dialect  of  the  Gothic,  has  engaged  the  attention  of 
many  profound  scholars,  Avho  have  considered  it  as  the  parent  of 
the  Norwegian,  Danish,  and  Swedish,  and  in  a  great  degree  of  the 
English,  thovigh  it  would  seem  that  this  last  is  more  connected  with 
the  Frisic,  and  other  dialects  of  the  north  of  Germany.  In  the  an- 
cient Icelandic  the  Lord's  prayer  is  as  follows  : 

Fader  uor  som  ebt  i  Himlu7n.  Halgad  ivardc  thitt  noma.  Til- 
komme  thitt  Rikie.  Skie  thin  Viliey  so  som  i  Himmalam  so  och  fio 
londanne.  Wort  dachlicha  Brodh  gif  os  i  dagh.  Oghforlat  as  uora 
Skuldar  so  som  ogh  -vi  forlate  them  os  Skildighe  are.  Oh  inled  qs 
ikkie  i  Frestalsan.  Utanfrels  os  ifra  Ondo.  Avicn. 
In  the  Finnish  it  is  as  follows  : 

Isa  meidan  joca  olet  taiivassa.  Pyhitetty  olcon  sinum  JVimes. 
Lahes  tulcon  sinum  Waldacundas.  Olcon  sinum  tahtos  niin  maasca 
cuin  taiivaaa,  .Anna  meile  tana/iaiwana  meida?i  joca  paitvainen 
leifiam.  Sa  anna  meille  meidan  syndim  aiidexi  nuncuin  mekin  andcx 
annam  meidan  •welwottisten.  Ja  alajahdata  meita  kiusauxen.  Mut' 
t'a  fiaasta  meita  Jiahasta.  Amen. 
And  thus  in  the  Laplandic  : 

Atki  mijam  juco  lee  almensisne.  Ailis  ziaddai  tu  Acnz.  Ztveigu- 
iatta  tu  Ryki.  Ziaddus  tu  Willio  nankuchtc  almesnc  nau  ei  edna 
mannal.  Wadde  mijai  udni  mija7iftert  fitrfiven  laibebm.  Jah  anda- 
gasloite  mijemijan  suddoid  naukuchte  mije  andagasloitebt  kudi  mije 
ivelgogas  lien.  Jah  sissalaidi  7nijabni.  JEle  tocko  kxckzxllebmeu 
pahast.     Amen. 

It  will  hence  appear  that  the  Laplanders  have  borrowed  some 
ternis  from  the  Gothic,  as  well  as  from  the  Finnish. 

Literature^]  The  literature  of  Denmark  cannot  aspire  to  much 
antiquity,  having  followed,  as  usual,  the  introduction  of  Chris- 
tianity, which  was  not  established  till  the  eleventh  century.  In 
the  next  century  lived  Saxo  Grammaticus,  whose  history  of  Den- 
mark abounds  with  fable,  but  whose  style  and  manner  are  surpris- 
ingly classical  for  that  age.  His  contemporary  or  predecessor, 
Sveno,  is  more  faithful  and  concijpp,  and  is  esteemed  the  father 
of  Danish  history. 

After  the  restoration  of  letters  Denmark  continued  to  maintain 
her  wonted  ascendancy  over  Sweden  :  and  the  name  of  Tycho 
Brahe  is  yet  celebrated  ;  but  his  little  isle  of  Hwen,  noted  for  his 
astronomical  observations,  now  belongs  to  Sweden.  The  botany 
of  Denmark  has  been  illustrated  by  CEder  ;  and  Niebuhr  is  dis- 
tinguished as  an  intelligent  traveller  ;  bijt  in  the  other  paths  of 
science  and  literature  there  seems  to  be  a  deplorable  deficiency. 

Education.']     The  silence   of  travellers  and  geographers  con- 
cerning the  modes  of  education  pursued  in  different  countries  ii 
much  to  be  regretted  ;  but  the  materials  are  not  «qually  deficient 
(  onceming  Denmark.     Each  parish  is  provided  M'lth  two  ©r  three 
VOL.  n.  21  ■  .       ' 


If63  DANISH  EMPIRE. 

schools,  where  children  are  taught  to  read  and  write  their  native 
tongue,  and  the  principles  of  arithmetic  :  the  schoolmasters  are 
allowed  about  1 21.  a  year,  with  a  house,  and  some  other  advanta- 
ges.* There  are  besides  many  Latin  schools,  maintained  at  the 
royal  expense  ;  16  in  Holstein  ;  11  in  Sleswic  ;  19  in  Jutland, 
and  the  isles  ;  and  at  Soroe,  Odensee,and  Altona,  tliere  are  supe- 
rior academies  of  education. 

Uuivemities.']  The  universities  are  at  Copenhagen  and  Kiel. 
That  of  Copenhagen  has  4  colleges  and  about  600  students. 
It  is  richly  endowed,  and  180  poor  students  are  supported  by  its 
funds.  That  of  Kiel,  founded  in  1650,  contains  24  Professors  and 
300  students.  The  royal  academy  of  sciences  was  founded  in 
1742,  but  has  been  more  distinguished  in  national  antiquities,  than 
natural  history.  In  1 746  was  founded  the  society  for  the  improve- 
ment of  northern  history,  also  styled  the  royal  society  of  Icelandic 
literature.  There  is  another  respectable  institution  at  Drontheim, 
styled  the  royal  society  of  sciences.  These  foundations  confer 
honor  on  the  Danish  government ;  and  will  doubtless  contribute 
to  diffuse  science,  and  inspire  emulation. 

Cities  and  Toivns.^  Copenhagen,  the  chief  city  of  Denmark, 
stands  on  the  eastern  shore  of  the  large  and  fertile  island  of  Zeal- 
and, about  25  British  miles  to  the  south  of  the  noted  sound,  where 
the  vessels  that  visit  the  Baltic  pay  a  small  tribute  to  Denmark. 
It  is  the  best  built  city  in  the  north  ;  for,  though  Petersburgh  pi'e- 
sent  more  superb  edifices,  yet  Copenhagen  is  more  uniform  ;  the 
houses  being  mostly  of  brick,  but  a  few  of  freestone  from  Germa- 
ny.! The  streets  are  rather  narrow,  but  are  well  paved.  This 
city  only  became  the  metropolis  in  1443,  being  formerly  an  ob- 
scure port,  whence  it  retains  the  name  of  Kiobenhaven,  or  the  har- 
bor of  the  merchants,  and  it  has  little  claim  to  antiquity.  The 
royal  palace,  which  was  a  magnificent  pile,  was  consumed  by  fire 
a  few  years  ago  :  and  the  city  suffered  dreadfully  from  the  same 
cause  in  1728.  It  is  regularly  fortified,  the  circumference  being 
between  four  and  five  miles,  and  the  inhabitants  in  1806,  97,438. 
The  harbor  is  spacious  and  convenient,  and  well  fortified,  having 
on  the  south  the  isle  of  Amak,  peopled  by  the  descendants  of  a 
colony  from  East  Friesland,  to  whom  the  island  was  granted  by 
Christiern  II.  to  supply  his  queen  with  vegetables,  cheese  and 
butter,  a  destination  still  retained.  Copenhagen  has  about  440 
ships,  of  about  48,000  tons.  The  number  of  vessels  entered  in- 
wards in  1798  was  5,974.  The  magistrates  are  appointed  by  the 
king  ;  but  the  burgesses  have  deputies  to  protect  their  rights.  It 
is  in  lat.  55  41  4  N.  and  12  35  15  E. 

The  second  city  of  Denmark  is  Altona  on  the  Elbe,  within  a 
gun-shot  of  Hamburgh,  originally  a  village  of  the  parish  of  Ot- 
tensen  j  but  in  1640  it  became  subject  to  Denmark,  and  was  con- 
stituted a  city  in  1  664.  In  1 '?'  1 3  it  was  almost  entirely  reduced  to 
ashes  by  the  Swedes  ;  but  its  commerce  was  afterwards  so  much 
fostered  by  the  Danish  sovereigns,  as  a  diminutive  rival  of  Ham- 
burgh, that  it  is  computed  to  contain  30,000  inhabitants  and  3,400 

"^  Coxe,  ir,  57  v.  187.  f  Cose,  v.  12C. 


DENMARK.  r«5 

houses.  It  has  8  places  for  public  worship,  viz.  3  Lutheran 
churches,  2  Caivinistic,  1  Catholic,  and  2  Jewish  synagogues.  It 
contains  also  a  mint,  a  bank,  royal  exchange,  and  six  ship  yards. 
N.  lat.  53  35. 

Kiel  stands  on  a  small  peninsula  at  the  bottom  of  a  nari^ow  bay 
of  the  Baltic,  in  54  22  25  N.  and  10  26,  E.  Its  harbor  is  very 
convenient  for  large  ships.  It  contains  800  houses,  and  8000  in- 
habitants, and  is  one  of  the  most  commercial  places  in  Holstein. 
The  canal  connecting  the  Eyder  with  the  Bay  of  Kiel  has  greatly 
increased  its  commerce. 

Schlelswick  is  the  capital  of  the  province  or  duchy  of  the  same 
name,  and  is  situated  at  the  bottom  of  a  very  deep,  narrow  gulf, 
called  the  Gm//"  o/ 5/ej/.  It  is  an  irregular  town  of  great  length, 
containing  1280  houses,  and  5629  inhabitants.  The  houses  are  of 
brick,  and  resemble,  in  their  neatness  and  foi*m,  those  of  Holland  ; 
the  inhabitants  speak  Dutch,  German  and  Danish. 

Odensee,  a  name  occurring  in  the  earliest  Danish  history,  was 
a  town  of  great  note  long  before  the  existence  of  Copenhagen.  It 
is  the  capital  of  the  island  of  Funen,  and  stands  on  a  small  river, 
one  mile  from  its  entrance  into  the  Bay  of  Stegestrand.  Inhabi- 
tants 5363  ;  houses  930.     Its  exports  are  gi'ain  and  leather. 

Aalborg  stands  about  10  miles  from  the  Scager-Rack,  on  the 
S.  side  of  the  extensive  Gulf  of  Lymfort.  The  harbor  is  safe  and 
deep,  and  the  chief  exports  herrings  and  grain.  It  has  extensive 
■manufactures  of  muskets,  pistols,  saddles,  and  gloves.  Inhabi- 
tants 5,200  ;  houses  831.      Lat.    57  2  32  N  ;    Long.   10  2    1 1  E. 

Aarhuus  stands  between  the  Baltic  and  a  small  lake,  from  which 
a  river  runs  through  the  town.  It  has  6  gates,  2  churches,  2 
markets,  a  college,  a  free  school,  and  a  hospital.  Inhabitants 
4900,  houses  690.     Lat.  56  9  35  Long.  10  19  35. 

Gluckstadt,  about  20  miles  from  the  mouth  of  the  Elbe,  con- 
tains 800  houses,  and  4500  inhabitants.  Lat.  53  47  42  N.  Long. 
9  32  32  E. 

Tonningen,  on  the  Eyder,  is  a  town  of  considerable  commercial 
importance.     Inhabitants  2000. 

iv/yfces.]  The  chief  public  edifices  are  in  the  cities.  The 
castle  and  palace  of  Cronberg,  and  the  two  other  royal  villas  in 
Zealand,  do  not  merit  a  particular  description,  the  buildings  and 
gardens  being  generally  in  an  antiquated  taste.  The  roads  in 
Denmark  were  till  lately  much  neglected,  and  formed  a  striking 
contrast  with  those  of  Sweden. 

Inland  MivJgatwn.']  The  chief  inland  navigation  of  Denmark 
is  the  canal  of  Kiel,  so  called  from  a  considerable  town  in  the 
north  of  Holstein.  This  canal  unites  the  Bay  of  Kiel  with  the 
river  Eydar,  which  flows  into  the  German  sea.  It  commence* 
5  miles  N.  of  Kiel,  and  is  fed  by  the  waters  of  Lakes  Flemhuder 
and  Wester.  The  extent  of  this  important  canal  is  about  20 
British  miles  and  a  half ;  from  its  W.  end  to  Rendsberg  6^,  and 
thence  to  the  mouth  of  the  Eyder  about  60.  The  breadth  100 
feet  at  top  and  54  at  bottom ;  the  least  depth  is  about   10  feet,  so 


164.  DANISH  EMPIRE. 

as  to  admit  vessels  of  about  120  tons.     It  was  begun  in  July  177?', 
and  was  finished  in  1785. 

Manufactures  and  ComvierceJ]  Leather  is  manufactured  for 
exportation  in  great  quantities,  particularly  at  Altona.  The  leath- 
ern gloves  of  Odensee,  are  famous  all  over  Europe.  The  earthen 
ware  of  Aarhuus  and  Ripen,  supplies  Denmark,  and  many  parts 
of  Germany.  The  manufactures  of  calicoes  and  cottons,  at  Co- 
penhagen, prevent  the  necessity  of  importation  ;  as  do  those  of 
worsted  stockings  in  Jutland,  Ferro,  and  Iceland.  The  army  is 
fully  supplied  with  muskets,  bayonets  and  sabres,  by  a  manufac- 
tory near  Elsineur  ;  3500  muskets  are  made  there  annually. 
Thei'c  is  a  very  extensive  one  of  cannon,  cannon-balls,  salt-petre, 
and  gunpowder,  at  Frederickswark,  near  Isefiord  Bay.  Ribbands 
and  silk  stockings  are  made  in  great  quantities  at  Copenhagen 
and  Altona.  Two  thirds  of  the  coarse  linen  and  most  of  the  sail 
cloth  and  paper  is  made  in  the  country,  and  a  considerable  part 
of  the  woollen  cloth  ;  but  almost  all  the  fine  linen  is  imported. 
The  thread  lace  manufacture  of  Tondern  gives  employment  to 
10,000  hands.  The  manufactures  of  Denmark  have  been  nobly 
patronized  by  the  government. 

The  number  of  merchant  vessels  belonging  to  Denmark  in 
1799  was  2173.  The  commerce  with  Iceland  employs  from  60  to 
70  vessels  all  Danish.  Greenland  furnishes  fish,  oil,  whalebones, 
and  eider-down,  but  the  whale-fishery  is  the  principal  object. 
The  West  India  trade  employed  30  ships.  The  imports  were 
about  90,000  cwt.  of  sugar,  10,000  puncheons  of  rum,  and  2,500 
cwt.  of  cotton.  The  Danish  trade  in  the  Mediterranean  is  prin- 
cipally the  carrying  trade  ;  and  employed  in  1798,  126  vessels. 
The  trade  in  the  Baltic  with  Sweden,  Germany  and  Prxissia,  em- 
ploys about  300  vessels,  and  is  generally  against  Denmark.  Lin- 
ens, woollens,  wood,  brandy  and  habex'dashery  are  brought  from 
Germany  ;  and  corn,  flax,  hemp  and  wool  from  Prussia.  The 
E.  India  trade  is  in  the  hands  of  a  privileged  company.  It  is  now 
little  or  nothing.  In  1803,  1536  ships  cleared  out  from  Denmark 
and  Norway,  for  G.  Bintain,  two  fifths  of  which  were  British. 

The  exports  of  Denmark  consist  of  corn  to  Norway,  and  fre- 
quently to  the  amount  of  xri00,000  sterling,  to  other  countries  ; 
horses  to  Germany,  France,  Russia  and  Sweden,  to  the  amount  of 
jC200,000  sterling ;  oxen  to  Holland  and  Germany  ;  live  hogs  and 
bacon  to  Norway  and  the  Baltic  ;  and  salt-beef,  butter,  and  cheese 
in  considerable  quantities,  besides  the  various  manufactures  al- 
ready mentioned.  The  great  trading  places  are  Copenhagen, 
Altona,  Elsineur,  Aalborg,  Flensborg,  Gluckstadt,  and  Colding. 


DENMARK.  m 

CHAPTER  IV. 
NATURAL  GEOGRAPHY. 

CLIMATE  AND  SEASONS,  FACE  OF  THE  COUNTRY,  SOIL  AND  AGRI- 
CVLTURE,  RIVERS,  BAYS,  MOUNTAINS,  FORESTS,  BOTANY,  ZOOL- 
OGY, MINERAOLOGY,  MINERAL  WATERS. 

Climate  and  Seasons.^  THE  kingdom  of  Denmark  prop- 
er, consisting  of  those  ancient  seats  of  the  Danish  monarchy  ;  the 
isles  of  Zealand,  Funen,  Laland,  and  Falster,  with  others  of  inferi- 
or size  ;  and  the  extensive  Chersonese  or  peninsula,  which  con- 
tains Jutland,  Sleswic,  and  Holstein,  may  be  considered  as  possess- 
ing a  humid  and  rather  temperate  climate.  Yet  the  winter  is  oc- 
casionally of  extreme  severity,  and  the  sea  is  impeded  with  ice. 
The  Sound  has,  at  times,  been  crossed  by  heavy  loaded  carriages. 

i'Vzce  of  the  Country.^  The  isle  of  Zealand,  which  is  about  200 
G.  miles  in  circumference,  exclusive  of  the  windings  and  indenta- 
tions of  the  coast,  in  a  fertile  and  pleasant  country,  Avith  fields  sep- 
arated by  mud  walls,  cottages  either  of  brick  or  white-washed, 
woods  of  beech  and  oak,  vales,  and  gentle  hills.  The  same  de- 
scription will  apply  to  Funen,  which  is  about  140  G.  miles  in  cir- 
cumference, and  which  Mr.  Marshall  says  is  as  well  cultivated  as 
most  of  the  counties  in  England.  Holstein  and  Sleswic  are  also 
level  countries  ;  and  though  Jutland  present  many  upland  moors, 
and  forests  of  great  extent,  especially  towards  Aalborg,  or  in  the 
centre  of  the  northern  part,  yet  there  are  fertile  pastures  ;  and  the 
country,  being  marshy  and  not  mountainous,  might  be  greatly  im- 
proved. The  western  coast  of  Sleswic  is  exposed  to  the  inroads  of 
the  German  ocean,  and  is  therefore  keptimbanked  at  a  very  great 
expense.  The  country  generally  is  agreeably  diversified  with 
woods  and  lakes. 

Soil  and  Agriculture.']  In  Funen,  Holstein,  and  the  south  of 
Jutland  the  agriculture  may  be  compared  with  that  of  England  ; 
the  fields  are  divided  by  hedges  and  ditches  in  excellent  order, 
and  sown  with  corn  and  turnips.  Fai'ther  to  the  north,  cultivation 
is  less  perfect.  Hops  are  cultivated  in  Funen  ;  tobacco  in  Jut- 
land, Zealand  and  Falster ;  rape-seed  in  Sleswic  and  Holstein. 
Madder  thrives  very  well  near  Copenhagen.  Rye,  barley  and 
oats  are  found  every  where.  But  wheat  is  the  great  staple  of  Den- 
mark, great  quantities  of  which  are  exported.  In  1780,  the  coun- 
try contained  847,000  sheep.  The  best  wool  is  that  near  Eyder- 
stadt. 

Rivers  and  Bays.']  The  Eyder  is  navigable  for  vessels  of  120 
tons  7  miles  above  Rendsburg,  which  is  60  miles  from  its  mouth. 
It  falls  into  the  German  ocean  through  the  bay  of  Tonningen.  Its 
source  is  about  20  miles  S.  of  Kiel,  and  it  passes  through  Lakes 
Wester  and  Flembuder  before  it  joins  the  canal. 

The  Gulden  runs  about  100  miles,  and  falls  into  the  Cattegat,  a 
few  miles  below  Randers. 

The  Elbce  bounds  Holstein  on  the  S. 


166  DANISH  EMPIRE. 

The  Lymjiord  or  Lymfur  is  a  long,  narrow  and  navigable  bay, 
in  the  northern  part  of  Jutland,  setting  up  westward  from  the  Cat- 
tegat  nearly  across  the  peninsula.  It  is  30  miles  long,  and  is  di- 
vided by  a  sand  bank  of  only  two  or  three  miles  width  from  the 
German  ocean.  A  northern  arm  of  it  approaches  very  near  the 
Skager-Rack.  It  contains  several  islands,  particularly  3/cr,  1 6 
miles  long  and  6  wide. 

Isefiord  is  a  bay  on  the  north  side  of  the  island  of  Zealand,  a- 
bout  SO  miles  long,  and  25  wide,  opening  through  a  narrow  strait 
into  tlie  Cattegat.     A  narrow  peninsula  divides  it  into  two. 

The  Bay  of  Ringkiobing  puts  up  northward  from  the  German 
ocean,  from  which  it  is  separated  by  a  long  nari'ow  sandbank.  It 
is  35  miles  long,  and  no  where  more  than  8  bi-oad.  It  is  deep  and 
secure,  but  there  arc  sandbsnks  near  the  entrance.  It  affords 
plenty  of  good  fish,  pai'ticularly  oysters. 

Sley  is  a  shallow  Bay  about  50  miles  long,  with  the  width  of  a 
river. 

MQuntains?\^  In  the  kingdom  of  Denmark  pix>per  there  are  no 
heights,  which  can  aspire  to  the  name  of  mountains. 

Forests?\^  There  are  some  woods  in  the  Danish  isles,  and  for- 
ests in  Jutland.  The  western  part  of  Jutland  has  not  wood  enough 
for  fuel.     The  eastern  is  well  supplied. 

jBotarnj.']  The  botany  of  Denmark  proper  does  not  materially 
differ  from  that  of  the  other  northern  provinces  of  the  German  em- 
pire, which  will  be  hereafter  noticed  more  minutely  when  describ- 
ing the  states  of  the  Germanic  body. 

Zoolog-y.'^  The  Danish  horses  are  much  esteemed  both  for 
their  speed  and  their  strength.  They  are  sought  after  in  France, 
Russia,  Germany  and  Sweden,  for  light  and  heavy  cavalry  and  as 
coach-horses.  The  oysterbanks,  which  extend  from  Heligoland 
to  the  coast  of  Jutland  are  let  to  farmers  by  the  crown. 

Mineralogy .~\  Some  fuller's  earth,  alum  and  vitriol  found  in 
Jutland,  and  some  porcelain  clay  in  the  island  of  Barnholm,  con- 
stitute the  whole  of  the  mineral  productions  of  Denmark. 

Mineral  Watcrs.~\  In  mineral  waters  the  Danish  dominion  are 
very  deficient ;  and  those  discovered  in  1768  at  Oersten  in  the 
Sondmoer  appear  to  be  little  frequented. 

DANISH  ISLANDS. 

The  prime  seat  of  the  Danish  monarchy  having  ever  been  in  the 
isles  of  Zealand,  and  Funen,  they  have  been  considered  in  the  gen- 
eral description  of  the  monarchy.  The  other  principal  islands  in 
that  group  are  Moen,  Falstei',  Laaland,  Langeland,  Femeren  and 
Alsen. 

Moeny  16  miles  long,  and  from  3  to  5  bix)ad,  is  S.  E.  of  Zealand, 
contains  a  single  town  called  Sieeg-e,  and  belongs  to  the  diocese  of 
Zealand. 

Falster  is  60  miles  in  circumference,  contains  two  towns,  and  is 
W.  of  Moen.  A  governor  resides  here,  appointed  by  the  crown.. 
Laaland^  W.  of  Falster,  is  30  miles  long  and   12  broad.      It  is 


DENMARK.  167 

thought  the  most  fertile  spot  in  the  Danish  dominrons,  and  produ- 
ces very  great  quantities  of  corn  of  every  kind.  The  land  is  low, 
the  soil  damp,  and  the  climate  unhealthy.  The  eastern  part  of  the 
island  is  well  furnished  with  wood.  Naskow  is  the  capital.  It 
has  likewise  its  own  governor.  Lang-eland,  30  miles  long,  and 
from  3  to  5  broad,  is  very  fertile.  It  belongs,  with  the  two  last 
mentioned  islands,  to  the  diocese  of  Funen. 

Femeren,  in  the  diocese  of  Holstcin,  is  30  miles  in  circumfer- 
ence.    It  contams  the  town  of  Burg,  and  several  villages. 

Alsen,  in  the  diocese  of  Sleswic,  is  1 8  miles  long  and  6  wide.  It 
is  fertile,  well  wooded,  and  well  stocked  with  game. 

BornAolm,  the  most  easterly  of  all  the  Danish  islands,  is  18  miles 
long  and  10  broad.  Though  surrounded  by  rocks  and  the  soil 
stony,  it  is  fertile,  abounding  with  excellent  pastures  ;  oats,  butter 
and  fish  constitute  the  wealth  of  the  inhabitants.  It  contains 
mines  of  coal  and  quarries  of  marble.  It  is  75  miles  from  Zea- 
land, and  15  from  Schonen.  Lat.  55  12.  Long.  15  20,  E.  It  was 
ceded  to  Sweden  in  1658  ;  but  the  inhabitants  revolted  the  same 
year,  and  restored  the  isle  to  Denmark. 

Off  the  west  coast  of  Jutland  are  the  isles  of  Nordstrand,  Fora, 
Sylt,  Rom,  Fanoe,  and  others,  which  with  Heligoland  were  known 
to  the  Romans  ;  and  the  writers  of  that  nation  appear  often  to  have 
confounded  them  with  some  of  the  Orkneys,  and  even  with  the 
islands  in  the  Baltic. 

For  many  years  the  Norwegians  held  the  isles  of  Orkney  and 
Shetland,  which  last  was  styled  by  them  the  Land  of  Hialt,  frona 
an  adventurer  so  called,  whence  the  corrupt  names  of  Zetland, 
Yetland,  and  Shetland. 

The  Ferro,  Faro  or  Faroes  islands  are  22  in  number,  lying  be- 
tween lat.  61  15  and  62  21  N.  and  extending  67  miles  from  N.  to 
S.  and  45  from  E.  to  W.  They  consist  of  a  group  of  steep  rocks 
or  hills  lying  so  close  to  each  otlier,  that  their  bases  are  merely 
separated  by  a  brook.  Towards  the  sea  they  generally  terminate 
in  perpendicular  rocks  from  1200  to  1800  feet  in  height.  Those 
declining  more  gradually  have  two  or  three  sloping  terraces,  form- 
ed by  projecting  rocks,  and  covered  with  grass.  Those  parts 
which  are  arable  have  no  where  more  than  4  feet  depth  of  soil,  ly- 
ing upon  a  rocky  bottom,  often  not  more  than  8  inches ;  and  often 
the  sides  are  so  steep  that  no  earth  can  remain  on  them.  Sti'ata  of 
basaltick  columns  are  found  among  the  hills.  In  Sudcroe  these 
are  of  considerable  height  and  resemble  those  of  Staffa,  reach; 
ing  into  the  sea.  Deep  fissures  of  considerable  length  are  met 
with  among  the  hills.  Caverns  also  are  frequent  in  the  shores, 
the  favourite  haunts  of  seals  ;  some  so  deep  that  a  boat  may  enter  a 
hundred  fathoms  ;  some  pass  through  a  hill,  and  are  open  at  both 
ends  ;  some  stretch  through  a  whole  island.  There  are  several 
lakes  on  the  hills,  the  largest  2  miles  in  circumference.  Torrents 
are  numerous,  and  afford  great  facilities  for  watermills.  The 
highest,  called  Fosaa  in  Nordotromse,  consists  of  two  descents  each 
of  100  feet.  Seventeen  of  these  islands  are  inhabited.  They  were 
first  peopled  in  the  9th  century  by  some  Norwegian  pirates  who 


U8  SWEDEN. 

•were  reduced  to  obedience  by  Magnus  the  Good.  A  small  colony 
of  Fins  afterwards  occupied  the  more  southern  islands.  The  pop- 
ulation in  1801  was  5,265,  and  the  revenue,  in  1790,  639/  8*  ster- 
ling. The  inhabitants  enjoy  peculiar  freedom.  They  live  princi- 
pally by  fishing.  The  islands  compose  7  parishes,  divided  into  39 
congregations  with  each  its  church.  There  is  a  clergyman  in 
each  parish.  The  largest  income  is  251  sterling.  At  one  island  it 
is  necessary  to  hoist  the  clergyman  by  a  rope  from  his  boat,  there 
being  no  other  landing.  There  is  no  schoolmaster  in  the  islands, 
parents  instructing  their  own  children.  All  of  them  can  read,  except 
a  few  persons  of  great  age.  They  are  remarkably  well  instructed 
in  the  Christian  religion,  and  often  thoroughly  acquainted  with  the 
Bible.  The  men  di-ess  plainly  ;  the  women  are  fond  of  ornaments. 
They  are  remarkably  kind  and  upright  in  cases  of  shipwreck. — 
The  gout,  catarrhal  fevers,  the  stone,  and  scrofula  are  the  common 
diseases.  The  leprosy  is  disappearing.  The  most  violent  hurri- 
canes are  prevalent.  They  frequently  unroof  houses,  and  even 
tear  the  turf  from  the  sides  of  hills.  The  falcon,  crow,  martin, 
starling  and  wren,  and  most  kinds  of  sea-fowl,  are  common — 
Rats  arc  so  numerous  as  frequently  to  destroy  a  coi'nfield  in  tw6v 
nights.     There  are  no  amphibious  animals  of  any  kind, 


SWEDEN. 

CHAPTER  I. 

HISTORICAL  GEOGRAPHY. 

NAMES,  EXTENT,  BOUNDARIES,  DIVISIONS,  ORIGINAL  POPULATIOUT, 
PROGRESSIVE  GEOGRAPHY,  ANTIQUITIES,  RELIGION,  GOVERN- 
MENT, POPULATION,  COLONIES,  ARMY,  NAVY,  REVENUE,  MAN- 
NERS AND  CUSTOMS,  LANGUAGE,  LITERATURE,  EDUCATION,  UNI- 
VERSITIES, CITIES,  EDIFICES,  ROADS,  INLAND  NAVIGATION, 
MANUFACTURES,  AND  COMMERCE. 

JVames.']  SWEDEN,  in  the  native  language  Suitheod^ 
and  more  modernly  Sweireke,  appears  to  be  a  very  ancient  appel- 
lation, and  is  said,  by  the  northern  antiquaries,  to  imply  a  country 
whose  woods  had  been  burnt  or  destroyed.  The  name  seems  as 
ancient  as  the  time  of  Tacitus,*  who,  after  describing  the  Suiones 
who  lived  in  islands  of  the  ocean,  passes  to  the  Sitones,  and  after- 
wards to  the  nations  at  the  farther  end  of  the  Baltic.  The  Sitones 
must  have  dwelled  in  tlie  southern  provinces  of  Sweden  ;  and  the 
name  either  have  been  derived  from  Sictuna,  the  old  name  of  the 
chief  town,  as  appears  from  Adam  of  Bremen,  or  from  Suitheod, 
the  native  term,  softened  as  usual  by  the  Roman  enunciation. 
jExtefit.^     The  kingdom  of  Sweden,  from  the  most  southern 

*  German  c.  44,    45 


SWEDEN. 


U<> 


promontory  of  Scone,  in  lat.  55  20,  N.to  the  northern  extremity  of 
Swedish  Lapland,  in  lat.  69  30,  N.  is  1000  miles  in  length.  Its 
western  extremity,  the  promontory  of  Hodal,  is  in  long.  1 1,  E.  and 
its  eastern  limit,  before  the  late  dismemberment  of  Finland,  was 
in  long.  32  30,  E.     In  Lapmark  it  now  reaches  to  about  long.  29, 

E.     Its   greatest  breadth,  in  lat.  62  30,  N.  was  then  630  miles 

The  average  breadth  at  present  is  about  220.  The  number  of 
square  miles  in  Sweden,  including  Finland,  is,  according  to  Pin- 
kerton,  208,912  ;  according  to  Hussel  288,160  ;  from  which  last, 
deducting  those  of  Finland,  there  will  remain  for  Sweden  188,433 
square  miles. 

Boundaries.^  Sweden  is  bounded  N.  by  Norway*  ;  E.  partly  by 
Russia,  principally  by  the  Baltic  ;  S.  by  the  Baltic  ;  W.  by  the 
Ca'ttegat,  Norway,  and,  for  a  small  distance,  by  the  Atlantic.  The 
little  Swedish  province  of  Herndal  lies  W.  of  theKoIen  chain,  and 
reaches  thence  to  the  Atlantic  ;  extending  from  65  N.  as  far  as 
we  can  learn,  about  30  or  40  miles  on  the  coast,  and  completely  di- 
viding Northern,  from  Southern,  Norway. 

Di-viiiions.']  Sweden  is  divided  into  four  great  districts,  or  gov- 
ernments, which  are  subdivided  into  provinces  as  follows. 

1.    GOTHLAND. 

Provinces. 


Skone, 

Smcland, 

Brekinge, 

West  Gothland, 

Halland, 

East  Gothland, 

2.    SWEDEN  PROPER. 

Provinces. 

Warmeland, 

Upland, 

Nerike, 

Westmanland, 

Sudermanland, 

Dalecarlia. 

Stockholmland, 

3.    NORLAND. 

Provinces. 

Jemtland, 

Halsingland, 

Angermanland, 

Gastrikland, 

Medelpad, 

Herjeadelen. 

4.    LAPLAND. 

Provinces. 

Asele, 

West  Bothnia, 

Umea, 

Lulea, 

Herndal, 

Tornea, 

Pitea. 

Kcmi. 

Gothland,  the  southern  province,  belonged  to  Denmark  till 
1654  ;  and  with  tlie  other  provinces,  reaches  from  the  Baltic  to 
Norway.  Swedish  Lapland  reaches  from  Norland  N.  and  E.  to 
Russian  Lapland.  That  part  of  it  which  lies  upon  the  coast  is  call- 
ed West  Bothnia.  Sweden  possesses  the  island  of  St.  Bartholo- 
mew in  the  W.  Indies.  It  lately  possessed  Finland^  or  the  coun- 
try between  the  river  Kemi,  and  the  Gulf  of  Finland,  divided  into 

•  Norwegian  Laplan't  extends  eastward  to  Russia,  and  entirely  separates  Swedok 
lispland  from  the  Arctic  Ocean. 

VOL.  n.  22 


170  SWEDEN. 

Karelen,  FavastlancI,  Nyland,  Abo,  Bjornebcrg,and  Kymmengard, 
in  all  99,627  square  miles.*  Finland  now  belongs  to  Russia. 
Swedish  Poroerania,  also,  a  small  territory  on  the  coast  of  Upper 
Saxony,  containing  1440  square  miles,  and  103,345  inhabitants  was 
lately  taken  from  Sweden  by  the  French. 

Original  Pofiulation.~\  As  there  is  no  evidence  that  the  Celts 
ever  penetrated  to  Scandinavia,  the  first  population  appears  to 
have  consisted  of  Fins,  who,  perhaps  seven  or  eight  centuries  be- 
fore the  Christian  era,  were  supplanted  by  the  Goths,  mythologic- 
ally  represented  as  having  been  conducted  by  Odin,  the  god  of 
war.  No  foreign  conquest  having  since  extended  hither,  the  pop- 
ulation continues  purely  Gothic  in  the  southern  parts  ;  while  in 
the  north  there  are  the  Laplanders,  a  native  diminutive  race  re- 
sembling the  Samoieds  of  the  north  of  Asia,  and  the  Esquimaux 
and  Greenlanders,  Arctic  races  of  America. 

Progressive  Geog7a/i/iy.']  The  southern  parts  alone  of  Scandi- 
navia being  known  to  the  ancients,  its  progressive  geography  is 
rather  obscure.  The  only  people  there  situated  known  to  Taci- 
tus, were  the  Sitones.  Ptolemy  mentions  five  or  six  tribes,  among 
which  are  the  Gutse  of  Gothland,  as  inhabiting  the  portion  of 
Scandinavia  known  in  his  time.  His  four  Scandicavian  islands 
are  evidently  those  of  Zealand,  Funen,  Laland,  and  Falster.  Af- 
ter this  period  there  is  little  progress  in  Scandinavian  geography- 
till  the  time  of  Joniandes,  in  the  sixth  century,  who  describes 
Scarizia,  or  Scandinavia,  at  some  length,  and  mentions  various  na- 
tions by  whom  it  Was  inhabited.  The  next  notices  are  due  to  the 
voyage  of  Ohter,  recited  by  Alfred  the  Great  ;  and  the  more  cer- 
tain and  general  knowledge  begins  to  dawn  with  Adam  of  Bremen, 
and  the  Icelandic  historians. 

Historical  E/ioc/is.']  The  following  seem  to  consitute  the  chief 
historical  epochs  of  Sweden  : 

1.  The  early  population  by  the  Fins  and  Laplanders. 

2.  The  conquest  by  the  Goths. 

3.  What  little  knowledge  the  ancients  possessed  concerning  the 
south  of  Scandinavia. 

4.  The  fabulous  and  traditional  history,  which  begins  about  the 
year  of  Christ  320,  and  includes  the  conquest  of  Sweden  by  Ivar 
Vidfatme  king  of  Denmark,  about  A.  D.  760.  Hence  there  is  an 
obscure  period  till  the  reign  of  Biorn  L  A.  D.  829,  commemorated, 
with  his  immediate  successors,  by  Adam  of  Bremen. 

5.  The  conquest  of  Denmark  by  Olaf  IL  about  the  yeaf  900. 

6.  The  partial  conversion  of  Sweden  to  Christianity  in  the  reign 
of  Olaf  in.  A.  D.  1000  ;  but  more  than  half  a  century  elapsed  be- 
fore Paganism  can  be  considered  as  finally  abandoned,  in  the  reign 
of  Ingi  the  Pious,  A.  D.  1066. 

7.  The  accession  of  the  Folkungian  branch,  about  the  middle  of 
the  thirteenth  century. 

8.  The  Swedes,  discontented  with  their  king  Albert  of  Meck- 
lenburg, in    1388   elect  as  their  sovereign  Margaret  heiress  of 

*  Ilassel. 


SWEDEN.  171 

Denmark  and  Norway.  Thus  ended  the  Folkungian  race  :  and 
by  the  celebrated  treaty  of  Colmar,  A.  D.  1397,  the  three  king- 
doms of  the  north  were  supposed  to  be  united  for  ever.  But  after 
the  death  of  Margaret  in  1412,  the  SAvedes  began  to  struggle  for 
their  liberty  ;  and  in  1449  Karl  or  Charles  VIII.  was  elected  king 
of  Sweden. 

9.  The  struggles  between  Denmark  and  Sweden,  till  the  cruel 
and  tyrannic  reign  of  Christiern  II.  king  of  Denmark,  Norway  and 
Sweden. 

10.  Tyrants  are  the  fathers  of  freedom.  Gustaf  Wase,  whom 
we  style  Gustavus  Vasa,  delivers  his  country  from  the  Danish 
yoke,  after  a  contest  which  forms  one  of  the  most  interesting  por- 
tions of  modern  history.  The  revolt  may  be  considered  as  having 
commenced  when  Gustaf  appeared  at  Mora  in  Dalecarlia,  A.  D. 
1520,  and  completed  three  years  afterwards,  when  he  entered 
Stockholm  in  triumph.  Dissatisfied  with  the  power  of  the  clergy, 
which  had  repeatedly  subjugated  the' kingdom  to  Denmark,  this 
great  prince,  1527,  introduced  the  reformed  religion,  and  died  in 
his  seventieth  year,  September  1560,  after  a  glorious  reign  of 
thirty-seven  years. 

1 1.  The  reign  of  Gustaf  Adolph,  or  Gustavus  Adolphus,  A.  D. 
1611 — 1631.  Austria,  Spain,  and  the  other  Catholic  kingdoms, 
having  conspired  to  extirpate  the  Protestant  religion  in  Germany, 
this  king  was  invited  to  assist  the  reformed,  and  carried  his  victo- 
rious arms  to  the  Rhine  and  the  Danube. 

12.  The  reign  of  Charles  XI.  1660 — 1697,  when  the  arts  and 
sciences  began  to  flourish,  and  the  power  of  the  kingdom  was  car- 
ried to  its  utmost  height.  This  I'eign  of  solid  beneficence  was  fol- 
lowed by  the  calamitous  sway  of  that  madman  Charles  XII. 

13.  After  the  weak  reign  of  Charles  XII.  Sweden  sunk  into  po- 
litical humiliation  ;  and  is  now  regarded  as  little  better  than  a 
province  of  France,  to  which  disgrace  the  Swedish  aristocracy  as 
naturally  tends  as  that  of  Poland. 

Antiquities. ~\  The  ancient  monuments  of  Sweden  consist  chief- 
ly of  judicial  circles,  and  other  erections  of  unhewn  stone,  follow- 
ed by  the  monuments  inscribed  with  Runic  characters,  some  of 
which  are  as  recent  as  the  fifteenth  century,  and  none  of  them  can 
safely  be  dated  more  anciently  than  the  eleventh.  Not  far  from 
Upsal  is  the  morasten,  or  stone  on  which  the  king  used  to  be  en- 
throned, as  the  old  Scottish  monarchs  were  at  Scone.  The  an- 
cient temples,  called  Skior,  or  Skur,  were  of  wood,  and  have  con- 
sequently perished.  Some  of  the  old  castles,  erected  since  the 
use  of  stone,  are  remarkable  for  their  resemblance  to  what  are  call- 
ed Pictish  castles  in  Scotland. 


ir2  SWEDEN. 

CHAPTER  II. 

POLITICAL  GEOGRAPHY. 

RELIGION,  ECCLESIASTIC  GEOGRAPHY,  GOVERNMENT,  LAWS,  POP- 
ULATION, COLONIES,  ARMY,  NAVY,  REVENUE,  POLITICAL  IMPOR- 
TANCE AND  RELATIONS. 

Religion.']  THE  established  religion  is  the  Lutheran. 
There  are  14  dioceses  ;  the  Archbishopric  of  Upsala  in  Sweden 
Proper  ;  and  the  Bishoprics  of  Linkoping,  Skara,  Wcxio,  Lund, 
Gotheborg,  and  Calmar,  in  Gothland ;  Straengnoes,  Woesteras, 
and  Carlstadt  in  Sweden  Proper  ;  Wisbrey  in  the  island  of  Goth- 
land, and  Hemosand,  in  Norland,  under  which  diocese  Lap- 
land is  included.  There  are  two  bishoprics  also  in  Finland,  Abo 
and  Borg.  The  revenues  of  Upsala  and  Woesteras  are  a- 
bout  £  1 ,000  sterling  /ler  ann.  Those  of  the  lowest  bishoprics  about 
^300.  The  subordinate  clergy  are  domfirosts  or  deans, /2ro*^«  or 
arshdeaccns;  pastors  or  rectors,  and  comministers  or  perpetual 
curates.  The  parishes  are  estimated  at  2,537  ;  the  curates  at 
1378  ;  with  134  rectors,  and  192  inspectors.  Some  of  the  parish- 
es are  very  extensive. 

Government^  The  government  of  Sweden  is  a  limited,  here- 
ditary, monarchy.  The  supreme  power  is  in  the  Diet,  which  is 
composed  of  the  King  and  the  States.  Tne  King  has  the  command 
ofthe  army  and  navy,  fills  up  all  commissions,  nominates  to  all 
civil  offices,  and  appoints  the  judges  of  the  various  court^.  He  a- 
lone  convenes  and  dissolves  the  States,  has  the  disposal  of  the  j^b- 
lic  money,  declares  war  and  makes  peace.  The  power  of  making 
laws  and  of  laying  taxes,  is  vested  in  the  Diet,  and  the  King  can- 
not do  either  without  the  consent  of  the  States.  The  States  are 
composed  of  four  houses  :  1.  The  House  of  Kobles.  This  consists 
of  counts,  barons,  and  untitled  nobility,  all  originally  ennobled  by 
the  crown.  The  head  of  each  noble  family  in  a  direct  line  is  en- 
titled to  a  seat  in  the  house.  Of  these  there  are,  says  Coxe,  about 
1200,  though  but  a  small  part  of  these  usually  assemble.  The 
younger  sons  have  however  a  tide,  and  the  other  privileges  of  no- 
bility. 2.  The  House  ofthe  Clergy.  This  is  composed  of  the  12 
dignitaries,  and  a  certain  number  of  ecclesiastics,  chosen  by  the 
Clergy  of  the  respective  districts.  The  number  of  members  is 
seldom  less  than  50,  or  more  than  80.  3.  The  House  of  Citizens. 
There  are  104  towns  in  Sweden,  each  of  which,  if  a  staple  town, 
may  send  two  members,  several  of  the  largest  three,  and  Stock- 
holm ten.  The  number  of  members  varies  from  100  to  200.  4, 
The  House  of  Peasants.  The  electors  must  own  land,  worth  £  30. 
None  but  those  whose  ancestors  were  peasants,  can  vote  or  be  e- 
lected.     Their  number  is  usually  about  200. 

The  Archbishop  of  Upsal  is  speaker  of  the  House  of  Clergy — 
The  other  houses  choose  their  own  speaker.  The  assent  of  three 
of  the  Houses  and  of  the  King  is  necessary  to  pass  a  law  and  to  lay 
a  tax.     In  1800  the  king  was  entrusted  with  the  power  of  chang-. 


SWEDEN.  173 

ing  the  nature  and  amount  of  the  taxes  imposed  by  the  Diet. 
The  King  or  cither  house  may  originate  bills. 

There  were,  before  the  late  dismenibciment,  four  superior 
courts  of  justice,  called  Hof-raett,  one  at  Stockholm,  for  Sweden 
Proper,  and  the  counties  north  ;  one  at  Joi>kioping  for  Gothland  ; 
one  at  Abo  for  South  Finland  ;  and  one  at  Wasa  for  North  Fin- 
land. There  are  the  High  Courts  of  Appeal  in  all  capital  cases, 
and  in  civil  cases  of  great  consequence.  Every  small  town  has 
one  court  of  justice,  and  every  large  town  two.  The  penal  laws 
are  mild.  Whipping  and  confinement  are  the  usual  punishments. 
The  Harad'H-raett^  or  provincial  ci'iminal  court,  consists  of  the 
county  judges,  and  a  kind  of  jury  of  12  peasants  chosen  by  the  in- 
habitants for  life.  Whenever  they  are  unanimous  they  decide  the 
cause  though  against  the  decision  of  the  judges.  As  the  monarch  is 
not  opulent,  it  is  evident  that  so  large  and  respectable  a  body 
might  constitute  a  formidable  barrier  ;  but  the  evils  of  faction 
have  been  so  great  and  the  Russian  power  and  influence  so 
destructive  to  the  very  existence  of  the  state,  that  the  deputies 
seem  justly  to  regard  the  dictatorial  power  of  the  monarch,  as 
necessary  tor  their  own  preservation. 

Pofiulation.~\  The  number  of  inhabitants  in  Sweden,  including 
Finland,  was,  in 

1752,  2,215,639  1785,         2,821,669 

1760,  2,383,113  1790,  2,864,512 

1775,  2,640,177  1795,  3,045,617 

1776,  2,671,949  1800,  3,182,139. 
1780,          2,769,628 

The  increase  in  48  years  was  966,500,  or  about  two  fifths  of  the 
whole.  The  increase  in  the  last  five  years  was  less  than  1  Jier 
cent,  per  ann.  The  number  of  males  in  1776  was  1,284,989  and 
of  females,  1,386,962.  Of  the  population  in  1800,  12,068  were  of 
the  order  of  the  nobility  ;  16,434  of  the  clergy  ;  7,126  students  ; 
1,275  of  the  wholesale  merchants  ;  17,233  retailers  ;  2,605  of  the 
manufacturers  ;  87,434  mechanics  ;  19,653  of  the  seafaring  men ; 
188,734  of  the  army  and  navy  ;  and  356,581  of  other  descriptions. 

The  population  of  the  various  provinces  in  1 800  was  as  follows. 

Squai-c  utiles.  Inhabitants.  Do.  on  a  square  mile. 

Gothland,                       41,931  1,454,462                   34-7 

Sweden  Proper,          40,577  653,767                  16-1 

Norland  &  Lapland,  105,925  239,072                    2-16 

Finland,                         99,627  834,838                     8-38 


Sweden,  288,160  3,182,139  11 

As  Finland  now  belongs  to  Russia,  the  population  of  Sweden, 

exclusive  of  that  province,  is  2,347,301,  or  about  12-5  to  tlie  square 

mile. 

Co/onjf ».3     Sweden  only  possesses  one  small  colony,  that  in  the 

island  of  St.  Bartholomew  in  the   West  Indies,  which   was  ceded 

to  them  by  the  French  in  1785.* 

•  Olivarius  Lc  Nord  LiUcr8ire,No.  12. 


174  SWEDEN. 

Jlrmy.^  The  Swedish  army  consists  of  national  and  regular 
troops  to  the  number  of  53,035,  viz. 

Cavalry,  ...         -         12,000 

Infantry, 34,171 

Artillery,  .         -         -         -  3,230 

Engineers,  _         -         -         -  800 

Galley-soldiers,       -         -         .  2,706 

Life  Guards,       -         -         -         -  128 

Of  these  18,424  are  regular  troops.     The  army  is  under  the 
immediate  command  of  3  Generals,  14  Lieutenant-Generals,   14 
Major-Generals,   33  Adjutant-Generals,  and  93   Colonels.     The 
annual  expense  of  the  regular  troops  is  about  800,000  rix-dollars. 
The  national  troops  are  quartered  upon  the  peasants,  and  are  fed, 
and  clothed,  and  paid  by  them.     In  time  of  peace  they  are  under 
arms  three  weeks  in  the   year,   and  are  constantly  exercised  on 
Sundays  after  divine  service. 

JVavy.']     The  fleet  in  1808  consisted  of  58  sail,  viz. 
I         Ships  of  the  line,         -         -         -         .  20 

Frigates,         -         -         -         -         -         -        16 

Brigs,         ------  7 

Smaller  vessels,      -         -         -         -         -        15 

These  were  under  the  direction  of  1  High  Admiral,  1  Admiral, 
6  Vice-Admirals,  and  1 1  Rear- Admirals. 

Beside  these  the  galley  fleet  consisted  of  200  sail,  in  5  squad- 
rons. The  whole  fleet  was  manned  by  1 500  marines  and  7200 
seamen,  with  a  reserve  of  8000  for  a  time  of  war  ;  and  carried 
2760  cannon. 

Beside  these,  the  galley  fleet  consisted  of  200  sail  in  5  squad- 
rons, defended  by  2,706  soldiers.  This  is  called  the  fleet  of  the 
army,  and  is  used  in  transporting  them  across  the  Baltic. 

Eevenue.'^  The  revenue  in  1 809  is  stated  by  Hassel  at  6,000,000 
Swedish  rix-dollars,  which  at  5s.  sterling,  each,  is  /;  1,500,000 
sterling.  This  arises  chiefly  from  dvities,  royal  demesnes,  poll- 
tax,  stamps,  taxes  on  the  mines  and  the  lottery.  The  expense 
commonly  exceeds  the  revenue.  The  debt  in  1 807  was  1 3,235,632 
rix-dollars,  of  which  9,742,642  was  foreign  debt,  and  3,490,990 
domestic. 

The  foreign  debt  being  chiefly  incurred  at  Hamburgh,  the 
country  is  overwhelmed  with  the  paper  money  of  that  city  ;  and 
the  scarcity  of  gold  and  silver,  and  even  of  copper  currency,  is 
incredible.  The  ducat,  the  only  gold  coin,  is  worth  about  nine 
shillings  sterling  ;  while  the  silver  crown  may  be  valued  at  four 
shillings  and  sixpence.  The  schelling,  or  shilling,  is  worth  little 
more  than  one  penny  sterling  ;  and  the  copper  consists  of  half 
and  quarter  shillings,  the  ancient  heavy  pieces  being  how  rarely 
visible. 


SWEDEN.  175. 

CHAPTER  III. 
CIVIL  GEOGRAPHY. 

MANNERS  AND  CUSTOMS,  LANGUAGE,  LITERATURE,  EPUCATION, 
UNIVERSITIES,  CITIES,  TOWNS,  EDIFICES,  ROADS,  INLAND  NAV- 
IGATION, MANUFACTURES  AND  COMMERCE. 

ATaJinera  and  Customs.~\  THE  manners  and  customs  of 
the  superior  classes  in  Sweden  are  so  much  tinged  with  those  of 
the  French,  their  allies,  that  no  striking  peculiarity  can  be  ob- 
served, and  even  the  peasantry  have  so  much  vivacity  and  address, 
that  they  have  been  styled  the  French  of  the  north.  The  com- 
plexion, which  in  the  northern  latitudes  is  generally  fair,  is  here 
much  diversified,  being  in  some  provinces  dark  brown. — 
The  men  are  commonly  robust  and  well-formed,  and  the  women 
slender  and  elegant.  The  natives  of  the  western  province  of 
Dalecarlia  retain  many  ancient  customs,  and  have  been  distin- 
guished for  their  courage  and  probity,  since  the  time  that  Gustaf 
Wase  issued  from  the  mines  of  that  country  to  break  the  yoke  of 
Denmark.  The  Finlanders,  on  the  east  of  the  Bothnic  gulph,  are 
now  little  distinguishable  from  the  Swedes ;  and  any  remarkable 
peculiarities  of  manners  and  customs  must  be  sought  in  Swedish 
Lapland.  Lapland  however  being  very  remote,  less  knoM-n,  and 
more  recently  described  ;  an  account  of  this  singular  people  is 
given  under  a  separate  article. 

Language. ~\  The  language  of  Sweden  is  a  dialect  of  the  Goth- 
ic, being  a  sister  of  the  Danish,  Norwegian,  and  Icelandic.  In 
the  two  grand  divisions  of  the  Gothic,  consisting  of  the  German 
and  Scandinavian  dialects,  the  latter  is  distinguished  by  greater 
brevity  and  force  of  expression.  There  are  many  words  in  the 
Swedish  which  are  also  in  the  English,  and  in  the  eleventh  centu- 
ry the  natives  of  the  two  countries  easily  understood  each  other.* 
In  the  south  of  Sweden,  which  contains  the  chief  mass  of  popula- 
tion, some  German  and  French  words  have  been  adopted  ;  while 
the  Dalecarlian  on  the  N.  W.  is  esteemed  a  peculiar  dialect,  per- 
haps only  because  it  contains  more  of  the  ancient  terms  and 
idiom. 

Literature.']  In  the  antiquity  of  literature,  Sweden  cannot  pre- 
tend to  vie  with  Denmark,  Norway,  or  Iceland :  the  most  early  na- 
tive chronicle,  or  perhaps  literary  composition,  being  not  more  an- 
cient than  the  fourteenth  century.  In  return,  while  the  Danes 
seem  occupied  with  internal  policy,  and  public  regulation,  the 
Swedes  have,  in  modern  times,  borne  the  palm  of  genius  in  many 
departments  of  literature  and  philosophy. 

But  Swedish  literature  can  hardly  be  said  to  have  dawned  till 
the  middle  of  the  seventeenth  century,  when  the  Queen  Christia- 
na, finding  the  country  immersed  in  ignorance,  invited  Grotius, 
Descartes,  and  other  celebrated  men,  who,  though  they  did  not 

•  Coxe. 


ire  SWEDEN. 

reside  long  in  the  kingdom,  yet  sowed  the  seed  of  letters,  which 
gradually  began  to  prosper  in  the  wise  and  beneficent  reign  of 
Charles  XL  In  the  succeeding  or  last  century  the  name  of  Lin- 
naeus alone  might  distinguish  the  national  literature  ;  and  it  is 
joined  in  natural  hiscory  with  those  of  Tiias,  Wallerius,  Quist, 
Cronstedt,  Bergman,  and  others.  In  history,  Dalin  and  Lager- 
bring  have  distinguished  themselves  by  a  precision  and  force, 
which  the  Danes  seem  to  sacrifice  to  antiquarian  discussions. 
Sweden  also  boasts  of  native  poets  and  orators  ;  and  the  progress 
of  the  sciences  is  supported  by  the  institution  of  numerous  acad- 
emies. 

Educatio7}.~\  The  Swedes,  like  the  New-Englanders,  the 
Scotch,  and  the  inhabitants  of  Iceland,  Ferro,  and  Geneva,  are  uni- 
versally acquainted  with  reading  and  writing.  A  school  is  estab- 
lished in  every  parish  for  these  purposes,  and  all  the  inhabitants 
send  their  children.  A  public  school  is  maintained  also  in  each 
large  town,  at  the  expense  of  the  crown,  in  which  boys  commonly 
continue  till  the  1 1th  or  1 2th  year,  when  they  are  sent  to  the  Gym- 
nasia. Of  these  there  are  12,  and  the  boys  are  here  taught  Latin, 
Greek,  and  Hebrew,  the  doctrines  of  the  Lutheran  Church,  and 
the  rudiments  of  the  sciences.  The  great  body  of  the  SAvedish 
youths  pass  through  these  institutions.  At  the  age  of  16  they  are 
usually  sent  to  one  of  the  universities.  Of  tliese,  before  the  late 
dismemberment,  there  were  3  in  Sweden  ;  that  of  Lund,  in  Goth- 
land, that  of  Upsala,  in  Sweden  Proper,  and  that  of  Abo,  in  Fin- 
land. That  of  Lund  was  established  in  1688,  has  15  professors 
and  300  students,  a  small  botanical  garden,  and  a  library  of  20,000 
volumes.  The  Professors  are  ranged  under  4  classes  ;  in  The- 
ology 3,  in  Jurisprudence  2,  in  Medicine  3,  in  Philosophy  7,  and 
several  instructors  in  the  elegant  accomplishments.  The  uni- 
versity of  Upsala,  founded  in  1346,  had  upwards  of  2000  students 
in  1730  ;  but  in  1800  only  500.  There  were  21  Professors,  6  in 
theology,  2  in  law,  3  in  medicine,  and  10  in  philo&x»phy,  beside  7 
instructors  in  the  elegant  arts.  Their  salaries  are  from  £70  to 
jC200  sterling.  They  deliver  weekly,  each,  four  public,  and  four 
private  lectures.  The  library  is  large  and  valuable  ;  the  botan- 
ical garden  small,  but  well  selected.  There  are  no  college 
buildings  for  the  accommodation  of  the  students.  The  university 
of  Abo  Avas  founded  in  1640,  ?.nd  has  16  professors,  300  students, 
auda  library  containing  10,000  volumes. 

Cities  and  Towns.']  Stockholm,  the  capital  of  Sweden,  stands 
in  a  singular  situation  between  a  creek,  or  iniet,  of  the  Baltic  sea, 
and  the  lake  Maeler.  It  occupies  seven  small  rocky  islands,  and 
the  scenery  is  truly  singular  and  romantic.  "  A  variety  of  con- 
trasted and  enchanting  views  is  formed  by  numbei'less  rocks  of 
granite,  rising  boldly  from  the  surface  of  the  water,  partly  bare 
and  craggy,  partly  dotted  with  houses  or  feathered  with  wood."* 
Somewhat  resembling  Venice,  but  with  greater  diversity  of  pros- 
pect, it  requires  no  fortifications.     Most  of  the  houses  are  of  stone 

•  Coxe,  IT.  33.    See  also  Marshall,  ii.  330. 


SWEDEN.  «^ 

«r  brick,  covered  with  white  stucco ;  except  in  the  suburbs,  where 
several  are  of  wood  painted  red,  as  usual  in  the  country  of  Swe- 
den. This  city  was  founded  by  the  earl  Birger,  regent  of  the 
kingdom,  about  the  middle  of  the  thirteenth  century  ;  and  in  the 
seventeenth  century  the  royal  residence  was  transferred  hither 
from  Upsal.  The  entrance  to  the  harbor  is  through  a  narrow 
strait,  of  somewhat  difficult  access,  especially  as  there  are  no 
tides  :  and  for  four  months  in  the  year  is  frozen.  It  is  however 
deep,  and  capable  of  receiving  a  great  number  of  vessels.  The 
royal  palace  stands  in  a  central  and  high  situation  :  and  there  are 
a  castle,  an  arsenal,  and  several  academies.  The  manufactures 
are  few,  of  glass,  china,  woollen,  silk,  linen,  8cc.  The  population 
of  Stockholm  in  1800  was  75,517,  and  the  houses  4,137.*  It  is  in 
lat.  59  20  31  N.  and  in  long,  18  9  30  E. 

Upsala  stands  in  the  middle  of  an  open  fertile  plain,  and  is  di- 
vided into  two  almost  equal  parts  by  the  rivulet  Sala.  The  streets 
are  drawn  at  right  angles  ;  the  houses  arc  generally  constructed 
of  trunks,  smoothed  into  planks,  painted  red  ;  and  the  roofs  are 
covered  with  turf.  Each  botise  has  a  court-yard  and  garden.. 
This  is  the  oldest  town  in  the  north,  and  was,  till  the  17th  centu- 
ry, the  metropolis,  and  the  royal  residence.  The  inhabitants  in 
1799  amounted  to  4,403,  and  the  houses  to  580.  It  is  45  mile? 
from  Stockholm,  in  lat.  59  51  50  N.  and  long.  17  42  39  E. 

Carlscrona  is  the  chief  road  for  the  royal  navy,  and  stands  prin- 
cipally upon  a  small  rocky  island  in  the  Baltic,  connected  with 
the  main  by  a  dyke  and  two  wooden  bridges.  The  tOAvn  is  spa- 
cious, the  houses  principally  of  wood,  is  strongly  fortified,  and  dif- 
ficult of  access.  Several  noble  docks  have  been  fontncd  out  of 
the  solid  rock  for  repairing  the  ships  of  war,  most  of  which  are 
built  at  this  place,  and  by  English  workmen.  The  population  in 
1795  was  13,800.  The  foundations  of  the  town  were  laid  by- 
Charles  XI,  in  1680.     Lat.  56  1 1  N.  Long.  15  7  E. 

Gothenburg^  in  lat.  57  42  4  N.  and  long.  12  3  22  E.  stands  a 
small  distance  from  the  Cattegat,  at  the  confluence  of  the 
Gotha  and  the   Moldal.      It  is   built  partly  on  high   ridges  of 

rocks,  and  partly  on  a    marshy    plain,    which    they    inclose 

The  lower  part  is  built  upon  piles  ;  the  upper  hangs  on 
the  declivities.  It  is  3  miles  in  circumference.  The  houses, 
1100  in  number,  are  principally  of  wood,  painted  red.  Popula- 
tion 13,218.  The  harbor  is  between  two  chains  of  rocks,  a  quar- 
ter of  a  mile  wide,  and  is  fortified.  It  is  the  port  of  the  East  In- 
^a  Company,  and  carries  on  -^ths  of  the  export  commerce  of 
tiie  kingdom,  and  -Jth  of  the  import.  Its  herring  fishery  is  very 
valuable,  not  less  than  600,000  barrels  being  caught  annually,  dur- 
ing the  3  weeks  that  it  lasts  ;  of  which  200,000  are  salted,  and 
about  27,000  barrels  of  train  oil  ma<ie  of  the  remainder.  The  for*- 
tifications  are  weak.     The  harbor  %  safe  and  commodious. 

Nordkioping  is  built  on  both  sid«^  of  the  Motala,  the  outlet  of 
Lake  Wetter,  23  miles  from  the  Baltic,  in  Jat.  58  30  N.    It  is  10 

•  HmicI. 
VOL.  II.  25 


178  SWEDEN. 

miles  in  circumference.  The  houses  are  small  and  scattereil, 
and  the  population  in  1795  was  8,629.  Several  valuable  manu- 
factories are  established  here.  The  river  affords  a  valuable  salmon 
fishery,  and  is  navigable  for  small  vessels  to  the  town. 

Fahlun  is  situated  in  the  midst  of  rocks  and  hills,  between  the 
lakes  of  Run  and  Warpen.  The  houses,  1135  in  number,  are 
chiefly  of  wood,  and  two  stories.  The  inhabitants  in  1801  were 
6,064  ;  many  of  them  are  employed  in  the  mines.    Lat.  60  35  49  N. 

Gefle,  on  the  river  Gefle,  in  lat.  60  39  45  N.  and  in  long.  1 7  E.  is  the, 
chief  commercial  town  in  the  north  of  Sweden.     Many  of  the 
houses  are  of  brick,  and  many  of  stone,  plaistered  white.     The 
river  has  10  feet  water,  as  far  as  the  town.     The  exports  arc 
chiefly  iron,  pitch,  tar,  and  planks.     Population  in  1795,  5730, 

Johnkioping,  at  the  head  of  Lake  Wetter,  in  Smoland,  is  the 
seat  of  the  superior  court  for  the  kingdom  of  Gothland.  The 
houses,  5 12  in  number,  are  roofed  with  turf,  the  usual  covering  of 
the  Swedish  houses.     The  inhabitants  in  1785,  were  4,087. 

The  other  towns  are  Linkoping,  Carlstadt,  Calmar,  Lund, 
Christianstadt,  and  Wisbcrg,  in  the  island  of  Gothland. 

Edi/ices.']  Even  including  the  royal  palaces,  Sweden  cannot 
boast  of  many  splendid  edifices.  The  roads  are  in  general  far  su- 
perior to  those  of  Denmark  and  Norway,  which  seem  unaccounta- 
bly neglected,  good  roads  being  the  very  stamina  of  national  im- 
provement. 

Roads.']  Great  attention  has  been  paid  by  the  government  t». 
the  roads  of  Sweden.  Though  not  so  broad,  they  are  as  good  as 
the  English  turnpikes.  The  traveller,  journeying  many  thousands 
of  ndles,  and  in  every  direction,  will  find  scarce  one  that  deserves 
the  name  of  indifferent.  The  high  roads  are  made  with  stone  and 
gravel,  yet  no  toll  is  exacted.  Each  landholder  is  obliged  to  keep 
a  part  in  repair,  proportioned  to  his  property.  The  mode  of  trav- 
elling from  Sweden  to  Finland  in  the  winter,  is  in  sledges  on  the 
ice.  The  traveller  leaves  the  continent  at  Grislohavcn,  and,  pass- 
ing through  Aland,  and  various  other  islands,  lands  at  Abo,  on  the 
other  side  of  the  Gulf  of  Botlinia,  a  distance  of  200  miles.  This 
joui'ney  is  often  extremely  hazardous. 

Inland  Navigation.]  Of  late  a  laudable  attention  has  been  paid 
to  inland  navigation  ;  and  the  chief  effort  has  been  to  form  a  ca- 
nal between  Stockholm  and  Gothenburgh.  In  this  canal,  styled 
that  of  Trolhattan,  conducted  along  the  river  Gotha,  stupendous 
excavations  have  been  made  through  the  granitic  rocks,  in  order 
to  avoid  cataracts ;  one  of  which,  of  more  than  60  feet,  is  called 
the  Infernal  Fall.  Yet  the  plans  have  repeatedly  failed,  from  the 
ignorance  of  the  engineers  ;  and  the  first  expense  ought  to  have 
been  to  procure  a  superintendant  of  real  skill.  The  inten- 
tioH  was  to  conduct  an  inlamd  route  from  the  Meier  Lake  to 
that  of  Hielmer,  and  thence  tt,  that  of  Wener  ;  and  by  the  river 
Gotha,  an  outlet  of  the  latten;  to  the  Skager  Rack  and  German 
Sea.  This  grand  design  is  already  in  some  measure  completed. 
Hl  Manufactures  and  Commerce.']  The  Swedish  manufactures  are 
far  from  being  numerous,  consisting  chiefly  of  those  of  iron  and 


SWEDEN.  'ir9 

steel  ;  with  cloths,  hats,  watches,  and  sail  cloth.  The  manufac- 
tures of  copper  and  brass,  and  the  construction  of  ships,  also  oc- 
cupy many  hands.  In  1785,  it  was  computed  that  14,000  were 
employed  in  those  of  wool,  silk,  and  cotton.  Of  native  products 
exported,  iron  is  the  most  considerable  ;  and  it  is  said  that  the 
miners  in  the  kingdom  are  about  25,600. 

The  commerce  of  Sweden  rests  chiefly  on  the  export  of  their 
native  products,  iron,  timber,  pitch,  tar,  hemp,  and  copper.  Her- 
rings and  train  oil  also  form  considerable  articles.  The  chief  im- 
port is  corn  of  various  kinds,  particularly  rye,  Sweden  rarely  af- 
fording a  sufficiency  for  her  own  consumption  ;  with  hemp,  to- 
bacco, sugar,  coffee,  drugs,  silk,  wines,  &c.  Mr.  Coxe  has  pub- 
lished a  table  of  the  Swedish  commerce,  whence  it  appears  that 
the  exports  in  1781  amounted  to  1,368,830/.  13*.  5d.  and  the  im- 
ports to  1,008,392/.  I2s.  4lrf.  so  that  the  balance  in  favor  of  Swe- 
den was  360,437/.  19s.  6^d.  which  added  to  the  gain  by  freights  in 
the  Mediterranean,  and  the  East  Indies,  made  a  clear  balance  of 
471,549/.  18«.  4c/ |-.  The  trade  was  then  carried  on  chiefly  with 
England,  Russia,  Holland,  France,  Denmark,  Hamburg  and  Por- 
tugal. The  number  of  ships  that  entered  into  the  diff'erent  ports, 
was  2141  Swedish,  and  149  foreign,  total  2290  ;  'of  those  cleared 
out,  23 11  Swedish,  and  174  foreign,  total  2485.* 


CHAPTER  IV. 

NATURAL,  GEOGRAPHY. 

CLIMATE  AND  SEASONS,  FACE  OF  THE  COUNTRY,  SOIL  AND  AS- 
B.ICULTURE,  RIVERS,  LAKES,  MOUNTAINS,  FORESTS,  BOTANY, 
ZOOLOGY,  MINERALOGY,  MINERAL  WATERS,  NATURAL  CURI- 
OSITIES. 

Climate  and  Seasons.^  THE  different  parts  of  Sweden 
present  considerable  varieties  of  temperature,  but  even  in  the 
middle  regions  winter  maintains  a  long  and  dreary  sway.  The 
gulph  of  Bothnia  becomes  one  field  of  ice  ;  and  travellers  pass  on 
it  from  Finland  by  the  isles  of  Aland.  In  the  most  southern 
provinces,  where  the  grand  mass  of  the  population  is  centered, 
the  climate  may  be  compared  to  that  of  Scotland,  which  lies  under 
the  same  parallel  ;  but  the  western  gales  from  the  Atlantic,  which 
deluge  theScottish Highlands  with  perpetual  rain,  and  form  the  chief 
obstacle  to  improv^ement,  are  little  felt.  In  the  north  the  summer 
is  hot,  by  the  reflection  of  the  numerous  mountains,  and  the  ex- 
treme length  of  the  days  ;  for  at  Tornea,  in  Swedish  Lapland,  the 
sun  is  for  some  weeks  visible  at  midnight  ;  and  the  winter  in  re- 
turn presents  many  weeks  of  complete  darkness.  Yet  these  long 
nights  are  relieved,  by  the  light  of  the  moon,  by  the  reflection  of 
the  snow,  and  by  the  Aurora  Borealis,  or  northern  lights,  which 
dart  their  ruddy  rays  through  the  sky,  with  an  almost  constant  of. 
fulgence. 

•  Cnxe. 


180  SWEDEN. 

Face  of  the  Country.  Soil  and  Jgriculture.']^  No  country  cart 
be  diversified  in  a  more  picturesque  manner,  with  extensive  lakes, 
large  transparent  rivers,  winding  streams,  wild  cataracts,  gloomy- 
forests,  verdant  vales,  stupendous  rocks,  and  cultivated  fields. 
The  soil  is  not  the  most  propitious  ;  but  agriculture  is  conducted 
with  skill  and  industry,  so  as  much  to  exceed  that  of  Germany  and 
Demark.* 

Ei-vers.']  Sweden  is  intersected  by  numerous  rivers,  .the  largest 
of  which  are  in  the  native  language  called  Elbs,  or  Elfs.  The 
most  considerable  flow  from  the  lakes,  without  any  great  length 
of  course  ;  such  as  the  Gotha,  the  only  outlet  of  the  vast  lake  of 
Wener.  Its  length  is  70  English  miles,  and  its  course  W.  of  S. 
About  14  miles  from  the  Cattegat,  it  divides  and  encompasses  the 
island  of  Hisingen.  Its  navigation  is  much  impeded  by  cataracts. 
Numerous  rivers  fall  into  Lake  Wener.  Of  these  the  Clara  is 
the  largest.  It  rises  in  Lake  Foemund,  in  Norway,  a  little  S.  of 
the  DofFrafiall  chain,  and  pursues  a  southeasterly  course  of  about 
280  miles,  to  Carlstadt,  on  the  island  of  Tingwalla,  which  it  en- 
compasses. 

The  Motala,  the  outlet  of  Lake  Wetter,  pursues  an  easterly 
course  of  65  miles,  to  the  Baltic.  Its  estuary  is  the  Bay  of  Bru- 
nic.  It  forms  several  small  lakes  in  its  progress,  and  passes 
through  a  country,  level,  fertile  in  corn  and  pasture,  and  thickly 
studded  with  country  seats,  villages,  and  churches. 

The  river  Dahl,  the  most  important  in  Sweden  ;  consisting  of 
two  conjunct  streams,  the  eastern  and  western  Dahl,  which  rise  in 
the  Norwegian  Alps,  give  name  to  the  province  of  Dalarn,  or 
Dalecarlia,  and,  altera  course  of  about  260  Britisli  miles,  enter 
theBothnic  gulph,  about  10  miles  to  the  east  of  Geffle,  presenting, 
not  far  from  its  mouth,  a  celebrated  cataract,  esteemed  little  in- 
ferior to  that  of  the  Rhine  at  Schaffhausen,  the  breadth  of  the 
river  being  near  a  quarter  of  a  mile,  and  the  perpendicular  height 
of  the  fall  between  30  and  40  feet.f  The  surrounding  scenery 
also  assists  the  effect,  which  is  truly  sublime. 

Lakes.']  Few  countries  can  rival  Sweden  in  the  extent  and 
number  of  lakes,  which  appear  in  almost  every  province.  Of 
these  the  most  important  is  the  Wener,  which  is  about  80  British 
miles  in  length,  by  about  50  in  breadth,  in  great  part  surrounded 
with  forests,  and  rocks  of  red  granite.  It  receives  24  rivers, 
abounds  with  fieh,  and  contains  many  romantic  isles. 

Next  is  the  Wetter,  a  lake  of  equal  length,  but  inferior  in 
breadth,  which  seldom  exceeds  12  miles.  This  lake  being  sur- 
rounded with  mountains  is  particularly  subject  to  storms  in  the 
stillest  weather,  whence  arise  many  popular  talcs  and  supersti- 
tions :  it  contains  two  remarkable  islands  ;  and  on  the  shores  are 
found  agates,  cornelians,  and  touch-stones,  or  pieces  of  fine  ba- 
saltes.  The  Wetter  is  clear,  though  deep  ;  and  while  it  receive? 
about  40  small  rivers,  has  no  outlet  except  the  Motala. 

The  lake  Meier,  at  the   conflux   of  which  with  the  Baltic  i^ 

*  Marshall,  iii,  90^.  f  Wmall's  Nortbern  Tour,  p.  158.    Coxe,v.9. 


SWEDEN.  I9i 

founded  the  city  of  Stockholm,  is  about  60  British  miles  in  length 
by  eighteen  in  breadth,  and  is  sprinkled  with  picturesque  isles. — 
To  the  S.  W.  is  the  lake  of  Hielmar,  more  remarkable  for  its  pro- 
posed utility  in  the  inland  navigation,  than  for  its  extent. 

Many  other  lakes  are  found  in  the  north  of  Sweden,  among 
■which  the  most  considerable  is  that  of  Stor,  in  the  province  of 
Jemtland. 

Mountains.'\  Sweden  may  be  in  general  regarded  as  a  moun- 
tainous country  ;  in  which  respect  it  is  strongly  contrasted  with 
Denmark  proper,  or  Jutland,  and  the  isles.  The  chief  mountains 
are  in  that  elevated  chain,  which  divides  Sweden  and  Swedish 
Lapland  from  Norway  ;  from  which  successive  branches  run 
in  a  S.  E.  direction.  It  would  appear  that  the  granitic  ridge 
of  the  chain  is  in  Norway  ;  while  the  flanks,  consisting  as  usual 
of  limestone,  pudding-stone,  and  freestone,  verge  into  Sweden — 
The  centre  of  the  chain  seems,  as  in  the  Alps  and  Pyrenees,  to 
present  the  chief  elevations,  whence  the  mountains  decline  in 
height  towards  Lapland.  In  die  centre  and  south  of  Sweden  the 
red  granite  becomes  very  common:  but  in  Westrogothia  the 
mountains  are  often  of  trap. 

Farther  illustrations  of  the  grand  chain  of  mountains,  which  di- 
vide Sweden  from  Norway,  will  be  found  in  the  description  of  the 
latter  country. 

Forests.^  The  forests  of  this  kingdom  are  numerous,  and  with- 
out their  aid  tlie  mines  could  not  be  wrought.  Dalecarlia,  in  par- 
ticular, abounds  with  them,  and  the  numerous  lakes  are  generally 
skirted  with  wood  to  the  margin  of  the  water. 

Botany.']  The  lowlands  and  lakes  of  Scandinavia  are  princi ' 
pally  situated  in  the  south  of  Sweden,  and  the  great  ranges  of  Al- 
pine mountains  are  found  near  the  Arctic  circle,  or  at  least  arc 
confined  to  the  northern  provinces  :  hence  it  is  that  Lapland,  both 
from  its  elevation  and  its  northern  site,  contains  several  plants 
Tvhich  are  not  to  be  met  with  in  tlie  rest  of  the  peninsula. 

Sevei-al  species  are  common  both  to  England  and  Scandinavia  ; 
and  though  the  flora  of  Britain  be  the  most  copious  of  the  two,  yet 
the  superiority  is  not  perhaps  so  great  as  might  be  expected  from 
the  difference  of  climate.  If  those  species  that  are  natives  of  chalk 
hills  and  southern  coasts  of  England  are  for  the  most  part  wanting 
to  Scandinavia,  yet  this  last  contains  several  German  and  Arctic 
plants,  which  are  not  to  be  found  in  the  first. 

Of  timber  trees  there  are  but  few  species ;  the  most  common, 
and  those  which  consitute  the  wealth  of  Scandinavia,  are  the  Nor- 
way pine,  and  the  fir  :  of  these  there  arc  immense  forests,  spread 
over  the  rocky  mountains,  and  deeping  with  their  sullen  hue  the 
whole  horizon  ;  thousands  of  giant  growth  are  every  winter  over- 
thrown by  the  storms,  and  allowed  to  perish  where  they  fall  from 
the  impossibility  of  transporting  them  to  the  sea  ;  others,  in  more 
accessible  situations,  are  converted  to  various  human  uses ;  the 
wood  from  its  lightness  and  straightness  is  excellent  for  masts  and 
yards,  and  various  domcstick  purposes  ;  the  juice,  as  tar,  turpen- 
tine, and  pitch,  is  almost  ©f  equal  value  with  the  wood  ;  and  the 


482  SWEDEN. 

inner  bark,  mixed  with  rye  meal,  furnishes  a  coarse  bread  in  time 
of  scarcit}'.  The  mountain  ash,  the  alder,  the  birch,  and  dwarf 
birch,  and  several  kinds  of  willow,  are  found  in  the  Avhole  penin- 
sula ;  the  lime,  the  elm,  the  ash,  and  the  oak,  though  growing  with 
freedom  in  the  southern  parts,  are  incapable  of  withstanding  the 
rigors  of  a  Lapland  winter.  Among  the  larger  shrubs  the  Ger- 
man tamarisk,  and  the  barberry,  are  met  with  chiefly  in  the  south  ; 
the  burnet  rose,  the  gale,  the  raspberry,  and  juniper,  are  hardy  e- 
nough  to  flourish  even  within  the  Arctic  circle.  The  lower  woods 
and  thickets  afford  the  Linnaea  borealis  in  great  abundance,  with 
the  mezereon,  thehepatica,  and  the  cornus  Suecia.  The  firwoods 
yield  two  species  of  pyrola,  and  the  shady  sides  of  the  mountains 
and  alpine  lakes  are  adorned  by  the  serratula  alpina,  tossilago  frig- 
ida,  the  wolfsbane  aconite,  globe  flower,  and  the  splendid  pedicul- 
aris  sceptrum. 

The  dry  rough  tracts  on  the  sides  of  the  mountains  are  covered 
with  the  heath,  the  bearberry,  and  the  Iceland  and  rein  deer  lich- 
en ;  the  one  an  article  of  food  to  the  inhabitants,  the  other  the 
chief  support  of  the  animal  whose  name  it  bears.  The  bleak  sum- 
mits where  even  the  heath  cannot  root  itself  are  clothed  with  the 
beautiful  azalea  procumbens,  and  other  hardy  plants. 

Zoology. ~\  The  Swedish  horses  are  commonly  small  but  spirit- 
ed ;  and  are  preserved,  by  lying  without  litter,  from  some  of  the 
numerous  diseases  to  which  this  noble  animal  is  subject.  The 
cattle  and  sheep  do  not  seem  to  present  any  thing  remarkable. — 
Among  the  wild  animals  may  be  named  the  bear,  the  lynx,  the 
wolf,  the  beaver,  the  otter,  the  glutton,  the  flying  squirrel,  &c. 
Sweden  also  presents  one  or  two  singular  kinds  of  falcons,  and  a 
great  variety  of  game. 

Mieralogy.'^  Of  modem  mineralogy  Sweden  may  perhaps  be 
pronounced  the  parent  country  ;  and  her  authors,  Wallerius, 
Cronstedt,  and  Bergman,  have  laid  the  first  solid  foundations  of  the 
science.  It  would  therefore  be  a  kind  of  literary  ingratitude  not  to 
bestow  due  attention  on  Swedish  mineralogy.  First  in  dignity, 
though  not  in  profit  are  the  gold  mines  of  Adelfors  in  the  prov- 
ince of  Smoland.  The  gold  is  sometimes  native,  and  sometimes 
combined  with  sulphur.  Some  ores  of  copper  are  also  found  in 
the  same  vein,  which  likewise  presents  galena  and  iron.  But 
these  mines  seem  to  be  nearly  exhausted.  In  the  production  of 
silver  Sweden  yields  greatly  to  Norway  ;  yet  the  mine  of  Sala,  or 
Salberg,  about  30  British  miles  west  of  Upsal,  maintains  some  rep- 
utation. The  silver  is  in  limestone  ;  which,  however,  when  it  is 
large  grained  and  free  from  mixture,  contains  no  mineral,  and  is 
styled  ignoble  rock  :  it  is  on  the  contrary  metalliferous  when  fine 
grained,  and  mingled  with  mica.*  There  are  about  100  veins, 
greater  or  smaller.  The  silver  is  rarely  found  native,  but  is  pro- 
cured from  the  galena  or  lead  ore.  Silver  has  also  been  found  in 
Swedish  Lapland. 

The  chief  copper  mines  of  Sweden  are  in  the  province  of  Dale- 

*  Bergman,  Phy.  Geog.  ut  supra,  p.  49. 


SWEDEN.  193 

cSrlia.  On  the  east  of  the  town  of  Fahlun  is  a  great  copper  mine 
supposed  to  have  been  worked  for  near  1000  years.*  The  metal 
is  not  found  in  veins,  but  in  large  masses  ;  and  the  mouth  of  the 
mine  presents  an  immense  chasm,  nearly  three  quarters  of  an 
English  mile  in  circumference,  the  perpendicular  depth  being  a- 
bout  1020  feet.  About  1200  miners  are  employed.  Copper  is 
also  wrought  in  Jemtland  ;  and  at  Ryddarhytte  is  found  iron.  Nor 
is  Sweden  deficient  in  lead  :  but  iron  forms  the  principal  product, 
and  the  mine  of  Danamora  is  particularly  celebrated  for  the  supe- 
riority of  the  metal,  which  in  England  is  called  Oregrund  iron,  be- 
cause it  is  exported  from  Oregrund  an  adjacent  port,  where  the 
Bothnic  gulph  joins  the  Baltic.  The  mines  ef  Danamora  have  no 
galleries,  but  are  worked  in  the  open  air  by  means  of  deep  excav- 
ationsf.  The  ore  is  in  a  limestone  rock,  and  occupies  about  300 
persons  in  twelve  pits.  This  valuable  mine  was  discovered  in 
1488.  Bergman  describes  the  iron  mine  of  Taberg  in  Smoland, 
as  consisting  of  beds  of  ore,  of  a  blackish  brown,  separated  by 
beds  of  mould  without  any  stone.:^  This  enormous  mineral  pile 
is  rivalled  by  an  entire  mountain  of  iron  ore  near  Tornea,  in  Lap- 
land ;  and  at  Lulea  the  mountain  of  Gellivar  forms  a  mass  of  rich 
iron  ore,  of  a  blackish  blue,  extending  like  an  irregular  vein  for 
more  than  a  mile,  and  in  thickness  from  300  to  400  fathom.§  Co- 
balt is  found  at  Basna,  and  zinc  at  Danamora  ;  while  the  mines  of 
Sala  present  native  antimony ;  and  molybaena  appears  at  Norberg. 
Coal  has  been  recently  discovered  in  the  province  of  Scone. 

Sweden  abounds  with  beautiful  granite  ;  but  in  marble  yields 
to  Norway.  Porphyry  also  appears  in  the  mountains  of  Swucku, 
and  many  other  parts. 

The  most  renowned  mineral  waters  in  Sweden  are  those  of  Me- 
devi,  in  eastern  Gothland. 

Sweden  and  Swedish  Lapland  abound  with  natural  curiosities 
of  various  descriptions.  Some  of  the  lakes  and  cataracts  have 
been  already  mentioned  ;  and  it  would  be  in  vain  to  attempt  to 
describe  the  many  singular  and  sublime  scenes,  which  occur  in 
so  variegated  and  extensive  a  country. 

SWEDISH  ISLANDS. 

Sweden  possesses  many  islands,  scattered  in  the  Baltic  sea  and 
gulph  of  Bothnia.  The  long  island  of  Oland,  or  (Eland,  is  in 
length  about  seventy  miles,  in  breadth  about  six.  In  the  north 
are  many  fine  forests  and  quarries  of  stone,  while  the  southern 
part  is  more  level  and  fertile,  and  yields  plenty  of  butter,  honey, 
wax  and  nuts.  The  horses  are  small  but  strong,  and  the  forests 
abound  with  deer,  nor  is  the  wild  boar  unknown.  Freestone,  al- 
um, and  touchstone  are  products  of  CEland  }  and  the  inhabitants 
are  computed  at  near  8000.     The  sailors  belonging  to  die  crown 

•  Coxe,  V.  94.  f  Ibid.  t.  103.  +  Ut  suprt,  p.  58. 

§  In  another  passage,  p.  23,  Bergman  observes  th.it  the  two  mountains  of  Kenin«- 
w«ra,  and  LouBowara,  in  Pitcs  Lapland,  on)y  diyidcd  by  a  little  tjIIcy,  arc  wholly 
c()m]iosed  of  iron  ore. 


ia4  RUSSIAN  EMPIRE. 

are  generally  quartered  here.  Next  occurs  the  island  of  Gothland, 
known  to  the  literary  world  by  the  travels  of  Linnaeus,  about  sev- 
enty miles  in  length,  and  twenty-four  in  breadth  ;  a  fertile  district 
remarkable  for  an  excellent  breed  of  sheep.  There  are  fine 
woods  of  oak  and  pine,  good  pastures,  profitable  fisheries,  and 
large  quarries  of  stone  on  this  island.  Carnelians  and  agates  are 
found  here.  Wisbury  is  the  capital,  the  population  of  which  is 
3,745.  It  was  subject  to  the  Danes  for  near  two  centuries,  till 
1645,  when  it  was  restored  to  Sweden. 

The  isles  of  Aland  lie  in  the  entrance  of  the  gulph  of  Bothnia^ 
between  lat.  59  47,  and  60  30,  N.  and  long.  19  17,  and  22  71,  E. 
They  are  80  in  number.  The  largest,  Aland,  is  40  miles  long, 
and  16  broad,  containing  462  square  miles.  These  islands  form 
seven  parishes,  each  of  which  has  a  church,  besides  which  there 
are  7  chapels.  The  Laplanders  and  Fins  were  the  earliest  settlers. 
The  inhabitants  now  speak  the  Swedish  language.  Those  of  Al- 
and alone,  amounted,  in  1792,  to  1 1,260,  of  whom  a  sixth  part 
were  above  50.  The  revenue  yielded  to  the  crown  amounts  to 
19,936  rix-dollars  ;  and  298  sailors  are  here  registered  for  the  na- 
vy. The  inhabitants  are  employed  in  agriculture  and  fishing — 
The  island  of  Hisingen,  at  the  mouth  of  the  Gotha,  is  16  miles 
long,  and  6  broad,  containing  7  parishes. 


RUSSIAN  EMPIRE. 

THIS  mighty  empire,  tlie  largest  in  ancient  or  modern 
history,  reaches  from  the  gulf  of  Bothnia,  to  the  western  coast  of 
America ;  and  from  the  Frozen  Ocean  to  Turkey,  Persia,  and  In- 
dependent and  Chinese  Tartary.  On  the  Frozen  Ocean,  it  extend? 
from  the  mouth  of  the  Enaza,  in  about  long.  31  E.  to  East  Cape,  in 
long.  190,  E.  or  170,  W.  On  the  Pacific,  it  extends  sovithward 
to  the  mouth  of  the  Amour,  in  lat.  53  20,  N.  On  the  Caspian  Sea, 
its  most  southern  limit,  is  Derbent,  in  lat.  42  8,  N.  The  Phasis 
bounds  it  on  the  eastern  shore  of  the  Black  Sea,  and  the  Neister 
on  the  western.  The  Russian  arms  have  lately  however  penetrat- 
ed to  the  Danube,  and  the  mouth  of  that  river  may  probably  be 
the  Russian  boundary  in  the  next  treaty  with  Turkey.  Polan- 
gen,  in  lat.  55  50,  is  its  southern  limit  on  the  Baltic.  The  countries 
which  it  comprehends,  together  with  fheir  population  aTid  extejit^ 
are  stated  by  Hassel  as  foUowsi 


RUSSIAN  EMPIRE. 


185 


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VOL.   II. 


34 


IJ56 


RUSSIAN  EMPIRE. 


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RUSSIA  IN  EUROPE.  189 

The  data  for  the  population  of  1808  are  these.  Tables  of  the 
marriages,  births,  and  deaths  are  kept  throughout  the  empire — 
The  excess  of  the  births  over  deaths  for  12  years  ending  with  the 
year  1808,  was  4,202,728.  The  ether  addenda,  in  the  following 
table,  are  the-conjectures  of  the  best  Russian  Statistical  writers,  as 
quoted  by  Hassel ;  and  are  probably  near  the  truth. 

Census  of  1793 — 6,-         -         35,166,369 

,         Overplus  of  12  years,  -         -      4,2u2,728* 
Georgia,             -         -         -  210,000 

Kirghis-Cossacks,  -         -         300,000 
Rialystok,          -         -         -  183,300 

Savages,       .         -  -         -      1,000,000 
Ungez  Klassen,           -        -  340,800 


41,403,197 
Or  in  round  numbers,  41,404,000.      To  these  should  be  added  the 
population  of  Russian  America. 


RUSSIA  IN  EUROPE. 

CHAPTER  I. 
HISTORICAL  GEOGRAPHY. 

EXTENT,    BOUNDARIES,    NAMES,  ORIGINAL    POPULATION,  NATIONS, 
TROGRESSIVE    GEOGRAPHY,  HISTORICAL  EPOCHS,    ANTIQUITIES. 

Extent.']  THE  length  of  Russian  Europe,  from  the 
southern  extremity  of  the  Crimea,  in  lat.  44  35,  to  the  northern 
extremity  of  Russian  Lapland,  in  70  N,  is  1470  miles.  Its  breadth 
in  the  north,  from  the  gulf  of  Bothnia  to  the  Uralian  mountains,  is 
about  38  degrees  of  longitude,  or  1200  miles.  Farther  south  the 
country  is  narrower.  The  area  is  estimated  by  Pinkerton  at 
1,200,000,  or  with  the  late  addition  of  Finland  at  1,300,000.  This 
estimate  is  we  believe  more  accurate  than  that  of  Hassel,  who  cal- 
culates it  at  2,006,687.  Probably  however  the  truth  is  between 
them. 

Boundaries.']  Russia  in  Europe  is  bounded  N.  by  the  Frozen 
Ocean  ;  E.  by  Russian  Asia  ;t  S.  by  the  Black  Sea  and  Turkey  ; 
W.  by  Austrian  and  Prussian  Poland,  the  Baltic,  Sweden,  and 
Norway. 

•  This  table  for  1804  was  marriages  311,798  ;  birtlis  1,358,287  ;  deaths  789,818  , 
excess  of  birtlis  568,469. 

t  The  boundary  which  nature  points  out  between  European  and  Asiatic  Russia,  is 
the  Sea  of  Azof ;  the  Don,  as  far  N.  as  Donskaia  ;  a  line  across  to  the  Wolga  ;  the 
Wolga  ;  the  Kama  to  its  rise  in  the  Ui-alian  mountains  ;  and  tlic  principal  chain  of 
those  mountains  to  the  Frozen  Ocean.  But  this  line,  from  Donskaia  to  the  source  of 
the  Kama,  falls  far  east  of  that  adopted  by  the  Russian  Goremmcnt  in  tlie  distiibutio^ 
of  its  provinces. 


190  RUSSIA  IN  EUROPE. 

Alanes.']  This  country,  a  part  of  the  ancient  Sarmatia  or  Scy- 
tliia,  -svas  little  known  to  the  Romans.  The  first  mention  of  the 
Russi,  Ruotzi,  or  Rus&es,  is  in  the  Bertinian  annals,  in  the  year 
839.  They  were,  according  to  Tooke,  a  North-Gothic  or  Scandi- 
navian tribe  ;  and  occupied  at  that  time  Rotala,  in  Revel,  old  La- 
doga, in  St.  Petersburgh,  Alaborg,  in  Olonetz,  and  Kholmogor,  in 
Archangel.* 

Original  Po^iulation.~\  The  Aborigines  of  Russia  were  princi- 
pally the  Finns,  and  the  Slavonians.  The  former  possessed  the 
regions  of  the  Volga  and  the  Dwina  ;  the  latter  dwelt  about  the 
Dneiper  and  the  Don.  A  colony  of  them  penetrated  farther 
north,  and  built  Novogorod.  The  Russi,  or  Russes,  about  this 
time  had  establisJied  themselves  in  the  places  above  specified. 
Soon  after  the  Normanni  (that  is  the  Scandinavians,  or  as  the 
Russians  call  them,  Varagians)  from  the  Baltic,  drove  the  Russes 
into  what  is  now  Finland,  and  brought  into  subjection  five  tribes 
of  the  Finns  and  Slavonians.  These  tribes  soon  revolted,  drove 
out  the  Normanni,  and  established  a  federative  democratic  repub- 
lic. This  was  followed  soon  by  intestine  divisions  ;  and  the  five 
tribes  came  to  the  resolution  of  recalling  the  Russi,  and  of  resign- 
ing to  them  the  sovereignty.  Rurik,  the  first  prince,  came  with 
the  Russi  from  Finland,  to  the  mouth  of  the  Volkhof,  in  862.  The 
tribes  under  his  dominion  were  the  Russi,  who  were  Scandinavi- 
ans; the  Siavi  and  Kiivitsches,  who  Avere  Slavonians  ;  and  the 
Tschudes,  FesseniaTis,  and  Meraenes,  who  were  Finns  ;  extending 
over  the  governments  of  Finland,  St.  Petersburg,  Esthonia,  Livo- 
nia, Pskow,  Novogorod,  Smolensk,  Olonetz,  Archangel,  Vlordi- 
mis,  Joroslaw,  Kostroma,  and  Vologda.  This  was  the  principality 
of  Great  Russia  or  Novogorod.  Soon  after  Oskold,  the  step  son  of 
Rurik,  was  invited,  by  the  Slavonians  of  the  Dnieper,  to  drive  out 
the  Chazares,  a  tribe  from  the  Euxine,  and  to  become  their  Prince. 
This  was  the  foundation  of  a  second  principality,  which  was  called 
Little  Russia.  The  seat  of  it  was  Kiow.  A  considerable  time 
afterwards  a  new  principality  arose  in  White  Russia,  in  conse- 
quence of  the  quarrels  between  the  other  two.  Its  capital,  at 
first,  Avas  Vladimir  ;  and,  after  1 328,  it  was  transferred  to  Moscow. 
In  1240,  the  Mongol  Tartars,  under  Batu,  a  descendant  of  Ghen- 
gis  Khan,  conquered  the  principality  of  Little  Russia,  and  com- 
pelled the  grand  prince  of  White  Russia  to  do  him  homage. 
Many  Tartars  were  thus  brought  into  the  south  eastern  part  of 
Russia.  Little  Russia,  in  1320,  was  subdued  by  Gedimin,  Grand 
Prince  of  Lithuania,  together  with  Smolenck,  Tver  and  Witebsk. 
In  1476,  Ivan,  Grand  Prince  of  White  Russia,  subjugated  the 
Tavtar  kingdom  of  Kazan,  and  in  1477,  part  of  the  pi'incipality  of 
Great  Russia.  Ivan  II.  subdued  Astrachan  in  1554,  and  soon  after 
the  whole  of  Caucasus.  He  also  began  the  conquest  of  Siberia. 
Alexey  reduced  Kiow  and  the  Ukraine,  in  1655  ;  and  Peter  the 
Great,  in  1721,  acquired  the  remainder  of  Great  Russia  and  the 
Baltic  provinces,  and  several  provinces  from  Persia,  on  the  west 
of  the  Caspian.  Catharine,  in  1783,  gained  the  Crimea,  and  in 
*  Tooke,  T.  312. 


RUSSIA  IN  EUROPE,  19  j 

179  \  the  country  between  the  Bog  and  the  Neister,  from  the 
Turks.  In  1793,  she  reduced  Little  Poland  and  Lithuania  ;  and, 
in  1796,  the  rest  of  the  Russian  Polish  provinces.  At  the  Peace 
of  Tilsit,  in  1807,  Russia  wi'ested  from  Prussia  a  great  part  of 
New  East  Prussia,  and  formed  it  into  a  province,  called  Byalistock, 
containing  6379  square  miles,  and  183,300  inhabitants;  and  in 
1810,  she  added  Swedish  Finland  to  her  empire,  as  before  men- 
tioned.* 

J\ations.']  The  Slavonians  arc  at  present  the  majority  of  the 
Russian  Population.  They  compose  five  distinct  classes  of  in- 
habitants. 1,  The  Russian  Slavi  occupy  most  of  the  provinces  of 
Great  Russia.  2,  The  Polish  slavi  constitute  the  chief  population 
of  Witebsk,  Mohilef,  Minsk,  Podolia,  Volhynia,  Wilna,  and  By- 
alistock ;  and  are  found  in  small  numbers  in  the  circle  of  Selen- 
ginsk  on  the  Irtish.  3,  The  Servians,  a  colony  from  the  eastern 
coast  of  the  Adriatic,  to  whom  in  1754,  a  considerable  district  -was 
allotted  in  New  Russia,  on  the  Dnieper.  They  are  now  the  pop- 
ulation of  the  province  of  EkaterinoslaAv.  4,  The  Lithuanians  are 
found  in  Witebsk,  Mohilef,  Minsk,  Wilna,  and  Grodno,  They 
are  every  where  intermingled  with  the  Poles.  5,  The  Lettes  oc- 
cupy four  of  the  nine  circles  of  Livonia,  the  Avhole  of  Courland  and 
Semigallia,  and  the  Bishopric  of  Pilten.  The  Livonian  Lettes  at 
the  last  census  were  226,000  in  number. 

The  Cossacks  ought  here  to  be  described,  a  Tartarian  title  sig- 
nifying armed  nvarriors.  They  are  of  Slavonian  origin,  and  are  di- 
vided into  two  great  branches,  the  Malo-Russian,  or  Cossacks  of 
Little  Russia,  and  the  Donskoi,  or  Cossacks  of  the  Don.  The  for- 
mer are  mentioned  as  a  distinct  people  in  the  14th  century.  Kiow 
was  captured  by  Gedimin,  prince  of  Lithuania,  in  1320.  A  multi- 
tude of  fugitives  from  Little  Russia  assembled  in  the  lower  re- 
gions of  the  Nieper,  and  formed  a  petty  state  with  a  military  fown 
of  government.  Increasing  by  degrees,  they  spread  themselves 
over  the  neighboring  country,  and  about  the  year  1420  occupied 
the  regions  between  the  Nieper  and  the  Niester.  Their  freedom, 
their  petty  wars  with  the  Turks  and  Tartars,  and  their  roving 
life,  rendered  them  brave  and  formidable.  In  1654  they  submit- 
ted to  Russia.  They  are  now  divided  into  nobility,  militia,  burgh- 
ers, and  boors.  Their  warriors  are  very  numerous.  Many  of 
them  serve  in  the  light-horse.  About  the  year  1500,  a  colony  of 
them  crossed  over  the  Nieper  and  settled  in  the  government  of 
Karkof,  Kursh,  and  Vorometz,  in  an  uninhabited  but  fertile  coun- 
try. These  are  the  Slobodian  Cossacks,  and  are  very  numerous 
and  powerful.  A  second  colony,  not  many  years  after,  went  far- 
ther south  and  settled  at  the  Cataracts,  or  Porogi,  of  the  Nieper. 
These  are  the  Zafiorogian  Cossacks,  the  most  warlike  and  fero- 
cious of  all.  In  1775,  their  warriors  were  about  40,000  in  num- 
ber. About  that  time,  in  consequence  of  a  rebellion  in  which 
they  had  been  engaged,  the  Russian  troops  attacked  and  disarmed 
them.  Part  of  them  remained  and  took  to  various  trades.  The 
vest  withdrew  to  tlie  Turks  and  Tartars,  or  roamed  on  the  froTi- 
•  Pagfe  185,  note. 


192  RUSSIA  IN  EUROPE. 

tiers  of  the  6mpire.  These  last,  in  1792,  had  the  island  of  Tai- 
man,  near  the  mouth  of  the  Don,  and  the  country  between  the 
river  Cuban  and  the  Sea  of  Azof,  assigned  to  them.  They  have  a 
well-disciplined  body  of  15,000  warriors. 

The  Donskoi  Cossacks  aie  probably  descendants  of  fugitives 
from  Great  Russia.  They  are  however  a  Russia -Tartarean  mix- 
ture, as  is  evident  from  their  features  and  language.  In  1570, 
they  made  Tscherkask  their  capital,  about  50  miles  from  Azof. 
They  inhabit  the  plains  of  the  Don  in  the  governments  of  Saratof 
and  Caucasus,  as  far  as  the  Siea  of  Azof.  They  are  estimated  at 
200,000  in  number,  keep  a  corps  of  light  infantry  of  25,000  always 
ready  for  marching,  and  can  at  any  time  furnish  50,000  cavalry 
completely  equipped.  The  Wolgaic  Cossacks  early  separated 
from  the  original  stock.  One  horde  of  them,  the  Dubofskoi^ 
dwell  in  large  villages  on  the  Wolga,  at  the  mouth  of  the  Dubof- 
ska,  in  lat.  49.  They  can  raise  3000  warriors.  The  other  horde, 
the  Mtracanskoif  live  on  the  west  bank  farther  down  the  Wolga, 
between  Astracan  and  Tzaritzin,  and  are  equally  numerous.  The 
Orenberg  Cossacks  are  a  later  colony.  Their  homestead  is  about 
the  Samara,  a  branch  of  the  Wolga,  and  on  the  Ural,  nearly  as  far 
down  as  Uralsk.  They  can  bring  20,000  men  into  the  field.  The 
Uralian  Cossacks,  an  earlier  colony,  left  the  Donskoi  stem  in  the 
1 5th  century,  and  settled  on  the  Caspian,  about  the  mouth  of  the 
Ural.  They  now  occupy  the  west  side  of  that  river  from  Uralsk 
down,*  and  can  bring  30,000  men' into  the  field.  Their  capital, 
Uralsk,  contains  3000  houses  of  white  poplar  wood,  and  15,000  in- 
habitants. The  Siberian  Cossacks  are  a  fourth  colony  from  the 
settlement  on  the  Don.  In  the  16th  century  considerable  multi- 
tudes of  the  Donskoi  roamed  eastward  to  the  Caspian,  and,  by  their 
piracies  on  that  sea  and  their  robbeiies  by  land,  provoked  the  an- 
ger of  Ivan  II.  Terrified  by  the  preparations  made  in  1577  to 
chastise  them,  they  dispersed  over  the  neighboring  regions.  A 
troop  of  6000  or  7000,  under  Yermak,  proceeded  up  the''Kama, 
crossed  the  Ural  mountains,  penetrated  to  the  Tobol,  the  Oby  and 
the  Irtish,  and  subjugated  the  Tartars,  the  Voguls,  and  the  Osti- 
aks.  In  1581  he  made  over  his  conquests  to  Ivan.  His  compan- 
ions intermarried  with  the  natives.  The  number  of  the  Siberian 
Cossacks  now  far  exceeds  100,000.  The  greater  part  carry  on 
trades,  and  14,000  do  military  duty. 

The  Finns  compose  12  tribes  under  the  government  of  Russia; 
and  one,  the  Hungarians,  under  that  of  Austria.  The  Russian 
Finns  are,  1.  The  La/danders.,  consisting  of  not  much  above  1200 
families,  (see  Lapland.)  2.  The  Finns,  properly  so  called.  By 
the  reduction  of  Swedish  Finland,  they  are  now  entirely  under  the 
Russian  dominion,  except  a  few  in  Norway.  Their  numbers  are 
1,040,100.  3.  The  Esthes,  or  Esthonians,  in  Esthonia  or  Revel, 
are  computed  at  180,000.  4.  The  Liefs,  or  Livonians,  in  the  re- 
maining five  districts  of  Livonia,  amounted,  by  the  last  census,  to 
257,000,  They  are  considered,  by  many,  as  the  same  people  with 
the  Esthonians  ;  and  Esthonia  and  Livonia  have  received  the  com- 
*  The  KirghisEs  are  on  tbe  east  side  of  the  Ura.1 


RUSSIA  IN  EUROPE.  193 

Ihon  name  of  Liefland.  5.  The  Permians,  anciently  the  only  pol- 
ished and  commercial  race  of  Finns,  now  have  their  home  in  Wi- 
atka,  and  Permia,  and  the  northern  districts  of  the  Oby.  6.  The 
Syriaeyies  are  found  in  Wolagda,  Permia,  and  Tobolsk.  7.  The 
Vogulcs  inhabit  both  sides  of  the  northern  Ural,  and  roam  between 
the  Irtish  and  the  Oby,  the  Kama  and  the  Wolga.  8.  The  Votiaks., 
in  Wiatka,  speak  a  pure  Finnish  dialect,  and  are  about  45,000  in 
number.  9.  The  Tscheraminses  in  Kazan,  Simbirsk,  and  Wiatka, 
are  estimated  at  20,000.  10.  The  Tschuvaaches  reside  in  the  gov- 
ernments of  Tobolsk,  Wiatka,  Nishni-Novogorod,  Kazan,  and 
Simbirsk.  Their  language  is  the  Finnish,  with  many  Tartarian 
words  intermixed  ;  and  they  pay  the  tax  for  more  than  200,000 
heads,  all  the  males  being  taxed.  11.  The  Mordvincs  dwell  on 
the  Oka  and  Volga,  in  Kazan,  Nishni-Novogorod,  Simbirsk,  and 
Pensa.  12.  The  Ostiaks  of  the  Oby,  in  Tobolsk,  are  said  to  be  a 
colony  of  Permians,  and  are  the  most  numerous  of  the  Siberian 
nations.  All  these  various  nations  of  Finns,  though  widely  dis- 
persed, speak  dialects  of  a  common  language  ;  and  have  a  general 
similarity  of  appearance  and  customs.  Yummala  was  the  supreme 
god  of  all  the  Finns,  as  Pcrun  was  of  the  Slavonians,  and  Odin  of 
the  Scandinavians. 

It  should  also  be  mentioned  here,  that  a  mongrel  horde  has  aris- 
en, called  the  Tipteri,  composed  of  the  eastern  Finns  and  the  Tar- 
tars. They  occupy  the  Uralian  mountains  in  Urenburg,  and  are 
found  to  be  fast  increasing.  In  1762,  about  34,000  paid  the  im- 
post.* 

Beside  these  there  are  several  bands  of  European  and  Asiatic 
nations,  dispersed  in  various  parts  of  the  empire.  The  Germans 
are  found  in  Esthonia,  Livonia,  and  Courland  ;  and  form  the  most 
considerable,  though  not  the  most  numerous,  part  of  the  inhabi- 
tants. The  nobility  of  these  provinces  are  chiefly  descended  fix>ni 
the  ancient  Teutonic  knights.  Most  of  the  townsmen  also  are 
Germans.  They  are  numerous  also  in  Petersburg  and  Moscow. 
A  few  Swedes  are  found  in  Wiborg  and  Esthonia.  There  are 
Englishmen  in  most  of  the  sea  ports.  Frenchmen  are  dispersed 
in  considerable  numbers  over  the  empire.  There  are  remains  of 
a  Genoese  colony  in  the  Crimea.  Greeks  are  found  in  Tscherni- 
goff,  Ekaterinoslaw,  the  Crimea,  and  on  the  sea  of  Azof.  In  Eka- 
terinoslaw  are  also  Albanians,  Moldavians,  Walachians,  and  Ar- 
nauts.  Turks  are  found  in  Orenburg,  and  on  the  plain  of  Otcha- 
kof.  In  Astrachan,  Orenburg,  and  Derbent,  are  Persians  ;  and 
on  the  Kama  is  a  colony  of  Persians  and  Arabs.  The  Armenians 
are  numerous  in  some  of  the  large  towns,  and  in  Caucasus  and 
Ekaterinoslaw.  In  Astrakan  are  likewise  settlements  of  Indians, 
partly  from  Hindostan,  and  paitly  from  Moultan.  Beside  these 
there  are  scattered  in  large  numbc;"s  over  Russia,  two  nations  of 
cosmopolites,  the  Jews  and  the  Gypsies. 

Progressive  Geografihij.'\     To  enter  much  into  the  progressive 
geography  of  the  Russian  empire,  would  be  to  write  a  history  of 
its  revolutions.     Till  the  16th  century  this  empire  continued  Jtl^ 
•  Tooke,  I,  297f— 5§4.    For  the  more  cnrtera  putions  «ee  Rutsia  in  ^a< 

VOL.  H.  ^5 


194  RUSSIA  IN  EUROPE. 

most  unknown  to  the  rest  of  Europe,  and  its  geography  must  be 
faintly  traced  in  the  Byzantine  annals,  particularly  in  the  work  of 
Constantine  Porphyrogenitus,  on  the  administration  of  the  empire. 

The  geography  of  Russia,  in  the  middle  ages,  becomes  not  a  lit- 
tle embarrassed  from  its  repeated  sxib-division  into  small  monar- 
chies, which  remained  in  a  state  of  vassalage  to  the  Tartars,  till 
the  year  1462,  when  Russia  emerged  from  this  eclipse,  and  grad- 
ually acquired  its  present  extent  and  consequence.  In  modern 
times,  Russia  has  gradually  extended  he'*  limits  at  the  expense  of 
the  Turks  ;  and  the  addition  of  an  ample  third  of  Poland,  has  af- 
forded her  a  source  still  more  stable  and  fertile  of  men  and  power. 

Historical  Epochs.']  The  following  appear  to  be  the  chief  his- 
torical epochs  of  this  mighty  empire  : 

1 .  The  foundation  of  the  kingdom  by  Ruric,  a  Scandinavian  chief, 
A.  D-  862.     His  descendants  held  the  sceptre  above  700  years. 

2.  The  naval  expeditions  of  the  Russians  against  Constantinople^ 
in  the  tenth  century. 

3.  In  the  same  century  the  baptism  of  Olga  the  queen,  and  the 
subsequent  conversion  of  the  Russians  to  Christianity. 

4.  The  invasion  of  the  Tartars  under  Batu  Khan  in  1236,  and 
the  subsequent  vassalage  of  Russia. 

5.  The  abolition  of  the  power  of  the  Tartars  by  Ivan  III.  who 
died  in  1505. 

6.  The  reign  of  Ivan  IV.  surnamed  Basilowitz,  known  to  west- 
ern historians  by  the  style  of  the  tyrant  John  Basilides. 

7.  The  death  of  the  Czar  Feodor  in  1508,  with  whom  expired 
the  long  progeny  of  Ruric.  Several  im.postors  afterwards  appear- 
ed, under  the  name  of  Demetrius,  the  murdered  brother  of  this 
sovereign. 

8.  The  accession  of  the  dynasty  of  Romanow,  1613,  in  the  per- 
son of  Michael  Feodorowitz,  sprung  in  the  female  line  from  Ivan 
I V.     He  was  followed  by  his  son  Alexis,  father  of  Peter  the  Great. 

9.  The  reign  of  Peter  I.  has  been  justly  considered  as  a  most 
important  epoch  in  Russian  history  ;  but  on  reading  the  annals  of 
the  preceding  reigns  from  that  of  Ivan  IV.  it  will  be  perceived 
that  a  part  of  our  admiration  for  Peter  arises  from  our  inattention 
to  his  predecessors,  and  that  the  light  which  he  diffused  was  far 
from  being  so  sudden  and  grand  as  is  commonly  imagined. 

10.  The  late  reign  of  Catharine  II.  deserves  to  be  commemorat- 
ed among  the  most  brilliant  epochs  in  the  Russian  annals ;  nor 
must  her  personal  crimes  exclude  her  from  the  list  of  great  and 
able  sovereigns. 

Antiquities.]  Of  ancient  moimments,  Russia  cannot  be  suppos- 
ed to  afford  great  variety.  Sometimes  the  tombs  of  their  pagan 
ancestors  are  discovered,  containing  weapons  and  ornaments. 
The  catacombs  at  Kiow  were  perhaps  formed  in  the  pagan  period, 
though  bhey  be  now  replete  with  marks  of  Christianity.  They  are 
labyrinths  of  considerable  extent,  dug  as  would  appear,  through  a 
mass  of  hardened  clay,  but  they  do  not  seem  to  contain  the  bodies 
of  the  monarchs.* 

*  ilei-bin.    Cryptffi  Kijovienses.. 


RUSSIA  IN  EUROPE.  195 

The  conversion  of  the  Russians  must  of  course  have  been  fol- 
lowed by  the  erection  of  many  churches  ;  but  as  Byzantine,  or 
Italian  architects  were  employed,  those  edifices  have  but  few  pe- 
culiarities. Perhaps  no  country  of  considerable  extent  can  afford 
^wer  monuments  of  ancient  art  than  Russia. 


CHAPTER  II. 

POLITICAL  AND  CIVIL  GEOGRAPHY. 

RELIGION,  GOVERNMENT,  LAWS,  POPULATION,  COLONIES,  ARMY, 
NAVY,  MANNERS  AND  CUSTOMS,  LANGUAGE,  LITERATURE,  EDU- 
CATION, UNIVERSITIES,  CITIES  AND  TOWNS,  INLAND  NAVIGA- 
TION, MANUFACTURES  AND  COMMERCE.. 

Heligion.']  THE  religion  of  Russia  is  that  of  the  Greek 
church.  Before  the  year  1588  the  patriarch  of  Constantinople  was 
the  head  of  the  Russian  churches.  In  that  year  Job,  the  metro- 
politan of  Moscow,  was  constituted  patriarch.  He  had  ten  suc- 
cessors. The  last,  Adrian,  died  in  1699,  and  the  office  was  form- 
ally abolished  by  Peter  the  Great,  in  1721.  Its  powers  and  duties 
were  transferred  to  a  council,  called  the  Sacred  Synods  composed 
of  the  Emperor,  Avho  is  president ;  a  vice-president,  who  is  gen- 
erally the  metropolitan  archbishop  ;  and  a  number  of  counsellors 
and  assessors. 

The  clergy  are  divided  into  regular  and  secular.  The  regular 
clergy  are  the  bishops  ;  the  aixhimandrites,  or  abbots  ;  and  the 
igoomens,  or  priors.  There  are  5 1  eparchies,  or  bishoprics,  yield- 
ing each  a  salary  of  from  <G  1000  to  iG  1200  sterling,  per  ann.  Sev- 
eral of  the  incumbents  have  the  title  of  archbishop  ;  but  this  is  not 
attached  to  the  see,  but  a  personal  distinction,  conferred  by  th.e 
sovereign.  There  are,  in  the  whole  empire,  480  monasteries,  su- 
perintended by  abbots  and  priors,  and  containing  7300  monks  ;  and 
74  nunneries,  superintended  by  abbesses,  and  containing  1300 
nuns.  The  principal  wealth  of  the  church  is  centered  in  the  mon- 
asteries. None  of  the  regular  clergy  are  permitted  to  marry. 
The  secular  clergy  are  the  parish  priests.  They  are  cal led /ja/?a«, 
or  fathers.  They  are  the  refuse  of  the  people,  and  are  often  una- 
ble to  read.  Their  salaries  are  very  small.  They  are  obliged  to 
marry  before  ordination,  are  not  allowed  to  marry  a  second  time, 
and  on  the  death  of  their  wives  lose  their  parishes,  unless  the 
bishop  orders  otherwise.  The  number  of  parish  churches,  in  the 
empire,  is  18,350,  beside  several  thousand  cJiapels,  and  the  numer- 
ous churches  of  the  dissenters.  The  whole  number  of  the  clergy, 
regular  and  secular,  is  computed  at  67,900,  without  including  their 
families.     They  are  all  exempted  from  taxation. 

Government!]  The  early  -sovereigns  of  Russia  were  called 
Great-Dukes.  Ivan  II.  assumed  the  title  of  Tzary  or  Czar^  a  Sla- 
vonian word  signifying  A'fn^-,  about  1550,  Peter  the  Great  was 
the  first  who  claimed  that  of  Emperor.     The  sovereign  is  despotic 


196  RUSSIA  IN  EUROPE. 

in  his  authority,  and  arrogates  to  liimself  unlimited  power.  The 
throne  is  heritable  by  both  sexes.  The  reigning  monarch,  how- 
ever, may  appoint  any  one  of  his  own  family  as  his  successor.  The 
emperor  has  a  privy  council,  called  the  Directing  Senate,  subor- 
dinate to  which  are  six  colleges  ;  the  College  of  Foreign  Affairs, 
the  College  of  War,  the  Admiralty  College,  the  College  of  Justice, 
the  College  of  Commerce,  and  the  Medical  College.  These,  in 
their  authority,  extend  over  the  whole  empire.  The  governments 
into  which  Russia  is  divided,  have  each  their  governor  general, 
executive  councils,  and  courts  of  juntice.  The  circles  into  which 
the  governments  are  divided,  have  also  their  respective  courts. 
The  punishments  of  Russia  were  formeiiy  extremely  severe.  But, 
during  the  reign  of  Catharine,  every  species  of  torture,  as  well  as 
confiscation  of  property,  was  abolished.  Capital  punishments  arc 
extremely  rare. 

Laws.']  Immediately  on  the  fall  of  the  Roman  empire,  we  find 
the  Gothic  tribes  sedulously  collecting  and  publishing  their  pecu- 
liar codes  of  laws,  but  it  would  be  difficult  to  discover  any  Slavonic 
code  till  the  1 6th  century,  when  they  emanated,  not  from  the  na- 
tional council,  but  from  the  arbitrary  will  of  the  monarch.  The 
jirst  Russian  code  dates  from  the  reign  of  Ivan  IV.  and  the  late 
empress  had  the  merit  of  drawing  up  a  new  code  with  her  own 
hands. 

P<>fiulatiQn.~\     See  Table. 

ColoniesJ]  Russia  being  a  state  new  in  maritime  affairs,  cannot 
boast  of  any  colonies,  nor  can  this  name  be  applied  to  a  small  es-? 
tablishment  or  two  in  the  eastern  parts  of  Siberia. 

Armij.~\  The  Russian  army,  in  1805,  was  composed  of  the  foK 
Towing  troops. 

Staff  and  other  officers,  1 4,979 

Infantry,  -         -         -         317,110 

Cavalry,      -         ,         -         ,       54,022 
Artillery,         .         -         _  44,052 

Guards,       .         -         -         -       13,103 
Invalid  corps,  -         -  13,920 

Irregular  troops,  -        -    100,934 


558,120 
Kossacks,         .        -        -  51,748 

Tartars,       ....      48,652 
Greek  Volunteers,  -r        -       534 


100,954 


Total,  659,054 

The  army  was  under  the  command  of  5  field-marshals,  74  ^tn-, 
erals,  130  lieutenant-generals,  353  major  and  brigadier-generals. 
The  irregular  troops,  Cossacks  and  Tartars,  had  also  their  own 
officers.  Hassel  also  mentions,  that  since  1806,  Russia  has  had  a 
species  of  national  guards,  or  militia,  to  the  number  of  612,00a 


f 


RUSSIA  IN  EUROPE.  19* 

Mivy.2     In  1805  the  Russian  navy  consisted  of 

Ships  of  the  line,           .         -         -  32 

Frigates,           -----       18 
Smaller  ships,      -         .         -         -  59 

Galley  fleet, 226 

355 
These  carried  4428  guns,  33,507  sailors,  4000  gunners,  and  8262 
marines;  and  were  commanded  by  26  admirals,  13  commodores, 
and  61  captains.     Of  these  ships  there  were  stationed 

1.  In  the  Baltic,  20  ships  of  the  line,  14  frigates,  6  cutters,  and 
19  sloops  and  brigs  :  in  all,  2260  guns  ;  and  of  the  galley  fleet,  20 
gallies,  25  batteries,  81  gunboats,  and  63  yaAvls  ;  in  all,  705  guns. 

2.  On  the  Black  Sea,  12  ships  of  the  line,  4  frigates,  7  brigan- 
tines,  18  sloops  and  brigs ;  11 25  guns  ;  and  40  gunboats,  carrying 
132  guns. 

3.  On  the  Caspian,  6  sloops  and  brigs,  carrying  in  all  70  guns. 

4.  On  the  seaof  Ochotsk,  1 1  sloops  and  brigs,  carrying  36  guns. 
Revenue.^     Hassel  states   the   Russian  revenue,   in    1809,  at 

115,000,000  roubles.  The  rouble  is  equal  to  the  Spanish  milled 
dollar.  This  is  raised,  1.  From  the  crown  peasants,  lands  and  for- 
ests about  20,000,000.  2.  From  duties  and  monopolies  26,000,000. 
3.  From  general  excise  58,000,000.  4.  From  various  other 
souixes  11,000,000. 

The  expenditure  of  1802  was, 

For  the  Court,         -  -  ,     5,209,162 

Civil  List,  -  -  -  8,763,548- 

Ministry  of  the  Interior,  -     9,930,773 

Unterrichtsanstalten,     -       -         2,149,213 
Army,  above,   -         -         -  20,000,000 

Navy,  above,         -         -         -         9,000,000 
The  Russian  debt  consists  of  100,000,000  of  roubles,  in  domes- 
tic debt,  due  for  the  paper  issued  by  the  crown  ;  and  a  foreign 
debt,  which,  in  1786,  amounted  to  6,600,000  roubles. 

Manners  and  Customs.^  As  the  Russian  empire  comprises  so 
many  distinct  races  of  men,  the  manners  of  course  must  be  very 
■various.  The  Laplanders  are  well  known  to  be  a  diminutive  race, 
•who  would  be  amiable  from  the  pastoral  simplicity  of  their  man- 
ners, were  not  their  persons  ugly  and  dirty.  The  Finns  are  also 
rather  short  in  stature,  with  flat  faces,  deep  cheeks,  dark  grey- 
eyes,  a  thin  beard,  tawny  hair,  and  a  sallow  complexion  ;  but  the 
southern  Finns,  though  they  retain  the  national  features,iare  of  su- 
perior appearance.  The  Finns  used  to  excel  in  fishing,  and  the 
chacc  ;  but  they  are  now  much  blended  with  the  Slavons,  and  have 
generally  adopted  their  manners  and  customs. 

The  Slavonic  Russians,  who  constitute  the  chief  mass  and  soul 
of  this  empire,  are  generally  middle  sized  and  vigorous  :  the  tall- 
ness  and  grace  of  the  Polish  Slavons  seem  to  arise  from  superior 
climate  and  soil.  The  general  physiognomy  consists  of  a  small 
mouth,  thin  lips,  white  teeth,  small  eyes,  a  low  forehead,  the  nose 
commonly  small,  and  turned  upwards,  beard  very  bushy,  hair  gea-^ 


\9ii  RUSSIA  IN  EUROPE. 

crally  reddish.*  The  expression  of  the  countenance  is  gravity-, 
with  good  ntiture,  or  sagacity ;  the  gait  and  gestures  lively  and 
impassioned.  The  Russian  is  extremely  patient  of  hunger  and 
thirst ;  and  his  cure  for  all  diseases  is  the  warm  bath,  or  rather 
vapour  bath,  in  which  the  heat  is  above  100°  of  Fahrenheit's  ther- 
mometer. Dr.  Guthrie  has  shewn  that  the  Russians  retain  many 
manners  and  customs  derived  from  their  pagan  ancestors,  and  has 
given  some  curious  specimens  of  their  songs  and  music,  which 
seem  to  be  very  pleasing.  He  has  also  compared  their  dances 
with  those  of  the  Greeks ;  and  finds  in  one  of  them  a  considerable  re- 
semblance of  the  wanton  Ionic,  while  another  resembles  the  Pyrrhic. 
He  observes  that  the  country  girls  dress  in  the  sara/i/ian,  resembling 
the  ancient  stola,  and  bind  up  their  hair  with  the  lenta,  a  ribbon 
like  the  ancient  vitta.  They  tinge  their  cheeks  with  the  juice  of 
the  echium  Italicuin.  When  a  marriage  is  proposed,  the  lover, 
accompanied  by  a  friend,  goes  to  the  house  of  the  bride,  and  says 
to  her  mother,  "  shew  us  your  merchandize,  we  have  got  money," 
an  expression  which  is  thought  to  refer  to  the  ancient  custom  of 
buying  a  wife.  The  Russians  shew  great  attention  to  their  nurses, 
and  are  so  hospitable  that  they  offer  to  every  stranger  the  Khleh  da 
«o/,  or  bread  and  salt,  the  symbol  of  food,  lodging,  and  protection. 
At  a  repast,  some  salt  fish,  or  ham,  and  a  glass  of  brandy,  are  pre- 
sented in  the  first  place  ;  and,  after  dinner,  cakes  made  Avith  hon- 
ey are  usually  served  ;  the  common  drink  is  kvass,  an  acid,  thin, 
malt  liquor  :  the  houses  ai'e  ornamented  with  stoves,  and  among 
the  rich,  by  flues  conducted  into  every  room,  which  is  at  the  same 
time  guarded  with  dovible  windows.  In  several  instances  the 
Russians  form  a  curious  junction  of  European,  and  Asiatic  man- 
ners ;  many  of  their  ceremonies  partake  of  Asiatic  splendor  :  the 
great  are  fond  of  dwarfs  ;  and  some  opulent  ladies  maintain  female 
tellers  of  tales,  whose  occupation  is  to  lull  their  mistresses  asleep, 
by  stories  resembling  those  of  the  Arabian  Nights. 

Language.']^  The  Slavonian  is  one  of  the  primitive  languages 
of  Europe  ;  and,  in  its  various  dialects,  more  extensively  spoken 
than  any  of  the  others.  It  is  the  native  tongue  in  Bohemia,  M  o- 
ravia,  Croatia,  Corinthia,  Carniola,  Sclavonia,  Bosnia,  Servia,  Al- 
bania, Dalmatia,  Poland,  Lithuania,  different  parts  of  Hungary,  and 
Bulgaria,  and  of  Russia,  both  European  and  Asiatic.  The  Russian 
dialect  of  the  Slavonian  is  extremely  rich  and  harmonious.  The 
alphabet  is  the  Cyrilian,  consisting  of  36  letters,*  and  formed  by 
Cyril,  a  monk  of  the  9th  century.  These  letters  are  principally 
the  Greek  capitals,  together  Avith  several  others  added  by  Cyril, 
to  express  sounds  peculiar  to  the  Slavonian.  All  the  Slavonians 
in  Europe  and  Asia,  who  profess  the  Greek  religion,  use  these 
characters.  Tlje  Roman  letters  have  been  adopted  by  the  Slavo- 
nian catholics. 

Literature.']  When  Ruric  entered  Russia,  about  862,  the  whole 
nation  was  plunged  in  the  grossest  ignorance.     Before  the  intro- 

*  Tooke,  ii.  253. 
*  Tooke. — It  originally  consisted  of  .S9  charscters ;  but  as  now  iicodjfied  for  com- 
;iaoii  use,  in  1707,  was  reduced  to  50.    C^^^^J 


RUSSIA  IN  EUROPE.  199 

duction  of  the  Cyrilian,  there  were  no  written  characters.  The 
first  introduction  of  literature  must  be  ascribed  to  Vladimir  the 
Great ;  who,  on  his  conversion  to  Christianity  in  988,  mstitutcd 
schools,  and  passed  a  decree  regulating  the  education  of  youth. 
Yaroslaf  his  son  ascended  the  throne  in  1018,  invited  many  learn- 
ed priests  fiom  Constantinople,  procured  the  translation  of  many 
Greek  books  into  Russian,  ordered  poetical  versions  of  the  psalms 
and  hymns  for  the  churches,  and  established  a  seminary  for  300 
students  at  Novogorod.  For  the  three  next  centuries  the  Tartar 
yoke  subjected  the  nation,  and  its  literature  was  confined  to  its 
monasteries. 

The  Chronicle  of  Nestor,  a  monk  of  Kiow,  is  a  chronological 
series  of  the  Russian  annals  from  858  to  1113.  He  died  about 
1115,  and  was  the  earliest  and  most  interesting  historian  of  the 
north.  Sylvester  continued  the  chronicle  from  1115  to  1123; 
another  monk  carries  the  history  to  1157,  and  another  to  1203. 
The  names  of  these  last  are  not  known.  No  nation  in  Europe  can 
boast  such  a  connected  series  of  history  during  the  same  period. 
Many  historians  and  annalists  have  written  since.  The  Russian 
poetry,  before  the  1 8th  century,  consisted  merely  of  a  few  songs 
and  ballads.  Lomonozof,  the  son  of  a  fishmonger  at  Kolmogori^ 
and  born  in  1711,  raised  it  at  once,  by  his  translations  and  trage- 
dies, but  chiefly  by  his  sacred  and  Pindaric  odes,  to  high  distinc- 
tion and  refinement.  Sumorokof^  the  son  of  a  nobleman,  and  born 
at  Moscow  in  1727,  has  gained,  by  his  tragedies,  his  comedies,  and 
his  histoi-ical  dramas,  the  title  of  the  Russian  Shakespeare.  Khe- 
raskoft  still  later,  has  made  the  conquest  of  Casan  by  Ivan  the  sub- 
ject of  an  epic  poem  in  12  books,  called  the  Rossiada^  a  work 
greatly  admired  by  his  countrymen.  The  Greek  language  is 
taught  in  a  few  schools.  Latin  is  more  common.  Many  of  the 
classics  have  been  translated,  and  several  of  the  most  approved, 
published  in  the  original  at  Petersburg  and  Moscow. 

Education.'^  A  school  was  established  at  Petersburg  by  Cath- 
erine, for  the  instruction  of  200  students,  designed  to  be  masters 
of  the  provincial  schools.  They  are  selected  from  the  different 
seminaries  of  the  empire,  at  20  years  of  age,  and  continue  at  Pe- 
tersburg 3  years.  They  arc  then  sent  to  superintend  the  public 
schools  in  each  government ;  two  in  each  :  one  as  a  teacher  of 
mathematics  ;  the  other  of  history,  geography,  and  natural  history. 
Here  they  instruct  the  preceptors  for  the  smaller  schools  in  tlic 
lesser  towns.  Catherine  also  established  many  seminaries  for  the 
instruction  of  those  intended  for  holy  orders. 

Universities.']  The  university  of  Petersburg,  founded  by  the 
late  empress  Catherine  II.  is  a  noble  instance  of  munificence,  and 
it  is  hoped  will  escape  the  fate  of  the  colleges,  founded  at  Mos- 
cow, by  Peter  the  Great,  which  do  not  seem  to  have  met  with  tl^c 
deserved  success.  The  number  of  the  Russian  universities  wc 
are  not  acquainted  with. 

Cities  and  Toivns.]  Moscow  stands  upon  the  Moskva,  a  branch 
of  the  Occa,  a  tributary  of  the  Volga,  in  lat.  55  45  45  N.  and  Ion. 
37  38  30  E.     It  i*  26  miles  in  circumference.,  and,  according  to  the 


aofj  RUSSIA  IN  EUROPE. 

Russian  academy,  contains  12,548  houses,  and  300,000  inhabitants. 
The  inhabitants  are  of  many  different  nations,  Russians,  Poles, 
Germans,  Cossacks,  Tartars,  Greeks,  Turks,  Chinese,  English, 
French,  Spaniards,  and  Italians,  all  wear  the  costume  of  their  re- 
spective countries.  Each  nation  also  adopts  its  own  stile  of  build- 
ing. The  eye  here  witnesses,  besides  the  buildings  of  the  Rus- 
sians, log-houses  from  near  the  Frozen  ocean ;  plaistei'ed  palaces 
from  Sweden  and  Denmark  ;  painted  walls  from  the  Tyrol  ; 
mosques  from  Constantinople  ;  Tartar  temples  from  Bucharia  ; 
pagodas  and  pavillions  from  China  ;  cabarets  from  Spain  ;  dun- 
geons, prisons,  and  public  offices,  from  France  ;  architectural  ru- 
ins from  Rome  ;  terraces  and  trelisses  from  Naples  ;  and  ware- 
houses from  Wapping.  The  suburbs  are  invested  with  a  low  ram- 
part and  ditch,  and  the  five  principal  divisions  of  the  town  are 
separated  by  walls  from  each  other.  The  Moskva  river  receives 
in  its  course  through  the  city,  the  Yausa  and  the  Neglina.  It  is 
navigable,  except  in  the  spring,  only  for  rafts.  Moscow  contains, 
exclusive  of  chapels,  484  public  churches,  199  of  white-washed 
brick,  and  285  of  wood  painted  of  a  red  colour.  These  churches 
have  numerous  bells,  some  immensely  large ;  one  of  128,000  lbs. 
weight  ;  another  of  288,000  ;  and  another  still  larger  of  432,000. 
Moscow  contains  a  university,  a  monastery,  and  a  foundling  hos- 
pital. 

St.  Petersburg,  in  lat.  59  56  23  N.  and  Ion.  30  25  15  E.  stands 
upon  the  Neva,  the  outlet  of  the  Ladoga,  close  to  the  Gulf  of  Fin- 
land. The  Neva  forms  several  islands  at  its  mouth,  on  the  two 
largest  of  which  about  one  third  of  the  city  is  erected,  and  the  othei- 
two  thirds  upon  the  southern  side  of  the  river.  The  population, 
in  1805,  was  271,137.*  The  houses  are  generally  of  wood.  Those^ 
cf  brick  are  white-washed.  Cronstadt  is  the  port  of  Petersburg, 
as  the  Neva  is  not  navigable  for  large  vessels.  Peter  the  Great 
began  the  building  of  Petersburg  in  1703.  The  exports,  in  1797, 
amounted  to  32,450,91 1  roubles  j  and  the  imports  to  19,366,059. 
1053  ships  arrived  in  1798. 

Cronstadt,  in  lat.  59  58  N.  Ion.  29  53  15  E.  is  built  on  the  south- 
eastern extremity  of  the  island  of  Retusari,  in  the  Gulf  of  Finland, 
10  miles  from  the  northern  shore,  4  from  the  southern,  and  20 
miles  from  Petersburg.  The  harbor  is  excellent  and  strongly- 
fortified,  and  is  the  haven  for  the  Russian  navy  in  the  Baltic.  The 
population  is  40,000.* 

Kiow  stands  on  the  Dnieper,  in  lat.  50  27  N.  Ion.  30  32  15  E.  It 
was  once  the  capital  of  Russia,  and  now  contains  40,000  inhabi- 
tants.* 

Riga  was  built  in  the  year  1200.  It  stands  on  the  Dwina,  ia 
lat.  56  56  32  N.  Ion.  24  8  E.  and  is,  except  Petersburg,  the  most 
commercial  town  in  the  empire.  Its  population  30,109.  The  ex- 
ports are  corn,  hemp,  flax,  iron,  timber,  masts,  leather,  tallow  ; 
^e  imports  salt,  cloth,  silks,  wines,  groceries,  pot-ash,  and  salted 
herrings.  The  Dwina  is  navigable  for  large  vessels,  and  is  here 
2^00  feet  wide.  In  1784,  1085  vessels  entered,  and  1077  cleared 
•  Hnssel. 


r 


RUSSIA  IN  EUROPE.  5p; 

from  this  port.     The  exports  were  6,392,422  roubles ;  the  imports 
1,422,717. 

Wilna,  on  the  Wilia,  a  branch  of  the  Niemen  ;  in  lat.  44  41  2 
N.  Ion.  25  22  E  ;  was  formerly  the  chief  town  in  the  Grand 
Duchy  of  Lithuania.  It  contains  a  university,  and  20,900  inhabit- 
ants.* 

Jaroslaw,  in  lat.  57  37  30  N.  Ion.  39  15  45  E.  stands  upon  the 
Volga,  and  is  celebrated  for  its  manufactories  of  Russia  leather. 
Population  20,000  :  Houses  2754.t 

Tula,  on  the  Upa,  in  lat.  54  55  N.  Ion.  36  36  45  E.  is  celebrated 
for  its  manufactories  of  hardware,  and  furnishes  about  1300  mus- 
kets weekly,  and  cutlery  for  the  whole  empire.    Population  50,000. § 

The  following  are  the  names  of  the  other  large  towns  in  Euro- 
pean Russia,  with  their  inhabitaf^ts,  as  given  by  Hassel. 

Kaluga  19,000,  lat.  54  30  N.  Neshin,  16,000  ;  lat.  51  2  45  N. 
Tver  17,395  ;  lat.  56  50  N.  Orel,  15,524  ;  lat.  52  36  40N.  Odessa 
15,000  ;  lat.  46  29  30  N.  Kursk,  15,180  ;  lat.  51  43  30  N.  Cherion, 
15,000  ;  lat.  46  58  29  N.  Mohilef  12,500.  Mittau,  12,350.  Ach- 
tyrka,  12,788.  Elizabeth-gorod,  12,000.  Woronesh,  12,000.  Rev- 
el, 1 1,800  ;  lat.  59  26  29  N.  Witebsk,  1 1,685.  Charkow,  10,743. 
Bolchow,  10,740.  Tambow,  10,686,  Wologda,  10,529.  Tscher- 
nigow,  10,000.     Archangel,  7,200.     Novogorod,  7,126. 

Inland  JVavigation.~\  The  inland  navigation  of  Russia  des€i*ves 
more  attention.  Among  other  laudable  improvements,  Peter  the 
Great  formed  the  design  of  establishing  an  intercourse  by  water 
between  Petersburg  and  Persia,  by  the  Caspian  sea,  the  Volga, 
the  Mesta,  and  the  lake  Novgorod,  8cc.  but  this  scheme  failed  by 
the  ignorance  of  the  engineers.  During  the  long  reign  of  the 
late  empress  many  canals  were  accomplished,  or  at  least  received 
such  improvements  that  the  chief  honor  must  be  ascribed  to  her 
administration.  The  celebrated  canal  of  Vishnei  Voloshok  was 
in  some  shape  completed  by  Peter,  so  as  to  form  a  communication 
between  Astracan  and  Petersburg,  the  course  being  chiefly  afford- 
ed by  rivers,  and  it  was  only  necessary  to  unite  the  Twertza  run- 
ning towards  the  Caspian,  with  the  Shlina,  which  communicates 
with  the  Baltic.  The  navigation  is  performed  according  to  the 
season  of  tlie  year,  in  from  a  fortnight  to  a  month,  and  it  is  sup- 
posed that  near  4000  vessels  pass  annually.lf 

The  canal  of  Ladoga,  so  called,  not  because  it  enters  that  lake, 
but  as  winding  along  its  margin,  extends  from  the  river  Volkhof 
to  the  Neva,  a  space  of  83  miles,  and  communicates  with  the  for- 
mer canal.  By  these  two  important  canals  constant  intercourse 
is  maintained  between  the  northern  and  southern  extremities  of 
the  empire.  Another  canal  leads  from  Moscow  to  the  river  Don^ 
forming  a  communication  with  the  Euxine  ;  and  the  canal  of 
Cronstadt  forms  a  fourth.  Peter  the  Great  also  designed  to  have 
united  the  Don  with  the  V^olga,  and  thus  have  opened  an  inter- 
course between  the  Caspian,  and  Euxine  seas,  and  the  Baltic  ; 

•  Hassel.  -^  Ha»s«l.  §-.  Dr.  Clarke.  f,  BliHIips,  20,  «« 

VOL.  Ij.  2i  \ 


202  RUSSIA  IN  EUROPE. 

and  the  whole  empire  abounds  so  much  with  rivers  that  many  ad- 
vantageous canals  remain  to  be  opened. 

Manufactures  and  Com7ncrce.~\  Salt  is  perliaps  the  most  import- 
ant manufacture.  It  is  procured  from  salt-mines,  salt-lakes,  and 
salt-sprins^s.  The  richest  salt-mines  are  about  the  TIek,  in  the 
district  of  Ufa:  on  the  Wolga,  in  the  government  of  Caucasus  ; 
and  on  the  Viiui,  in  Irkutsk.  The  first  produces  annually 
8,140,000  pood.  The  salt  lakes  are  the  Elton  in  Saratof,  yielding 
annually  5,700,000  pood  ;  the  salt  lakes  near  Astrachan  ;  those  in 
Kolhyran ;  the  Fauridan,  yielding  annually  3,000,000  pood  ;  the 
Caucasean  ;  and  the  Irkutskian.  The  richest  salt  springs  are 
those  of  Solikamsk  on  the  Kama,  yielding  annually  5,680,000  pood, 
and  those  of  Starraya-Rura,  on  the  Lovat.  The  vegetable  oils  are 
manufactured  extensively.  Trahi-oil  is  procured  in  great  quan- 
tities on  the  Fi*ozen  Ocean,  and  on  the  Caspian.  Ising-glass,  a 
preparation  from  the  air-bladder  of  the  sturgeon,  the  beluga,  and 
the  sterlet,  is  made  on  all  the  larger  rivers,  and  especially  on  the 
Caspian.  The  Wolga  is  the  chief  seat  of  the  manufacture  of  Ka- 
viar,  consisting  of  the  salted  roes  of  large  fish.  Soap,  raw-tallovr, 
and  candles  are  exported  in  great  quantities.  Quas,  a  kind  of 
malt  liquor,  is  manufactured  by  all  the  boors.  Coarse  wines  ,arc 
made  extensively  from  various  kinds  of  fruits.  Brandy  is  distilled 
from  corns  to  the  amount  of  5  millions  of  vedros.*  Aqua-fortis, 
and  aqua  regia,  are  prepared  at  Petersburg.  Potash  and  salt-pe- 
tre  are  extensively  exported.  The  last  is  made  principally  in  Lit- 
tle Russia.  There  are  eleven  private  manufactories  of  iron  and 
copper-vitriol,  and  several  of  magnesia  vitriolata.  Sugar  is  refin- 
ed at  Petersburg,  There  are  more  than  20  manufactories  of  dy- 
ing colours  and  numerous  dye-houses.  The  manufacture  of  med- 
icines is  extensive,  there  being  about  60  establishments  for  this 
purpose.  There  are  sevei'al  large  manufactures  of  tobacco  ; 
about  50  of  paper  ;  very  large  and  numerous  ones  of  paperhang- 
ings  ;  and  several  of  playing-cards.  Printing  is  not  very  exten- 
sive. Sail-cloth  and  cordage  are  made  in  the  greatest  abundance. 
This  is  true  also  of  linen,  of  which  there  are  64  manufactories. 
The  best  comes  from  Archangel.  There  are  8  cotton  manufac- 
tories, some  very  considerable  ;  and  of  silk  not  less  than  40,  in 
which  silk  is  wrought  up  into  almost  every  variety  of  manufac- 
ture. There  are  5  of  gold  and  silver  lace,  at  Petersburg  ;  and  56 
of  woollen  cloths  and  stuffs,  in  the  whole  empire.  Carpet  manu- 
factories are  numei"ous,  and  those  of  hats  much  more  so.  Russia 
leather,  morocco,  shagreen,  in  Astracan,  leather  vessels  and  3 11 
the  common  kinds  of  leather,  are  manufactured  in  abundance. 
There  are  several  large  establishments  for  glass,  earthen-warc 
and  porcelain.  Wax  is  produced  in  great  quantities,  but  is  gen- 
erally exported  unbleached.  There  are  three  public  works  for 
cutting  the  precious  stones.  Pitch  and  charcoal  are  made  in  large 
quantities  by  the  boors.  Powder-mills  are  numerous.  Iron  foun- 
deries  and  iron  works  are  found  every  where,  and  the  articles 
manufactured  are  hammers,  cannon,  anchors,  nails,  wire,  needles, 


•  The  vedi'o  holds  5  gallons,  or  40  pints. 


RUSSIA  IN  EUROPE.  203 

coarse  cutlery,  fire-arms,  and  domestic  utersils.  Copper  and 
brass  works,  and  brass  cannon  foundaries  are  established  in  vari- 
ous places.  Gold  and  silversmiths,  jewellers  and  clockmakers 
are  numerous  in  the  large  towns. 

The  Hanse-Towns  established  commercial  factories  in  Novo- 
gorod  and  Pskow,  in  1276.  Riga,  Reval,  and  Wiborg  were  in 
early  times  large  commercial  towns  ;  and  the  former  flourishing 
commerce  of  Taurida,  is  known  to  every  reader  of  history.  Arch- 
angel had  been  the  chief  commercial  town  of  Russia  some  time 
before  Petersburg  was  built,  and  is  still  a  considerable  port.  All 
the  commei'ce  of  the  White  Sea  is  carried  on  there,  and  the  ex- 
ports in  1793,  consisting  of  Kaviar  potash,  tallow,  wax,  hides, 
hemp,  See.  amounted  to  2,525,208  roubles. 

The  commerce  of  the  Baltic  is  more  considerable,  than  that  of 
all  the  rest  of  th6  empire.  The  exports  amounted  in  1793,  to 
33,604,589  roubles,  consisting  beside  the  articles  already  mention- 
ed, of  iron,  flax,  tobacco,  cordage,  lumber,  soap,  tar,  hemp-oil,  sail 
cloth,  coarse  linens,  furs,  salt-petre,  corn,  brandy,  rhubarb.  Sec. 
The  ports  are  Petersburg,  Riga,  Narva,  Pernau,  Cronstadt,  Wi- 
borg, Reval,  Frederickshamn,  Onega,  and  Arensburg.  Peters- 
burg alone,  exported  to  the  amount  of  23,757,954  roubles,  and  Ri- 
ga to  the  amount  of  8,985,929. 

The  commerce  of  the  Euxine  is  now  fast  increasing.  The  ex- 
ports from  all  the  ports  in  1793,  amounted  to  1,198,395  roubles, 
and  the  imports  to  about  1,500,000.  The  articles  imported  are 
wines,  fruits,  coffee,  and  all  Turkish  commodities.  The  chief 
ports  are  Taganrok,  Eupatoria,  Oczacow,Cherson,  Caffa,  Kertsch, 
Yenicale,  and  Sebastapal.  The  whole  exports  on  these  three  seas 
amounted,  in  1793,  to  37,328,192  roubles. 

The  Russian  ports  on  the  Caspian  are  Astracan  ;  Gurief,  at  the 
mouth  of  the  Ural ;  Kisliar,  on  the  Terek  ;  and  Derbent.  The 
exports  are  cloths,  vitriol,  soap,  alum,  sugar,  leather,  needles,  lin- 
ens, velvet,  glass,  paper,  furs,  hides,  tea,  corn,  butter,  wine,  bran- 
dy, iron,  copper,  tin,  lead,  iron-ware,  clocks,  indigo,  cochineal,  8cc. 
The  chief  imports  are  raw  silks,  rice,  dried  fruits,  spices,  safi'ron, 
sulphur,  naphtha,  gold  and  gold  dust,  precious  stones,  and  pearls 
from  Khiva  and  Hindostan. 

The  foreign  commerce  by  land  is  very  considerable.  Russia 
imports  scythes,  cloths,  linens,  hemp,  flax,  &c.  from  Poland  and 
Prussia,  to  the  amount  of  2,000,000  roubles,  and  exports  various 
articles  to  the  amount  of  five  hundred  thousand  roubles.  The 
exports  to  Persia,  through  Kisliar  and  Mosdok,  amount  to 
one  hundred  thousand  roubles,  and  the  silks  received  by  the 
same  way,  to  200,000.  The  Kirghises  bring  their  horses,  horned 
cattle,  sheep  and  sheep-skins  to  Orenburg,  Troitzk,  Peterpaulosk, 
Yamisheva,  Semipalat  and  Ustkamenogorsk,  to  the  amount  of 
1,500,000  roubles,  and  receive  household  and  other  European 
goods  to  the  same  amount.  The  Chinese  commerce  is  likewise 
a  mere  barter,  and  is  carried  on  at  the  town  of  Kiachta,  on  the  Ki- 
achta,  a  branch  of  the  Bura,  a  tributai7  of  the  Selinga,  in  Ion.  106 
32  E.  and  lat-L^O  N.    The  town  is   separated  by  a  vacant  space, 


2i)4  RUSSIA  IN  EUROPE. 

140  yards  wide,  from  Maimatschin,  a  Chinese  town  ;  the  frontier 
of  the  two  empires  passing  between  them.  The  Russians  export 
furs  and  peltry,  woollens,  velvets,  coarse  linens,  leather,  glass, 
looking-glasses,  hard-ware,  tin,  talc,  cattle,  camels,  iiorses,  hunt- 
ing dogs,  provisions  and  meal,  to  the  amount  of  2,000,000  roubles. 
They  receive  in  return  from  the  Chinese,  silk  and  cotton,  raw  and 
manufactured,  teas,  porcelain,  japanned  ware,  fans,  toys,  tyger  and 
panther  skins,  rubies,  white  lead,  vermillion,  and  other  colours, 
canes,  tobacco,  rice,  sugar-candy,  ginger,  sweet-meats,  rhubarb, 
and  musk,  to  an  equal  amount. 

The  internal  commerce  is  very  great.  The  products  of  Siberia 
alone  in  iron,  salt,  gold,  silver,  furs,  skins,  copper,  &c.  carried  an- 
nually to  Russia,  amounts  to  12,000,000  roubles.  That  between 
the  northern  and  southern  provinces  is  also  more  important.  The 
fairs  held  in  various  parts  of  the  empire,  greatly  facilitate  the  in- 
tercourse of  the  provinces. 

The  annual  products  of  the  national  industry  was  estimated  by 
Tooke,  in  1788,  as  follows  : 

Roubles. 
Grain,  -  *  -  144,000,000 

Brandy,  ..  -  .  15,000,000 

Salt,  -  ,  -  -  4,200,000 

Mines,  -  -  -  -  8,750,000 

Furs, 5,000,000 

Hemp,  flax,  tobacco,  linen,  hemp-oil,  ^      3^000,000 

hnseed-oil,  8cc.  5 

Forests,        .        -        .         .         .         20,000,000 
Cattle  and  horticulture,  -         -         58,050,000 

Fisheries,  -  .  ,  -  15,000,000 


300,000,000 
The  quantity  of  money  in  circulation  at  that  time,  was  estimat- 
ed thus. 

Roubles. 
Gold  and  Silver  coin,  -  -  76,000,000 

Copper  coin,         -  -  .  -        54,000,000 

Paper  money,        .        -        >        .         100,000,000 


230,000,000 
The  annual  increase  of  coin  was  then  estimated  at  5,000,000 
.roubles. 

CHAPTER  IH. 

NATURAL  GEOGRAPHY. 

CLIMATE  AND  SEASONS,  FACE  OF  THE  COUNTRY,  SOIL  AND  AGBI- 
CULTURE,  RIVERS,  LAKES,  MOUNTAINS,  FORESTS,  BOTANY, 
ZOOLOGY,  MINERALOGY,  MINERAL  WATERS,  NATURAL  CURI- 
OSITIES, RUSSIAN  ISLES.  -'J 

Climate  and  Seasons.']     THE  climate  of  Russia  in  Europe,  as, 
may  be  expected  in  such  a  diversity  of  latitudes,  presents  almo&t 


RUSSIA  IN  EUROPE.  ^05 

every  variety  from  that  of  Lapland,  to  that  of  Italy  :  for  the  newly 
acquired  province  of  Taurida  may  be  compared  with  Italy  in  cli- 
mate and  soil.  But  winter  maintains  the  chief  sway  at  Petersburg, 
the  capital,  and  the  Neva  is  annually  frozen  from  November  to 
March  or  April.  The  climate  around  the  frozen  ocean,  and  the 
last  European  isle  upon  the  N.  E.  that  of  Novaya  Zemlia,  or  the 
New  Land,  is  of  noted  severity,  the  northern  side  bein?^  encom- 
passed with  mountains  of  ice,  and  the  sun  not  visible  from  the 
middle  of  October  till  February  ;  while  it  never  sets  during  June 
and  July.  Taurida  presents  on  the  cortrary,  all  the  luxuriance 
of  the  southern  year,  while  the  middle  regions  are  blest  with  the 
mild  seasons  of  Germany  and  England. 

Face  of  the  Country.']  In  so  wide  an  empire  the  face  of  the 
country  must  also  be  extremely  various  ;  but  the  chief  feature  of 
European  Russia  consists  in  plains  of  a  prodigious  extent,  rivalling 
in  that  respect  the  vast  deserts  of  Asia  and  Africa.  In  the  south 
are  some  extensive  ste/ifiest  or  dry  and  elevated  plains,  such  as 
that  above  the  sea  of  Azof,  in  length  about  400  English  miles. 

The  numerous  and  majestic  rivers  also  constitute  a  distinguish- 
ing feature  of  this  empire. 

Soil  and  .Agriculture. ]  The  soil  is  of  course  also  extremely  di- 
verse, from  the  chilling  marshes  which  border  the  White  and  Fro- 
zen seas,  to  the  rich  and  fertile  plains  on  the  Volga.  The  most 
fertile  is  that  between  the  Don  and  the  Volga,  from  Voronetz  to 
Simbirsk,  consisting  of  a  black  mould,  strongly  impregnated  with 
salt-petre  ;  that  is,  a  soil  formed  from  successive  layers  of  vege- 
table remains.*  In  Livonia  and  Esthonia  the  medial  returns  of 
harvest  are  eight  or  ten  fold  ;  and  the  latter  is  generally  the  pro- 
duce of  the  rich  plains  near  the  Don,  where  the  fields  arc  never 
manured,  but  on  the  contrary  are  apt  to  swell  the  corn  into  ton 
much  luxuriance.  Pasturage  is  so  abundant  that  the  meadows  arct 
little  regarded,  and  the  artificial  production  of  grasses  is  scarcely 
known.  Some  of  the  meadows  are  watered,  and  produce  large 
crops  of  hay,  the  dry  pastures  yield  a  short,  but  nutricious  pro- 
duce, and  in  a  few  of  the  steppes  the  grass  will  attain  the  height 
of  a  man,  and  is  seldom  mown.  The  exports  of  tallow  and  hides 
merely,  amounted  in  1793  to  6,862,000  roubles. 

Agriculture  is  hardly  known  in  the  northern  parts  of  the  gov- 
ernments of  Olonetz,  and  Archangel ;  but  in  the  central  parts  of 
the  empire  has  been  pursued  from  time  immemorial. 

In  general  however,  agriculture  is  treated  with  great  negli- 
gence, yet  the  harvests  are  abundant.  In  the  north  rye  is  most 
generally  cultivated ;  but  in  the  middle  and  the  southern  regions 
wheat ;  in  the  government  of  Ekatarinoslav  the  Arnautan  wheat 
is  beautiful,  the  flour  yellowish,  the  return  commonly  fifteen  fold  ; 
nor  is  Turkish  wheat,  or  maize,  unknown  in  Taurida.  Barley  is 
a  general  produce,  and  is  converted  into  meal,  as  well  as  oats,  of 
which  a  kind  of  porridge  is  composed.  Millet  is  also  widely  dif- 
fused. Rice  succeeds  well  in  the  vicinity  of  Kislear.  Hemp  and 
flax  form  great  objects  of  agriculture.  Tobacco  has  been  product 

*  Tookc  i.  67. 


205  RUSSIA  IN  EUROPE. 

ed  since  the  year  1763,  chiefly  from  Turkish  and  Persian  seed. 
The  olive  has  been  tried  in  vain  at  Astracan,  but  prospers  in  the 
southern  mountains  of  Taurida  along  the  Euxine.  The  govern- 
ment of  Moscow  produces  abundance  of  excellent  asparagus  ;  and 
sugar-melons  abound  near  the  Don  and  the  Volga.  Large  or- 
chards are  seen  in  the  middle  and  southern  parts  of  Russia,  yet 
quantities  of  fruit  are  imported.  While  apples  and  pears  are 
found  as  far  north  as  the  49°,  plums  and  cherries  extend  to  the 
55°.  What  is  called  the  Kircfskoi  apple  often  weighs  four  pounds, 
is  of  an  agreeable  flavour,  and  will  keep  a  long  time.  A  transpar- 
ent sort  from  China  is  also  cultivated,  called  the  Nalivui,  melting 
and  full  of  juice.*  Bees  arc  not  knoAvn  in  Siberia,  but  form  an 
object  of  great  attention  in  the  Uralian  forests. 

Jiivers.^     The  Wolga  has  already  been  described. 

The  Niepcr  or  Dnieper,  the  ancient  Boryst/ienes,  rises  in  the 
forest  of  Volonskoi,  in  the  government  of  Smolensk,  near  the 
sources  of  the  Wolga  and  the  Dwina.  Its  course  is  S.  W.  to  Or- 
sa,  S.  to  Kiow,  S.  E.  to  the  cataracts,  and  S.  W.  to  the  mouth  ;  on 
the  whole  W.  of  S.  It  is  the  largest  river  that  runs  v/holly  in  Eu- 
ropean Russia,  has  a  course  of  about  1200  miles,  and  is  the  scene 
of  an  extensive  commerce.  It  has  a  number  of  islands  ;  a  bed 
partly  sandy  and  stony,  and  partly  of  marl  ;  and,  though  a  calcare- 
ous, yet  a  salubrious  water.  From  Smolensk  to  the  Cataracts  it 
is  navigable  in  perfect  safety,  and  as  far  as  Kiow,  its  banks  are 
forested.  Below  Kiow  they  are  mostly  bare  and  bordered  with 
hills  and  mountains.  The  Cataracts  are  13  in  number.  Empty 
barks  pass  over  them  safely,  in  very  high  water.  The  cargoes 
are  carried  by  land  more  than  50  miles.  The  river  below  them, 
a  distance  of  300  miles,  is  perfectly  navigable.  Near  its  mouth 
it  forms  a  marshy  lake,  called  the  Liman,  about  50  miles  long  and 
8  broad.  The  principal  tributaries  of  the  Nieper  are  the  5osA,  the 
Pry/iec,  the  Desna,  the  Soola,  the  Psiol,  the  Vorskla,  the  Sammaray 
and  the  Ingulats. 

The  Don,  the  ancient  ZVzna/s,  rises  in  the  government  of  Re- 
zan,  from  lake  St.  John,  and  pursues  a  course  at  first  S.  E.  then 
S.  W.  and  on  the  whole  S.  of  about  800  miles,  to  the  Bay  of 
Taganrok,  the  N.  E.  part  of  the  Sea  of  Azof  It  has  a  very 
gentle  current ;  a  water  whitish  and  turbid,  but  not  unwholesome  ; 
a  bed  formed  of  sand,  marl,  and  lime  ;  and  here  and  there  broad 
sand-banks  and  islands.  It  freezes  in  November,  breaks  up  in 
February,  and  is  of  the  utmost  importance  to  the  commerce  of  the 
neighboring  country.  The  Voronetz,  the  Khoper,  the  Donetz, 
and  the  Manitsh  are  its  chief  tributary  streams.  Of  these  the  Do- 
netz is  the  largest,  and  is  navigable.  The  Voronetz  is  connected 
by  a  canal  with  a  small  river  emptying  into  the  Okka,  a  branch  of 
the  Wolga. 

The  Bog,  or  Bogue,  the  ancient  Hyjianis,  pursues  a  S.  E. 
course,  from  its  source  in  Podolia,  to  the  Liman,  or  estuary  of  the 
Nieper,  into  which  it  empties  at  Oczakow.  Its  chief  tributaries 
are  the  Ingul,  the  Sinucha,  and  the  Guiloi,  and  its  length  is  about 
400  miles. 

•  Tooke  iii.  340. 


RUSSIA  IN  EURJOPE.  207 

The  Niester,  the  ancient  Tyras,  rises  in  Gallicia,  a  part  of 
Austrian  Poland,  near  the  head  of  the  Vistula,  and  among  the 
Carpathian  mountains.  It  pursues  a  S.  E.  course,  of  about  600 
miles,  and  falls  into  the  Euxine  at  Akerman.  The  Podhont, 
whicli  falls  into  it  at  Chotzim,  is  the  boundary  between  Russia  and 
Austria  ;  and  the  Niester  below  Chotzim  separates  Russia  from 
Turkey. 

The  DwiNA,  or  Duna,  rises  from  a  lake  in  the  forest  of  Vol- 
konskoi,  in  the  government  of  Tver,  near  the  sources  of  the  Wol- 
ga  and  the  Nieper,  and  runs  S.  W.  and  N.  W.  about  500  miles  to 
the  Gulf  of  Riga,  where  its  breadth  is  900  paces.  It  is  every 
where  navigable,  though  in  several  places  obstructed  by  rapids, 
and  is  the  scene  of  an  extensive  commerce.  In  the  spring  it  is 
liable  to  sudden  and  dangerous  inundations.  Its  waters  are  mud- 
dy, and  its  shores  sandy  and  clayey. 

The  Neva  rises  in  Witebsk,  runs  northerly  through  Lake  Jl- 
men  into  the  S.  E.  extremity  of  the  Ladoga  ;  and,  passing  by  the 
southern  shore  of  that  lake,  issues  at  its  S.  W.  extremity,  and 
runs  W.  50  miles,  to  the  head  of  the  Gulf  of  Finland,  into  which 
it  empties  by  several  channels.  Its  length  is  about  450  miles. 
Before  its  entrance  into  the  Ladoga  it  is  called  the  Volkhof.  The 
commerce  on  this  river  is  of  immense  value  to  Petersburg. 

The  SviR  a  navigable  river  connects  the  Lakes  Onega  and  La- 
doga. 

The  Onega  falls  into  the  head  of  the  White  Sea. 

The  NoRHERN  DwiNA  flows  through  a  swampy  and  woody  re- 
gion, and  is  navigable  from  Usting.  Its  western  branch  issues 
from  Kubinskoi  Lake  ;  its  eastern  rises  in  the  government  of 
Archangel.  It  falls  into  the  bay  of  St.  Nicholas,  on  the  eastern 
side  of  the  White  Sea,  at  Archangel,  after  a  course  of  about  500 
miles. 

-The  Kuloi  and  the  Mezen,  are  also  considerable  rivers  empty- 
ing into  the  White  Sea,  from  the  East,  near  its  mouth. 

The  Petshora  is  a  large  river,  rising  in  the  western  side  of 
the  Uralian  range,  and  running  northwesterly,  450  miles  to  the 
Frozen  Ocean. 

Here  ought  also  to  be  mentioned  the  Kamma  and  the  Okka.. 
The  Kamma  is  the  largest  tributary  of  the  Wolga.  It  rises  in 
Perme,  from  the  Uralian  chain,  a;nd  pursues  a  S.  W.  course  of 
800  miles  ;  when  it  unites  with  that  river  about  50  miles  below 
Casan  and  is  scarcely  inferior  to  it  in  size.  The  salt  and  iron  of 
Siberia  are  very  extensively  transported  on  it.  Its  banks  are  gen- 
erally forested  with  the  oak  and  the  fir. 

The  Okka,  or  Oka,  rises  in  Orel,  and  runs  N.  E.  to  Nishni  No- 
vogorod,  where  it  empties  into  the  Wolga.  It  is  navigable  al- 
most to  its  source  and  is  one  of  the  most  important  inland  commu- 
nications of  the  empire. 

Lakes.^  The  Ladoga,  Onega,  and  Enara  have  already  been  de- 
scribed. 

The  Peipus  lies  S.  of  the  Gulf  of  Finland.  It  is  about  60  miles 
long,  and  45  wide.     Through  a  short  and  broad  str&lt  it  receives 


7p»  RUSSIA  IN  EUROPE. 

the  waters  of  the  Pskow  from  the  S,  which  is  about  40  miles  long, 
and  30  broad.  The  Weiika  falls  into  this  latter  lake,  and  is  the 
only  considerable  stream  flowing  into  the  Pcipus.  It  has  two  out- 
lets. The  Fellin  runs  W.  through  the  Wertzerb  to  the  Gulf  of 
Riga.  The  Narova  runs  N.  and  empties  into  the  Gulf  of  Finland 
at  Narva. 

The  BiELo-OzEHo,  or  White  Lake  through  the  Sheksna  emp- 
ties its  waters  into  the  WoJga.  It  is  40  miles  long,  and  24  broad. 
The  bottom  is  a  white  clay,  which,  in  stormy  weather,  occasions 
a  thick  white  foam  on  the  surface. 

The  IlmenIs  about  32  miles  long,  and  24  broad.  Close  to  its 
mouth  stands  the  ancient  city  of  Novogorod,  on  both  sides  of  the 
Volkhof. 

Mountains. J  It  has  already  been  mentioned  that  European 
Russia  is  rather  a  plain  country,  though  some  parts  of  it  be  great- 
ly elevated,  such  as  that  which  sends  foith  the  three  rivers  of  Da- 
na, Volga,  and  Nieper.  This  region  which  it  passes  in  travel- 
ling from  Petersburg  to  Moscow,  is  by  some  called  the  moun- 
tains of  Valday,  from  the  town  and  lake  of  Valday,  situated  on 
the  ridge  ;  but  by  the  natives  it  is  styled  Vhisokay  Plostchade,  or 
elevated  ground  ;  and  no  mountains  are  here  delineated  in  the 
common  maps.  In  this  quarter  the  ground  is  strewn  with  masses 
of  granite,  but  the  hills  are  chiefly  marl,  sand  and  clay  ;  and  what 
are  called  the  mountains  of  Valday  seem  to  be  a  high  table  land, 
surmounted  with  large  sand  hills,  and  interspersed  with  masses  of 
red  and  grey  granite  :  near  Valday  is  the  highest  part  of  the  ridge, 
which  seems  to  be  in  a  N.  E.  and  S.  W.  direction.  The  hills, 
lakes,  and  groves,  are  beautiful  ;  and  there  is  an  island  with  a  no- 
ble monastery.  To  the  south  of  Valday  the  masses  of  granite  be- 
come smaller  and  more  rare  ;  and  calcareous  petrifactions  appear, 
which  are  followed  by  the  clay  near  Moscow.  Mr.  Tooke*  com- 
putes the  highest  point  of  the  Valday  at  only  200  fathoms  above 
the  level  of  Petersburg,  about  1200  feet  above  the  sea  ;  the  height 
is  inconsiderable,  and  gives  a  striking  impression  of  the  gentle 
and  plain  level  through  which  such  extensive  rivers  must  pursue 
their  course.  The  woods  on  the  Valday  are  chiefly  pine,  fir,  birch, 
linden,  aspen,  and  alder  :  the  soil  in  the  vales  is  fertile,  mostly 
clay  and  marl. 

From  the  Valday  towards  the  S.  scarce  a  mountain  occurs,  but 
after  passing  the  steppe  of  the  Nieper,  an  arid  plain  with  salt  lakes 
which  perhaps  indicate  the  extent  of  the  Euxme  at  remote  peri- 
ods, we  arrive  at  the  mountains  of  Taurida,  which  are  rather  ro- 
mantic than  of  remarkable  height,  being  calcareous  and  alluvial. 
To  the  S.  of  this  chain,  along  the  shores  of  the  Euxine,  are  the 
beautiful  vales,  so  Avell  described  by  Pallas,  productive  of  the  lau- 
rel, the  olive,  the  fig,  and  the  pomegranate,  while  the  arbutus 
adorns  the  steepest  cliffs  with  its  red  bark,  and  foliage  of  perpet- 
ual green.  The  caper  and  the  vine  also  abound  in  this  natural 
orchard,  and  the  flocks  of  sheep  and  goats  feeding  on  the  hills,  or 
bomiding  from  the  rocks,  unite  with  the  simple  and  good  humour- 
•  Vol.  i.  130. 


RUSSIA  IN  EUROPE.  20'9 

^  manners  of  the  Tatar  inhabitants,  to  render  the  scene  truly 
pastoral. 

The  chain  of  Olonetz  runs  in  a  direction  almost  due  N.  for  the 
space  of  1 5°  or  about  900  German  miles.  The  most  arctic  part  is 
said  to  consist  chiefly  of  granite,  petrosilex,  and  limestone  ;  and 
is  not  of  great  height,  but  retains  perpetual  snow  from  the  alti- 
tude of  the  climate.  More  to  the  S.  branches  stretch  on  the  E. 
towards  the  gulf  of  Kandalak  ;  the  granite  is  intermixed  with 
large  sheets  of  talc,  and  patches  of  trap  are  found,  particularly 
near  tlie  gold  mines  of  Voytz,  on  the  western  side  of  the  river 
Vyg.  Various  other  ores  occur  in  this  region,  and  veins  of  cop- 
per pyrites  appear  in  the  trap. 

In  the  centre,  between  the  mountains  of  Olonetz  and  those  of 
Ural,  there  se^ms  to  be  a  considerable  cliain  extending  from  the 
E.  of  Mezen  to  the  Canin  Nos,  a  bold  promontory  which  rushes 
into  the  frozen  ocean  ;  but  this  chahi  appears  to  have  escaped 
the  searches  of  curiosity  or  avarice,  by  the  perpetual  snows  with 
which  it  is  enveloped.  The  Uralian  chain  has  already  been  de- 
scribed. 

Forests.']  European  Russia  is  so  abundant  in  forests  that  it 
would  be  vain  to  attempt  to  enumerate  them.  There  are  pro- 
digious forests  between  Petersburg  and  Moscow,  and  others  be- 
tween Vladimir  and  Arzomas.  Further  to  the  S.  there  seems  t» 
have  been  a  forest  of  still  greater  extent,  probably  the  Riphaean 
forest  of  antiquity  in  the  direction  of  the  rich  black  soil  so  re- 
markable for  its  fei-tility. ' 

Botany.']  When  we  consider  the  vast  extent  of  territory  com- 
prehended under  the  European  sovereignty  of  Russia,  from  the 
frozen  shore  of  Archangel  to  the  delicious  climate  of  the  Crimea, 
and  that  the  whole  of  this  great  empire  has  scarcely  produced  a 
single  naturalist  of  any  eminence,  all  that  is  knosvn  of  its  vegeta- 
bles, animals,  and  minerals,  being  collected  for  the  most  part  with- 
in the  last  forty  years  by  a  few  foreigners,  under  the  munificent 
patronage  of  Catharine  II,  it  will  be  evident  that  the  rudiments 
alone  of  the  Russian  flora  can  as  yet  be  extant.  The  provinces 
bordering  upon  the  Baltic,  and  the  newly  acquired  government  of 
Taurida,  have  been  examined  with  some  attention  ;  and  a  feif 
striking  features  of  the  botany  of  the  interior  of  the  country  have 
been  described  by  travellers  ;  but  many  years  of  patient  research 
must  elapse  before  tJie  natural  history  ol  Russia  is  advanced  to  an 
•cjual  degree  of  accuracy  with  that  of  the  western  parts  of  Europe. 

The  Russian  provinces  N.  of  the  Baltic,  contain  the  same  plants 
as  those  of  Swedish  and  Norwegian  Lapland,  which  will  be  hereaf- 
ter described.  Such  as  extend  between  the  50th  and  60th  deg. 
lat.  abound  principally  in  the  common  vegetables  of  the  N.  of 
France  and  Germany,  some  of  which,  however,  are  wanting,  on 

•  Mr.  Coxe,  Travels  in  Poland,  &c.  Tol.  i,  S23,  341,  desciiljos  tlie  vast  forest  of 
Volkouski,  as  beginning  near  Viasmar,  and  continuii.g  to  Uie  g»«te.«  of  Moscow,  as  h* 
travcllerl  through  it  without  ii<teriin>tionfor  150  miles.  Ho  says  that  the  Volga,  U"n«t 
ami  Neiper,  arise  in  this  immense  forcM,  ttliich  consists  of  oake,  beech,  inouBt«»n^**i» 
jopl;ij .  './nies,  an4  firs,  itdj)gle«l  t&getber  in  eudless  variety. 

yu,  u.  27 


210  RUSSIA  IN  EUROPE. 

account  of  the  greater  severity  of  the  Russian  winters,  from  their 
proximity  to  the  vast  plains  of  Tatary,  and  the  forests  of  Siberia-. 
The  trees  of  most  use,  and  in  greatest  abundance  are,  the  fir ;  the 
Scotch  pine  ;  the  yew-leaved  fir ;  and  the  lai'ch  :  all  of  which 
mingled  together,  form  the  vast  impenetrable  forests,  whence  the 
rest  of  Europe  is  principally  supplied  with  masts,  deals,  pitch, 
and  tar.  The  other  forest  trees  are,  the  elm,  the  lime,  of  the  in- 
ner bark  of  which  the  Russian  mats  arc  made,  and  from  whose 
blossoms  tiie  immense  swarms  of  wild  bees  collect  the  chief 
part  of  their  honey  ;  the  birch,  the  alder,  the  aspen,  the 
greater  maple,  and  the  sycamore  ;  of  the  shrubs  and  humbler 
plants,  those  of  most  importance  are  the  cloud-berry,  the  cranber- 
ry, the  bear -berry,  the  stone  bramble  ;  the  fruit  of  all  which,  for 
want  of  better,  is  highly  esteemed,  and  is  either  eaten  fresh,  or  is 
preserved  in  snow  during  the  winter.  Quittinig  the  pine  forests 
of  the  N.  and  middle  of  Russia,  if  we  turn  our  attention  to  the  few 
vegetable  productions  that  have  as  yet  been  noticed  amidst  the 
myriads  that  adorn  and  enrich  the  broad  vales  of  tlie  Don  and  the 
Neiper,  that  glow  upon  the  warm  shores  of  the  Black  sea,  or 
luxuriate  in  the  delicious  recesses  of  Taurida,  we  shall  see  what 
a  rich  harvest  is  reserved  for  future  naturalists,  and  with  what 
case  the  inhabitants,  when  once  become  civilized,  may  avail  them- 
selves of  the  uncommon  bounties  of  their  soil.  Here  rises  in  state- 
ly majesty  for  future  navies,  the  oak,  both  the  common  kind  and 
the  species  with  prickly  cups,  the  black  and  the  white  poplars  of 
unusual  size,  skirt  along  the  margins  of  tlie  streams,  the  ash,  the 
horn  beam,  the  nettle  tree,  occupy  the  upland  pastures,  and  the 
elegant  beech  crowns  the  summits  of  the  lime  stone  ridges.  Of 
the  fruit -bearing  shrubs  and  trees,  besides  the  gooseberry,  the 
red,  the  white,  and  the  black  currant,  which  are  dispersed  in 
abundance  through  the  woods,  there  are  the  almond  and  peach  ; 
the  api'icot  and  crab-cherry  :  the  medlar  ;  the  walnut ;  the  Ta- 
tarian,  the  black,  and  white  mulberry  ;  the  olive  ;  the  Chio  tur- 
pentine tree  ;  the  hazle  nut ;  the  fig ;  the  vine  and  the  pome- 
granate. 

Zoology.']  The  zoology  of  Russia  is  vast  and  various,  and  only  a 
very  slight  sketch  can  here  be  attempted.  The  more  peculiar  ani- 
mals are  the  white  bear  of  Novaya  Zemlia,  and  the  souslik  of  the 
S.  In  the  more  northern  parts  are  found  the  the  wolf,  the  lynx, 
the  elk  ;  nor  is  the  camel  unknown  in  the  lower  latitudes.  The 
animals  in  the  centre  seem  common  to  the  rest  of  Europe.  Among 
the  more  useful  animals  the  horse  has  met  with  deserved  atten- 
tion, and  the  breed  in  many  parts  of  the  empire  is  large,  strong, 
and  beautiful. 

Even  the  country  near  Archangel  is  remarkable  for  excellent 
pasturage  and  fine  cattle,  which  may  be  said  in  general  to  abound 
ift  the  empire.  The  sheep  in  the  northern  provinces  are  of  a  mid- 
dle size,  short  tailed,  and  the  wool  coarse  -,  nor  is  proper  attention 
paid  towards  improving  the  breed.  Those  in  the  S.  are  long  tail- 
ed, and  yield  a  superior  wool  ;  but  the  best  is  fx'om  the  ancient 
kingdom  of  Kazan,  and  other  regions  in  the  east. 


RUSSIA  IN  EUROPE.  211 

In  Taurida  it  i§  said  that  common  Tatars  may  possess  about 
1000  sheep,  while  an  opulent  flock  is  computed  at  50,000;  those 
of  the  whole  peninsula  were  supposed  to  amount  to  7,000,000  : 
nor  is  the  rein-deer  unknown  in  the  furthest  N.  ;  so  that  the  em- 
pire may  be  said  to  extend  from  the  latitude  of  the  rein-deer  to 
that  of  the  camel. 

Mineralogy.']  Peter  the  Great  was  the  founder  of  the  Russian 
mineralogy,  by  the  institution  of  the  College  of  Mines  in  1719. 
As  the  control  of  this  college  extends  over  the  empire,  we  shall 
include  under  this  article  an  account  of  all  its  valuable  mines. 
There  arc  two  proper  gold  mines.  That  of  Beresof.,  near  Ekate- 
rinenburg,  on  the  Ural,  employs  2000  workmen  ;  and,  at  present, 
yields  annually  from  7  to  8  pood  of  pure  gold,  valued  at  from  70 
to  80,000  roubles.  The  whole  produce  from  1754  to  1788,  was 
120  pood,  valued  at  1,200,000  roubles. 

The  Voytzer  mines  on  the  mountains  of  Olonetz  have  latterly 
been  abandoned. 

The  Silver ^xnvnQs  of  Kolhyvan  are  in  the  Altaian  range.  That 
©f  the  Schlangenburg  is  one  of  the  richest  ever  known.  The  pro- 
duce of  these  mines  from  1745  to  1787  was  24,460  pood  of  fine 
silver,  and  830  of  gold,  valued  at  30,000,000  roubles.  The  whole 
expence  only  7,000,000  roubles. 

The  silver  and  lead  mines  of  Nertschinsk  are  in  Dauria  near 
the  Amour.  From  1704  to  1787  they  produced  11,644  pood  of 
silver,  and  32  of  gold,  both  valued  at  10,000,000  roubles.  The 
cofifier  mines  in  the  Uralian  chain,  bad,  in  1779,  60  founderies, 
containing  229  furnaces,  and  yielded,  in  1782,  190,752  pood  of 
eopper.  A  Coppermine  in  the  Altai  yielded  in  1782, 18,793  pood. 
The  value  of  both  was  about  2,000,000  roubles.  The  iron  mines 
in  the  Ural  chain  yielded,  in  1782,  3,940,000  pood  of  iron  ;  which, 
added  to  the  product  of  the  mines  of  Siberia  and  Olonetz,  made  a 
total  of  about  5,000,000  pood,  valued  at  4,500,000  roubles.  In  1793 
the  manufactured  and  unmanufactured  iron  exported  amounted  to 
3,033,249  pood,  valued  at  5,204,125  roubles. 

Lead  is  found  in  all  the  mines,  particulai'ly  in  those  of  Nert- 
schinsk, and  the  Altai.  The  product  of  the  former  is  about  30,000 
pood.  Arsenic  is  found  in  all  the  mineral  mountains.  Antimony 
is  abundant  in  the  Nertschinsk  mines,  and  zinc  ore  in  those  of  the 
Altaian.  Quicksilver  has  been  found  in  Nertschinsk,  and  near 
Ochotsk.  Russia  has  valuable  stores  of  porphyry,  jasper,  agate, 
chalcedony,  cornelian,  onyx,  rock  chrystal,  beryl,  garnet,  lapis 
lazuli,  and  alabaster.  White  marble  equal  to  the  Parian  is  found 
in  the  Uralian  quari'ies  ;  yellow,  grey  and  cloudy  marble  are  found 
in  the  greatest  abundance  in  Wyborg,  and  Olonetz.  Quartz  is 
found  every  where.  The  argillaceous  earths  are  abundant.  Turf 
and  coal  are  found  in  some  parts.  Sulphur  is  in  sufficient  quan- 
tities to  supply  the  empire.  Glauber  and  bitter  salts,  alum,  sal 
ammoniac,  vitriol,  saltpetre  and  natron  arc  in  vast  profusion. 
Common  salt  has  already  been  mentioned. 

Mineral  'waters.']  European  Russia  being  a  plain  country  can 
hoast  of  few  mineral  waters,  the  most  celebrated  is  near  Sarepta 


«I2  POLAND. 

on  the  Volga,  discovered  in  1 775.  The  springs  are  here  numerous 
and  copious,  and  stron«riy  impregnated  with  iron.  In  the  district 
of  Perekop,  and  on  the  isle  of  Taman,  belonging  to  the  govern- 
ment  of  Taurida,  there  are  springs  of  Naphtha.* 

JVatural  curiosities.']  The  natural  curiosities  of  Russia  in  Eu- 
rope have  scarcely  been  enumerated,  except  those  which  indicate 
tjie  severity  of  winter  in  so  northern  a  clime.  Not  to  mention  the 
rocks  of  ice,  of  many  miles  in  extent  and  surprising  height,  which 
navigate  the  frozen  ocean,  adoi'ned  like  cathedrals  with  pinnacles, 
which  reflect  a  thousand  colours  in  the  sun,  or  Aurora  Borealis  ; 
it  is  well  known  that  the  Empress  Anne  built  a  palace  of  ice,  on 
the  bank  of  the  Neva,  in  1740,  wliich  was  52  feet  in  length,  and 
wlien  illuminated  had  a  surprising  eflFect. 

RUSSIAN  ISLES. 

Nova  Zembla,  or  Novaya  Zemlia,  is  separated  from  the 
northern  shore  of  Europe,  by  the  streights  of  Weygat.  It  is  said 
to  consist  of  5  islands,  but  the  passages  between  them  are  always 
filled  with  ice.  The  most  northern  point  is  called  Ys-hoek  or  Icy 
Cape,  and  is  in  lat.  77^  N.  The  n>imber  of  square  miles,  as  given 
by  Hassel,  is  125,264.  The  island  nearest  the  shore  is  called 
Weygatz,  on  the  maps.  Nova  Zembla  is  uninhabited.  Hunters 
however  resort  thither  from  Archangel  and  Mezcn  for  rein-deer, 
white  bears,  white  and  blue  foxes;  and  fishermen  for  whales, 
belugas,  spermaceti  whales,  morses,  dolphins,  sea-hogs,  seals,  sea- 
bears,  sea-lions,  and  sea-otters.  Stockfish,  also,  and  herring  and 
white-fish  are  abundant  in  the  surrounding  ocean.  The  islands 
zxe  well  supplied  with  water,  but  are  rocky,  unfruitful,  and  desti- 
tute of  wood.  Ice  mountains  entirely  encompass  tliem  on  the 
north.  The  snow  falls  to  tlie  depth  of  9  feet.  The  sun  does  not 
set  in  May,  June,  or  July. 

K.algueva,  or  Colguef,  is  a  much  smaller  island,  lying  at  n» 
great  distance  east  of  the  mouth  of  the  White  Sea.^  The  isle  of 
Oronstadt  has  beep  mentioned. 


POLAND. 

JAnrte."]  POLU  or  Pole  in  the  Sclavonian  is  said  to  denote 
a  country  fit  for  hunting,  a  name  very  properly  applied  to  Poland 
as  It  is  one  extensive  plain  with  few  unevenesses  of  surface. 

Extent.']  Before  its  dismemberment  Poland  was  in  size  the 
second  country  in  Europe  ;  its  length  being  about  700  miles  and 
its  breadth  680.  It  lay  between  16°  and  34°  E.  and  between  46° 
30'  and  57°  35'  N.  The  Dwina  and  the  Neiper  separated  it  from 
Hussia,  the  Niester  from  Turkey,  and  the  Carpathian  mountains 
from  Hungarjr. 

•  Tooke,i..2a3: 


POLAN». 


213 


Divisions-']  Lithuania  the  northeastern  part  of  Poland,  was 
formerly  an  independent  state  with  the  title  of  a  Grand  Duchy. 
In  1386  Ladislaus  Jaghellon,  the  grand  duke,  and  son-in-law  of 
the  Polish  king,  was  raised  to  the  throne  of  Poland.  In  1401  an 
offensive  and  defensive  alliance  was  entered  into  between  the  two 
states  ;  and  in  1413  the  nomination  of  the  grand  duke  was  given 
to  the  King  of  Poland.  In  1569,  Lithuania  was  made  an  integral 
pait  of  Poland,  and  the  King  of  Poland  was  constituted  ex-ofhcio 
the  grand  duke  of  Lithuania. 

About  1320  Gedimin,  grand  duke  of  Lithuania,  conquered  from 
Russia,  Smolensk,  Polotsk,  Iver,  Witebsk,  and  Kiow  with  the 
Slobodian  Ukraine  east  of  the  Neiper.  Several  of  these  were  re- 
conquered in  1477.  About  1600  Russia  lost  to  Poland  Smolensk, 
Mohiiew  and  Tschernigow.  Kiow  and  the  Ukraine  were  reclaimed 
by  Russia  in  1655  ;  at  the  first  dismemberment  in  1773  Smolensk, 
Witepsk,  Mobilew  and  Polish  Livonia.  In  1793  the  second  divi- 
sion of  this  country  took  place  between  Russia,  Prussia,  and  Aus- 
tria ;  and  in  1795  the  kingdom  was  annihilated. 

The  following  table  exhibits  the  divisions  of  Poland  in  1793, 
the  state  to  which  they  fell,  and  their  extent  in  square  miles. 


Provinces. 

Great  Poland  on  the  West  to 
Prussia.  In  1807  however 
with  Masovia  it  was  taken 
from  Prussia  and  both  were 
formed  into  the  Duchy  of 
Warsaw,  and  given  to  Sax- 
ony, 


Little  Poland  on  the  S.  W.  to 
Prussia  and  Austria, 

Prussia  Royal  to  Prussia, 

Prussia  Ducal  to  Prussia, 

Samagitia  to  Russia, 

Courland  (Dutchy  of)  to  Rus- 
sia, 

Lithuania  chiefly  to  Russia 
partly  to  Prussia,  In  1 807 
the  southern  half  of  the 
Prussian  part,  together  with 
a  part  of  Podolachia,  were 
ceded  to  Russia,  and  formed 
into  the  province  of  Bialy- 
stock, 

Masovia  chiefly  to  Prussia, 
.  partly  to  Austria, 

Podolachia  chiefly  to  Prussia, 
partly  to  Austria, 


< 


Palatinates. 
Romania 
Kallitz 
Birsest 
Vladislaw 
Dobrzin 
Plotzko 
Rawa 
Lenzits 
Sieradz 
Inowlodz 

J  Cracow 
Sandomir 
^Lublin 


C  Courland  Proper 
I  Semigallia 
"Wilna 

Braslaw 

Polotsk 

Witebsk 

Iroki 

Minsk 

Micislaf 

Novogrodek 


Sq.  Miles. 


S,   19.200 


i 


18,000 

6,400 
8,900 
8,000 

4,400 


>  64,800 


84,000 


*poo 


214  POLAND. 

Provinces.  Palatinates.  Sq.  "Miles. 

Polesia  or  Birsetsk,  chiefly  to   ? 

Russia,  partly  to  Austria,       5  1 4,000 

rChelm  1 

Red  Russia  to  Austria,  -j  Beltz  L  25,200 

(.Lemburg  or  Leopold  J 
Podolia  chiefly  to  Russia  part-   }  ' 

ly  to  Austria,  J  ' 

Volhynia  to  Russia,  25,000 

235,300 

Historical  E/wchs.']  I.  The  comTnencement  of  the  authentic 
history  of  Poland  at  the  ascension  of  Piast  in  842. 

2.  The  introduction  of  Christianity  in  992. 

3.  The  assumption  of  the  title  of  king  by  Uladislaus  duke  of 
Poland  and  father  of  Casimir  the  great,  in  1320. 

4.  The  ascension  of  the  house  of  Jaghellon,  dukes  of  Lithuania 
in  1386.  They  ruled  in  hereditary  succession  till  1572,  Previous 
to  this  the  throne  had  been  sometimes  hereditary  and  sometimes 
elective. 

5.  In  1574  the  throne  becomes  merely  elective  in  the  person  of 
Henry  de  Valois. 

6.  John  Sobieski  king  of  Poland  forced  the  Turks  to  raise  the 
siege  of  Vienna,  which  was  the  last  valiant  action  of  the  Poles. 

7.  The  first  dismemberment  of  the  kingdom  in  1773. 

8.  The  second  dismemberment  in  1793. 

9.  The  annihilation  of  the  monarchy  in  1795. 

Antiquities.']  The  Polish  coinage  begins  about  the  12th  centu- 
ry, and  is  on  the  German  model. 

Religiori.]  Most  of  the  Poles  are  catholics.  The  Baltic  prov- 
inces are  inhabited  chiefly  by  Lutherans.  There  are  many  of  the 
Greek  church  in  Podelia  Volhinia,  ^nd  the  Ukraine  ;  and  a  con- 
siderable number  of  Jews  and  Mahometan  Tatars  in  Lithuania. 
The  whole  number  of  Jews  after  the  first  dismemberment  was 
601,479.  There  were  two  archbishoprics  and  13  bishoprics  in 
Poland.  The  monasteries  were  said  to  be  576  in  number  ;  the  nun- 
neries 117,  besides  246  seminaries  and  31  abbeys;  the  secular 
clergy  18,369  ;  the  regular  clergy  10,189  ;  nuns  2,579. 

Government.']  Poland  was  an  elective  monarchy.  The*suprcme 
power  was  vested  in  the  diet  consisting  of  the  king,  the  senate,  and 
the  gentry. 

The  King  was  the  fountain  of  honour,  oi  titles,  and  of  oflices. 
He  presided  in  the  Diet.  The  Senate  was  composed  of  spirit- 
ual and  temporal  Lords.  The  spiritual  lords  had  the  precedence. 
The  archbishop  of  Gnesna  was  its  president.  The  temporal  lords 
were  the  Palatines  or  governors  of  the  palatinates,  the  Castel- 
lans or  commanders  of  the  troops,  in  the  respective  palatinates 
and  the  1 6  ministers  of  state.  The  Senators  before  the  first  dis- 
memberment were  appointed  by  the  King.  The  Nuntios  or  rep- 
resentatives of  the  gentry  were  chosen  by  the  gentlemen  of  each 
Palatinate.     The  Diet  met  ordinarily  once  in  two  years  and  covild 


POLAND,  215 

continue  in  session  onlj'  6  weeks,  Each  member  of  either  house 
had  the  right  of  exercising  the  Liberuin  -veto  ;  or,  by  his  single 
negative,  of  suspending  and  preventing  every  law  and  every  res- 
olution. This  was  perhaps  the  prime  cause  of  the  ruin  of  Po- 
land. 

Po/iulatwn.']  By  the  first  partition  in  1773,  Russia  gained  about 
1,500,000  inhabitants,  Austria  2,500,000,  and  Prussia  860,000. 
By  the  final  partition,  Russia  gained  4,592,544,  Austria  2,075,686, 
and  Prussia  1,037,742.  The  whole  gain  of  Russia  was  therefore 
about  6,100,000  ;  that  of  Austria  4,600,000  ;  and  that  of  Prussia 
1,900,000;  making  a  total  of  about  12,500,000  inhabitants.  The 
territory  acquired  by  Russia  was  far  the  most  extensive  j  that  of 
Prussia  the  most  commercial. 

^r7ny.']  Poland  maintained  in  1778  a  standing  army  of  about 
20,000  men  of  whom  7,500  were  furnished  by  Lithuania. 

Revenue.l^  The  disbursements  almost  always  exceeded  the 
revenue.  The  receipts  in  1789  were  from  Poland  28,237,306 
florins,  from  Litlmania,  9,339,930  ;  total  37,577,236.  The  expen- 
ditures in  that  year  were,  Poland  29,809,688  florins,  Lithuania 
12,763,136;  total  42,572,824. 

Manners  and  cust07ns.^  The  Poles  were  divided  into  four 
classes,  nobles,  clergy,  citizens,  and  peasants.  All  who  possessed 
freehold  estates,  and  all  who  were  descended  from  such  were  no- 
bles. The  clergy  were  numerous  and  amenable  to  the  civil  pow- 
er. The  burghers  were  the  inhabitants  of  towns,  they  had  no  right 
"  to  vote  for  the  nuntios.  The  peasants  were  slaves  transferable 
like  cattle  from  one  master  to  another.  Many  of  these  were  Ger- 
mans introduced  into  Poland  by  Casimir  the  great. 

"  The  feaiui'es  of  the  Poles  and  their  general  appearance  are 
rather  Asiatic  than  European.  Men  of  all  ranks  wear  whiskers 
and  shave  their  heads,  leaving  only  a  circle  of  hair  on  the  crown. 
The  dress  of  the  higher  orders  is  uncommonly  elegant.  That  of 
the  gentlemen  is  a  waistcoat  with  sleeves  over  which  they  wear  an 
upper  robe  of  a  diff"erent  color,  which  reaches  down  below  the 
knee  and  is  fastened  by  a  sash  or  girdle.  The  sleeves  of  this  up- 
per garment  are  in  warm  weather  tied  behind  the  shoulders  ;  a 
sabre  is  a  necessary  part  of  their  dress  as  a  mark  of  gentility.  In 
summer  the  robe,  8cc.  is  of  silk ;  in  whiter  of  cloth  velvet  or  stuff 
edged  with  fur.  They  wear  caps  bonnets,  and  buskins  of  yel- 
low leather,  the  heels  of  which  are  plated  with  iron  or  sHeel.  The 
dress  of  the  ladies  is  a  simple  /lolonaiae  or  long  robe  edged  with 
fur."  The  Poles  are  said  to  Jje  the  handsomest  nation  in  Europe. 
Their  law  of  divorce  and  various  other  causes  had  however  before 
the  final  dismemberment  greatly  corrupted  their  m,orals. 

Language.2  ^^^^  Polish  language  is  a  dialect  of  the  Slavonian. 
That  of  Litliuania  is  a  diffetent  dialect,  and  very  much  like  the 
language  of  the  Lettes.  Latin  is  also  spoken  fluently  by  the  com- 
mon people. 

For  the  cities  See.  of  Poland,  see  Russia,  Prussia  and  Austria. 

Universities.^  There  were  three  universities  in  Poland.  That 
ofCracoTf,  in  1778,  consisted  of  11   colleges,  contained  600  stu- 


216  ,  PRUSSIA. 


dents,  and  had  the  supervisorship  6f  1 4  grammar  schools.  It  fell  t® 
Austria.  Of  the  other  two  Wilna  belongs  to  Russia  ;  and  that  of 
Posen  or  Posna  fell  to  Prussia,  but  now  belongs  to  the  icw  king- 
dom of  Saxony.  The  great  body  of  the  people  are  extremely  ig- 
norant, and  learning  was  never  widely  diffused  in  Poland. 


PRUSSIA. 

CHAPTER  I. 

HISTORICAL  GEOGRAPHY. 

NAJiKS,  EXTENT,  SUBDIVISIONS  AND  POPULATION,  LOSSES,  ORIG- 
INAL POPULATION,  PROGRESSIVE  GEOGRAPHY,  HISTORICAL 
EPOCHS,  ANTIQUITIES,  RELIGION,  ECCLESIASTICAL  GEOGRAPHY, 
GOVERNMENT,  ARMY,  REVENUES,  POPULATION,  MANNERS  AND 
CUSTOMS,  LANGUAGE,  LITERATURE,  EDUCATION,  UNIVERSITIES, 
CITIES  AND  TOWNS,  EDIFICES,  INLAND  NAVIGATION,  MANUFAC- 
TURES, AND  COMMERCE. 

THIS  kingdom,  which  only  commenced  with  the  eigh- 
teenth century,  by  gradual  accessions  became  so  extensive,  as  de- 
servedly to  rank  till  lately  among  the  first  powers  of  Europe. 
The  dominions  of  Prussia  were  small  and  scattered,  till  the  acqui- 
sition of  Silesia,  and  afterwards  of  a  third  part  of  Poland,  gave  a 
wide  basis  to  the  monarchy.  But  in  1 807  it  was  reduced  to  the 
level  of  a  petty  German  principality. 

MiTfies.']  This  region  was  faintly  known  to  the  ancients,  who 
mention  various  tribes  that  possessed  it :  and  the  amber,  which, 
here  only  was  found  in  such  quantities  as  to  fonn  a  regular  article 
of  commerce,  greatly  contributed  to  its  celebrity.  The  name  of  the 
country  originates,  according  to  some,  from  the  Pruzzi,  a  Slavo- 
nic tribe  ;  but  more  probably,  according  to  others,  from  the  name 
of  Russia,  and  the  Slavonic  word  Fo,  which  signifies  near,  or 
adjacent. 

£xtent.'^  The  territories  of  Prussia,  before  the  acquisitions  ia 
Poland,  were  estimated  at  56,414  square  miles,  with  a  population 
of  5,621,400.  They  were  greatly  enlarged  in  1773,  and  still  far- 
ther in  1793,  when,  according  to  the  estimate  of  Hassel,  they 
contained  121,417  square  miles.  At  that  time  tiie  kingdom  ex- 
tended from  Hornburg  and  the  river  Ocker  in  the  country  of 
Halberstadt  the  farthest  western  connected  limit,  to  the  river 
Nieraen  or  about  six  hundred  miles.  The  breadth  from  th& 
southern  limit  of  Silesia  to  Dantzic  340 ;  and  the  average  width 
from  the  Baltic  to  the  frontiers  of  Russian  and  Austrian  Poland 
upwards  of  200.  On  the  Baltic  it  possessed  a  connected  seacoast 
from  the  mouth  of  the  Peen,  in  long.  14  E.  to  Polangen  a  little  N. 
©f  Memel. 

Prussia  now  reaches  from  the  Elbe  near  Magdeburg,  to  the 
Nieraen.     Its  seaeoast  is  entire  except  the  district  of  Dantzic. 


PRUSSIA.  Sir 

lis  boundary  on  Old  Saxony  and  Lusatia,  is  as  before  in  about  52" 
N.  Silesia  is  entire.  The  acquisitions  from  Poland  are  all  lost 
Its  present  breadth  from  the  Baltic  to  the  boundaries  of  Russian 
and  Saxon  Poland  is  from  90  to  100  miles.  Its  possessions  from, 
the  southern  limit  of  Silesia  to  the  mouth  of  the  Oder  are  still  un- 
interrupted ;  as  are  those  from  the  Elbe  across  the  Vistula  to  Po- 
langen.  On  the  Vistula  ii  reaches  S.  to  Schwetz  and  the  mouth  of 
the  river  Bro.  But  Culm  and  Thorn  are  in  Saxony.  The  present 
extgnt  in  square  miles  is  62,612.  The  losses  amounted  to  58,705. 
Divisions.^  These  with  the  Population  are  stated  by  Hassel  in 
1809  as  follows  : 

Provinces.  Square  Miles.    Population  by  census.    F.stiniatcd  do. 

ip  180^. 
1.     PRUSSIA    PROPER. 

1  East  Prussia  8,964  555,143' 

2  Lithuania  6,466  397,889^-1802 

3  West  Prussia  9,074  524,574 

24,504  1,477,606  1,478,000 

2.     DUCHY    OP    SILESIA. 

1  Lower  Silesia  9,008         1,202,061") 

2  Upper  Silesia  5,458  601,128  [- 1802 

3  Glatz  636  101,9 19  J 


:} 


15,102  2,021,059  in  1805      2,050,000 

3,    DUCHY    OF    POMERANIA. 


1  Farther  Pomerania  1,783 

2  Hither  Pomerania  7,907 


1803,504,311  505,000 


>■  5,512 
> 
1,321 

514,927 
82,540  ^^»^^ 

1,255 
8,083 
4,159 
1,079 

88,160 
685,627 
284,310  (1803) 

686,000 

285,000 

58,000 

13,316 

1,029,000 

9,690 
4.    MARCH    OF    BRADENBURG 

1  Kurmark 

1  Middlemark  with  Bees- 
kow  and  Storkow 

2  Pregnitz 

3  Uckermark 

2  Newmark 

3  East  Magdeburg 


Total,         62,612  5,030,000 

Losses.']  The  chief  losses  of  Prussia  by  the  peace  of  Tilsit 
were  in  Poland.  It  lost  all  that  it  gained  in  1773  and  1793,  except 
the  province  of  Lithuania,  as  it  is  called  by  Hassel,  or  the  nortli- 
crn  pan  of  New  East  Prussia,  which  bounds  N.  and  E.  on  the  Nie- 
men,  and  now  extends  S.  nearly  to  Grodno.  The  southern  part 
of  that  province,  and  as  far  W.  as  the  Narew  was  taken  by  Russia, 
and  called  BUUystock.  South  Prussia  was  made  into  the  Duchy 
of  JVaraavfy  and  given  to  the  kingdom  of  Saxony.  The  district  of 
Dantzic  was  taken  from  Pomerania,  and  made  one  of  the  Nctr 
Hanse  Towns.  The  principality  of  Neufchatel,  on  the  borders  of 
Swisserland,  was  made  a  part  of  France :  as  wsts  that  of  Bayreuth, 
vol,.  II.  28 


218  PRUSSIA. 

in  Franconia.  The  Marquisate  of  Anspach,  in  Franconia,  was  an- 
nexed to  Bavaria.  The  Principality  of  East  Friesland,  in  West- 
phalia, the  district  of  Guclders  and  that  of  Moeurs  of  Meurs, 
■were  added  to  the  kingdom  of  Holland,  and  with  that  kingdom  in 
1810,  hecame  a  part  of  the  French  empire.  Stendal  and  Salzwe- 
del  W.  of  the  Elbe  in  Brandenburg  ;  the  Principality  of  Halbers- 
tadt  and  the  part  of  that  of  Magdeburg,  which  lay  west  of  th.'  Elbe^ 
in  Lower  Saxony ;  and  those  of  Minden  and  Ravensberg  in  West- 
phalia were  assigned  to  the  kingdom  of  Westphalia.  While  the 
Duchy  of  Cleves,  and  the  counties  of  Marck,  Tecklenburg,  and 
Lingen,  now  make  a  part  of  the  Grand  Duchy  of  Berg. 

Table  of  Losses  in  1807. 

Square  Miles.  Population. 

Bialystock  6,379  183,300 

Duchy  of  Warsaw  40,570  2,777,000 

District  of  Dantzic  416  84,000 

Neufchatel  362  47,000 

East  Friesland  1,247  133,000* 

Cluelders  250  48,000 

Moeurs  64  17,000 

Bayreutli  1,255  233,000 

Anspach  1,260  316,141                (1806) 

Cleves  613  83,456               (1806) 

Marck  1,008  137,890                (1806) 

Tecklenburg  110  20,059               (1806) 

Lingen  175  25,021                (1806) 

Stendal  709  50,799                 (1807) 

Salzwedel  1,020  43,853                (1807) 

West  Magdeburg  1,802  259,210                (1807) 

Halberstadt  489  79,443                (1807) 

Minden  580  77,012                (1807) 

Ravensberg  396    t  91,802                (1807) 

Original  Population.~\  The  original  population  of  Prussia  ap- 
pears from  Tacitus  and  Pliny,  to  have  consisted  of  the  Peucini  and 
jEstii,  Gothic  tribes  bordering  on  the  Venedi,  who  were  Slavons. 
The  amber  of  the  iEstii  continued  to  be  celebrated  in' the  time  of 
Theodoric  ;  but  at  what  precise  period  these  original  inhabitants 
were  expelled,  or  subdued,  by  the  Slavonic  tribes  on  the  east,  re- 
mains uncertain.  Suffice  it  in  general  to  observe  that  the  Slavonic 
tribes  extended  widely  over  the  N.  of  Germany  ;  after  the  old 
Gothic  inhabitants  had  crowded  to  the  more  fertile  regions  of  the 
S.  in  consequence  of  the  decline  and  fall  of  the  Roman  empire. 

Progressive  Geography. ~\  The  progressive  geography  of  those 
provinces  which  now  constitute  the  Prussian  territory,  would  form 
an  embroiled  and  multifarious  topic.  One  of  the  most  singular 
features  in  the  geography  of  these  regions,  during  the  middle 
ages,  is  the  existence  of  Julin,  a  city  of  great  extent  and  com- 
merce, on  the  right  bank  of  the  Oder  in  Pomerania,  which  was 
deUroyed  by  Waldemar  king  of  Denmark.    Farther  to  the  E.  the 


PRUSSIA.  219 

SJavonic  tribes  on  the  Baltic  continued  pagans  to  a  late  period  ; 
and  the  country  was  litttle  known  or  visited,  except  by  a  species 
of  crusaders,  who  went  to  assist  the  Teutonic  knights  in  subduing 
those  Saracens,  as  they  were  styled  in  the  ignorance  of  the  times. 
Historical  Efiocfts.~\  As  this  kingdom  is  recent,  and  composed 
of  several  ancient  states,  its  historical  epochs  and  antiquities  are 
of  course  complex.  Not  to  mention  the  smaller  provinces,  among 
which  is  the  distant  principality  of  Neufchatel,  on  the  frontiers  of 
France  and  Swisserland,  Prussia  may  be  regarded  as  consisting  of 
four  great  divisions,  the  electorate  of  Brandenburg  ;  the  kingdom 
of  Prussia  proper ;  the  large  province  of  Silesia ;  and  a  third  part 
of  the  ancient  kingdom  of  Poland.  As  the  family  which  now 
rules  those  extensive  domains  was  originally  the  electoral  house 
of  Brandenburg,  it  will  be  proper  first  to  trace  the  progress  of  its 
power. 

1.  The  emperor  Charles  IV.  in  1373,  assigned  Brandenburg  to 
his  second  son  Sigismund,  who  in  1415,  being  then  emperor  of 
Germany,  sold  this  margraviate  and  electorate  to  Frederick  bur- 
gravd  of  Nuremburg,  for  400,000  ducats.  This  prince  was  the 
ancestor  of  the  present  reigning  race. 

2.  Joachim  II.  elector  of  Brandenburg,  embraced  the  Luthe- 
ran religion  in  1539,  which  has  since  been  the  ruling  system  of 
the  state. 

3.  John  Sigismond  becomes  duke  of  Prussia  in  1618. 

4.  Frederic  William,  surnamed  the  great  elector,  succeeded  his 
father  in  1640  ;  and  in  1656  compelled  the  king  of  Poland  to  de- 
clare Prussia  an  independent  state,  it  having  formerly  been  held 
of  the  Polish  sovereigns.  This  prince  is  highly  praised  by  his 
royal  descendant,  the  author  of  Memoirs  of  the  house  of  Bran- 
denburg, as  the  chief  founder  of  the  power  of  that  family.  He 
was  succeeded  in  1688,  by  his  son, 

5.  Frederic  III.  who  supporting  the  emperor  in  the  contest  for 
the  Spanish  succession,  was  by  him  declared  king  of  Prussia ;  un- 
der which  title  he  was  proclaimed  at  Konigsberg,  on  the  18th  day 
of  January,  1701,  he» himself  placing  the  crown  upon  his  head. 

6.  Frederic  William  II.  ascended  the  throne  in  1713;  and  in 
1721  founded  the  city  of  Potsdam.  But  he  was  chiefly  remarka- 
ble as  the  father  of  that  great  prince  Frederick  II.  who  ascended 
the  throne  in  1740,  and  died  in  1786,  after  a  long  and  glorious 
reign  ;  the  most  memorable  and  lasting  event  of  which  was  the 
acquisition  of  Silesia  from  the  howse  of  Austria  in  1742. 

7.  The  short  reign  of  his  nephew  is  known  to  evei-y  reader. 
The  failure  of  the  Prussian  tactics  in  France  and  Poland  convinced 
Europe  that  the  great  Frederic  had  been  the  soul  of  the  machine. 
But  these  checks  were  recompensed  by  the  completion  of  the 
Prussian  acquisitions  in  Poland.  The  reign  of  his  son,  the  pres- 
ent monarch,  has  hitherto  been  distinguished  rather  by  prudence 
than  enterprize. 

The  historical  epochs  of  Prussia  proper  are  not  deserving  of 

*  In  the  regal  Renealogj-  the  name  ol"  Frederic  alone  is  coniiUered  as  distinct  froin 
Oiat  of  Frederic- WiUiani!^ 


220  PRUSSIA. 

much  elucidation.  The  knowledge  of  the  ancients  conceniing 
this  country  has  already  been  explained.  A  faint  dawn  of  history, 
in  the  middle  ages,  discloses  at  the  mouth  of  the  Vistula  the  Pruz- 
zL,  a  Slavonic  nation,  who  were  afterwards  subdued  by  the  knights 
of  the  Teutonic  order. 

1.  This  order  originated  A.  D.  1 190,  in  the  camp  of  the  Cru- 
saders before  Acca,  or  Acre,  from  some  citizens  of  Lubec  and 
Bremen.  Next  year  a  bull  of  institution  was  obtained  from  the 
pope,  with  all  the  privileges  granted  to  the  knights  templars.  The 
crusades  to  Palestine  having  failed,  the  knights  directed  their  en- 
terprize  against  the  pagans  of  the  N.  of  Germany,  A.  D.  1227  ;  and 
in  a  few  years  conquered  Prussia,  and  founded  several  cities. 

2.  The  knights  thus  established  in  Prussia  directed  their  efforts 
against  the  Lithuanians,  and  other  pagans  in  the  east.  But  re- 
peated Avars  with  Poland  were  less  fortunate  ;  and  about  1446  the 
four  chief  cities  of  Prussia,  Elbing,  Thorn,  Konigsberg,  and  Dant- 
zic,  withdrew  their  allegiance  from  the  Teutonic  order,  and 
claimed  the  protection  of  Poland. 

3.  In  1466,  Casimir  king  of  Poland,  foi'ced  the  Teutonic  order 
to  abaadon  to  him  the  eastern  part  of  Prussia,  and  to  pay  homage 
for  the  western  part. 

4.  Albert  of  Brandenburg,  grand-master  of  the  order,  obtained 
from  his  maternal  uncle,  Sigismund  king  of  Poland,  the  hereditary 
investiture  of  all  that  the  order  possessed  in  Prussia,  and  embraced 
the  Lutheran  religion. 

5.  In  1618,  John  Sigismund  elector  of  Brandenburg  acquired 
tliis  duchy  ;  and  in  1621  his  successor  received  the  solemn  inves- 
titure from  the  king  pf  Poland. 

Silesia  affords  few  materials  for  history.  This  country  was  for-  • 
merly  a  Slavonic  province  of  the  Polish  dominion;  but  in  1339 
•was  seized  by  John  of  Luxemburg  king  of  Bohemia,  and  passed 
with  that  sovereignty  to  the  house  of  Austria.  The  house  of  Bran- 
denburg certainly  had  some  ancient  claims  to  this  province,  which 
•were  finally  ascertained  by  the  sword  in  1742,  as  already  mention- 
ed. The  chief  epochs  of  the  Polish  history  have  already  been 
repeated. 

^ntiquiiics.']  From  this  general  view  of  the  component  parts 
of  the  Prussian  history  it  will  appear  that  few  ancient  monuments 
can  be  expected  in  regions,  where  even  a  rude  knowledge  of  the 
arts  is  comparatively  so  recent.  Some  Slavonic  idols,  cast  in 
bronze,  constitute  almost  the  only  pagan  antiquities  ;  and  the  cas- 
tles, and  churches,  erected  after  the  introduction  of  the  Christian 
religion,  have  few  singularities  to  attract  particular  attention, 

Ii€ligion.~\  The  ruling  religion  of  Prussia  is  the  protestant,  un- 
der its  two  chief  divisions  of  Lutheran  aad  Calvinistic.  The  uni- 
versal toleration  wisely  embraced  by  the  Prussian  monarchs,  has 
had  its  usual  effect  of  abating  theological  enmity,  and  the  differ- 
ent sects  seem  to  live  in  perfect  concord. 

Ecclesiastical  Geogra/i/nj.^  The  ecclesiastical  geography  of 
Prussia  would  be  at  once  little  interesting,  and  of  difficult  detail. 
The  bishoprics  m  Poland  and  Silesia  gcem  to  retain  their  an^ 


PRUSSIA.  221 

cient  limits,  while  the  power  of  the  prelates  is  considerably 
abridged. 

Government^  isfc.~\  As  no  vestige  of  any  senate  or  delej^ates 
from  the  people  is  known  in  this  kingdom,  it  must  be  pronounced 
an  absolute  government ;  but  the  spirit  and  good  sense  of  the  na- 
tion unite  with  the  wisdom  and  mildness  of  successive  monarchs, 
(who  have  uniformly  wished  to  invite  foreign  settlers  by  views  of 
ease  and  freedom,  instead  of  expelling  their  own  people  by  rigor,) 
to  render  the  sovereignty  as  conciliatory,  and  perhaps  more  be- 
neficent, than  if  joined  with  a  venal  senate.  Tlie  late  great  mon- 
arch reformed  many  abuses  in  the  laws ;  but  it  cannot  be  dis- 
guised that  the  tenour  of  his  government  was  too  military,  a  fault 
inherent  in  the  Prussian  system. 

Jrmy.~\  The  army  of  Prussia  in  1806  amounted  to  239,667 
men,  viz. 

Infantry             -  175,307 

Cavalry  -                 40,476 

Artillery              -  13,240 

Sundry  troops  ■>                 7,470 

Guards              -  -         3,174 

The  unfortunate  monarch  in  1808  had  only  from  60,000  to 
80,000  men,  and  of  these  only  20,000  were  equipped  and  ready 
for  service. 

Revenues.']    In  1808  the  revenues  were  as  follows. 

Guilders. 
From  the  March  of  Brandenberg  8,300,000 

From  the  Duchy  of  Silesia  9,000,000 

From  the  Duchy  of  Pomerania  3,000,000 

From  Prussia  proper  6,000,000 


26,300,000  guilders 
or  about  13,150,000  dollars,  the  guilder  being  worth  51.85  cents. 
Before  the  peace  of  Tilsit  the  revenue  was  annually  from  56  to 
58,000,000  guilders.  The  debt  of  Prussia  is  stated  by  Hassel  at 
50,000,000  guilders. 

Population.]  The  number  of  inhabitants  in  Prussia,  in  1808 
after  the  peace  of  Tilsit  was,  according  to  Hassel's  tables, 
5,030,000.  The  number  of  houses  was  516,600;  of  cities  431  ; 
of  market  towns  8 1  ;  of  villages  20,687.  The  number  of  houses 
in  1806  was  1,410,721  ;  of  cities  1062;  of  market  towns  219;  of 
villages  46,345. 

Prussia  lost  to  the  kingdom  of  Westphalia  602,1 19  inliabitants ; 
to  the  Grand  Duchy  of  Berg  266,436;  to  Bavaria  316,141  ;  to 
France  about  478,000  ;  to  the  New  Hanse  Towns  about  84,000  ; 
to  the  kingdom  of  Saxony  about  2,777,000  ;  and  to  Russia  about 
183,300.  Sotzman,  a  German  writer,  estimates  the  total  loss  at 
4,805,000  which  differs  but  little  from  the  preceding  statement 
and  estimates  of  Hassel. 

Manners  and  Customs.]  The  manners  and  customs  of  a  coiin- 
try  composed  of  such  various  Inhabitants,  recently  united  under 


222  PRUSSIA. 

one  sovercig;nty,  must  of  course  bo  discordant.  Travellers  have 
remarked  that  in  comparison  with  the  Saxons,  Avho  are  a  lively  and 
contented  people,  the  Prussians  appear  dull  and  gloomy ;  a  char- 
acter which  they  impute  partly  to  the  military  government,  and 
partly  to  the  general  anxiety  which  must  have  been  excited  by  the 
repeated  dangers  to  which  their  country  was  exposed,  when  con- 
tending with  the  poM'ers  of  Russia  and  Austria. 

Language.']  The  ruling  language  of  Prussia  is  the  German  ; 
which  it  is  probable  may  in  time  supplant  the  Polish,  in  those  parts 
which  are  subject  to  Prussia  and  Austria 

Literature.]  The  literature  of  Prussia  may  well  be  conceived 
to  be  of  recent  origin ;  nor  even  after  the  restoration  of  letters  did 
any  remarkable  author  arise  in  the  electorate  of  Brandenburg. 
But  Dantzic  was  the  native  country  of  Cluverius,  an  eminent 
geographer;  and  Copernicus  a  great  name  in  astronomy,  was  born 
at  Thorn,  as  his  predecessor  Regiomontanus  was  at  Konigsberg, 
his  name  being  a  Latin  translation  of  that  of  his  birth-place.  Sile- 
sia has  likewise  few  pretensions  to  literary  fame,  nor  are  those  of 
Poland  higlily  illustrious.  Kadlubko,  the  most  ancient  Polish  his- 
torian, w^rote  in  1223  ;  and  since  his  time  there  has  been  a  succes- 
sion of  Latin  chroniclers.  Frederic  the  Great  had  a  mean  opin- 
ion of  German  literature  ;  and  though  he  wrote  in  French,  mxist 
be  classed  among  tlie  most  distinguished  authors  of  his  kingdom. 
Nor  is  count  Hertsberg,  his  minister,  without  merit.  Among  the 
other  names,  either  natives  or  who  flourished  in  Prussia,  may  be 
mentioned  Ramler  the  poet,  Nicolai  an  original  writer  of  ro- 
mances. Sec.  Busching  the  geographer,  Spalding,  and  Mendelsohn. 

Education.]  The  state  of  education  in  this  country  seems  to  be 
equally  neglected  as  in  the  far  greater  part  of  Europe.  The  num- 
ber of  recruits  wanted  for  the  army,  and  the  consequent  uncertain- 
ty of  destination  for  life,  must  singularly  impede  the  national 
instruction. 

Universities.]  There  are  however  several  universities,  such  as 
that  of  Frankfort  on  the  Oder,  founded  by  Joachim  elector  of  Bran- 
denburg in  the  year  1516.  Konigsberg  in  Prussia  was  founded  in 
1544. 

Cities  and  Towns.]  Berlin  the  largest  of  all  the  Prussian  cities, 
and  the  second  in  Germany,  is  built  on  the  banks  of  the  Spree,  in 
lat.  52°  31' 44"  N.  and  Ion.  13°28'E.  It  was  founded  in  the  12th 
century  by  a  colony  from  the  Netherlands.  It  is  chiefly  built  on  a 
barren  sandy  plain,  much  exposed  to  dust.  A  part  of  it  however 
stands  upon  two  islands  in  the  river.  It  is  A^  miles  long  and  3 
broad,  containing  in  1804,  156,664  inhabitants,  and  7241  houses. 
The  houses  are  uncommonly  beautiful  from  without,  but  the  fin- 
ishing within  does  not  correspond  with  the  elegance  of  the  exte- 
rior. The  streets  are  regular  and  of  convenient  breadth.  There 
are  14  Lutheran  churches,  10  Calvinistic  and  1  Catholic,  all 
sti-angely  decollated  wdth  Mercuries,  Apollos,  Minervas,  and  Cu- 
pids. The  town  is  suri'oundcd  by  a  wall  and  palisadoes.  The 
average  of  temperature  for  13  years,  from  1769  to  1782,  was  49 
degrees.  There  is  a  free  communication  by  canals,  with  the  Oder 
and  tire  Elbe. 


PRUSSIA.  2251 

Konigsberg*  was  founded  by  the  Teutonic  Knights,  in  1255, 
and  is  well  fortified.  It  stands  on  the  Pregel  near  its  entrance  in- 
to the  Frisch-HafT,  and  maintains  a  considerable  commerce  with 
the  Baltic.  It  contained  4,508  houses  in  1802,  and  56,410  inhab- 
itants.    It  is  the  capital  of  Prussia  Proper. 

Breslaw,  the  capital  of  Silesia,  has  long  been  celebrated,  as  one 
of  the  most  beautiful  cities  of  Germany.  It  is  of  uncertain  an- 
tiquity, but  was  burnt  by  the  Tatars  in  1241.  It  stands  upon  the 
S.  bank  of  the  Oder,  in  lat.  51  3  N.  Ion.  17  8  45  E.  and  contained 
in  1805,  62,923  inhabitants  and  3,338  houses.  The  town  is  very 
extensive,  being  not  less  than  8  miles  in  length.  There  are  9  Lu- 
theran Churches,  1  Calvinistic,  1  Greek,  several  Catholic,  and  2 
Jewish  synagogues. 

Elbing  is  in  West  Prussia,  on  an  arm  of  the  Vistula,  called  the 
River  Elbing,  a  short  distance  from  the  Frisch-HafT,  in  lat.  54  7 
54  N.  Ion.  10  27  27  E.  It  was  built  by  a  colony  from  Lubeck  in 
1239,  and  was  in  the  Hanseatic  League,  till  the  end  of  the  16th 
century.  Houses  in  1802,  2,159.  Population  19,274.  Its  com- 
merce has  always  been  considerable.  In  1803,  it  owned  7110  tons 
of  shipping,  besides  50  coasters  and  25  lighters,  employed  to  take 
cargoes  to  the  large  ships  at  Pillau.  Vessels  of  100  tons  come  up 
to  the  town.  It  has  a  large  manufactory  of  soap,  one  of  tobacco, 
two  of  weed  ashes,  two  of  starch,  a  sugar-house  and  a  saw -mill  for 
cutting  deals. 

Stettin  stands  upon  the  Oder,  in  lat.  53  25  36  N.  The  river 
here  divides  into  4  branches.  The  town  carries  on  an  extensive 
commerce,  and  contained  in  1802,  1594  houses,  and  18,463  inhab- 
itants. 

Potsdam  a  recent  city,  is  built  on  an  island  in  the  Havel,  in  lat. 
52  24  43  N.  and  long.  13  10  31  E.  No  expense  has  been  spared 
in  its  decorations.  The  inhabitants,  in  1802,  amounted  to  17,982  ; 
the  houses  to  1959.  It  was  till  lately  the  favorite  residence  of  the 
Prussian  monarchs. 

Brandenburg  is  also  on  the  Havel,  31  miles  from  Berlin.  It 
was  made  a  Bishop's  See  in  949.  Manufactures  of  cloth,  fustian, 
and  canvass  have  been  established  by  the  French  Calvinists. 
There  is  a  lake  near  the  town  two  miles  long.  Inhabitants  in  1 802. 
10,329.      Houses  1485. 

Frankfort  on  the  Oder,  is  in  Middlemark,  48  miles  E.  of  Berlin. 
It  contained  in  1802,  1314  houses,  and  10,291  inhabitants. 

The  other  towns  are  in  Silesia,  Brieg,  8,682  inhabitants  ; 
Schweidnitz  8,232  ;  Neisse,  7,489  ;  Glatz  6681  ;  Hirschberg, 
5,996  :  in  Prussia  Proper,  Tilsit  8,656;  Marienburg,  7,172; 
Braunsberg,  5,798;  Memel,  5,111  ;  Christrin,  in  Brandenburg, 
5,400  ;  and  Stargard  in  Pomerania,  6,749. 

Edifices.']  Some  of  the  most  splendid  edifices  of  this  country 
adorn  Berlin  the  capital,  such  as  the  palace  and  the  theatre.  But 
the  other  grand  buildings  seem  not  to  have  impressed  travellers 
with  veneration,  being  barracks  for  soldiers  and  the  like.*    And 

•  AVraxall's  Mem.  i.  10!. 


224  PRUSSIA. 

the  city  itself  is  almost  entirely  built  with  brick,  though  the  fronts 
of  the  houses  are  disguised  with  stucco.  The  palace  at  Potsdam 
deserves  superior  applause  ;  and  on  an  eminence  near  the  city 
stands  the  royal  villa  of  Sans  Souci,  which  hov/eyer  can  claim  no 
grandeur  of  external  architecture.  Konigsberg,  and  Dantzic,  also 
offer  to  view  respectable  public  buildings ;  but  in  general  this 
kingdom  yields  even  to  Russia  in  this  respect. 

Inland  JVavigation.']  The  advantages  of  inland  navigation  seem 
little  known  or  cultivated  in  the  Prussian  dominions  ;  and  though 
several  small  canals  might  be  mentioned,  yet  they  rather  belong  to 
the  office  of  the  topographer  than  to  a  general  system  of  geography. 

Manufactures  and  Commerce.^  If  we  except  the  linens  of  Si- 
lesia, the  manufactures  of  the  Prussian  dominions  are  of  small 
importance.  Yet  they  afford  for  home  consumption,  glass,  iron, 
brass,  paper,  and  woollen  cloth ;  and  P'rederick  II.  introduced  a 
small  manufactui'e  of  silk.  Even  the  exports  of  Dantzic  consist 
almost  entirely  of  timber,  corn,  tallow,  and  similar  articles. 

If  we  except  the  ancient  staple  of  grain  so  abundant  in  the  level 
plains  of  Poland,  the  commerce  of  Prussia  is  comparatively  of  but 
little  consequence.  Amber  is  by  nature  constituted  a  iBonopoly 
of  the  country,  but  fashion  has  rendered  this  branch  of  commerce 
insignificani.  Yet  among  the  considerable  exports  may  be  named 
excellent  timber  of  all  kinds,  skins,  leather,  flax,  and  hemp,  mad- 
der, linseed,  pearlash,  and  every  species  of  grain  ;  nor  must  the 
linens  of  Silesia  be  passed  in  silence,  many  of  which  are  sent  into 
Holland,  and  sold  under  the  name  of  Dutch  manufacture.  In  re- 
turn Prussia  receives  wine,  and  other  products  of  more  southern 
and  favoured  countries. 

CHAPTER  11. 

NATURAL  GEOGRAPHY. 

CLIMATE  AND  SEASONS,  FACE  OF  THE  COUNTRY,  SOIL  AND  AGRI- 
CULTURE, RIVERS,  LAKES,  MOUNTAINS,  FORESTS,  BOTANY, 
ZOOLOGY,  MINERALOGY,  MINERAL  WATERS,  NATURAL  CURI- 
OSITIES. 

Climate  and  Seasons.']  THE  climate  of  the  Prussian  do- 
minions is,  upon  the  whole,  cold  and  moist.  Brandenburg  and 
Pomerania  may  be  regarded  as  more  free  from  humidity  than 
Prussia  proper,  which,  as  Busching  informs  us,*  has  about  eight 
months  of  winter,  the  autumns  being  often  deluged  with  rain. 
The  northern  part  of  Poland,  which  has  fallen  under  the  Prussian 
sceptre,  abounds  with  forests  and  marshes,  which  cannot  be  sup- 
posed to  render  the  air  salubrious.  The  lower  parts  of  Silesia 
are  regarded  as  the  most  healthy  and  fertile  provinces  of  the  mon- 
archy ;  but  the  southei'n  and  western  parts  of  that  duchy,  border- 
ing on  elevated  mountains,  long  covered  with  snow,  are  exposed 
even  in  summer  to  severe  freezing  gales. 

*  iii.  5. 


PRUSSIA.  225 

F(ice  of  the  Country. "^  In  considering' the  general  appearance  of 
these  extensive  regions,  Brandenburg  is  a  sandy,  and  barren  coun- 
try, but  Prussia  proper  formerly  abounded  in  woods,  and  displays 
superior  fertility,  a  character  which  may  also  be  extended  to  Prus- 
sian Poland,  an  immense  plain.  Silesia  on  the  contrary,  displays 
a  pleasing  diversity,  being  level  and  open  towards  Poland,  but 
separated  from  Hungary  on  the  S.  by  the  Carpathian  mountains, 
a  branch  of  which  proceeding  N.  W.  divides  this  country  from 
Moravia  and  Bohemia.  It  is  every  where  watered  by  the  Oder 
and  its  tributary  streams  :  nor  is  there  any  deficiency  of  rivofs  in- 
the  other  parts  of  the  Prussian  sovereignty. 

Soil  and  ./lgriculture.~\  The  soil  of  Brandenburg  is  meagre,  and 
even  the  space  between  Berlin  and  Potsdam  resembles  a  wilder- 
ness ;  but  that  of  Prussian  Poland  is  loamy  and  fertile.  The 
northern  extremity  of  Silesia  resembles  Brandenburg,  yet  this 
province  is  in  general  extremely  productive,  and  abounds  in  fruits 
and  culinary  vegetables. 

Agricultural  improvements  are  little  known,  and  Brandenburg 
chiefly  produces  buck  wheat  and  turnips,  with  scanty  crops  of  rye ; 
but  Prussia  proper,  and  the  Polish  provinces  display  every  kind  of 
grain,  and  esculent  plant,  that  can  flourish  under  such  a  latitude  ; 
and  among  the  productions  of  Silesia  must  be  classed  maize,  and 
even  vines,  but  the  wine  is  of  inferior  quality. 

The  peasants,  though  oppressed  by  heavy  taxation,  being  free 
from  the  wanton  extortions,  and  capricious  personal  services,  ex- 
acted by  the  Polish  aristocracy,  display  signs  of  comparative  ease 
and  prosperity.  In  difTerent  parts  of  Silesia  the  land  is  let  in 
farms,  as  in  England,  and  the  peasants  hired  as  day  labourers ; 
while  under  the  detestable  government  of  Poland  they  were  mere 
slaves,  and  every  avenue  to  industry  was  barred. 

Eivers.']  Among  the  chief  rivers  of  the  Prussian  dominions 
may  "be  first  mentioned  the  Elbe,  which  rises  in  the  S.  of  Bohe- 
mia, and  pervades  the  duchy  of  Magdeburg.  The  Spree,  which 
passes  by  Berlin,  falls  into  the  Havel,  a  tributary  of  the  Elbe. 
The  Oder,  the  Viadrus  of  the  ancients,  may  be  regarded  as  a  river 
entirely  Prussian ;  it  rises  in  the  mountains  of  Moravia,  and,  after 
watering  Silesia,  Brandenburg,  and  Pomerania,  joins  the  Baltic, 
after  a  course  of  about  350  miles.  Next  appears  another  noble 
stream,  the  Vistula,  which,  rising  in  the  Carpathian  mountains, 
passes  Warsaw,  and  joins  the  sea  near  Danjzic,  after  a  circuit  of 
about  450  miles.  The  Pregel,  passing  by  Konigsberg,  springs 
from  some  lakes  and  marshes  in  Prussian  Poland  ;  and  the  Memel, 
a  superior  river,  now  forms  in  part  the  Prussian  boundary  on 
"the  east. 

Lakes.~\  The  lakes  in  the  Prussian  dominions  are  numerous, 
especially  in  the  eastern  part,  where  among  others  may  be  men- 
tioned the  Spelding  See,  which,  with  its  creeks,  extends  more 
than  twenty  British  miles  in  every  direction.  That  region  con- 
tains many  other  lakes,  which  supply  the  sources  of  the  river  Pre- 
gel. At  their  estuaries  the  rivers  Oder,  Vistula,  and  Memcl,  pre- 
sent singula!'  rnland  sheets  of  water,  in  the  German  language  call- 

VOL.  jr.  29 


226  PRUSSIA. 

Ci\  Haffs  ;  that  of  the  Oder  being' styled  Grass  Haff;  that  of  the 
Vistula,  Frisch  Haff  (with  another  inland  creek  called  the  lake  of 
Drausen  ;)  and  that  of  the  Memel,  Curisch  Haff.  The  Frisch 
Haff  is  about  seventy  miles  in  length,  and  from  three  to  ten  miles 
1>road,  being  separated  from  the  Baltic  by  a  long  slip  of  land,  said 
to  have  been  thrown  up  by  the  tempests  and  waves  about  the  year 
1 190.  This  lake  or  bay  is  of  small  depth,  and  will  not  admit  ves- 
sels of  much  burthen.* 

The  Curisch  Haff,  so  called  from  its  situation  in  the  ancient 
duchy  of  Courland,  is  about  60  British  miles  in  length,  and  about 
30  in  its  greatest  breadth.  A  similar  ridge  of  land  divides  it  from 
the  Baltic  ;  and  it  is  full  of  dangerous  shelves,  and  infested  by  fre- 
quent storms. 

Mountains. ~\  Magdeburg,  Brandenburg,  Pomerania,  Prussia, 
and  Poland,  are  in  general  level  countries ;  and  the  only  moun- 
tains in  the  Prussian  dominions  are  those  of  Silesia.  The  moun- 
tains in  the  S.  and  W.  of  this  province  may  be  regarded  as  a  north- 
ern branch  of  the  Carpathian  chain,  which  itself  forms  the  most 
southern  boundary.  This  branch  extends  from  Jablunka  S.  E.  to 
Friedberg  in  upper  Lusatia,  N.  W.  near  200  British  miles  in 
length,  and  is  called  Sudetische  Gebirge,  or  the  Sudetic  moun- 
tains. In  the  north  western  parts  of  Silesia  are  also  detached 
mountains  of  considerable  height,t  as  the  Spitzberg  and  Gratz>- 
berg.  Their  precise  height  seems  not  to  be  ascertained,  yet  they 
may  safely  be  concluded  to  yield  greatly  to  the  Carpathian  chain, 
an  account  of  which  will  be  found  in  the  description  of  the  Aus- 
trian dominions. 

Forests.']  Few  parts  of  the  Prussian  kingdom  are  destitute  of 
■woods  and  forests,  which  particularly  abound  in  Prussia  proper, 
and  in  the  recent  Polish  acquisitions.  Towards  Hungary,  Silesia 
presents  a  continuation  of  thick  forests,  which  conspire  with  the 
elevated  mountains  to  form  an  impenetrable  barrier. 

Botany.]  The  indigenous  vegetables  of  the  Prussian  domin- 
ions have  hitherto  been  viewed  in  only  a  very  cursory  manner. 
Among  these  there  do  not  seem  to  be  any  which  have  not  already 
been  sufficiently  noticed  in  the  preceding  accounts  of  Britain  and 
Austx'ia.  The  mountainous  ridges  of  Prussia  being  few,  and  of 
little  importance,  there  is  in  consequence  a  great  deficiency  of  al- 
pine plants,  the  prevailing  vegetables  being  those  that  inhabit  level 
and  sandy  districts.  Tobacco,  originally  a  native  of  America,  and 
probably  also  of  the  east,  having  been  long  cultivated  in  Prussia, 
has  at  length  established  itself  in  the  soil,"  and  is  found  in  the 
plowed  fields  and  hedges  as  a  common  weed. 

Zoology.]  The  breeds  of  horses  and  cattle  seem  not  to  have 
impressed  travellers  with  any  distinction  from  those  of  the  adja- 
cent countries  ;  and  few  parts  are  calculated  for  excellent  breeds 
of  sheep.  The  urus,  or  large  and  ferocious  wild  cat  of  Lithuania^ 
have  also  appeared  in  Prussia  proper,  but  the  race  seems  nearly 
extinct.  One  of  its  chief  haunts  was  the  forest  of  Masavia  not  far 
from  Warsav,'. 

*  BuscUing  iii.  10.  j"  IVul.  vi.  214. 


LOW  COUNTRIES.  ^7 

Mineralogy ^  The  mineralogy  of  the  Prussian  dominions  will 
not  afford  an  extensive  theme.  Sand  and  plains  rarely  contain 
minerals,  and  even  the  mountains  of  Silesia  boast  of  few  hidden 
treasures.  Yet  in  the  southern  districts  of  that  province  there 
were  formerly  mines  of  gold  and  silver,  but  the  produce  did  not 
defray  the  expense.  Mines  of  copper  and  lead  however  still  exist, 
and  there  are  considerable  founderies  of  iron.  Agates,  jaspers,  and 
rock  crystal,  are  also  found  in  the  Silesian  moimtarns.  Coal,  a 
more  useful  mineral,  occurs  in  various  parts  of  Silesia,  and  the 
level  districts  sometimes  offer  good  peat  moors. 

But  the  most  distinguished  and  peculiar  mineral  production  of 
Prussia  is  amber,  which  is  chiefly  found  on  the  Samland  shore  of 
the  Baltic,  near  Pilau,  on  a  neck  of  land  formed  by  the  Frisch 
Haff,  which  seems  to  have  been  the  chief  seat  of  this  mineral  from 
the  earliest  ages.  It  is  found  at  the  depth  of  about  100  feet,  re- 
posing on  wood  coal,  in  lumps  of  various  sizes,  some  five  pounds 
in  weight,  and  is  often  washed  on  shore  by  tempests.  It  adds 
about  /TSOGO  yearly  to  the  royal  I'evenuc. 

Mineral  toaters.'^  Silesia  presents  one  spring  of  hot  water  at 
Warmbrun,  near  Hirschberg,  which  is  believed  to  be  the  only 
mineral  water  worth  notice  in  the  Prussian  dominions. 

J^atural  curio sities.'\  The  Sudetic  chain  of  mountains  has  been 
little  explored,  and  the  level  parts  of  the  Prussian  dominions  can, 
of  course,  afford  few  objects  of  natural  curiosity,  if  we  except  the 
mines  of  amber  above-mentioned. 


LOW  COUNTRIES. 

"THE  Low  Countries  include  the  seven  United  Provinces,  or 
Holland,  and  the  Austrian  and  French  Netherlands.  They  ob- 
tained the  general  name  of  Low  Countries  from  their  relative  sit- 
uation and  elevation  with  regard  to  Germany.  Though  they  are 
now  an  integral  part  of  the  French  Empire,  we  have  still  concluded 
to  give  them  a  separate  description.  The  natural  characteristics 
of  these  countries  are  entirely  different  from  those  of  France  ;  the 
inhabitants  of  all  of  them  are  wholly  unlike  the  French  in  their  or- 
igin, history,  language  and  character,  and  those  of  Holland  also 
in  their  religion.  These  facts  authorize  us  to  hope  that  the  first 
great  change  in  Europe  will  release  them  from  their  present 
thraldom  ;  and  that  Holland,  at  least,  may  again  be  ranked  among 
independent  nations. 


HOLLAND. 

CHAPTER  I. 

HISTORICAL  GEOGRAPHY. 

NAMES,  EXTENT,  DIVISIONS,  COLONIES,  ORIGINAL  POPULATION, 
PROGRESSIVE  GEOGRAPHY,  HISTORICAL  EPOCHS,  ANTIQUITIES, 
RELIGION,  GOVERNMENT,  LAWS,  POPULATION,  ARMY,  NAVYj 
REVENUE,  MANNERS  AND  CUSTOMS,  LANGUAGE,  LITERATURE, 
EDUCATION,  CITIES  AND  TOWNS,  INLAND  NAVIGATION,  MANU- 
FACTURES AND  COMMERCE. 

J\''ames.']  HOLLAND  was  a  part  of  Gallia  Belgica.  Its 
appropriate  name  Avas  Batavia  from  the  Ba(avi,  a  people  highly 
celebrated  by  Tacitus.  The  limits  of  Batavia  were  not  however 
equally  extensive  with  those  of  modern  Holland.  The  n'ame  of 
Holland  is  said  by  some  to  be  derived  from  the  German  word 
Holtlandy  signifying  woodland.  Pinkerton  witli  more  probability 
says  the  country  was  so  called  from  the  German  word  Hohl.,  cor- 
responding to  the  English  word  hollow.  The  name  was  original- 
ly given  only  to  the  largest  of  the  provinces,  but  in  process  of  time 
was  tranferred  to  the  whole  seven.  The  people  are  called  Dutch, 
and  sometimes  Loiv  Dutch,,  from  the  German  Deutsch  or  Teutsch  ; 
as  the  Germans  are  High  Dutch  :  Dcutschland  properly  signify- 
ing the  whole  extent  of  Germany  and  the  Low  countries. 

Extent.~\  The  length  of  Holland  from  the  N.  of  Groningen  to 
the  southern  boundai'y  along  Austrian  Flanders  and  Brabant 
is  about  150  miles  ;  the  breadth  is  100.  The  square  miles  before 
the  late  addition  of  East  Friesland  on  the  N.  E.  from  Germany, 
were,  according  to  Hassel,  1 1,415,  East  Friesland  witli  Fever,  Va- 
rel,  and  Kniphausen,  contains  1247. 

Divisions.']  There  were  originally  seven  provinces  in  Holland. 
Zealand  and  HollarKi  lay  on  the  W.  Friesland  and  Groningen  or 
Zutphen  on  the  N.  Overyssel  and  Guelders  on  the  E.  and  Utrecht 
on  the  S.  Dutch  Flanders  was  afterwards  annexed  on  the  S.  W. 
and  Dutch  Brabant  a  much  larger  territory  on  the  S.  and  S.  E.— 
When  the  United  Provinces  in  1 806  were  erected  into  a  kingdom, 
East  Friesland  was  added  to  it  on  the  N.  E.  Holland  was  divided 
into  Amstelland  and  Maasland;  Drente  was  taken  from  Overys- 
sel, and  formed  into  a  distinct  territory  ;  Brabant  was  made  an  in- 
tegral part  of  the  kingdom  ;  and  Dutch  Flanders  was  annexed  to 
France.  The  following  is  Hassel's  table  of  the  Departments,  witli 
their  extent  and  population  in  1809. 

1.  Amstelland,  960  458,000 

2.  Maasland,  1296  341,978 

3.  Utrecht,  513  108,820 

4.  Zealand,  414  74,050 

5.  Brabant,  1689  207,708 

6.  Gueldei^s,  3'091  323,^82 


HOLLAND. 

OverysseJ, 

13S7 

135,060 

8. 

D  rente, 

815 

39,672 

9. 

Friesland, 

1192 

96,846 

10, 

Groningen, 

nor 

103,000 

11. 

E.  Friesland, 

1247 

133,000 

229 


12,662-  2,001,416 

Colonies.']  The  foreign  possessions  of  Holland  were  extensive 
and  valuable  before  the  commencement  of  the  French  Revolution. 
Since  that  event  they  have  all  except  Batavia  fallen  into  the  hands 
of  the  English. 

I.  In  Asia.  1.  Factories  at  Gomson  and  Bassora  in  the  Persian 
Gulf.  2.  At  Surat  Petra,  £cc.  3.  Cochin  and  several  other  set- 
tlements on  the  Malabar  and  Coromandel  coasts.  4.  The  Sea 
coast  of  the  island  of  Ceylon.  5.  The  Government  of  Batavia  in 
Java  9 1 6,000  inhabitants.  6.  Island  of  Madura  60,000.  7.  Gov- 
ernment of  Amboyna  Banda  Ternate  Tidor  Motyr  and  Bachian 
300,000.  8.  Government  of  Malacca.  9.  Possessions  in  Borneo, 
Celebes  and  Timor.  10.  Chinsura  in  Bengal.  Population  of  the 
three  last  500,000.   (Hassel.) 

II.  In  Africa.  1.  Cape  of  Good  Hope.  2.  Thirteen  small  fac- 
tories on  the  Coast  of  Guinea. 

III.  In  the  West  Indies.  1.  Carragas.  2.  Eustatia  and  Saba. 
3.  St.  Martyn. 

IV.  In  South  America.  Surrinam,  Essequebo,  Berbice  and 
Demarara. 

Original  PopulationJ]  The  original  population  appears  to  have 
been  Celtic  :  but  when  the  Romans  conquered  this  countiy,  the 
chief  inhabitants  were  the  Batavi,  the  most  northern  people  of 
Belgic  Gaul,  and  incontestibly  a  German  or  Gothic  progeny ;  who 
apipear  to  have  been  secure  in  their  marshes  and  islands,  till  the  Fri- 
siaiis,  the  next  adjacent  people  in  the  north,  in  the  seventh  centu- 
ry extended  themselves  even  down  to  the  Scheld.  In  the  eighth 
century  the  Frisians  were  subdued  by  the  Franks  under  Charles 
Martel ;  but  the  Frisians  and  Franks  may  be  regarded  as  mingled 
in  the  population  with  the  ancient  Batavians.* 

Progressive  Geography.]  The  progressive  geography  of  this 
region  becomes  curious  and  interesting,  from  the  singular  phe- 
nomenon of  the  increase  of  the  sea.  Upon  inspecting  the  accu- 
rate maps  of  the  aacient  and  middle  geography  of  Gaul  by  D'An- 
ville,  it  will  be  perceived  that  the  Rhine  divided  itself  into  two 
grand  branches  at  Burginasium  or  Schenk,  about  5  miles  N.  W.  of 
the  Colonia  Trajana,now  an  inconsiderable  hamlet  called  Koln  near 
Cleres.  The  southern  branch  joined  the  Meuse  at  the  town  of 
Mosa  or  Meuvi ;  while  the  northern  passed  by  Durstadt,  Utrecht, 
and  Leydcn,  into  the  ocean.  From  the  northern  branch  was  led 
the  canal  of  Drusus,  which  originally  joined  the  Rhine  to  the  Issil, 
a  river  that  flowed  into  a  considerable  inland  lake  called  Flevo, 
iiow  a  southeni  portion  of  the  Zuyder  Zee.     This  canal  of  Drusus 

*  D'AnviUe,  Efiifs  fflrni.  en  Europe*  P-  2". 


230  HOLLAND. 

being  neglected,  and  left  to  the  operations  of  nature,  the  Rhine 
joined  the  Issil  with  such  force  that  their  conjunct  waters  in- 
creased the  lake  of  Flevo  to  a  great  extent ;  and  instead  of  a  river 
of  the  same  name,  which  ran  for  near  50  Roman  miles  from  that 
lake  to  the  sea,  there  was  opened  the  Avide  gulf  which  now  forms 
the  entrance.  The  northern  and  chief  mouth  of  the  Rhine  was, 
at  the  same  time,  weakened  and  almost  lost  by  the  division  of  its  "^ 
waters,  and  even  the  canal  of  Drusus  was  afterwards  almost  oblit- 
erated by  the  deposition  of  mud  in  a  low  country,  in  the  same 
manner  as  some  of  the  ancient  mouths  of  the  Nile  have  disap- 
peared in  the  Delta  of  Egypt. 

The  southern  branch  of  the  Rhine,  which  flowed  into  the  estu- 
ary of  the  Meuse,  as  above  mentioned,  was  anciently  called  Vaha- 
lis,  a  name  retained  in  the  modern  Waal ;  the  ancient  isle  of  the 
Batavi  being  included  between  the  two  branches  of  the  Rhine, 
and  thus  extending  about  one  hundred  Roman  miles  in  length  by 
about  22  at  the  greatest  breadth.  The  estuaries  of  the  Meuse  and 
the  Scheld  have  also  been  open  to  great  inroads  from  the  ocean  : 
and  the  latter  in  particular,  which  anciently  formed  a  mere  delta, 
Avith  four  or  five  small  branches,  now  presents  the  islands  of  Zea- 
land, and  the  most  southern  of  those  of  Holland,  divided  by  wide 
creeks  of  the  sea.  This  remarkable  irruption  is  supposed  to  have 
happened  at  the  time  that  the  Goodwin  sands  arose.  These  great 
changes  may  be  conceived  to  have  made  a  slow  and  gradual  pro- 
gress ;  and  none  of  them  seem  so  ancient  as  the  time  of  Charle- 
magne. Some  of  them  are  so  recent  as  the  15th  century  ;  for  in 
1421  the  estuary  of  the  Meuse,  or  Maese,  suddenly  formed  a  vast 
lake  to  the  S.  E.  of  Dort,  overwhelming  72  large  villages,  with 
one  hundred  thousand  inhabitants,  who  perished  in  the  deluge.* 

By  a  subsequent  change  the  Rhine  was  again  subdivided  ;  and 
a  chief  bi'anch  fell  into  the  Leek,  which  joins  the  estuary  of  the 
Meuse  between  Dort  and  Rotterdam,  and  must  now  be  regarded 
as  the  northern  mouth  of  that  noble  river ;  while  the  Vahalis  or 
Waal  continues  to  be  the  southern  :  both  branches  being  lost  in  a 
comparatively  small  stream  the  Meuse.  The  less  important  va- 
riations in  the  geography  may  be  traced  with  some  precision  in  the 
Francic  historians,  and  other  writers  of  the  middle  ages. 

Historical  EjiQchs.~\  Among  the  chief  historical  epochs  may  be 
numbered ; 

1 .  The  actions  of  the  Batavi  in  the  Roman  period,  from  the  first 
mention  of  that  nation  by  Julius  Csesar. 

2.  The  conquest  by  the  Frisians,  and  afterwards  by  the  Danes, 
and  by  the  Franks. 

3.  The  countries  watered  by  the  Meuse  and  the  Rhine  were  for 
a  long  time  divided  into  small  earldoms ;  but  in  the  year  923 
Theodoric  or  Diedric,  brother  of  Herman  duke  of  Saxony,  and  of 
Wickman  earl  of  Ghent,  was   appointed  count  of  Holland  by 

*  Cluver.  90.  Guicciai'diai,  271.  Some  authors  arbitrarily  assign  these  changes  to 
violent  tempests,  A.  D.  860;  others  to  1170.  A  Zealandic  chronicler,  quoted  by  the 
same  author,  says  that  the  islands  of  Zealand  were  formed  by  violent  tempests  in  the 
year  938,  a  date  which  seems  to  deserve  the  preference. 


HOLLAND.  231 

Charles  the  simple,  king  of  France,  and  the  title  became  heredi- 
tary. Zealand  and  Friesland  were  included  in  the  donation.  The 
county  of  Geldcrland  on  the  E.  was  erected  by  the  emperor  Henry 
IV.  in  1079,  and  became  a  duchy  in  1339.  Utrecht  was  subject 
to  its  powerful  prelates,  who  had  frequent  contests  with  the  carls 
of  Holland. 

4.  Frequent  contests  appear  between  the  earls  of  Holland  and 
those  of  Flanders,  concerninpj  the  possession  of  the  islands  of  Zea- 
land. Philipina,  daughter  of  William  HI.  earl  of  Holland,  was 
married  to  the  prince  of  Wales,  afterwards  Edward  HL  of 
England,  a  princess  worthy  of  an  heroic  husband.  This  king  af- 
terwards contested  the  earldom  of  Holland  with  Margaret  his  sis- 
ter-in-law. Jacquelin  the  heiress  of  Holland  in  1417  wedded  John 
IV.  duke  of  Brabant;  but  her  uncle  John  of  Bavaria,  who  had  re- 
signed the  bishopric  of  Liege  in  the  hopes  of  espousing  her,  con- 
tested the  succession.  A  kind  of  anarchy  following,  Jacquelin 
went  to  England,  where  she  married  in  1423  Humphry  duke  of 
Gloucester ;  and  this  marriage  being  annulled  by  the  pope,  she 
wedded  in  1432  Borselen  stadtholder  of  Holland  ;  and  the  next 
year  was  forced  to  resign  her  states  to  Philip  the  Good,  duke  of 
Burgundy. 

5.  Holland  with  other  large  possessions  of  the  house  of  Bur- 
gundy, fell  by  marriage  to  the  house  of  Austria. 

6.  Holland  and  some  inferior  provinces  revolt  from  the  tyranny 
of  Philip  II.  in  1566;  and  in  1579  formed  the  famous  union  of 
Utrecht. 

7.  By  the  end  of  that  century  tlie  Dutch  had  established  colo- 
nies at  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  and  in  the  East  Indies ;  and  settle- 
ments were  afterwards  gained  in  South  America.  During  the 
17th  century  they  rivalled  the  English  in  the  empire  of  the  sea  ; 
and  greatly  exceeded  them  in  commercial  advantages.  Their 
power  began  somewhat  to  decline  after  the  obstinate  naval  con- 
flicts in  the  time  of  Charles  II.  In  1672  Louis  XIV.  invades  Hol- 
land ;  and  Amsterdam  is  only  saved  by  opening  the  sluices. 

81  The  stadtholderate  declared  hereditary  1747.  The  war  in 
1756  opening  great  connexions  between  Holland  and  France,  a 
French  party  began  to  form  in  the  country,  which  opposed  the 
stadtholder,  who  was  supported  by  the  English.  In  1780  a  war 
arose  between  Great  Britain  and  Holland,  which  closed  in  1 784, 
after  exposing  to  Europe  the  decline  and  weakness  of  the  United 
Provinces,  still  farther  displayed  by  the  entrance  of  the  duke  of 
Brunswic  in  1788,  who  may  be  said  to  have  subdued  them  with- 
out a  blow. 

9.  The  Dutch  having  joined  the  coalition  against  the  French, 
their  country  fell  a  prey  to  the  invaders,  during  the  hard  frost  of 
the  winter  1794-5  ;  and  the  stadtholder  took  refuge  in  England  iu 
1795. 

10.  Holland  was  created  into  a  kingdom  and  given  to  Louis 
Bonaparte  in  1809. 

1 1  The  king  was  deprived  of  his  crown  on  account  of  his  clem- 
ency, and  Holland  was  annexed  to  the  French  empire  in  1810. 


232  HOLLAND. 

jintiguUie&:]  The  ancient  monuments  of  the  United  Provinces 
are  far  from  being  numerous  or  interesting.  The  chief  remain  of 
the  Roman  period  is  the  ruined  tower  near  Catwick,  about  six 
miles  N.  W.  from  Leyden,  at  the  ancient  mouth  of  the  Rhine.  In 
the  middle  of  Leyden,  upon  an  artificial  hill,  stands  a  round  tow- 
er, fabled  to  have  been  built  by  Hengist  who  first  led  the  Saxons 
to  England.  Among  the  antiquities  of  the  two  middle  ages  may 
be  particularly  named  the  chuixh  of  Utrecht,  with  a  tower  of  great 
height,  commanding  as  it  were  a  map  of  the  surrounding  country, 
and  worthy  of  the  great  power  of  the  ancient  bishops  of  that  see. 

Religion.']  Calvinism  was  the  established  religion  of  Holland. 
The  states  in  1583  proposed  that  no  other  form  should  be  tolerat- 
ed ;  but  this  was  wisely  rejected.  None  but  calvinists  however 
could  hold  any  employment  of  trust  or  profit. 

The  officers  of  the  church  are  pastors,  ruling  elders,  and  dea- 
cons. All  the  clergy  are  on  a  level.  The  church  is  governed  by 
consistories,  classes,  provincial  synods,  and  a  national  synod.  A 
consistory  is  usually  composed  of  the  clergy  and  elders  of  a  par- 
ticular to\vn,  and  regulates  the  affairs  of  the  individual  churches 
there.  A  class  consists  of  deputies  from  several  consistories,  and 
meets  three  times  a  year.  The  provincial  synods  have  the  over- 
sight of  the  churches  and  clergy  of  each  province.  They  assem- 
ble every  year.  They  were  all  subject  to  a  national  synod,  which 
met  only  on  the  most  important  occasions,  when  essential  doctrines 
■were  to  be  discussed  and  settled.  The  last  was  that  of  Dort  in 
1618.  The  national  synod  was  subject  to  the  control  of  the  States 
general  which  were  considered  the  head  of  the  church. 

The  following  table  exhibits  the  state  of  the  established  church 
in  1759,  1797  and  1803. 


Classes. 

Ministers. 

1759. 

1797. 

1803. 

1.  Guelderland 

9 

284 

283 

285 

2.  South  Holland 

■  11 

S31 

332 

331 

3.  North  Holland 

6 

222 

218 

220 

4.  Zealand 

4 

173 

159 

163 

5.  Utrecht 

3 

81 

82 

79 

6.  Friesland 

6 

208 

209 

207 

7.  Overyssel 

4 

84 

84 

84 

8.  D  rente 

40 

42 

40 

9.  Croningen 

7 

161 

161 

161 

55  1584  1570  1570 

Besides  these  there  were,  in  1797,  2  ministers  in  the  island  of 
Ameland,  and  52  in  the  colonies  ;  viz.  9  in  the  W.  Indies  and  43 
at  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope  and  in  the  E.  Indies. 

The  Walloon  calvinist  churches  are  50  in  number,  and  are  su- 
perintended by  a  general  synod  which  is  tlie  oldest  body  of  the 
reformed  church  in  the  Low  Countries.  There  were,  in  1803,  7 
English  Presbyterian  congregations,  1  Scotch,  and  2  English  Epis:» 
copalian. 
The  number  of  catholic  chur'dies  then  in  the  seven  provinces 


HOLLAND.  2;^ 

^as  350,  of  priests  400.  Of  these  5 1  churches  and  74  priests  were 
of  the  Jansenist  party.  The  rest  were  Jesuits,  There  were  of 
the  Lutherans  41  congrej^ations,  and  70  ministers  ;  of  the  Re- 
monstrants 34  congregations,  and  43  ministers;  of  the  Anabap- 
tists, in  1791,  169  congregations,  and  251  ministers;  and  of  the 
Rhinsburgers  20  congregations.  There  are  also  a  very  few 
Quakers,  one  congregation  of  Arrainians,  and  a  considerable  num- 
ber of  Jews  in  the  large  cities. 

Govern7nen(r\  Each  of  the  Seven  Provinces  was  a  republic^ 
retaining  its  own  states,  which  consisted  of  nobles  and  burgesses; 
governed  by  its  own  laws  ;  and  exercising  most  of  the  rights  of  a 
sovereign  state.  The  general  legislature  was  called  the  States 
General,  composed  of  deputies  from  each  province  as  many  as  it 
pleased.  The  right  of  war  and  peace,  laying  taxes,  appointing 
and  receiving  ambassadors  and  naming  the  Secretary  of  State  and 
all  the  staff  officers  was  vested  in  tliis  body.  In  deliberations 
each  province  had  but  one  vote.  The  government  was  adminis- 
tered by  the  Stadtholder.  He  was  originally  a  kind  of  Dictator, 
appointed  from  the  necessity  of  the  times  to  conduct  the  emanci- 
pation of  the  state.  When  the  necessity  vanished,  the  office  be- 
came of  dubious  authority,  till  William  HL  in  1672  procured  it  to 
be  declared  hereditary.  He  was  captain  general  and  high  admiral 
president  of  the  East  and  West  India  companies,  and  stadtholder 
of  each  province.  The  second  officer  was  the  Grand  Pensionary 
or  Advocate  of  the  republic. 

Lanvs.^  Justice  is  administered  according  to  the  local  customs 
and  statutes  of  each  province  and  city,  the  ordinances  of  the  states 
general,  and  in  defect  of  all  these  the  Roman  code. 

Pofiulation.^     See  table. 

^rrny.']  The  Army  in  1801  amounted  to  22,384  men  ;  viz.  na- 
tional troops  19,122,  Gei-man  troops  3,262.  Now  the  young  men 
•f  Holland  are  drafted  for  the  French  conscription,  and  consider- 
able numbers  of  French  troops  are  quartered  on  the  inhabitants. 

^avy.']     The  navy  in  1806  consisted  of 

Ships  of  the  Line  -         -         -         -         16 

Frigates  -         -         -         -         -         -     10 

Corvettes     ------  6 

Brigs      -         -         -         --         -         -9 

Cutters         ------  5 

Schooners       -         -         -         -         -         -       1 

manned  by  6000  seamen.  The  French  government  has  built  a 
number  of  ships  since,  in  the  navy  yards  of  Holland.  Formerly 
the  Dutch  navy  was  after  the  English  the  most  powerful  in  Eu- 
rope. 

Revenue.']  The  revenue  in  1808  amounted  to  50,000,000  Dutch 
guilders.  The  expenditure  was  74,1 19,354  ;  and  the  debt,  in  1807, 
1,172,327,252  guilders. 

Manners  and  Customn.]  The  towns,  villages,  and  houses  of 
the  Dutch  are  distinguished  for  their  neatness  and  cleanliness.— 
The  villas  of  the  opulent  are  thickly  planted  among  the  nu- 
merous canals.     Their  dress  is  extremely  plain  and  little  affeO 

VOL.  II.  30 


234  HOLLAND. 

cd  by  fashion.  It  is  wisely  accommodated  to  the  cold  damp  na- 
ture of  their  climate.  Their  chief  food  is  herrings,  in  the  curing 
of  which  they  are  unrivalled.  Their  butter  and  cheese  also  are 
excellent.  The  Dutch  have  always  been  noted  for  their  cool 
phlegmatic  temperament.  Their  courage  is  obstinacy;  their  in- 
chisti'y  heavy  perseverance.  All  classes  are  distinguished  for  their 
frugality.  The  only  ruling  passion  is  avarice.  This  is  univer&al, 
and  regulates  all  their  connections  and  all  their  intercourse.— ;- 
Skating  is  the  favorite  amusement  in  winter,  in  which  they  are 
uncommonly  alert  ;  and  the  canals  are  crowded  with  all  ranks, 
and  of  both  sexes.  The  men  are  somewhat  addicted  to  drinking, 
and  both  men  and  women  to  smoking  tobacco.  Both  sexes  are 
strong  built,  and  both  have  the  grossest  shapes  any  where  to  be 
met  with. 

Language.']  The  Dutch  language  is  a  dialect  of  the  German  ; 
and  the  Lord's  Prayer  runs  in  the  following  terms  : 

Oji  se  Fader  die  daer  zijt  in  de  Hemelcn.  Unven  N'aein  ivord 
gheheylight.  U  Rijcke  ko7ne.  Uwen  Wille  gheschiede  op  der  AeV' 
den^  gclijck  in  den  Hemel.  Onse  dagelijckt  Broodt  gheeft  ons  hed- 
cn.  Rude  vergheeft  oua  ouse  Schulden  ghelijck  ivy  oock  ouse 
Sc/iulde7iaren  vergeven.  £ude  en  leyt  ons  niet  in  Fersoeckinge, 
Maer  verlost  ons  vanden  Booseti.  Amen.  Both  English  and 
French  are  spoken  freely  by  people  of  fashion. 

Literature.]  The  literature  of  the  Seven  United  Provinces  is 
more  respectable  than  that  of  the  other  Netherlands.  Not  to 
mention  the  ancient  chronicle  of  the  church  of  Utrecht,  and  other 
ecclesiastical  productions  of  the  middle  ages,  the  great  Erasmus, 
the  restorer  of  letters  in  Western  Europe,  was  born  at  Rotter- 
dam in  1467.  Johannes  Secundus,  or  Hans  de  Twede,  one  of  the 
most  elegant  of  modern  Latin  poets,  was  a  native  of  the  Hague, 
as  the  renowned  Grotius  was  of  Delft.  Boerhaave,  the  celebrated 
physician,  was  born  at  Voorhoor  near  Leyden.  Dort  produced 
Paul  Merula,  a  distinguished  antiquary,  who  at  the  beginning  of 
the  seventeenth  century  first  discriminated  the  real  origins  of  Eu- 
ropean nations.  Adrian  Junius,  or  Yung,  who  explored  the  anti- 
quities of  his  native  country,  was  of  Hoorn  on  the  Zuyder  Zee.-— 
Among  other  eminent  names  may  be  mentioned  Meursius  of 
Lausden,  Dousa  of  Leyden,  Heinsius  of  Ghent,  and  the  younger 
Vossius.  Hoogeveen  of  Leyden  died  in  1794,  after  having  acquii- 
©d  the  reputation  of  being  the  first  Greek  scholar  in  Europe.-— 
Haerlem  disputes  the  invention  of '  printing  with  the  Germans, 
and  the  magistrates  keep  two  copies  of  a  book  entitled  Speculum 
Salvationist  printed  by  Koster  in  1440.  Many  of  the  most  elegant 
editions  of  the  classics  have  come  from  the  Dutch  presses.  The 
Dutch  divines  have  excelled  in  controversial  divinity. 

Education^  isfc.]  The  mode  of  education  pursued  in  these  prov- 
inces seems  to  have  been  greatly  inferior  to  that  used  in  Scotland, 
a  country  enjoying  an  ecclesiastic  government  some^vhat  similar. 
The  Dutch  youths  being  chiefly  allotted  to  a  seafaring  life,  there 
was  not  indeed  opportunity  for  numerous  parochial  schools,  and 
consequent  diffusion  of  common  knowledge.    The  most  celebrat- 


HOLLAND.  ,235 

ed  Latin  schools  were  at  Rotterdam,  Breda,  Middlcburg,  Gronin- 
gen.  Sec.  The  Universities  aTe  five  ;  Leyden,  Utrecht,  Ilarder- 
vvyck,  Franecker,  and  Groningen  ;  with  two  inferior  colleges  at 
Amsterdam  and  Deventer.  The  Dissenters  in  England  were  ac- 
customed to  send  their  children  to  these  Universities  for  educa- 
tion.    There  is  an  academy  of  sciences  at  Haarlem. 

Cities  and  Totv?is.^  Amsterdam  in  North  Holland,  the  capital 
of  the  United  Provinces,  is  situated  on  the  river  Amstel  and  an 
arm  of  the  Zuyder  Sea  called  the  T^  or  Wye,  about  2  leagues 
from  the  mouth  of  the  latter.  In  1204  it  consisted  merely  of  a 
few  huts  for  fishermen.  In  1490  it  was  surrounded  by  a  brick 
wall  and  strongly  fortified.  It  is  seated  on  a  low  marshy  soil^and 
built  on  piles  of  wood.  The  haven  is  a  mile  and  a  half  in  length 
and  about  1000  paces  in  breadth.  It  is  not  distinguished  by  natur- 
al advantages ;  but  has  been  improved  and  secured  by  art.  h\ 
1796  the  number  of  houses  was  27,351,  and  of  inhabitants  217,024. 
The  houses  are  of  brick  or  stone,  and  are  universally  neat  and 
cleanly.  The  streets  are  generally  narrow,  but  well  paved.— 
There  are  14  Calvinistic  churches,  3  English,  1  or  more  Lutheran, 
Arminian  and  Anabaptist,  several  Catholic  chapels,  and  2  syna- 
gogues ;  one  the  largest  in  Europe.  The  chief  edifices  are  the 
stadthouse  built  on  14,000  wooden  piles,  front  282  feet,  depth  255) 
height  to  the  roof  116;  the  Exchange  ;  the  Admiralty  office  ;  the 
Post  Office  ;  and  St.  Catherine's  church.  The  canals  are  nume- 
rous, and  have  many  stone  bridges  over  them.  They  cross  the 
city  m  every  direction,  and  render  the  streets  clean  and  pleasant. 
Rows  of  trees  are  planted  on  the  brink,  and  their  sides  are  lined 
with  hewn  stone.  Amsterdam  before  the  late  troubles  was  sur- 
passed in  its  commerce  by  no  city  in  Europe  but  London. 

The  Hague,  about  half  a  league  from  the  German  Sea,  was  the 
seaLot  the  general  government  as  well  as  that  oi  d\c  Province  of 
Holland.  It  was  a  mere  village  till  William  HI,  Comte  of  Hol- 
land, removed  his  court  there  from  Grav'csande  in  1250,  It  stands 
in  a  dry  soil  somewhat  elevated  above  the  neighboring  coun- 
try ;  the  air  is  pure,  and  the  environs  delightful.  The  number  of 
houses,  in  1796,  was  6164  ;  and  of  inhabitants  38,433.  The  hous- 
es are  uncommonly  good  ;  the  streets  long,  broad  and  cleanly  ; 
many  of  them  being  adorned  with  rows  of  trees.  The  most  splendid 
edifices  are  the  synagogue  and  several  of  the  palaces  and  hospitals. 

Rotterdam,  also  in  Holland,  at  the  confluence  of  the  JRottcr, 
with  the  Meuse,  is  first  spoken  of  as  a  considerable  town  about 
1270.  Its  shape  is  triangular,  the  houses  handsomely  built  of 
brick,  the  streets  wide  and  well  paved.  The  liavcn  is  deep,  easi- 
ly accessible  to  the  largest  ships,  and  free  from  ice  in  the  spring 
much  sooner  than  the  Texel,  These  advantages  had  given  the 
town  a  very  extensive  commerce  before  the  ruin  of  the  country. 
The  Bomb  Quay  is  one  of  the  finest  in  Europe.  There  arc  dis« 
tinct  walks  for  carriages  and  foot  passengers,  and  shaded  with 
double  rows  of  trees.  The  city,  in  1796,  contained  6621  houses 
and  33,800  inhabitants.  In  the  market  place  stands  the  well 
known  statue  of  Erasmus. 


3S5  HOLLAND. 

Utrecht  is  the  UUrajectum  of  the  Romans.  They  called 
it  also  Jntonina  Civitas^  from  Antoninus,  a  senator,  who  built 
it  in  the  time  of  Nero  ;  Trajectum  ad  Rhenum  or  the  ferry- 
ing place  over  the  Rhuie  ;  and  Trajectum  Inferius.  It  stands 
on  a  northern  bi-anch  of  the  Rhine,  which,  before  the  great 
change  in  tlie  bed  of  that  river,  was  a  pi'incipal  channel.  It  is  the 
capital  of  the  province,  and  the  seat  of  a  very  celebrated  univer- 
sity. The  shape  of  the  town  is  oval.  The  principal  streets  are 
cut  through  with  canals,  two  of  which  I'un  the  whole  length  of  the 
city.  The  houses  are  brick,  many  of  them  stately.  It  contained 
in  1796,  32,294  inhabitants. 

Leyden,  the  Lugdunum  Batavorum  of  Ptolemy,  is  situated  on 
the  old  northern  branch  of  the  Rhine,  a  few  miles  above  the  spot 
where  it  loses  itself  in  the  sands.  The  river  divides  the  citv  into 
about  fifty  islands  communicating  with  each  other  by  145  bridges, 
upvrards  of  100  of  which  arc  of  freestone.  The  university  has 
been  celebrated  for  many  years,  but  is  now  on  the  decline.  Ley- 
den contained  in  1796,  3017  houses,  and  30,955  inhabitants.  It 
has  eight  gates.  The  land  and  gardens  around  are  very  produc- 
tive, and  there  is  a  daily  intercourse,  by  canals,  with  the  other 
large  cities  and  towns.     The  annual  fair  is  still  much  frequented. 

Groningen,  the  capital  of  the  province  of  the  same  name,  is 
in  the  northern  part  of  Holland,  about  10  miles  from  the  sea.— 
The  river  Hunes  runs  through  it  to  the  ocean  northward,  and 
tlie  Dunster  runs  eastward  to  the  estuary  of  the  Ems.  Its  port  is 
very  commodious,  into  which  ships  enter  with  great  ease  by  means 
of  the  canal.  The  university  was  established  in  1614.  The  town 
is  strongly  fortified,  and  adorned  with  many  excellent  buildings, 
public  and  private.     It  contained  in  1796,  23,770  inhabitants. 

Haerlem,  or  Harlem,  in  Holland,  lies  on  the  Sparen,  about  3 
miles  from  the  Sea  or  Lake  of  Haerlem.  It  contains  4  Dutch 
Calvinist  churches,  1  French  Calvinist,  1  Lutheran,  1  Ai'minian, 
4  Anabaptists,  and  several  private  Catholic  chapels.  Here  are 
extensive  manufactories  of  linen,  ribbands  and  tape.  The  num- 
ber of  houses  in  1796,  was  7,963,  and  of  inhabitants  21,360. 

Dort,  or  Dordrecht,  in  Holland,  lies  on  a  small  island  in  the 
Meuse,  which  was  first  detached  from  the  main  land  by  aii  irrup- 
tion of  the  river  in  1 42 1 .  Its  harbor  is  very  commodious  for  trade. 
It  contained  in  1796  about  4000  houses  and  18,014  inhabitants. 

Middleburg,  the  chief  town  in  Zealand  and  the  capital  of  the 
island  oi  Walcheren,  was  surrounded  by  a  wall  in  1132.  The 
town  house  is  a  large  magnificent  building.  The  fortifications 
are  strong  and  regular.  The  situation  is  extremely  unhealthy. 
In  1796  it  contained  17,687  inhabitants.  In  1809  the  town  and  the 
island  were  taken  by  the  British,  but  were  soon  after  abandoned. 

Leuwarden,  the  capital  of  Friesland,  is  large,  and  well  fortified. 
All  the  streets  are  straight,  broad  and  handsome.  Various  canals 
connect  it  with  the  sea  and  with  other  parts  of  the  province,  by 
means  of  which  it  carries  on  a  considerable  trade.  In  1796  it 
contained  15,525  inhabitants. 

J^fimeguen,  in  Guelderland,  stands  on  the  south  side  of  the  Wa- 


HOLLAND.  337 

"hzly  the  southern  branch  of  the  Rhine.  It  is  a  very  ancient  city, 
has  13  gates,  and  is  well  fortified.  In  1796  it  contained  12,785  in- 
habitants. 

Delft,  in  Holland,  is  situated  on  a  large  canal  called  the  Schie^ 
connected  with  the  Meuse  at  Schiedam.  The  country  is  low,  but 
pleasant.  It  contained  in  1796  about  5000  houses,  and  13,737  in- 
habitants. The  city  was  formerly  much  celebrated  for  its  beer, 
and  for  its  delft -ware.  Of  the  remaining  towns,  Herzogenbusch,  in 
1796,  contained  12,627  mhabitants,  Zwole  12,220,  Gouda  11,715, 
Emden  11,128,  Arnheim  10,080,  Zaandam  10,012,  Hoorn  9551, 
Schiedam  9111,  Amersfoort  8584,  Tilbury  8532,  Alkmaar  8373, 
Breda  8250,  Harlingen7456,  Zutphen  6878,  Enkhuysen  6803,  and 
Zierikzee  6086. 

Inland  Aavigation.^  The  canals  of  Holland  arc  innumerable, 
and  they  serve  the  purpose  of  public  roads.  By  those  of  Holland 
and  the  Netherlands  a  prodigious  inland  trade  is  carried  on  between 
those  countries,  and  France  and  Germany.  When  frozen,  the  in- 
habitants travel  on  them  with  skaits ;  while  heavy  burdens  are 
conveyed  in  sleighs.  The  profits  which  have  accrued  from  them 
have  been  incalculable.  They  are  generally  60  feet  wide  and  6 
deep,  and  are  kept  well  cleansed ;  the  mud  being  very  valuable 
sis  manure.     They  are  generally  level  and  need  no  locks. 

Manufactures  and  Commerce.^  The  chief  manufactures  of  Hol- 
land are  linens,  many  of  which  however  are  made  in  Silesia ;  pot 
tery,  and  painted  tiles,  especially  at  Delft ;  leather,  wax,  snufF, 
sugar,  starch,  paper,  besides  some  of  woollen,  cotton,  and  silk.* 
But  the  most  precious  branch  of  commerce  consisted  in  spices 
and  drugs,  brought  from  the  settlements  in  the  East  Indies  ;  and 
the  Dutch  East  India  company  was,  for  a  considerable  time,  the 
greatest  mercantile  firm  in  Europe.  The  fishery  in  the  Northern 
Seas,  and  even  on  their  own  and  the  English  coasts,  was  also  an 
•bject  of  great  commercial  importance.  Latterly  perhaps  the 
chief  advantage  was  derived  from  Holland  being  the  grand  de- 
posit of  commerce  between  Great  Britain  and  the  continent,  par- 
ticularly Germany  and  France.  The  inland  trade  with  Germany, 
by  the  canals  and  the  Rhine,  is  almost  the  only  branch  which  ha3 
escaped  the  ravages  of  war.  Of  this  the  most  remarkable  feature 
consists  in  the  vast  floats  of  timber,  which  arrive  at  Dort  from 
Andernach,  and  other  places  on  the  Rhine,  whose  copious  stream 
received  the  trees  of  the  German  forests.  The  length  of  these 
rafts  is  from  700  to  1000  feet,  the  breadth  from  50  to  90  ;  and  500 
labourers  direct  the  floating  island,  which  is  crowned  with  a  vil- 
lage of  timber  huts  for  their  reception.  The  navigation  is  con- 
ducted with  the  strictest  regularity  ;  and  on  their  arrival  at  Dort 
the  sale  of  one  raft  occupies  several  months,  and  frequently  pro- 
duces^more  than  jC30,000  sterling.!  The  other  branches  of  inland 
traffic  are  numerous  :  and  the  Rhine  may  be  said  to  supply  Hol- 
land with  insulai*  advantages,  secure  from  the  destructive  inroads 
of  maritime  war.  At  present  the  Dutch  have  no  commerce  on 
the  ocean. 

•  Marshal,  vol.  i.  225—255,  f  Radcliffc,  ii.  114. 


238  HOLLAND. 

GHAPTER  11. 
NATURAL  GEOGRAPHY. 

CLIMATE  AND  SEASONS,  FACE  OF  THE  COUNTRY,  SOIL  AND  A6- 
RICULTURE,  RIVERS,  LAKES,  BOTANY,  ZOOLOGY,  MINERALOGY, 
ISLANDS. 

Climate  and  Seasons.']  THE  air  of  Holland  is  always 
raoist  and  cold.  Strangers  complain  of  it  as  unhealthy  ;  but  the 
natives  enjoy  more  than  commonly  firm  and  vigorous  constitu- 
tions. The  phlegm  of  the  Dutch  character  is  in  a  great  measure 
attributable  to  their  climate. 

Face  of  the  Country.']  The  coast  is  every  where  flat  and  sandy  ; 
and  so  low,  that  the  inhabitants  have  been  obliged  to  build  dykes 
or  mounds  along  a  great  part  of  it  to  prevent  inundations  from 
the  ocean.  They  are  usually  25  feet  in  height  and  25  ells  in  thick- 
ness.  The  coast  of  the  small  province  of  Zealand  alone,  is  dyked 
to  the  extent  of  40  miles,  at  an  original  expense  of  jC340,000  ster- 
ling. Holland,  Friesland,  Groningen,  and  East  Friesland  are 
similarly  defended.  The  general  face  of  the  interior  is  that  of  a 
large  marsh  that  has  been  drained.  Much  of  the  surface  is  below 
the  level  of  the  sea.  The  meadows  are  usually  under  water  in 
the  winter;  but  the  inhabitants  in  the  spring  discharge  this  water 
into  the  canals  and  ditches  by  mills  invented  for  the  purpose.  In 
the  midst  of  these  swamps  and  marshes,  the  eye  is  surprised  and 
delighted  to  see  numerous  and  important  cities  and  towns  rising 
in  quick  succession,  and  all  the  intervening  country  wearing  the 
appearance  of  a  continued  flourishing  village.  Industry  seems  to 
have  selected  this  most  untoward  spot  as  her  favorite  residence, 
and  here  the  extent  of  her  powers  is  most  strikingly  displayed. 
Yet  the  E.  of  Dutch  Brabant  is  still  disfigured  by  the  large  morass 
of  Peal  extending  about  30  miles  in  length  :  Over-Yssel  is  almost 
wholly  composed  of  marshes  and  heaths  :  and  the  morass  of  Bour- 
tang  rivals  that  of  Peal  in  extent.  The  S.  and  S.  E.  parts  of  Fries- 
land, Groningen  and  E.  Frieslend  present  extensive  heaths  ;  while 
the  parts  towards  tlxe  sea  rival  the  morasses  of  Holland.  Thus 
the  Avhole  country  may  be  said  to  display  an  intimate  combination 
of  land  and  water  ;  and  the  few  elevations  commonly  consist  of 
barren  sand. 

Soil  and  Agriculture.]  The  agriculture  of  such  provinces  can- 
not be  expected  to  be  considerable,  the  land  being  mostly  under 
pasturage,  except  a  few  crops  of  madder,  and  tobacco,  which  arc 
cultivated  with  great  predilection.*  The  pasturages  in  the  north 
of  Holland,  especially  those  of  Bemster,  and  in  Friesland,  suppl  y 
such  quantities  of  excellent  butter,  as  to  become  a  staple  article 
of  commerce.  The  cows  seem  to  have  been  originally  from  Hol- 
stein,  and  the  utmost  attention  is  paid  to  warmth  and  cleanlin^slv, 

*  Marsball,  i.  26*. 


HOLLAND.  23y 

so  that  even  in  summer  the  animals  appear  in  the  meadows  cloth- 
ed with  ludicrous  care.* 

Bays.']  The  Zuyder  Zee  is  a  great  bay  pf  the  German  Ocean, 
setting  up  from  the  N.  into  the  United  Provinces.  It  is  so  called 
from  its  situation  towards  the  S.  and  is  said  formerly  to  have  been 
a  lake  ;  an  opinion  which  the  great  number  of  the  ahoals  and 
islands  at  its  mouth  cei-tainly  countenances.  It  is  of  a  winding 
irregular  figure,  and  has  a  circuitous  length  of  about  120  miles. 
It  abounds  in  shoals  and  flats.  Holland  and  the  islands  Texel, 
Vlieland,  Scheling,  and  Amelandt  separate  it  from  the  main  ocean. 
The  northern  branch  of  the  Rhine  called  the  Issel  falls  into  the  S. 
E.  part  of  this  sea  near  Campen. 

The  common  estuary  of  the  Scheldt,  the  Meuse,*  and  the  two 
southern  branches  of  the  Rhine  is  a  broad  bay  setting  up  from  the 
W.  between  Holland  and  Dutch  Flanders.  The  Dutch  call  it  the 
Zieuivache  Stromen,  or  Sea-Streams.  Dollart  Bay,  between  Gro- 
ningcn  and  E.  Friesland,  Avas  formed  by  an  inundation  in  1277, 
which  is  said  to  have  destroyed  33  villages.  It  receives  the  waters 
of  the  Ems. 

Jijvers.^  The  Rhine  has  three  sources,  all  of  which  rise  in  the 
country  of  the  Grisons.  The  northern  rises  from  a  glacier  on  the 
summit  of  mount  Bedus  or  Bader.  The  Middle  Rhine  is  the  long- 
est, and  rises  not  far  from  mount  St.  Gothard.  These  united 
receive  the  southern  which  rises  from  mount  Avicula  at  the 
head  of  a  valley  about  nine  leagues  long,  called  the  Rhinewald. 
These  heights  are  upwards  of  6000  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea. 
The  course  is  E.  of  N.  to  the  southern  corner  of  the  lake  of  Con- 
stance, whence  it  bends  west  to  Basil.  It  pervades  or  borders 
Switzerland  for  the  space  of  250  miles.  From  Basil  it  runs  N.  E. 
to  Spire,  and  thence  N.  W.  to  the  ocean.  From  its  northern 
bend  to  its  entrance  irito  Holland  it  is  the  present  boundary  be- 
tween Germany  and  France.  Its  principal  tributaries  are  the 
Aar  from  Switzerland,  the  Neckar,  tlie  Mayn,  the  Lahn,  and  the 
Lippe  from  Germany,  and  the  Moselle  from  France.  As  it  enters 
Holland  it  divides  at  Schenkan  Schans.  The  southern  branch, 
the  Wahal,  Vahaiis,  pursues  a  south  westerly  course,  mingles 
with  the  Meuse  at  the  small  island  of  Voorn,  separates  from  it, 
and  joins  it  again  at  Warcum.  The  united  stream  flows  into  the 
ocean,  after  passing  the  islands  of  Holland  and  Zealand.  The 
northern  branch,  retaining  the  name  of  the  Rhine,  runs  N.  about 
10  miles,  and  again  divides  near  Arnheim.  The  right  branch 
called  the  Issel,  Sai/a^  flows  N.  and  falls  into  the  Zuyder  Zee 
at  Campen.  The  left  branch,  still  called  the  Rhine,  runs  west- 
ward to  Wyck  where  it  divides  a  third  time.  The  larger  branch, 
called  the  Lech,  runs  S.  of  W.  and  joins  the  Wahal  and  Meuse  at 
Crimpe.  The  other  called  the  Old  Khine,  znd  anciently  the  chief 
arm  of  the  river,  runs  N.  W.  by  Utrecht,  Woerden  and  Leyden, 
and  loses  itself  in  the  sand  a  few  miles  from  this  latter  city*  and  at 
a  small  distance  ft-om  the  German  ocean.  The  whole  length  of, 
the  Rhine  is  about  800  miles. 

•  Mar^all,  i.  37. 


240  HOLLAND. 

The  Meuse  rises  in  France  near  the  sources  of  the  Seine,  the 
Saone,  and  the  Moselle.  Its  course  is  principally  northerly,  in 
France  and  the  Netherlands  ;  and  W.  in  Holland. 

The  mouths  of  the  Scheldt  are  in  Holland. 

The  Ems  also  is  now  in  part  a  Dutch  river. 

The  Wechte  rises  in  Germany  and  empties  into  the  Zuyder  a 
little  north  of  the  Issel  at  Gelmuyden. 

Lakes.']  The  lakes  are  of  small  extent,  if  we  except  what  is 
called  the  sea  of  Haarlem,  on  the  N.  of  which  is  the  Y,  a  broad 
piece  of  water  passing  through  Amsterdam,  rather  wearing  the 
semblance  of  a  creek  of  the  sea,  than  of  a  river.  There  are  oth- 
er small  lakes  in  the  N.  of  Holland,  and  in  Friesland  and  in  Gi'on- 
ingen  ;  not  to  mention  some  amidst  the  marshes  of  Over-Yssel. 

Botany.']  Few  of  the  plants  or  trees  of  Holland  are  peculiar  to 
it,  or  worthy  of  particular  notice. 

Zoology.]  In  the  zoology  of  the  United  Provinces  there  is 
nothing  peculiar,  or  worthy  of  remark ;  the  horses  are  chiefly 
from  England  and  Flanders,  the  oxen  from  Holstein.  The  stork 
is  here  frequent.  The  shores  abound  with  excellent  fish,  partir- 
ularly  turbot  and  soals. 

Mineralogy.]  Minerals  are  unknown,  if  we  accept  the  slight  inci- 
sions for  peat ;  which  the  Dutch  not  only  procure  from  the  morass- 
es, but  also  from  the  bottoms  of  the  river,  by  dragging  up  the  mud, 
which  is  exposed  to  dry  on  the  shore,  then  cut  into  small  pieces, 
and  again  dried  for  use.  No  mineral  waters  are  here  known  ; 
and  there  are  few  uncommon  appearances  of  nature,  though  the 
whole  country  may  be  deemed  an  artificial  curiosity,  from  the 
number  of  canals,  and  from  the  vast  dykes  erected  to  exclude  the 
sea. 

Islands.]  Cadsand,  near  the  coast  of  Dutch  Flanders,  com- 
mands the  entrance  of  the  West  Scheldt.  It  is  fertile  in  corn ; 
the  meadows  are  luxuriant;  and  the  farmers  make  excellent 
cheese.  Cassandria  is  the  principal  place.  Walcheren,  the 
most  westerly  of  the  isles  in  the  province  of  Zealand,  is  13  miles 
from  N.  to  S.  and  8  from  E.  to  W.  Flushing,  or  Vliessengen.,  the 
next  town  after  Middleburg,  is  the  key  of  the  Scheldt  and  contain- 
ed in  1796,  509 1  inhabitants. 

South  Beveland  is  about  20  miles  long  and  7  wide.  The  chief 
town  Goes  is  well  fortified,  and  contains  3700  inhabitants.  North 
Beveland  is  6  miles  long,  and  4  broad. 

Tolen  is  10  miles  long,  and  4  broad.  Tolen,  the  capital,  is  a 
handsome  town,  and  strongly  fortified. 

Schouwen,  N.  E.  of  Walcheren,  is  14  miles  long  and  5  broad. 
Ziriczee,  the  capital,  is  one  of  the  oldest  towns,  and  was  built  and 
walled  in  859.  In  1796  it  contained  1800  houses  and  6086  inhab- 
itants.    St.  Philip's  Land  and  Duy  velland  lie  east  of  Schouwen. 

Ovarflakee  is  in  the  province  of  Holland.  Sommerdyk  is  the 
capital. 

Goeree  is  10  miles  in  circumference. 

Voorn  is  20  miles  long  and  5  broad.  Briel,  the  capital,  is  on  the 
N.  side,  has  a  good  harbor,  970  houses,  and  3170  inhabitants. 


NETHERLANDS.  ^41 

Here  admiral  Tromp  was  born.  Helvetsluys,  on  the  3.  side  of 
the  island,  has  a  noble  harbor,  and  is  the  general  port  for  packers 
from  England. 

Beyerlandtlies  between  Voorn  and  Dort.    Stryen  is  the  capital. 

Isselmond  is  a  loog  narrow  island  opposite  Rotterdam. 

The  Texel,  at  the  mouth  of  the  Zuyder,  a  part  of  Holland,  is  15 
miles  long,  and  6  broad.  The  town  of  the  same  name  has  an  ex- 
cellent harbor,  and  a  fort  which  commands  the  entrance.  The 
land  is  fertile  and  well  secured  with  dykes. 

Vlieland,  8  miles  long  and  3  wide,  is  5  miles  from  fhe  Texel. 

Schelling  is  a  narrow  sand  bank,  15  miles  long  and  3  wide. 

Amelandt,  a  part  of  Friesland,  is  12  miles  long  and  3  wide.  Lit- 
tle islands  are  scattered  eastward  along  the  whole  coast  of  Gro- 
Tiingen  and  East  Friesland. 


NETHERLANDS. 

CHAPTER  I. 
HISTORICAL  GEOGRAPHY. 

NAMES,  EXTENT,  DIVISIONS,  ORIGINAL  POPULATION,  HISTORICAL. 
EPOCHS,  RELIGION,  GOVERNMENT,  POPULATION,  MANNERS  AND 
CUSTOMS,  LANGUAGE,  UNIVERSITIES,  ARTS,  TOWNS,  EDIFICES, 
INLAND  NAVIGATION,  MANUFACTURES  AND   COMMERCE. 

OUR  account  of  this  country  must  be  very  brief,  as  it 
will  be  included  under  the  next  article. 

JVames.^  This  territory  was  a  part  of  Gallia  Belgica  ;  and  the 
chief  tribes  were  the  Menapii,  the  Tun^ri^  the  7V<?/t>/,  and  the  Mo- 
rini.  After  the  irruption  of  the  Franks  it  formed  a  part  of  Xeus- 
tria^  or  the  new  kingdom  ;  the  ancient  kingdom  of  the  Franks  be- 
ing on  the  E.  of  the  Rhine.  In  the  middle  of  the  9th  century  arose 
the  powerful  house  of  the  Earls  of  Flanders  ;  a::d  the  Counts  of 
Hainaut  commence  about  the  same  period.  The  Dukes  of  Lower 
Lorrain  and  Brabant  are  little  known  before  the  end  of  the  10th.— 
In  the  15th,  most  of  the  country  was  subjected  to  the  Dukes  of 
Burgundy.  The  title  of  Austria  to  the  Netherlands  came  tiirough 
the  heiress  of  ihe  latter  house.  The  inhabitants  of  Flanders  are 
called  FlemingSf  and  this  name  is  sometimes  applied  to  all  tlie 
Netherlands. 

Extent.']  The  length  of  the  Netherlands,  from  Dunkirk  to  the 
frontiers  of  Treves,  is  about  200  miles,  and  the  breadth  is  about 
120.     They  contain  17,500  square  miles. 

Boundaries.']  Bounded  N.  by  Holland  ;  E.  by  Germany ;  S.  and 
S.  W.  by  France  ;  W.  by  the  German  ocean. 

Dtvisiona.]  This  territory,  before  the  French  Revolution,  com- 
prised 10  provinces  ;  and  belonged  to  Austria,  Che  French,  anU 
•the  Dutch. 

VOL.  II.  31 


242 


NETHERLANDS. 


1.    PROVINCE  OF  BRABANT. 


Subdivisions. 


3.  Dutch  Brabant 


2.  Austrian  Brabant 


] 


N. 


Cliief  Towiir, 
"Boisleduc 

Breda 

Bergen-op-Zoom 

Grave,  N.  E. 

Lillo 

^Steenburgen 
"Brussels,  E.  Ion.  4  6,  N.  lat.  50  50 

Louvain     'I 
}  Vilvorden  L   in  the  "middle. 
1      J 


N.  W. 


l^Landen 


2.    ANTWERP;    AND   3.    MALINES, 

Are  provinces  independent  of  Brabant,  though  surrounded  by  it, 
and  before  the  late  revolution  subject  to  the  House  of  Austria. 

4.    PROVINCE  OF  LIMBURG,  S.  E. 

Limburg,  E.  Ion.  6  5,  N.  lat.  50  37,  Austrian. 
Maestricht 
<^  Dalem 
I  Fauquemont  or 
[_Valkenburg 


Chief  Tovv^ns 


Dutch. 


5.    PROVINCE  OF  LUXEMBURG. 


Subdivisions. 
Austrian  Luxemburg. 

French  Luxemburg. 


Chief  Towns. 

Luxemburg,  E.  Ion.  6  8,  N.  lat.  49  45. 
CThionville    > 
2  Montmedy   3 


S.  E. 


6.    PROVINCE  OF  NAMUR, 

In  the  middle,  formerly  subject  to  Austria. 

f  Namur,  on  the  Sambre  and  Maese,  E.  Ion. 
Chief  Towns.  <      4  50,  N.  lat.  50  30. 

(_Charleroy  on  the  Sambi'e. 


Sabdivisions. 


7.    PROVINCE  OF  HAINAULT. 


Chief  Towns. 


.     ^.      „.       ,,       CMons,  E.  Ion.  3  53,  N.  lat.  50  30?    in  the 
Austrian  Hainault.      |AethEnguien  5   "diddle 

FrcnchHainault.  ^Landrelr''  ^^^'^'^^'^ ^°''^' ^  S.  W. 

8,    PROVINCE  OF   CAMBRESIS. 

f  Cambray,  E.  of  Arras,  E.  long.  3  15,  N. 
Subject  to  France.      4      lat.  50  15. 

l_Crevecour,  S.  of  Cambray. 


NETHERLANDS. 


243 


Subject  to  France. 


9.    PROVINCE  OF  ARTOIS. 

'Arras,  S.  W.  on  the  Scarpc,  E.  Ion.  2  5,  N. 

lat.  5 1  20. 
St.  Omer,  E.  of  Bologne. 
■^  Aire,  S.  of  St.  Omer. 
St.  Vcnant,  E.  of  Aire. 
Bethune,  S.  E.  of  Aire, 
jrerouen,  S.  of  St.  Omer. 

10.    PROVINCE  OF    FLANDERS. 


SuiMlivisions. 

Dutch  Flanders 


1       I  N. 
Drt    J 


Chief  Towns. 

CSluys,    N.   Axel,   N.   Hulst,  N.   Sas   van 
i     Ghent,  N. 
'Ghent  on  the  Scheldt,  E.  Ion.  3   36,  N. 

lat.  51. 
Bruges 

Ostend       V   N.  W.  near  the  sea. 
Newpoi .   _, 
Austrian  Flanders.     <^  Oudenard,  on  the  Scheldt. 

^^^t^'^y      I    On  the  Lis. 
Dixmude  3 

Ypres,  N.  of  Lisle. 

Tournay,  on  the  Scheldt. 

Menin,  on  the  Lis. 

Lisle,  W.  of  Tournay. 

Dunkirk,  on  the  coast  E.  of  Calais. 

Douay,  W.  of  Arras. 

]  Mardike,  W.  of  Dunkirk. 

St.  Am  and,  N.  of  Valenciennes. 

Gravelin,  E.  of  Calais. 


French  Flanders. 


The  Netherlands  now  constitute  numerous  departments  of  the 
French  empire. 

Original  Pofiulation.~\     The  Celts  were  the    first  inhabitants , 

They  were  driven  out  by  the  Beige,  a  Gothic  colony  ;  and  they 
by  a  kindred  nation,  the  Franks. 

Historical  Efiochs.']  1.  The  occupation  of  the  country  by  the 
Celts,  and  then  by  the  Belgae. 

2.  The  partial  conquest  by  the  Romans. 

3.  The  conquest  by  the  Franks. 

4.  The  state  of  the  country  under  the  earls  of  Flanders  and 
Hainaut. 

5.  The  power  of  the  dukes  of  Burgundy.  During  these  two 
«pochs,  the  Netherlands  became  the  great  mart  of  commerce  for 
the  west  of  Europe. 

6.  The  acquisition  of  the  country  by  Maximilian  of  Austria,  to- 
wards the  endof  the  15th  century.  After  the  liberty  of  Holland 
had  been  secured  by  the  treaty  of  Utrecht,  in  1579,  the  commerce 
and  wealth  of  the  Netherlands  passed  quickly  to  tlieir  nortlicrn 
neighbors. 


344  NETHERLANDS. 

7.  The  Conquest  by  France,  and  annexation  to  its  territories. 

Religion.']  The  established  religion  was  the  Catholic,  but  Pro- 
testants were  unmolested.  There  was  one  ai'chbishopric  at  Ma- 
lines,  and  9  or  10  bishoprics. 

Governme7it.~\  The  Austrian  Provinces  were  governed  by  a 
Regent.  Each  had  its  own  governor  also,  and  an  assembly  con- 
sisting of  the  clergy,  nobility  and  deputies  of  the  towns.  There 
was  likewise  a  general  assembly  of  the  provinces  Avhich  met  at 
Brussels.  Notwithstanding  this  shadow  of  liberty,  the  Austrian 
Court  had  absolute  power. 

Pofiulation.']  According  to  the  Imperial  Almanac  of  1808,  the 
population  of  the  Netherlands  amounts  to  4,140,255;  of  which 
1,410,670  belong  to  what  were  formerly  called  French  Nether- 
lands ;  and  2,729,585  to  the  Austrian  and  Dutch  Netherlands. 
This  is  a  population  for  the  whole  country  of  236  to  the  square 
mile. 

Manners  and  Customs.]  The  Flemings  on  the  frontiers  of 
Holland  dress  like  the  Dutch  boors,  and  are  scarcely  distinguish- 
able from  them  in  character  or  appearance.  The  inhabitants  of 
French  Flanders,  on  the  contrary,  have  much  of  the  French  vivac- 
ity, and  dress  like  their  southern  neighbors. 

Language.]  The  Flemish  is  an  intermediate  dialect,  between 
the  German  and  the  Dutch.  The  better  sort  of  people  speak  the 
French.  The  language  of  the  common  people  on  the  borders  of 
France  is  Flemish  and  French  intermixed,  and  is  called  the 
Walloon. 

Universities^  These  were  at  Louvain,  Tournay,  Douay,  and 
St.  Omer.  The  first  was  founded  in  1426,  had  great  pi'ivileges, 
and  was  long  highly  celebrated. 

Arts.]  The  Flemish  painters  and  sculptors  have  great  merit, 
and  form  a  school  by  themselves.  The  works  of  Rubens  and 
Vandyke  cannot  be  forgotten.  The  Flemings  formerly  engross- 
ed tapestry  weaving  to  themselves.  They  have  invented  various 
valuable  manufactures. 

Cities  and  Toxvns.]  Brussels,  in  Austrian  Brabant,  was  built  in 
the  latter  part  of  the  9th  century.  It  stands  partly  on  a  hill,  and 
partly  in  a  valley,  on  the  banks  of  the  Senne,  a  branch  of  the 
Scheldt,  and  is  said  to  be  seven  miles  in  circumference.  The 
chief  edifices  arc  the  church  of  St.  Gudule,  the  palace,  the  guild- 
hall, and  the  hotel  de  ville.  There  is  a  park,  a  green  walk  on  the 
canal  2  miles  in  length,  7  market  places,  and  20  public  fountains 
adorned  Avith  statues.  Its  camlet  and  tapestry  were  formerly  in 
high  estimation,  and  its  lace  and  its  carpets  are  known  all  over 
the  world.  It  contained,  in  1802,  66,297  inhabitants.  Before 
the  revolution,  Brussels  was  the  capital  of  the  Austrian  Nether- 
lands. 

Antwerp  is  built  in  a  large  plain,  on  the  east  bank  of  the 
Scheldt  ;  which  is  deep  enough  to  admit  vessels  of  great  burtheji 
close  to  the  quays ;  and  by  means  of  the  canals  vessels  may  be 
brought  to  unload  at  the  very  doors.  It  is  surrounded  by  a  wall 
3,nd  regular  fortifications.     The  streets  are  genarally  wide  a^nc} 


NETHERLANDS.  245 

straight.     The  chief  edifices  are  the  cathedral,  the  stadthouse, 

and  the  exchange.     Its  population,  in  1803,  was  56,318  souls 

About  two  centuries  and  a  half  ago  Antwerp  was  the  most  com- 
mercial city  in  the  world.  In  1543,  it  contained,  according  to 
Guicciardini,  100,000  inhabitants.  When  the  Dutch  revolted 
from  Spain,  they  destroyed  the  commerce  of  this  city,  by  sinking 
obstructions  in  the  channel  of  the  river. 

Ghent,  in  Austi'ian  Flanders,  anciently  Wanda.,  was  the  chief 
city  of  the  JSfervii.  It  is  built  at  the  conflux  of  the  Scheldt,  the 
Lys,  and  the  Lieve  ;  and  was  in  the  time  of  Charles  V.  a  large, 
strong,  and  splendid  city.  It  has  cloth,  linen,  and  silk  manufac- 
tures, and  its  trade  is  greatly  facilitated  by  several  excellent  ca- 
nals. It  contained,  in  1802,  55,161  inhabitants.  Chai'les  V.  was 
born  hei'e. 

Lisle,  in  French  Flanders,  was  built  in  640.  It  stands  in  a  rich 
marshy  plain  on  the  Deule,  and  was  fortified  by  Vauban.  Its  cit- 
adel is  thought  the  strongest  in  Europe,  except  that  of  Turin. 
The  inhabitants  carry  on  a  variety  of  manufactures,  and  in  1802, 
amounted  to  54,756. 

Bruges,  in  Austrian  Flanders,  is  built  at  a  small  distance  from 
the  German  Ocean,  and  has  communication,  by  means  of  canals, 
with  Dunkirk,  Ostend,  Nieuport,  Sluys,  and  Ghent.  In  the  1 3tli 
and  14th  centuries,  it  was  the  greatest  emporium  in  Europe.  It  is 
still  a  place  of  considerable  trade,  and  has  manufactories  of  baize 
and  linens.     In  1808,  it  contained  33,632  inhabitants. 

Tournay,  Tumacuniy  in  Austrian  Flanders,  the  most  ancient 
town  of  the  Netherlands,  and  a  city  of  the  JVcrvii^  is  said  to  have 
been  built  600  years  before  our  Saviour.  It  stands  upon  the 
Scheldt,  near  the  frontier  of  these  provinces.  It  contained,  in 
1802,  3800  houses,  and  21,349  inhabitants. 

Dunkirk,  in  French  Flanders,  or  the  church  oji  the  downs,  is  a 
large  maritime  town  with  one  of  the  best  harbours  on  the  coast. 
The  strength  of  its  fortifications  and  the  fact  that  it  is  the  key  of 
the  Netherlands,  have  rendered  it  the  object  of  perpetual  conten- 
tion among  the  various  powers  of  Europe.  Few  towns  have  hod 
so  many  masters,  or  suftered  so  often  or  so  much  from  sieges  and 
bombardments.  In  1636  it  contained  1639  houses,  and  14,374  in- 
habitants ;  and  in  1802,  1800  houses,  and  21,158  inhabitants.  The 
chief  manufactures  are  those  of  tobacco,  starch,  glass  and  leather^ 
beside  several  ropewalks,  distilleries  and  sugar-houses. 

St.  Omer,  in  Artois,  is  built  on  the  Aa,  and  strongly  fortified. 
In  1802,  it  contained  20,109  inhabitants. 

Arras,  JVemetacum,  on  the  Scarp,  was  the  capital  of  Artois.  The 
fortifications  were  by  Vauban.  Houses,  in  1802,  3768  ;  inhabit- 
ants, 19,958. 

Douay,  Duacum,  is  built  in  a  fertile  country  on  the  Scarp,  and 
is  well  fortified.  Here  are  manufactures  of  carthcn-warc,  glass 
bottles,  soap,  oil,  tin,  linen,  cambric,  cambric  muslin,  thread,  and 
thread  lace.  It  contained,  in  1 802,  2737  houses,  and  1 8,230  inhab- 
itants. 

^lons,  in  Austrian  Hainaut,  on  a  branch  of  the  Scheldt,  is  said 


246  NETHERLANDS- 

to  have  been  a  town  of  some  standing  in  the  time  of  Caesar,  The 
streets  are  broad,  and  the  public  buildings  rich  and  elegant.  In 
1802,  it  had  4600  houses,  and  18,291  inhabitants. 

Maestritcht,  in  Brabant,  on  the  Meuse,  -with  a  small  territory 
around  it,  belonged  to  the  Dutch.  It  is  one  of  the  strongest 
places  in  Europe.     It  contained,  in  1802,  17,963  inhabitants. 

Valenciennes,  at  the  head  of  navigation  on  the  Scheldt,  in 
French  Hainaut,  is  said  to  have  been  built  by  the  emperor  Valcn- 
tinian,  A.  D.  367.  The  fortifications  are  regular  and  strong.  The 
streets  are  genemlly  narrow,  dark,  and  crooked.  In  1802,  the 
town  contained  2500  houses,  and  16,918  inhabitants.  Its  munici- 
pal laws  have  been  celebrated  for  their  wisdom,  and  were  the 
models  of  those  of  Venice  and  Nuremburg. 

Malines,  or  Mechlin,  on  the  Dyle,  a  tvibutary  of  the  Scheldt, 
was  the  only  archbishopric  of  the  Netherlands.  Here  are  manu- 
factures of  bed-quilts,  tlircad,  and  lace.  These  last  are  celebrat- 
ed. Here  is  also  an  extensive  cannon  foundery.  In  1802,  the 
inhabitants  were  16,072. 

Ypres,  or  Ipres,  in  Austrian  Flanders,  has  extensive  manufac- 
tures of  cloth  and  serge.  It  stands  on  the  Ypre,  and  contained,  in 
1802,  15,148  inhabitants. 

Namur,  in  a  valley  at  the  conflux  of  the  Meuse  and  the  Sambre, 
is  thought  not  to  be  surpassed  in  the  strength  of  its  fortifications, 
by  any  place  in  Europe.  The  motto  over  one  of  its  gates  is 
*'  Reddinon  vinci  iiotest"     Inhabitants  in  1802,  15,085. 

Cambray,  Camaracum,  in  Cambresis,  on  the  Scheldt,  near  its 
source,  is  fortified  by  a  strong  citadel  and  a  fort.  It  has  twelve 
churches,  three  abbies,  tv/o  convents,  and  two  hospitals.  Its  prin- 
cipal manufactures  are  liace,  linen  cambric,  soap  and  leather.  In- 
habitants in  1802,  13,830. 

Courtrai,  or  Cortrick,  in  Austrian  Flanders,  stands  upon  the 
Lys,  and  is  celebrated  for  its  manufacture  of  table  linen.  It  has 
suffered  severely  in  the  wars  in  the  Netherlands.  Inhabitants,  in 
1802,  13,572. 

Ostend,  in  Austrian  Flanders,  is  built  on  an  excellent  harbor, 
on  the  German  Ocean.  It  is  one  of  the  keys  of  the  Netherlands, 
and  rivals  even  Dunkirk,  Namur  and  Maestricht  in  the  strength  of 
its  fortifications.  At' the  beginning  of  the  17th  century,  it  endur- 
ed a  siege  of  more  than  three  years,  and  was  not  surrendered  till 
80,000  Spaniards  had  fallen  before  it.  Its  population,  in  1802, 
amounted  only  to  10,459. 

Luxemburg,  Augusta  liomanoi'ian,  lies  on  the  Alsitz,  a  branch 
of  the  Moselle,  and  had  9002  inhabitants  in  1802. 

Edific€s.~\  Even  at  the  present  day,  every  traveller  is  impres- 
sed with  surprise,  not  only  at  the  number,  but  the  great  extent  of 
the  Flemish  cities,  towns,  and  even  villages  ;  in  which  respect  the 
Netherlands  exceed  every  country  in  Europe,  except  the  United 
Provinces.  The  chief  edifices  are  the  cathedrals,  churches  and 
monasteries  ;  though  a  few  castles  belonging  to  ancient  families  or 
rich  merchants,  used  to  attract  some  notice  ;  the  taste  of  the  lat- 
ter buildings  being  faithfully  copied  in  the  Flemish  landscapes, 


NETHERLANDS.  247 

and  more  remarkable  for  peaked  roofs,  fantastic  ornaments,  the 
muddy  moat,  and  draw-bridge,  than  for  grandeur  of  design,  or 
beauty  of  situation. 

Inland  J\''avigation.~\  Idle  would  be  the  attempt  even  to  enu- 
mei'ate  the  canals  which  intersect  these  provinces  in  all  direc- 
tions. Some  of  them  date  even  from  the  tenth  century,  and  the 
canal  from  Brussels  to  the  Scheldt  is  of  the  sixteenth.  Other  im- 
portant canals  extend  from  Ghent,  Antwerp,  Ostend,  and  other 
cities  and  towns,  especially  in  the  western  districts  ;  but,  under 
the  Austrian  domination,  these  important  means  of  intercourse 
were  shamefully  neglected. 

Ma7iufactures  and  Com7nerce.~\  The  manufactures  and  com- 
merce of  the  Netherlands,  for  a  long  period  superior  to  any  in  the 
west  of  Europe,  have  suffered  a  radical  and  total  decline,  owing 
partly  to  the  other  powers  entering  into  competition,  and  partly  to 
the  establishment  of  freedom  in  the  United  Provinces,  whence 
Amsterdam  arose  upon  the  ruins  of  Antwerp.  What  little  com- 
merce remains  is  chiefly  inland  to  Germany,  the  external  employ- 
ing very  few  native  vessels.  The  East  India  Company  establish- 
ed at  Gstend  was  suppressed  by  the  jealousy  of  England  and  other 
powers  ;  and  the  chief  commerce  was  afterwards  carried  on  by 
the  English  established  in  that  city.  Yet  of  the  manufactures  a 
few  fragments  remain  :  Cambray,  is  still  renowned  for  the  cam- 
brics which  thence  derived  their  name  ;  as  Tournay,  or  Dornick 
was  anciently  famous  for  the  finest  linens.  At  Bruges  there  are 
still  some  manufactures  of  broad  says,  baize  and  other  woolens  ; 
considerable  fabrics  of  broadcloth,  druggets,  shalloons,  and  stock- 
ings, were  conducted  at  St.  Omer,  chiefly  with  wool  smuggled 
from  England.*  But  the  chief  manufactures  are  ot  fine  linen,  and 
laces,  at  Mechlin,  Brussels,  Ghent,  Antwerp,  and  Louvain,  which 
still  enrich  the  country  around,  and  induce  the  farmers  to  culti- 
vate flax,  even  on  the  poorest  ioils.f  The  Netherlands  produce, 
for  home  consumption,  abundance  of  corn  and  vegetables ;  and  the 
coal  mines  would  become  important,  if  the  operations  were  skil- 
fully conducted.  There  is  besides  abundance  of  turf  for  fuel ; 
witli  iron,  porcelain  clay,  and  other  commodities. 

CHAPTER  II. 
NATURAL  GEOGRAPHY. 

CliMIATE,  FACE  OF  THE  COUNTRY,  SOIL    AND  AGRICULTURE,  FIV- 
ERS, FORESTS,  MINERALOGY. 

Climate.']  THE  climate  is  equally  moist,  but  less  cold 
than  that  of  Holland.  It  considerably  resembles  that  of  the  soutJi 
of  England,  though  the  seasons  are  more  regular.  The  vine  is 
cultivated  with  success  in  Luxemburg. 

Face  of  the  Country.]  Flanders  is  one  uniform  level,  in  which 
the  rivers  and  the  canals  are  scarcely  distinguishable.     Farther 

•  Marshall,  ii.  U.  t  IWd-W. 


248  NETHERLANDS. 

cast  the  country  is  pleasantly  diversified  with  hills  and  vallies, 
meadows,  fields,  and  forests. 

Soil  and  ylgtHculture.~\  The  soil  is  in  general  a  rich  sandy  loam, 
sometimes  interspersed  with  fields  of  clay,  but  oftener  with  large 
tracts  of  sand.  The  agriculture  of  the  Netherlands  has  been  cel- 
ebrated for  600  years,  ever  since  their  commerce  and  manufac- 
tui-es  were  extensive.  They  were  long  considered  the  garden  of 
Europe  ;  a  praise  which  they  still  share  with  England  and  Lom- 
bardy.  Flax  is  a  great  source  of  riches  to  the  country.  The 
butter  and  cheese  equal  those  of  Holland. 

Rivers.']  The  Scheldt,  the  ancient  Scaldis,  rises  in  France, 
about  8  miles  N.  of  St.  Quintin,  and  runs  N.  E.  to  Antwerp  7  and 
thence,  N.  W.  to  the  German  Ocean.  About  15  miles  below  Ant- 
werp, it  divides  into  numerous  branches,  which  encompass  the  isl- 
ands of  Zealand.  These  branches  are  called  by  the  Dutch 
Zeeuivsche  Stromen,  or  sea  streams^  being  chiefly  arms  of  the  sea. 
The  length  of  this  river  is  about  1 50  miles. 

The  Lys  rises  in  France,  near  Lysburg,  and  runs  N.  E.  to  the 
Scheldt,  which  it  joins  at  Ghent. 

The  Dender  falls  into  the  same  river  at  Dendermonde. 

The  Dyle  rises  a  little  N.  W.  of  Namur,  and  unites  with  the 
Scheldt  at  Niel,  after  receiving  the  Derme,  the  Senne,  and  the 
Nette. 

The  Meuse  has  been  described. 

The  Sambre  rises  near  Nouvion,  and  runs  N.  E.  to  Namur, 
where  it  falls  into  the  Meuse. 

The  Moselle,  Mosella,  rises  in  the  mountains  of  the  Vosge9> 
runs  through  Luxemburg,  and  falls  into  the  Rhine  at  Coblentz. 

Forests.^  That  of  Soigne  is  in  Brabant.  Further  to  the  east 
and  south,  are  immense  forests,  which  almost  pervade  Hainaut 
and  Luxemburg,  from  Valenciennes  to  Treves,  forming  striking 
remains  of  the  ancient  forest  of  Ardenne. 

Mineralogy.  Coal  is  found  in  several  districts.  Lead  and  cop- 
per are  found  in  Namu.r  ;  in  Hainaut  iron  and  slate  ;  and  Luxem- 
burg derives  its  chief  wealth  from  its  iron  works.  Marble  and 
alabaster  are  also  found  in  the  eastern  districts. 


FRENCH  EMPIRE.  34? 

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O 

FRENCH  EMPIRE. 


The  annexation  of  what  was  lately  the  kingdom  of  Holland, 
during  the  present  year,  has  added  to  what  is  called  France  12,662 
square  miles,  arvd  2,001,416  inhabitants. 


H.     DEPENDENCIES. 

I.  In  Italy  and  the  Mediterranean, 

1.  Etruria 

1 .  The  territory  of  Florence 

2.  The  territory  of  Pisa 

3.  The  territory  of  Siena 

The  islands  Gorgona,  Giglio,  and  Gianuti 

2.  Parma  and  Piacenza 

1.  Duchy  of  Parma 

2.  Duchy  of  Piacenza 

3.  Ionian  Islands 

1.  Corfu 

2.  Paxo  with  Antepaxo 
2.  Santa  Maura 

4.  Cefalonia 

5.  Theaki 

6.  Zante 

7.  Cerigo 

4.  Lucca  and  Piombino 
1-  Lucca 

2.  Piombino 

3.  Massa,  Carrara  and  Garfagnana 

5.  Principality  of  Benevcntum 

6.  Principality  of  Ponte  Corvo 

II.  In  Switzerland, 

7.  Principality  of  Neufchatel 

1 .  County  of  Neufchatel 

2.  County  of  Vallengin 

III.  In  Germany, 

1.  Hanoverian  States 

1.  Calenburg 

2.  Luneburg 

3.  Lauenburg 

4.  Hadeln 

5.  Duchy  of  Bremen 

6.  Vcrden 

7.  Hoya 

8.  Diepholx 

2.  Swedish  Pomerania 

3.  Erfurt  with  Blankenhayn 

4.  Bayreuth 

5.  Fulda 

6.  Hanau 

7.  Lower  Catzenebolgen 


Square  Miles. 

26,542 

11,650 

7,715 


1896 


965 


1,074 


175 
44 

362 


14,530 


Inhabitants. 
2,978,000 
1,725,000 
1,100,000 


240,000 


187,000 


172,000 


20,000 
6,000 

47,000 


1,206,000 
629,000 


1 1 6,000 
51,000 

335,000 
91,000 
66,000 
18,000 


2J5 


FRANCE. 

CHAPTER  I. 
HISTORICAL  GEOGRAPHY. 

NAMES,  BOUNDARIES,  EXTENT,  ORIGINAL  POPULATION,  PROGRES- 
SIVE GEOGRAPHY,  HISTORICAL  EPOCHS,  A.NTIQ.UITIES,  RELIGION, 
GOVEBNMENT,  POPULATION,  COLONIES,  ARMY,  FORTIFICATIONS, 
NAVY,  REVENUE,  POLITICAL  IMPORTANCE  AND  RELATIONS, 
MANNERS  AND  CUSTOMS,  LANGUAGE,  LITERATURE,  EDUCATION, 
CITIES  AND  TOWNS,  SEAPORTS,  EDIFICES,  ROADS,  INLAND  NAV- 
IGATION AND   CANALS,  MANUFACTURES  AND  COMMERCE. 

jyame8.~\  THAT  the  Phenicians  occasionally  visited 
France  in  their  voyages  to  Spain  and  England  is  highly  probable  ; 
but  we  know  of  no  name  which  the  country  then  bore,  except  that 
which  it  received  in  common  with  the  rest  of  Europe,  frorn  the 
early  Asiatics.  The  aborigines  styled  themselves  Celtae.  The 
Greeks  called  the  country  Galatia,  and  the  inhabitants  Galatae. 
Timaeus  Siculus  asserts  that  a  colony  of  lonians,  sailing  from 
Phocea,  founded  Marseilles,  1 20  years  before  the  battle  of  Saiamis ; 
corresponding  with  600  before  the  christian  era.  About  480 
years  afterwards  the  Romans  explored  the  S.  E.  parts  of  France, 
and  soon  founded  the  province  called  Gallia  Braccata.  They 
gave  the  name  of  Gallia  to  the  whole  country,  though  the  name 
Gain  was,  in  the  time  of  Caesar,  especially  appropriated  to  the 
Celtae.  The  tribes  in  the  north  were  then  called  Belgae  ;  those 
in  the  south  Aquitani.  The  name  Armorica^*  signifying  maritime^ 
was  likewise  given  to  the  territory  of  the  Celtae.  The  country 
was  called  Jfrancia  or  France  after  it  was  taken  possession  of  by 
the  Franks. 

Boundaries.']  What  was  France  before  the  revolution  was 
bounded  W.  by  the  Bay  of  Biscay ;  N.  W.  by  the  English  chan- 
nel ;  N.  E.  by  the  Netherlands  ;  E.  by  Germany,  Switzerland  and 
Italy ;  S.  E.  by  the  Mediterranean ;  and  S.  W.  by  Spain,  The 
subsequent  annexation  of  Holland  and  the  Netherlands  makes  the 
Bay  of  Biscay,  the  English  channel,  and  the  German  ocean,  the 
western  boundary ;  and  the  German  ocean  the  northern.  The  ad- 
ditions in  the  S.  E.  have  still  left  Italy  a  part  of  the  eastern 
boundaiy. 

Fxient.']  The  length  of  France,  in  1790,  from  Calais  to  the 
Pyrenees,  was  620  miles ;  and  its  greatest  breadth  from  Cape  St. 
Maheto  the  Rhijie,  560.  It  extended  from  42  10  to  51  N;  and 
from  4  40  W.  to  7  50  E.  Its  contents  were,  according  to  Her- 
bin  apd  Chanlaire,  as  quoted  by  Hassel,  exclusive  of  the  islands 

*  Armorioa  especially  denoted  the  countiy  between  the  Seine  an<I  the  Lciirc ; 
though,  in  the  time  of  Ciesar,  it  was  given  to  the  whole  northern  and  western  const. 
Between  these  two  riverj,  and  in  various  other  narts  of  the  country,  the  Cellio  long 
continued  the  rernscalar  tongnc.    This  dialect  of  it  >n»5  cAlled  the  Armoric. 


ase  FRANCE* 

'Corsica  and  Elba,  187,385  square  miles,  or  119,926,400  acres. 
Templeman  estimated  them  at  186,282  square  miles,  or 
119,220,874  acres;  while  Neckar  made  them  205,816  square 
miles,  or  131,722,295  acres.  Pinkerton's  estimate,  at  148,840 
square  miles,  is  doubtless  far  short  of  the  truth.  The  table,  which 
is  taken  from  Hassel,  states  the  extent  of  France  in  1809,  when  the 
Netherlands,  all  of  Germany  west  of  the  Rhine,  the  little  territory 
of  Geneva,  and  the  Avestcrn  part  of  Italy  had  been  added.  The 
contents,  as  there  stated,  are  244,270  square  miles  ;  of  which 
4,135  are  contained  in  the  islands  Corsica  and  Elba  ;  and  17,500 
were  added  from  the  Netherlands;  12,720  from  Germany,  and 
22,530  from  Italy,  including  the  territory  of  Geneva,  containing 
about  60  square  miles.  If  to  this  sum  Ave  add  the  square  miles  in 
Holland,  we  shall  have  a  grand  total  of  256,932.*  The  present 
length  of  France,  from  the  Pyrenees  to  the  north  caastof  Holland 
is  790  miles. 

Original  Po/iulation.  The  Celts  were  the  first  inhabitants  of 
Gaul ;  and,  for  a  long  period,  they  appear  to  have  occupied  the 
whole  country  without  disturbance.  The  Ionian  colony  has  been 
mentioned.  Before  the  time  of  Caesar,  the  jB^/^ae,  a  Gothic  nation, 
had  crossed  the  Rhine ;  and,  in  his  fii'st  campaign,  he  found  them 
possessed  of  the  territory  N.  and  E.  of  the  Marne  and  the  Seine. 
The  jdquitani,  also,  probably  of  African  origin,  had  advanced  from 
Spain,  and  driven  the  Celts  before  them  as  far  as  the  Garonne. 
In  the  4th  century  a  Celtic  colony  from  Britain,  in  consequence  of 
the  Saxon  invasion,  settled. in  Armorica.  In  the  5th,  the  i^ran/t* 
or  Freemen ;  an  assemblage  of  Gothic  tribes  from  the  district 
between  the  Weser,  the  Rhine,  and  the  ocean ;  overspread  the 
country,  and  became  the  governing  nation.  Early  in  the  10th,  the 
J^ormen,  from  Scandinavia,  seized  upon  Normandy.  Their  de- 
scendants are  now  possessed  of  that  province. 

Progressive  Geography.']  The  Romans  appear  at  first  for  a  long 
time  to  have  had  very  confused  notions  of  the  situation  and  extent 
of  Gaul.  The  name  Gallia  was  first  given  to  all  that  part  of  Italy, 
'which  lies  north  of  Ancona^  on  the  Adriatic,  in  lat.  43  37.  After 
the  conquest  of  this  region  the  Roman  arms  advanced  westward  ; 
and,  about  the  year  120  B.  C.  reduced  the  S.  E.  part  of  France. 
The  counti-y,  before  called  Gallia  simply,  now  I'eceived  the  name 
of  Gallia  Cisal/iina  :  while,  on  an  indefinite  extent  west  of  the 
maritime  Alps,  was  bestowed  the  name  of  Gallia  Transalpina ; 
and,  on  that  part  of  it  which  they  had  just  subdued,  the  name  of 
Provincia  Roniana,  including  the  late  provinces  of  Languedoc, 
Provence,  Dauphine,  and  Savoy.  The  state  of  the  country  in  the 
time  of  Julius  Csesar  has  been  mentioned.  Transalpine  Gaul 
was  then  considered  as  comprehending  Switzerland,  and  all  the 
country  between  the  ocean,  the  Pyrenees,  the  Mediterranean,  the 

*  The  minister  of  tlm  Intei-ioi",  in  liis  Exposition  of  the  state  of  the  French  empire 
presented  to  the  Legislative  body,  June,  1811 — says,  "Since  your  last  cession,  the 
empire  has  received  an  addition  of  IG  departments,  5,000,000  of  people,  a  tenitory 
yielding  a  rc%enue  of  100,OOQ,000  of  livres,  au  Uyadred  leagues  of  coast,  with  all 
their  maritime  nieaas." 


I^ttANCE,  4^ 

Alps,  and  the  Rhine..  Augustus  gave  the  name  of  Gallia  Mzrbo- 
nensis  to  the  Provmcia  ;  and  divided  the  rest  of  Transalpine  Gaul 
into  ^(/uUania,  between  the  Pyrenees  and  the  Loire  ;  Gallia  Cel^ 
eica,  between  the  Alps,  the  Loire  and  the  Seine  ;  and  Gallia  Bel- 
^cuy  north  of  the  Seine,  and  also  including  Switzerland.*  In  the 
the  new  arrangement  of  the  empire,  made  by  Constantine,  Trans- 
alpine Gaul  was  divided  into  17  provinces.  At  its  final  subversion, 
the  Armorici,  deserted  b^-  the  Romans,  formed  themselves  into  a 
commonwealth,  to  resist  Clovis,  king  of  the  Francs.  This  they 
did  with  success  ;  but  soon  after  were  amicably  received  into  the 
number  of  his  subjects.  At  the  same  time  the  Burgundians,  whose 
kingdom  lay  along  the  Rhine  and  the  Rhone,  maintained  their  in- 
dependence, and  were  not  reduced  into  the  form  of  a  province,  till 
the  year  534. 

Historical  Epochsr^  1.  The  possession  of  the  country  by  the 
Celtae,  the  Belgae,  and  the  Aquitani. 

2.  The  conquest  by  Csesar,  in  the  year  54  B.  C.  and  the  subse- 
quent dominion  of  the  Romans. 

3.  The  establishment  of  the  Merovingian  line  of  kings  in  448, 
and  the  complete  overthrow  of  the  Roman  power  by  Clovis,  gi'and- 
son  of  Merovaeus,  in  487.  Nine  years  afterwards  the  Francs,  with 
Clovis,  were  converted  to  Christianity. 

4.  The  elevation  of  Pepin,  the  head  of  the  Carlovingian  race,  in 
75 1  ;  followed  20  years  afterwards,  by  the  celebrated  reign  of 
Charlemagne  ;  who  subdued  that  part  of  Spain  which  lies  north 
of  the  Ebro,  Italy  north  of  Calabria,  the  whole  of  Germany,  and  a 
part  of  Hungary.  He  was  the  founder  of  the  German  empire, 
and  was  crowned  in  the  year  800. 

5.  The  accession  of  the  House  of  Capet,  in  987,  which,  till  then, 
had  borne  the  title  of  Counts  of  Paris. 

6., The  Crusades,  in  which  the  French  acted  a  conspicuous 
part,  in  the  13th  century. 

7.  The  wars  of  the  English  in  France,  and  the  temporary  con- 
quest of  the  country  by  Henry  V.  in  1421.  These  wars  continu- 
ed from  1337,  to  1450. 

8.  The  accession  of  the  House  of  Valois,  a  collateral  branch  of 
the  House  of  Capet,  in  1328. 

9.  The  reign  of  Louis  XI.  beginning  1461.  He  rendered  the 
monarchy  absolute. 

10.  The  civil  wars  with  the  Protestants,  and  the  massacre  of 
St.  Barthelemy  in  1571. 

11.  The  accession  of  the  House  of  Bourbon,  a  second  collater- 
al branch  of  the  House  of  Capet,  in  the  person  of  Henry  IV.  justly 
styled  the  Great,  in  1588. 

12.  The  reign  of  Louis  XIV.  often  styled  the  Augustan  ago  of 
France. 

13.  The  French  revolution. 


(Saul,  because  the  people  sufi'eied  their  bair  to  grow  to  aa  vncomrosD  length. 
VOL.  II.  33 


258  FRANCE. 

1 4.  The  erection  of  France  into  an  empire,  and  the  accession 
of  the  family  of  Bonaparte,  Dec.  2cl,  1804. 

JntUjuities.']  Several  ancient  monuments  exist  in  Finance 
Avhich  are  ascribed  to  the  first  epoch.  The  Greek  colony  at  Mar- 
seilles seems  to  have  imparted  some  degree  of  civilization  to  the 
country,  and  the  rude  Gallic  coins  are  evidently  an  imitation  of 
the  Grecian  model.* 

The  Roman  antiquities  in  France  are  numerous,  and  some  of 
them  in  excellent  pi-eservation.  Those  at  Nismes  are  particularly 
celebrated,  consisting  chiefly  of  an  amphitheatre,  and  the  temple 
called  La  Maison  Carre.  The  architecture  and  sculpture  of  this 
building  are  so  exquisitely  beautiful,  that  it  enchants  even  the 
most  ignorant ;  anxl  it  is  still  entire,  being  very  little  affected  ei- 
ther by  the  ravages  of  tim^,  or  the  havoc  of  war.  At  Paris,  in  La 
Rue  de  laHarpe,  may  be  seen  the  remains  of  a  palace,  or  thermse, 
supposed  to  have  been  built  by  the  emperor  Julian,  surnamed  the 
Apostate,  about  the  year  356,  after  the  same  model  as  the  baths  of 
Dioclesian.  The  remains  of  this  ancient  edifice  are  many  arches, 
and  within  them  a  large  saloon.  It  is  fabricated  of  a  kind  of  mas- 
tic, the  composition  of  which  is  not  now  known,  intermixed  with 
small  square  pieces  of  free  stone  and  bricks. 

In  Aries  in  Provence  is  to  be  seen  an  obelisk  of  oriental 
granite,  which  is  52  feet  high,  and  seven  feet  diameter  at  the  base, 
and  all  but  one  stone.  Roman  temples  are  frequent  in  France. 
The  most  curious  are  in  Burgundy  and  Guienne ;  and  other  plac- 
es, besides  the  neighborhood  of  Nismes,  contain  magnificent  ru- 
ins of  aqueducts.  The  passage  cut  through  the  middle  of  a  rock 
near  Briancon  in  Dauphiny  is  thought  to  be  a  Roman  work,  if  not 
of  greater  antiquity.  The  round  buckler  of  massy  silver,  taken  out 
of  the  Rhone  in  1665,  being  20  inches  in  diameter,  and  weighing 
21  pounds,  containing  the  story  of  Scipio's  continence,  is  thought 
to  be  coeval  with  that  great  general.  It  would  be  endless  to  re- 
count the  different  monuments  of  antiquity  to  be  found  in  France, 
particularly  in  the  cabinets  of  the  curious.  These  have  been 
greatly  increased,  during  the  revolution,  by  the  spoils  obtained  in 
Italy,  Egypt,  Ssc. 

According  to  Raymond  the  very  summit  of  Mount  Perdu,  the 
highest  summit  of  the  Pyrenees,  10,000  feet  above  the  sea, 
aliounds  with  marine  spoils,  and  must  have  been  covered  by  the 
sea.  This  observation  is  confirmed  by  La  Peyrouse.  Thus  the 
everlasting  mountains  tell  the  reality  of  Noah's  deluge. 

Other  periods  of  French  antiquity  have  been  ably  illustrated  by 
the  learned  work  of  Montfaucon  ;  and  the  disclosure  of  the  grave 
of  Childeric,  near  Tournay,  in  the  last  century,  presented  some  of 
the  most  curious  fragments.  In  an  old  tower  of  St.  Germain  du 
Pre  are  representations  of  several  of  the   first  monarchs  of  the 

*  la  Picanly  and  other  parts  possessed  by  the  Belgse,  there  are  circles,  and  other 
moiKiments  of  the  kiml  which  we  call  druidic.  Near  the  tov  n  of  Carnac,  on  the 
Qoa»t  of  V'annes,  in  Bretagne,  there  is  a  grand  monument  of  this  kind,  far  exceeding 
Stonehenge,  if  the  account  be  not  exaggerated,  which  says,  that  there  are  about  400O 
stones,  many  as  high  as  18  or  W  feet,  disposed  in  the  term  of  a  (quincunx  of  eleven 
rows.    . 


FRANCE.  259 

l-'rancs,  and  many  of  their  effigies  were  preserved  on  their  tombs 
at  St.  Dennis,  and  other  places,  till  the  late  revolution.  The  ru- 
ins of  an  amphitheatre  are  to  be  found  in  Chalons,  and  likewise  at 
Viennc.  Nismes,  however,  exhibits  the  most  valuable  remains 
of  ancient  architecture  of  any  place  in  France.  The  famous  Pont 
du  Garde  was  raised  in  the  Augustan  age,  by  the  Roman  colony 
of  Nismes,  to  convey  a  stream  of  water  between  two  mountains 
for  the  use  of  that  city,  and  is  as  fresh  to  this  day  as  Westminster 
bridge  :  It  consists  of  three  bridges,  or  tiers  of  arches  one  above 
another  ;  the  height  is  174  feet,  and  the  length  extends  to  723. 

The  monuments  of  the  Carlovingian  race  arc  yet  more  nume- 
rous, and  Roman  mosaics  have  illustrated  the  fame  of  Charle- 
magne. The  suit  of  tapestry,  preserved  in  the  Cathedral  church 
of  Bayeux,  in  Normandy,  represents  the  beginning  and  termina- 
tion of  the  grand  contest  between  William  and  Harold,  which  led 
to  the  conquest  of  England  by  the  Normans.  It  is  said  to  have 
been  the  work  of  Matilda,  wife  of  William ;  and  bears  every  mark 
of  that  reinote  antiquity. 

Religion.']  Before  the  revolution  the  established  religion  was 
the  Catholic  ;  and,  after  the  revocation  of  the  edict  of  Nantes,  in 
1685,  no  other  christian  sect  was  legally  tolerated.  The  Jews, 
however,  were  permitted  to  reside  in  various  parts  of  tlv^  king- 
dom, under  certain  restrictions.  The  Pope  hajcl  always  less  inter- 
est in  the  Gallican  church,  than  in  those  of  most  other  catholic 
countries,  the  benefice  being  entirely  in  the  gift  of  the  king.  The 
French  clergy  were  ntimerous,  and  their  livings  generally  well 
endowed.  In  1784,  there  were  18  aixhbishops,  1 1 1  bishops,  166,000 
inferior  clergy,  and  5,400  monasteries  and  mmncries,  containing 
200,000  persons  devoted  to  a  monastic  life.  The  church  revenues 
amounted  to  121  millions  of  livrcs.  During  the  anarchy  of  the 
revolution,  the  established  religion  was  abolished,  and  the  worship 
of  tiie  Goddess  of  Reason  was  substituted.  The  church  property 
and  revenues  were  seized  upon  by  the  Smis-Culottes  ;  and  the 
clergy  were,  in  immense  numbers,  banished  to  Cayenne,  or 
brought  to  the  guillotine. 

In  1800,  during  the  consulate  of  Bonaparte,  the  catholic  religion 
was  reestablished ;  but  the  various  sects  of  Protestants  were  toler- 
ated. France  was  divided  into  10  archbishoprics  ;  that  of  Paris, 
containing  8  bishoprics  ;  that  of  Malines,  containing  7  ;  Bcsan^on, 
5  ;  Lyons,  4  ;  Aix,  4  ;  Toulouse,  5  ;  Bordeaux,  3  ;  Bourgcs,  3  ; 
Tours,  7  ;  and  Rouen,  4.  The  church  was  rendered  entirely  in- 
dependent of  the  Pope.  The  salary  for  the  archbishops  was  fixed 
at  1 5,000  livres  ;  that  of  the  bishops  at  10,000  :  both  are  appointed 
by  the  government.  The  bishops  appoint  the  Cures.  The  Cal- 
vinistic  churches,  at  the  same  time,  were  placed  under  the  direc- 
tion of  consistories  and  synods.  A  consistory  was  established  for 
every  6000  souls  of  this  denomination,  and  5  consistories  formed 
the  district  of  a  synod.  There  is  a  seminary  at  Geneva  for  the 
education  of  the  Calvinistic  clergy.  The  Lutheran  churches  were 
committed  to  local  consistories,  having  a  jurisdiction  equally  ex- 
tensive with  those  of  the  Calvinistic  churches ;  inspections,  hav 


260  FRANCE. 

ing  jurisdiction  over  5  consistories  ;  and  three  General  Consistos" 
ries  :  one  at  Strasburg,  for  Augsburg  and  the  departments  of 
Upper  and  Lower  Rhine  ;  a  second  at  Mentz,  for  those  of  Sarre 
and  Mont  Tonnere  ;  a  third  at  Cologne,  for  those  of  the  Rhine, 
Moselle,  and  Roar.  A  seminary  is  established  in  the  east  of 
France  for  the  education  of  the  Lutheran  clergy.  These  various 
bodies  can  assemble  only  with  permission  of  the  government. 

As  to  the  present  state  of  the  Catholic  church,  few  of  the  cures 
are  supplied  ;  and,  where  cures  are  found,  they  are,  in  most  in- 
stances, ignorant  and  profligate.  The  existing  public  schools  fur- 
nish so  few  of  the  means  of  education  for  the  priesthood  ;  the  an- 
nual stipend  of  the  inferior  clergy  is  so  little ;  and  so  much  of  that 
little  is  withheld ;  and  the  morals  of  the  French  community  are 
so  generally  corrupt ;  that  few  can  be  found  with  the  disposition, 
the  courage,  or  the  capacity,  to  discharge  the  clerical  office. 

Goverfiment.']  From  the  time  of  Louis  XL  to  the  death  of 
Louis  XVL  the  French  government  had  been  an  absolute  mon- 
archy, administered  sometimes  with  mildness,  often  with  cruelty. 
During  the  14  years  of  the  revolution,  the  govei-nment  passed 
through  almost  every  conceivable  form,  and  at  length  settled  into 
an  iron  despotism,  under  Napoleon  Bonaparte.  This  despotism 
is  military  in  its  character,  and  must  always  depend  on  the  army 
for  its  support.  The  impei'ial  dignity  is  hereditary,  in  the  order 
of  primogeniture,  to  the  exclusion  of  females  and  their  descent. 
The  members  of  the  Emperor's  family  are  to  be  princes.  The 
Great  Dignitaries  are  the  Great  Elector,  the  Arch  Chancellor  of 
the  Empire,  the  Arch  Chancellor  of  State,  the  Arch  Treasurer, 
the  Constable,  and  the  High  Admiral  ;  who  rank  next  to  the 
princes,  form  the  great  council  of  the  Emperor,  as  well  as  that  of 
the  Legion  of  Honor,  and  are  ex  officio  Senators.  The  Great  Of- 
Jicers  of  the  Empire  are  the  Marshals,  the  Colonels  General,  and 
the  Great  Civil  Officers-  The  most  important  of  these  last  are 
the  Minister  of  the  Interior,  of  the  Police,  and  of  the  Finances. 
All  these  are  irremovable.  The  Emperor  swears  to  respect,  and 
cause  to  be  respected,  liberty  of  conscience,  and  the  laws  of  the 
Concordat ;  the  equality  of  rights  ;  political  and  civil  liberty  ;  and 
to  levy  no  tax,  but  by  virtue  of  a  law.  The  Senate  consists  of  the 
Princes  ;  of  the  Great  Dignitaries  ;  of  80  members  chosen  by  the 
Emperor  from  lists  formed  by  the  Electoral  Colleges  ;  and  of 
such  other  citizens,  as  the  Emperor  shall  choose. 

France  is  subdivided  in  1 10  Dejiartments^xn  each  of  which  is 
a  Prefect^  and  several  Sub-Prefects.  Their  business  is  mechanic- 
ally to  execute  the  various  orders  of  the  government,  particularly 
with  regard  to  taxes  and  the  conscription ;  and  to  act  as  spies  up- 
on the  inhabitants.  The  departments  are  divided  into  communes-, 
In  each  of  which  is  a  Mayor^  subordinate  to  the  Prefects,  and  also 
employed  to  administer  the  i-evenue  for  local  expenses.  There 
are  assemblies  for  the  depai'tments,  and  likewise  for  the  com- 
munes. The  time  and  duration  of  their  sittings,  and  the  subjects 
of  their  deliberations,  are  regulated  beforehand  at  Paris.  They 
do  little  more  than  vote,  and  apportion  the  taxes  ordered  by  th'^- 
ininister  of  Finance. 


FRANCE.  261 

The  influence  of  the  government  is  absolvitely  universal.  It  af- 
fects every  individual,  in  all  his  conduct,  and  in  all  Lis  interests. 
All  the  subordinate  civil  officers  are  spies.  They  investigate  evf 
ery  man's  circumstances,  to  see  whether  he  has  property  to  be 
taxed  or  extorted  ;  and  whether  he  is  a  candidate  for  tiie  conscrip- 
tion or  the  bastiles. 

The  great  means  adopted  by  the  government,  to  perpetuate  this 
system,  has  been  to  corrupt,  hopelessly,  the  morals  of  all  the  offi- 
cers, civil  and  military ;  and  then  to  appeal  forcibly  to  their  ava- 
rice and  their  love  of  power. 

Population.~\  The  Imperial  Almanac  of  1808  states  the  popu- 
lation of  the  whole  empire,  according  to  the  census  of  1807,  at 
36,350,987.  Of  these,  26,775,397  belong  to  old  France  ;  and  of 
the  remaining  9,575,600,  4,140,255  belong  to  the  Netherlands  ; 
3,291,291  to  Italy,  including  that  of  Geneva  ;  and  2,144,054  to 
Germany.  If  to  these  be  added  the  population  of  Holland,  that  of 
the  whole  French  empire,  as  it  is  in  1811,  will  amount  to 
38,352,403. 

Colonies.~\  At  the  commencement  of  the  revolution  France  had 
very  valuable  colonies  in  the  West  Indies,  in  South  America,  in 
Africa,  and  in  Asia.  At  present,  every  one  of  them,  except  St. 
Domingo,  is  in  the  hands  of  the  English.  That  island,  we  have 
already  seen,  forms  an  independent  kirigdom. 

jlrmy.']  The  following  is  an  abstract  of  the  account  of  the 
French  army,  at  the  close  of  the  year  1807,  as  given  in  the  Impe- 
rial Almanac  of  1808. 

General  Staff 

Imperial  Guards 

Imperial  Gens  d'armes 

Infantry 

Cavalry 

Artillery 

Engineers 

Veterans 

Total  22,001  547,929  569,930* 

The  officers  in  the  first  column  are  all  commissioned.  The 
second  column  includes  both  non-commissioned  officers  and  pri- 
vates. 

The  army,  since  1798,  has  been  raised  by  what  is  called  the 
Co?tscri/i(ion.  This  takes  effect  every  year,  and  includes  all  the 
male  population  from  the  age  of  20,  to  25.  All  of  this  description 
are  liable  to  be  called  into  service  whenever  the  government  di- 
rects. Those  of  20  are  drawn  out  first.  The  others  remain  lia- 
ble, till  the  end  of  the  25th  year,  whenever  the  quota  required  is 
deficient.     If  these  are  found  insufficient,  the  conscription  age  is 

•  According  to  Herbin,  the  army  of  180'2,  coHUiined  f>00,949  men:  thc\P'«lilical 
Miscellany,  states  that  of  1805  at  414,125  ;  anil  Borrii  sii\s,  that  that  «t  18i»6  aiuomilwi 
to  610,976  ettective  men.  In  Jimo,  181J,  France  l»a(l  800,000  menumlcr  wnis.— [I-'o:- 
posc  qf'the  Minister  of  the  Interior. 


Officers. 

Privates. 

Total. 

2,049 

2,049 

847 

14,498 

15,345 

5       693 

16,753 

17,445 

11,439 

380,290 

391,729 

3,234 

69,086 

72,320 

2,367 

49,957 

52,304 

602 

4,186 

4,788 

770 

13,180 

13,950 

262  FRANCE. 

changed,  and  youths  from  1 6  to  20,  and  men  of  any  age,  over  25, 
are  demanded.  If  the  conscript  can  find  a  substitute  whom  the 
government  will  accept,  he  may  get  clear  from  personal  service 
at  an  expense  of  from  4000  to  6000  francs*  ;  but,  if  the  substitute 
desert,  the  conscript  still  must  go,  or  procure  another.  If  the 
conscript  once  sets  out  for  the  army,  there  is  but  little  hope  of  his 
return.  The  term  of  service  is  limited  only  by  the  durrttion  of  hos- 
tilities. The  day  of  drawing  lots  for  the  conscription  is  a  day  of 
public  mourning  ;  and  of  anguish  for  every  private  family.  For 
this  reason,  the  public  functionaries  are  obliged  to  employ  every 
possible  engine  to  accomplish  the  object ;  threats  and  exliorta- 
tions  ;  force  and  persuasion  ;  fraud  and  violence.  Such  a  scheme 
of  terror  and  oppression  was  never  before  Icnown  or  imagined.! 

Fortifications  J]  In  1810  and  1811  more  than  eight  millions 
were  expended  on  the  forts  of  the  Scheldt.  Other  works  con- 
structed at  Ostend,  Boulogne,  Cherbourg,  and  Havre.  "Havre 
had  been  constructed  by  Vauban :  some  years  before  the  Revolu- 
tion, it  was  thought  proper,  under  foolish  pretences,  to  destroy  the 
fortifications.  That  city  was  left  dismantled  and  exposed,  which 
is  the  key  of  the  Seine,  and  which  may  be  pi'operly  called  the  port 
of  Paris.     It  is  now  fortified,  and  in  a  state  to  support  a  siege." 

At  Corfu,  a  place  already  very  strong,  great  works  have  been 
constructing  for  the  last  four  years.  New  plans  have  been  adopt- 
ed, and  this  key  of  the  Adriatic  is  guarded  by  12,000  troops,  hav- 
ing provisions  for  two  years,  and  a  numerous  artillery  provided 
for  a  siege  of  the  longest  duration. 

AcfT/.]  Hassel  states  it,  in  1809,  to  amount  to  40  ships  of  the 
line,  and  30  frigates.  It  has  since  been  increased.  By  the  an- 
nexation of  Holland  to  France  she  gained  13  ships  of  the  line,  and 
10,000  seamen.  Fifteen  ships  of  the  line  were  on  the  stocks  at 
Antwerp  in  the  summer  of  181 1  ;  and  arrangements  were  there 
made  to  add  annually  a  great  number  of  ships  of  war  to  the  squad- 
ron in  the  Scheldt.  More  ships  of  the  line  were  in  building  at 
Cherburg,  L'Orient,  Rochfort,  Toulon,  and  Venice. 

Revemie.~\     Hassel  states  the  revenue  of  four  years  as  follows  : 

Franks.  Franks. 

1803  664,500,000        1805    710,000,000 

1804  700,000,000  1807  7-20,000,000 
That  of  1807  was  i-aised  in  the  following  manner : 

I.  DIRECT  TAXES  511,840,635 

1.  Land  tax  244,458,974 

2.  Poll  and  furniture  tax  35,381,711 

3.  Door  and  window  tax  16,000,000 

4.  Patent  tax  16,000,000 

II.  INDIRECT  TAXES  378,159,215 

1.  Stamp,  Domain,  1 

Record,  and  t  180,000,000 

Forest  taxes  J 

2.  Tolls  and  salt  duties  80,000,000 

*  Five  francs  are  commonly  said  to  make  a  dollar;  but  a  franc  is  more  exactly  18 
ctents,  ~  or  4s2  sterling.  j  Sse  Faber's  Sketches. 


FRANCE.  MS 

3.  Lotteries  -^                  12,000,000 

4.  Post  office  11,000,000 

5.  Trading  companies  68,000,000 

6.  Tobacco  and  salt  pits  5,000,000 

7.  Eastern  salines  4,625,739 

8.  Powder  and  saltpetre  1,000,000 

9.  Mint  540,000 
10-  Remainder  of  former  taxes  8,000,000 
11.  Various  i-evenues  7,993,576 

III.    EXTERNAL  REVENUES  30,000,000 

720,000,000* 
To  this  should  now  be  added  the  revenue  of  Holland,  amounting 
to  £  4,375,000  sterling. 

The  expenditure  of  that  year,  as  estimated  by  the  same  author, 
equalled  the  revenue,  viz. 

Interest  of  national  debt  75,159,000 

Civil  list  28,000,000 

Service  of  the  state  6 1 6,8  4 1 ,000 

'720,000,000 
The  national  debt,  in  1 807,  was  estimated  at  2,000,000,000  francs.f 
A  sinking  fund  of  60,000,000  was  established  in  April,  1806. 
The  French  Budget  for  1811,  was  as  follows,  viz- 
Public  Debt.  Livres. 
Perpetual  debt                                     62,300,000 
Ditto  of  Holland                                    26,000,000 
Floating  debt                                          1 6,300,000 
Ditto  of  Holland                                   1 ,200,000 

105,800,000 
Pensions. 

Pensions  civil  and  Military  10,000,000 

Ditto  of  Holland  3,300,000 

Ecclesiastical  pensions,  28,900,000 

Civil  list  and  French  princes  28,300,000 

80,500,000 
Services. 

Judicial  salaries  27,466,000 

Exterior  relations  8,800,000 

Interior  60,000,000 

Finance  24,000,000 

Imperial  treasury  8,100,000 

War  230,000,000 

Commissariat  180,000,000 

Marine  140,000,000 

Public  worship  16,500,000 

General  police  2,000,000 

Expenses  of  negotiation  8,500,000 

Fund  of  reserve  23,034,000 

Grand  Total  954,000,000 

*  30,000,000/:  sterling.  t  83,333,333/.  siei-ling. 


264  FRANCE, 

The  current  money  of  France  used  to  be  computed  aty?90,000,000, 
sterling:,  when  that  of  G.  Britain  was  estimated  at  £  40,000,000. 

Politkal  Importance  and  Relations?^  France,  at  present,  is  by- 
far  tlie  most  powci'ful  natic'i  on  the  continent,  and  has  command- 
ing influence  in  almost  every  cabinet  of  Europe.  Holland,  the 
Netherlands,  a  part  of  Germany  and  Italy,  arc  integral  parts  of  her 
empire.  The  States  composing  the  Confederation  of  the  Rhine, 
Switzerland,  and  the  residue  of  Italy  are  mere  dependencies. 
Denmark  and  Sweden  are  barely  above  a  state  of  vassalage.  The 
dissolution  of  the  Germanic  body,  the  late  misfortunes  and  losses 
of  Austria,  and  the  disgraceful  alliance  by  which  they  were  ter- 
minated, prove  at  once  how  low  her  government  is  sunk,  and  how 
little  can  be  be  hoped  from  her  exertions.  Prussia  must  side 
with  France  or  Russia,  when  they  quarrel,  and  will  fall  to  the 
conqueror.  Russia  has  always  been  at  a  distance  from  the  scene 
of  action,  and  her  whole  strength  has  never  been  called  forth.  She 
has,  on  the  whole,  been  a  gainer  by  the  troubles  of  Europe,  in  ex- 
tent, wealth,  and  population.  With  a  great  man  to  direct  her  re- 
sources, she  would  meet,  without  fear,  the  legions  of  the  French 
Emperor,  and  stand  with  Great  Britain,  a  bulwark  of  almost  sub- 
jugated Europe.  But  the  House  of  Romanof  has  lost  its  original 
greatness.  Turkey  is  kept  from  crumbling  to  pieces  by  the  com- 
pression from  without.  She  is  safe,  however,  so  long  as  France 
and  Russia  cannot  agree  as  to  the  division. 

The  resources  of  France  may  be  estimated,  with  considerable 
accuracy,  from  the  following  table,  in  round  numbers,  of  the  pop- 
ulation, and  armies  of  the  empire,  and  of  the  several  states  which 
are  now  dependent : 

Population.  Army. 

France  36,351,000  570,000 

Dependencies  2,978,000  20,000 

Holland  2,001,000  22,000 

Confed.  of  the  Rhine  16,928,000  205,700 

Kingdom  of  Italy  6,389,000  40,000 

Naples  4,964,000  21,600 

Ecclesiastical  state  68,000  4,700 

Switzerland  1,638,000  15,000 

Denmark  2,609,000  75,009 

Sweden  3,191,000  43,000 


77,717,000  1,057,000 

Manners  and  Customs.']  The  French  are  distinguished  for 
taste  and  elegance  in  their  houses,  furniture,  equipage,  and  dress  ; 
for  ease  and  gracefulness  of  manners  ;  for  quickness  of  apprehen- 
sion ;  for  vivacity  and  gaiety  of  temper  ;  and  for  a  perpetual  fond- 
ness for  amusement  and  pleasure.  This  is  the  bright  side  of  the 
medal.  The  reverse,  painful  and  distressing  before  the  revolu- 
tion, is  now  loathsome  and  awful.  During  the  revolutionary  peri- 
od of  anarchy,  the  morals  of  the  nation,  distinguished  for  their 
corruption  before,  were  rendered  immensely  more  corrupt  by 
profligate  rulers  and  profligate  literati.     The  restraints  of  law,  of 


FRANCE.  2j5,1 

religion,  and  of  decency,  were  taken  off,  and  the  worst  passions 
of  the  mind  were  kept  in  a  steady  and  violent  action.  This  state 
of  things  produced  in  those,  who  were  already  grown  up,  a  hope- 
less abandonment  of  principle  and  of  decency  ;  while  it  cut  off  the 
young,  not  only  from  the  possession  of  them,  but  even  from  the 
knowledge  of  what  they  were.  The  present  government,  so  far 
from  remedying  these  evils,  has  only  increased  them.  The 
French,  as  a  nation,  are  at  present,  by  the  confession  even  of  sober 
and  discreet  Frenchmen,  false  and  faithless  ;  revengeful  and  san- 
guinary. The  laAV  of  divorces  has  rendered  marriage  the  mere 
cover  for  prostitution  ;  and  France  presents  at  this  moment  the 
picture  of  one  great  common  brothel,  in  which  every  variety  of 
lewdness  is  indulged  without  shame  and  without  restraint.  The 
only  liberal  education  is  tliat  for  the  army  ;  and  the  young  men  of 
promise  and  of  rank  have  only  this  advantage  over  their  infei-iors, 
that  they  are  earlier  fitted  for  hcenes  of  barbarity  and  bloodshed. 
This  sanguinary  education  explains  the  havoc  and  the  ruin,  which 
every  where  mark  the  progress  of  French  arms  ;  and  which  have 
rendered  Frenchmen  the  objects  of  terror  and  abhorrence  wher- 
ever they  are  known. 

Language. '\  The  French  is  a  corruption  of  the  Latin,  with  many 
Gothic  and  some  Celtic  words  intermixed.  Even  in  the  10th 
century  it  was  called  the  Romajice,  a  name  afterwards  transferred 
to  the  tales  and  poems  of  chivalry,  which  arc  written  in  this  dialect. 
The  language  did  not  attain  to  classical  purity,  till  the  reign  of 
Louis  XIV.  TJie  earlier  specimens  both  of  prose  and  poetry  are, 
in  a  greater  or  less  degree,  rough  and  barbarous.  It  was  always 
a  commanding  object  with  the  government  to  extend  the  French 
language  and  French  fashions;  and  at  this  time  the  language  is 
more  universally  diffused  tlian  any  other  in  Europe.  Its  purity 
Kas,  however,  been  very  much  corrupted  by  the  introduction  of 
new  and  barbarous  words  and  phrases  since  the  revolution. 

Litcrature.~\  The  French  were  long  distinguished  for  their 
attention  to  elegant  literature  ;  and  their  researches  in  mathe- 
matical and  physical  science  have  been  highly  respectable.  Even 
in  the  Roman  period  we  find  Ausonius,  Sidonius  Apollinaris,  and 
Sulpitius  Severus,  who  has  been  styled  the  christian  Sallust.  After 
the  conversion  of  the  Franks  to  Christianity,  the  literature  of  the 
nation  was  confined  chiefly  to  the  ecclesiastics.  Among  these 
Gi-egory,  of  Tours,  is  distinguished  by  his  History  of  France,  his 
Lives  of  the  Saints,  and  his  Credulity.  At  the  period  of  the  re- 
formation, France  may  boast  of  having  given  birth  to  Calvin,  a 
man  surpassed  by  no  one  of  the  reformers  in  vigor  of  intellect,  or 
force  of  eloquence.  Descartes,  in  spite  of  his  whims  and  his  vor- 
tices, ranks  high  among  natural  philosophers.  He  was  tiie  first 
who  applied  algebra  to  the  solution  of  geometrical  problems. 
Any  nation  might  have  been  proud  of  D'Alembert,  as  a  mathema- 
tician. Buffon  in  natural  history  would  yield  the  palm  only  to 
Linnaeus,  while  in  chemistry,  Lavoisier,  Fourcroy,  and  Chaptal 
may  claim  a  fall  equality  with  Black,  Priestley,  and  Davy.  In  the 
eloquence  of  the  senate  and  of  the  bar,  the  French,  for  obviouB 

VOL.   II.  31 


'-^66  FRANCE. 

reasons,  cani>ot  vie  with  the  English  ;  but  in  the  pnlpit,  Bos- 
suet,  Bourdalouc,  ]Miissillon,  and  Saurin  can  find  few  compet- 
itors. Robert  Hail  alone  can  challenge  a  decided  superiority. 
In  epic  poetry  the  French  have  as  yet  done  nothing  ;  for  the  Henri- 
iidc  of  Voltaire  is  the  effort  of  a  child.  But  the  tragedies  of  Cor- 
neille,  of  Racine,  and  of  Crebillon,  and  the  comedies  of  Moliere, 
can  never  be  forgotten  ;  while  in  sound  criticism  and  elegant  sa- 
tire, Boilcau  stands  unrivalled  since  the  days  of  Horace.  In  the 
lighter  belles  lettres,the  French  are  distinguished  for  the  number 
of  their  agreeable  writers  ;  among  whom  may  be  mentioned  Mon- 
taigne, D'Argcns,  RousaeaU  and  Marmontel.  At  the  present  time 
science  is  encouraged,  only  as  it  has  a  tendency  to  promote  the 
views  of  the  government.  The  attention  of  the  French  savans, 
therefore  is  chiefly  directed  to  the  mathematics  and  the  various 
branches  of  natural  history.  Hardly  a  man  of  learning,  in  the  ap- 
propriate sense  of  the  word,  is  to  be  found  in  the  nation.  The 
study  of  the  Greek  and  the  oriental  languages  has  been  banished 
from  the  public  sehools,  and  the  writers  of  antiquity  are  seen  only 
in  a  French  costume. 

Ediicatioii.']  By  the  imperial  decree  of  April  1808,  the  various' 
schools,  academies,  and  colleges  of  France  are  connected  together, 
and  form  the  Imjierial  U?iiversiiy.  This  is  composed  of  as  many 
Provincial  Academies,  as  there  are  courts  of  appeal  in  the  empire. 
The  schools  belonging  to  each  Academy  are  arranged  in  the  follow- 
ing order.  1 .  The  Faculties',  for  the  more  profound  sciences,  and  for 
the  confei-ring  of  degrees.  2.  The  Lycemns  or  Lycees,  for  the 
classics,  history,  logic,  mathematics,  and  physics.  3.  The  Colleges, 
for  the  elements  of  the  classics,  of  history,  and  of  the  sciences. 
4.  Schools  kept  by  private  masters^  in  which  the  instruction  ap- 
proaches tkat  of  the  Colleges.  5.  Boarding  schools,  where  it  is 
less  severe.  G.  Primary  schools,  were  reading,  writing,  and  arith- 
metic arc  taught.  The  members  of  the  faculties  are  men  of  mere 
science,  and  those  who  are  soon  to  be  the  professors  of  the  infe- 
rior institutions.  Of  the  Lyceums  there  are  4$  in  the  empire. 
Each  has  a  board  of  8  professors,  and  a  library  of  1500  votumes, 
both  selected  by  the  government.  No  additional  books  can  be  in- 
troduced without  the  permission  of  the  minister  of  the  interior. 
The  government  also  prescribes  the  price  of  tuition,  the  internal 
cliscipline,  and  the  course  of  instruction.  Arrest  and  imprison- 
ment are  the  only  punishments  inflicted  on  delinquents.  The 
course  of  studies  embraces  the  latin,  history,  chronology,  geogra- 
phy, the  belles  lettres,  the  m.athematics,  and  natural  philosophy. 
Beside  the  professors,  there  is  an  oflicer  intitled  L'  Officier  In- 
structeur,  who  is  charged  with  the  military  instruction  of  the  pu- 
pils. They  are  divided  into  companies  of  25  with  each  a  sergeant 
major,  a  sergeant,  and  4  corporals.  They  assemble  at  given 
hours  of  the  day,  and  go  through  with  all  the  military  evolutions. 
The  students  are  composed  of  the  children  of  the  wealthy  families 
of  France,  and  of  those  who  are  educated  at  the  public  expense. 
Of  these  last  the  government  may,  by  law,  maintain  tour  thousand 
from  old  France,  selected  from  the  best  proficients  in  the  colleges  j 


FRANCE.  ser 

and  two  thousand  four  hundred  from  the  territories  lately  an- 
jiexed.  Those  who  maintain  themselves  may  enter  the  Lyceums 
■^vithout  any  previous  instruction,  except  that  of  reading;  and 
"writing.  They  correspond  only  with  their  relations,  and  their  let- 
ters are  subjected  to  the  perusal  of  the  faculty.  They  are  not 
privileged  from  the  conscription;  and  if  they  escape  it  during 
their  scholastic  career  of  six  years,  they  are  then  drafted  for  it, 
or  transferred  to  the  military  academies,  or  employed  as  public 
functionaries  in  the  departments.  The  students  educated  at  the 
public  expense,  are  said  to  exceed  in  number  those  educated  by 
their  parents  at  the  Lyceums.  The  professors  are  generally  per- 
•sons  of  slender  abilities,  and  are  veiy  miserably  supported  by  their 
salai'ies.  The  buildings  appropriated  to  tlwJsc  institutions  are  in  a 
neglected  and  mouldering  state. 

In  each  of  the  colleges  the  government  maintains  25  students. 
Little  solid  instruction,  however,  can  here  be  obtained.  The  infe- 
rior schools  are  absolutely  neglected.  The  poverty  of  the  rural 
communes ;  and  the  want  of  capable  teachers,  are  the  reasons  as- 
signed by  the  director  general.  Scarcely  any  of  the  common  peo- 
ple are  able  to  read  and  write,  and  their  ignorance  is  not  compen- 
sated by  religious  instruction.  The  insti"uctors  of  all  these  va- 
rious seminaries  are  appointed  directly  or  indirectly  by  the  gov- 
ernment. The  military  academies  contain  about  fifteen  hundred 
young  men,  all  supported  by  the  state.  They  are  selected  from 
the  alumni  of  the  Lyceums.  The  term  of  instruction  is  two  years. 
They  are  supplied  with  the  ablest  professors,  and  are  in  every 
respect  admirably  organized.  They  send,forth  annually  a  host  of 
accomplished  officers,  engineers  and  mechanicians.* 

Cities  and  Towns.']  The  number  of  large  and  populous  towns 
in  France  is  so  great,  that  only  a  small  part  of  them  can  be  par- 
ticularly described.  Exclusive  of  those  in  Holland  and  the  Neth- 
erlands, there  are  considerably  more  than  100  towns  in  the  empire 
whose  population  exceeds  10,000. 

Paris,  Lutetia,  Lutetia  Parisiorum^  and  Parisii^  was  the  capital 
of  tlie  Parisii,  a  tribe  of  the  Celts,  who  sot  fire  to  it  when  they 
were  invaded  by  Caesar.  It  was  rebuilt  by  the  emperor  Julianj 
and  enlarged  by  Clovis,  who  made  it  the  royal  residence.  It  was 
then  neglected,  till  about  954,  when  Hugh  Capet  made  it  the  cap- 
ital of  the  kingdom.  It  has  been  the  capital  ever  since.  It  is 
built  on  an  extensive  plain  on  both  sides  of  the  Seine,  and  on  three 
islands  in  that  river,  in  a  healthy  and  pleasant  situation,  with  de- 

*  "  All  public  education  ought  to  be  regulated  on  thp  principles  of  military  disci- 
pline, and  not  on  tljose  of  civil  or  ecclesiastical  police. — The  habituate  of  military  dis- 
cipline is  the  most  useful,  since  at  ail  periods  of  life  it  is  requisite  for  tlie  citizen  to  be 
able  to  defend  his  property  against  internal  or  external  uueniies. 

"Ten  years  more  are  still  requisite  for  realiziug  all  die  benefit  uhich  his  majesty 
expects  from  the  University,  and  for  accomplishing  his  views ;  Uut  already  great  advan- 
tages are  obtained,  and  wljat  exists  is  preferable  to  m  hat  li^s  ever  existed. 

"  For  the  primary  instruction  of  children  his  majesty  perceivtjs  wilJj  pleasure  t^e 
oilablislunentof  small  schools;  he  desires  their  increase. 

"  Besides  the  houses  of  St.  Dennis  and  — — ,  six  houses  have  been  esLiblished  for  the 
education  of  girls  whose  fathers  have  been  devoteil  to  the  scrnce  of  the  state.'  — [i<a;- 
pQse  of  the  Jnimster  of  tlie  Interior,  Jtme,  1811. 


268  FRANCE. 

lightful  environs  ;  and  is  said  to  be  1 1  miles  in  circumference. 
It  covers  a  very  large  freestone  quarry,  which  has  furnished  ma- 
terials for  most  of  the  houses,  and  has  been  so  extensively  exca- 
vated, that  an  earthquake  might  easily  bury  the  citv.  The  num- 
ber of  houses  is  32,000,  from  four  to  seven  stories  high,  generally 
handsome,  and  with  -uniform  fronts.  The  population  in  1807, 
was  547,756.  The  finest  public  buildings  are  the  Louvre,  one  of 
the  noblest  specimens  of  modern  architecture,  the  church  of  St. 
Genevieve,  the  Thuillei'ies,  the  Palais  Royale,  and  the  Hospital  of 
Invalids.  The  city  has  been  enlarged,  and  greatly  improved, 
since  the  revolution  :  particularly  by  the  collections  of  paintings, 
statues,  and  other  objects  of  taste  and  curiosity,  which  have  been 
plundered  from  the  conquered  countries.  Paris  surpasses  Lon- 
don in  magnificence,  but  yields  to  it  greatly  in  cleanliness  and 
convenience.  The  streets  are  generally  without  sidewalks  for 
foot  passengers,  and  the  narrowness  of  many  of  them  renders  this 
a  very  serious  inconvenience.  There  are  12  bridges  over  the 
Seine,  and  26  fine  quays  along  its  banks.  There  were,  before  the 
revolution,  88  churches,  40  chapels,  10  abbeys,  28  priories,  and 
103  convents,  besides  numerous  hospitals  and  seminaries.* 

Marseilles,  Massilia,  has  already  been  mentioned  as  founded  by 
the  Phoceans.  It  is  seated  at  the  foot  of  a  rocky  mountain  near 
the  sea,  and  is  divided  into  the  old  and  new  town.  The  former  is 
on  an  eminence,  has  narrow  crooked  streets,  and  mean  houses  ; 
in  the  latter  the  streets  are  straight  and  broad,  and  the  houses 
handsome.  The  harbor,  a  parallellogram,  with  buildings  on  both 
sides  and  one  of  the  ends,  is  well  defended,  capacious,  and  one  of 
the  best  in  the  Mediterranean ;  but  the  entrance  has  not  depth  of 
water  enough  for  men  of  war.  Here  is  a  large  arsenal,  and  one 
of  the  finest  ai'mories  in  the  kingdom.  The  population,  in  1807, 
was  96,413. 

Bourdeaux,  Burdegala,  is  built  on  the  W.  bank  of  the  Garonne, 
about  40  miles  from  its  mouth.  The  tide  flows  quite  up  to  the 
city  ;  its  port  is  ample,  commodious,  and  strongly  fortified  ;  and 
ships  of  considerable  burden  may  unload  at  the  quays,  which  are 
grand  and  extensive.  It  is  the  first  commercial  town  in  France, 
and  formerly  it  was  not  unusual  to  see  400  or  500  vessels  in  the 
harbor  at  once.     The  chief  exports  were  brandy  and  claret.    The 

•  "  The  canal  of  I'Oiircque,  and  the  distribution  of  its  waters  in  the  diRerent  parts 
of  Paris,  are  attended  with  an  exjiense  of  two  million  and  a  half  of  francs  a  year.  In  a 
few  years  these  works  will  be  completely  finished. 

"  Already  sixty  fountains  spread  the  waters  of  the  Onrcque  iti  the  different  quarters 

of  Paris.    The   water  arrives  there  constantly. The  Seine,   the   Maine,  the 

Yonne,  and  the  Oise,  have  considerable  works  constructing  on  them  to  improve  the 
navigation 

«'  The  cut  of  St.  Maure  which  will  be  finished  in  the  next  year,  will  shorten  the 
navigation  of  the  Marne  by  five  leagues,  and  will  spread  its  wali-rs  by  numerous  chan- 
nels.    The  sluices  constructed  at  Portd'Arche,  at  Vernon,  and  at ,  will  facilitate 

the  navigation  of  the  Seine  ;  and  other  sluices  will  continue  it  to  Troyes  and  I'Aube. 

"The  bridges  of  Choisy,  JBesen,  and  Jena,  facilitate  the  communications,  or  concur 
in  the  establishment  of  the  capital. 

♦'  The  Li)uvre  is  finishing  ;  they  are  pulling  down  that  quantity  of  houses  which  was 
between  the  Louvre  and  the  Thuilleries.  A  second  gallery  re-unites  the  two  palaces^' 
\Expose  of  the  Minister  of  the  Interior,  June,  1811. 


FRANCE.  269 

theatre  is  the  most  magnificent  of  any  in  France.  The  towcf-gate, 
constructed  in  the  lime  of  Augustus  ;  the  amphitheatre,  an  oval 
of  227  feet  by  140  ;  and  the  palace  of  Gallienus,  are  among  the 
vestiges  of  Romam  art  and  grandeur.  The  annual  tempera- 
ture oi  Bourdeaux  is  56.8°.     The  population  in  1808,  was  90,992. 

Lyons,  Lugdunum^  at  the  conflux  of  the  Rhone  and  the  Saone, 
was  built  by  Plancus  10  years  before  tine  birth  of  Christ.  It  was 
the  second  city  in  France  before  the  revolution,  and  is  said  to  have 
contained  150,000  souls.  It  was  the  centre  of  the  inland  com- 
merce in  this  part  of  the  kingdom,  and  the  seat  of  the  most  exten- 
sive manufactures.  Irreparable  injury  was  done  to  the  city  by 
the  jacobin  party,  in  consequence  of  the  fidelity  of  the  inhabitants 
to  the  king.     In  1802  it  had  1 1,000  houses,  and  88,9 19  inhabitants. 

Rouen,  Rotomagus^  the  ancient  capital  of  the  Velecasses^  is  built 
on  the  Seine,  and  is  a  large  commercial  and  manufacturing  town. 
In  1802  it  had  about  10,000  houses,  and  84,223  inhabitants. 

Nantes,  Condivtenu7n,  the  ancient  seat  of  the  ^'cn^z^fes,  is  situat- 
ed on  the  Loire,  and  is  one  of  the  largest  trading  cities  in  France. 
It  had  in  1807  about  13,000  houses,  and  77,162  inhabitants. 

Toulouse,  Tolosa,  the  chief  city  of  the  Tolosatcs,  is  built 
upon  the  Garonne.  The  streets  are  broad,  and  the  houses  chiefly 
of  brick.  The  toAvn  annals,  kept  since  1288,  contain  all  the  me- 
morable transactions  of  the  kingdom.  A  few  miles  below,  the  ca- 
nal of  Languedoc  joins  the  river,  which  here  becomes  navigable. 
It  had  50,171  inhabitants  in  1802. 

Strasburg,  or  the  city  of  the  street^  so  called  because  it  is  the 
thoroughfare  between  France  and  Germany,  is  situated  at  the  con- 
flux of  the  He  andtlie  Brusch,  about  a  mile  from  their  entrance  into 
the  Rhine.  The  catiiedral  is  a  beautiful  Gothic  structure  of  the 
11th  century.  The  town  was  taken  from  the  emperor  in  1682. 
Most  of  the  inhabitants  are  Lutherans.  Here  are  manufactures  of 
tobacco,  china,  steel,  lace,  carpets,  cloth,  and  leather.  Houses 
4000;  inhabitants,  in  1802,49,056. 

Cologne,  Colonia  Jgrijipina^  in  the  ancient  territories  of  the 
Ubii,  is  built  in  the  form  of  a  crescent  on  the  Rhine,  and  is  fortified 
in  the  ancient  manner ;  but  its  walls  are  weak  and  tottering.  It 
extends  3^  miles  along  the  I'iver.  The  streets  arc  narrow,  v/ind- 
ing,  and  gloomy  ;  and  most  of  the  houses  high,  old,  aixl  ruinous. 
It  contains  very  numerous  churches,  chapels,  and  monasteries ; 
and  an  uncommon  number  of  ecclesiastics  and  beggars.  The  few 
protestants  who  live  here  engross  all  the  wealth  of  the  city.  This 
place  is  two  centuries  behind  the  rest  of  Germany  in  improve- 
ment. The  quay,  a  mile  and  a  half  long,  is  always  crowded  with 
shipping  ;  but  the  cargoes  are  the  property  of  foreign  merchants. 
Inhabitants,  in  1807,  42,706. 

Orleans,  Genadum,  in  the  country  of  the  ancient  Carnutes,  stands 
upon  the  Loire,  and  is  one  of  the  most  agreeable  cities  in  France. 
The  principal  trade  is  in  stockings,  sheepskins,  brandy,  corn,  and 
wine.     Inhabitants,  in  1802,  41,937. 

Amiens,  Samarobriva^  the  capital  of  the  ancient  Jmbianf,  is  built 
on  the  Somme.     It  abounds  with  woollen  manufactures.     The 


270  FRANCE. 

cathedral  is  large  and  beautifully  light  and  decorated.     House%iu 
1807,  5980;  inhabitants  41,279. 

Nismes,  .Ycmausus,  at  a  little  distance  from  the  Vistre,  is  large 
and  pleasantly  situated  on  the  side  of  a  hill,  covered  with  vine- 
yards and  orchards  of  fruit.  Here  ai'e  manufactures  of  cloth,  silk, 
and  stockings.  Here  likewise  are  reliques  of  Roman  art  of  uncom- 
mon beauty  and  magnificence.  The  amphitheatre  is  a  prodigious 
work,  capable  of  holding  17,000  persons.  The  temple  ot  Diana, 
the  grand  tower,  the  ancient  baths  and  the  Maison  Quarre,  a  tem- 
ple of  the  Corinthian  order ;  all  discover  exquisite  taste,  and  are 
in  perfect  preservation.  Houses,  in  1807,  4,500  ;  inhabitants 
39,594. 

Angers,  Juliomagus,  the  chief  town  of  the  ancient  ^?idcs,  stands 
at  the  confluence  of  the  Maine,  the  Little  Loire,  and  the  Sarte.  It 
has  16  parish  churches.  The  cathedral  is  a  beautiful  building. 
The  castle  is  built  upon  a  rock.  It  had  in  1802,  5410  houses,  and 
33,900  inhabitants. 

Montpellier  stands  upon  a  rising  ground  fronting  the  Mediter- 
ranean, which  is  about  nine  miles  to  the  south.  On  the  north  is 
an  agreeable  plain  extending  about  the  same  distance  to  the  moun- 
tains of  the  Cevenner.  In  clear  weather  the  Alps  are  distinctly 
visible  to  the  east,  the  Pyrenees  to  the  southwest,  and  the  Mediter- 
ranean to  the  south.  The  streets  are  generally  narrow,  and  the 
houses  dark.  The  climate  was  long  famous  for  its  mildness^and 
«alubi'ity.  It  is  said  to  have  altered.  Here  ai'e  manufactures  of 
silk  and  woollen  goods.  Cette  is  the  port  of  Montpellier.  The 
goods  are  carried  up  to  the  town  on  the  canal.  Houses,  about 
8,000,  and  inhabitants,  in  1807,  32,723.' 

Metz,  Divoduru7n,  anciently  the  capital  of  the  Mcdiomatrki,  and 
afterwards  of  the  kingdom  of  Austrasia,  stands  at  the  conflux  of 
the  Seille  and  Moselle.  The  houses,  though  old  fashioned,  arc 
handsome,  but  the  streets  are  narrow.  The  town  is  well  fortified, 
and  in  1807,  contained  5,827  houses,  and  32,099  inhabitants. 

Caen  lies  in  a  valley,  at  the  conflux  of  the  Orne  and  Odon, 
^bout  seven  miles  from  the  English  channel.  It  has  a  good  trade 
in  cloths  and  fine  linen.  The  royal  square  is  spacious  and  regular. 
In  1807,  it  had  about  10,000  houses,  and  30,923  inhabitants. 

Rheims,  Durocotorum^  anciently  the  capital  of  the  lihe7ni,  is  sit- 
uated on  the  Vesle.  It  has  several  fine  remains  of  Roman  anti- 
quities. Formerly  the  archbishop  of  Rheims  was  the  fii-st  peer 
of  France,  and  always  crowned  the  king.  In  1802,  it  had  30,225 
inhabitants. 

Clermont,  Augustoiiometum^  a  town  of  the  Arverni^  is  seated  on 
a  small  eminence  at  the  foot  of  a  lofty  mountain.  A  wooden 
bridge,  over  a  brook  in  one  of  the  suburbs,  is  completely  petrified. 
Inhabitants,  30,000. 

Besan^on,  Visontis^  on  the  Doubs,  the  ancient  capital  of  the  Se- 
(juani,  is  surrounded  by  high  mountains,  and  badly  fortified.  Here 
are  many  remains  of  Roman  magnificence.  It  contained,  in  1807, 
3,293  houses,  and  28,436  inhabitants. 

Nai^cy,  JVasiurri)  the  capital  of  the  Lingones.  and  afterwards  of 


FRANCE.  271 

vhe  ducliy  of  Lorraine,  stands  upon  the  INteurte,  in  a  beautiful  and 
fertile  plain.     In  1807,  it  contained,  28,227  inhabitants. 

Versailles,  at  the  close  of  the  last  century,  was  a  little  village 
in  .the  midst  of  a  forest.  Louis  XIV.  made  it  the  royal  residence. 
It  contained,  in  1'802,  27,574  inhabitants. 

The  large  town^  taken  from  Italy  will  be  described  under  that 
article. 

The  following  towns  are  not  in  the  table  ;  Abbeville  18,125  in- 
habitants ;  Aach  24,419;  Aix  21,009;  Aries  18,470;  Bayonne 
13,190;  Beziers  14,535;  Chalons,  on  the  Marne,  11,120;  Cha- 
lons, on  the  Saone,  10,431  ,  Cherbourg  1 1,389  ;  Coblentz  10,691  ; 
Etiennc  16,259;  Falaise  12,549;  Issoudun  10,265;  Lisieux 
10,171  ;  Luneville  10,436;  Mentz  21,583;  Moissac  10,035; 
Montauban  21,958  ;  Orient  17,837;  St.  Quintin  10,45^;  Rcnnes 
25,984  ;  Riora  13,828  ;  Sens  10,603  ;  Servans  10,150  ;  Thiers 
10,605  ;  Verdun  10,172  ;  Verviers  10,072  ;  Vienne  10,362  ;  Ville 
Franche  10,009. 

Seafiorts.']  Several  have  already  been  mentioned.  Toulon'on 
the  Mediterranean,  a  little  east  of  Marseilles,  has  an  outer  harbor 
which  is  large,  circular,  and  surrounded  by  hills.  The  entrance  . 
on  both  sides  is  defended  by  a  fort  with  strong  batteries.  This 
harbor  communicates  with  two  inner  basins,  called  the  old  and  the 
new  harbor,  which  are  also  connected  by  a  canal.  The  new.  har- 
bor is  an  artificial  basin,  the  work  of  Louis  XIV.  It  is  well  de- 
fended by  batteries,  and  round  it  stands  the  arsejial,  where  every 
man  of  war  has  its  own  particular  storehouse.  Here  cordage  and 
cannon  are  extensively  manufactured.  Toulon  is  the  only  har- 
bor for  the  navy  on  the  southern  coast.  Houses,  2400  ;  inhabi- 
tants, 29,760. 

Brest,  Partus  Brivatesj  is  the  chief  resqrt  of  the  navy  on  the 
western  coast.  The  houses,  2600  in  number,  are  planted  on  the 
declivity  of  a  hill,  on  one  side  of  the  harbor.  The  streets  are  few, 
narrow,  and  inconvenient.  It  has  two  parish  churches,  a  marine 
seminary,  a  court  of  admir^ty,  and  25,865  inhabitants.  The  har- 
bor, if  we  except  Toulon,  is  the  largest  and  safest  in  the  kingdom, 
and  capable  of  containing  500  ships  of  war,  in  8,  10,  and  15  fath- 
»m3,  at  low  water.  Its  entrance  from  the  W.  S.  W.  called  the 
"  Gullet"  is  narrow  and  rocky,  and  the  passage  is  difficult  and 
dangerous  on  account  of  the  sunken  rocks  on  both  sides.  The 
entrance  is  also  guarded,  on  one  side,  by  a  strong  castle,  seated  on 
a  rock,  and  defended  by  a  large  ditch  and  other  fortifications  ;  and 
on  the  other  by  a  strong  lower.  On  one  side  of  the  port  is  a  no- 
ble quay,  more  than  a  mile  long,  and  two  hundred  paces  broad, 
covered  with  storehouses  ;  and  a  quay  for  the  warehouses  on  the 
other.  At  the  bottom  of  the  harbor  are  two  noble  docks  for  the 
building  of  ships  of  war. 

Boulogne,  Gcsoriacum,  and  afterwards  Jlono?iia^  lies  on  the 
English  channel,  on  the  declivity,  and  at  the  foot  of  the  chalk 
mountain.  It  has  1600  houses,  and  10,685  inhabitai.is.  The  har- 
bor, formed  by  the  river  Liane,  is  defended  at  Uie  mouth  by  a  small 
fort.     The  entrance  is  difficult.    Here  lay  the  flotilla,  in  1804  and 


272  PRANCE. 

18Q5j  prepared  for  the  invasion  of  Great  Britain.  Ships  of  war 
can  proceed  no  farther  than  the  "road  of  St.  John,  where  there  is 
from  5  to  15  fathoms,  and  a  hard  sandy  bottom.  The  famous 
pharos,  built  by  Caligula,  and  repaired  by  Charlemagne,  fell  down 
in  July  1644,  and  is  now  a  heap  of  rubbish.  The  channel  is  here 
30  miles  wide,  and  much  frequented  by  English  smugglers. 

Rqchefort,  on  the  bay  of  Biscay,  has  15,024  inhabitants,  the 
harbor  has  four  fathoms,  at  low  water,  and  is  defended  from  ev- 
ery wind.  Here  are  excellent  docks  for  building  ships,  and  mag- 
'  azines  well  replenished  with  naval  stores.  A  part  of  the  navy 
usually  lies  here. 

Rochelle,  Partus  Santonumfei^hX  leagues  N.  of  Rochefort,  con- 
tains 17,331  inhabitants.  Its  commerce  is  extensive.  The  har- 
bor is  safe,  butits  entrance  is  narrow  and  shoal.  The  fortifications 
are  by  Vauban.  The  neighboring  salt  marshes,  here  as  well  as  at 
Rochefort,  render  the  air  unwholesome. 

Bayonne,  at  the  corner  of  the  bay  of  Biscay,  is  a  league  from  the 
sea,  on  the  Nivc,  which  forms  a  good  harbor,  with  a  narrow  and 
dangerous  entrance.  The  commerce  with  Spain  is  valuable. 
•  Masts,  from  the  Pyrenees,  are  brought  here,  and  shipped  to  Brest 
and  other  ports.  The  common  people  speak  the  old  Biscayan  lan- 
guage.    Inhabitants,  13,190,  houses  1520. 

Dieppe,  the  nearest  sea  port  to  Paris,  is  a  handsome  well  built 
town,  containing  20,000  inhabitants.  The  harbor  is  semicircular, 
and  has  two  fine  moles  of  strong  brickwork.  In  time  of  peace,  the 
commerce  Is  extensive,  particularly  in  the  fisheries.  Here  arc 
numerous  thread  lace  manufactures.  The  shortest  route  from 
London  to  Paris  is  through  Brighton  and  Dieppe. 

Havre,  or  Havre  de  Grace,  Cai-rocotinum^  a  town  of  the  Caletesy 
lies  a  little  north  of  the  mouth  of  the  Seijic.  The  harbor  has  depth 
for  large  vessels,  and  the  water  docs  not  ebb,  till  three  hours  after 
full  tide,  being  as  it  were  dammed  up  by  the  current  of  the  Seine, 
which  crosses  its  moutli.  Havre,  in  1802,  had  l50t)  houses,  and 
20,620  inhabitants. 

"  At  Antwerp,  since  the  end  of  the  year  1810,  the  dam  from  the 
bason  has  been  removed.  Eighteen  ships  of  the  line,  even  three- 
deckers,  can  enter,  and  go  out  fully  equipped.  In  the  beginning 
of  this  year,  two  80  gun  sliips  have  been  coppered  and  refitted 
there.  The  works  are  going  on  with  great  activity.  Before  the 
end  of  next  September,  the  bason  will  be  able  to  hold  thirty  ships. 

«  Ships  of  the  line  can  only  enter  the  bason  of  Flushing  without 
their  guns.  The  sluice  is  now  dried  and  insulated,  and  they  are 
busied  in  lowering  it,  so  that  twenty  ships  will  be  able  to  enter  it 
with  their  guns.  The  keys  that  the  English  had  overthrown,  are 
re-established.  Men  are  at  work  to  rebuild  the  general  magazine, 
and  are  placed  out  of  the  I'cach  of  the  bombs. 

"  The  first  funds  have  been  provided  for  the  bason  of  Terneuse  ; 
its  foundation  is  laying.  Twenty  ships  of  the  line  entirely  armed, 
will  be  able  to  depart  from  this  bason  in  a  single  tide.  It  will  be 
capable  of  containing  more  than  forty. 

"  The  tide  sluice  of  Ostend  is  terminated  j  it  has  done  the  greflt" 


FRANCE.  373 

,  est  good  to  the  harbor  ;   that  of  Dunkirk  will  be  in  play  at  the  end 
'  ofthe'year;  great  advantages  are.  expected  from  it  for  the   dig- 
ging of  the  pass.     The  sluice  of  Huvi*e  is  completed;  ^thas  hap- 
py effects. 

"At  Cherbourgh,  the  expcjises  of  the  road  are  of  two  sorts. 
The  first  operation  is  to  raise  the  dyke  above  the  low  water  mark, 
and  this  will  be  accomplished  in  the  course  of  the  present  year; 
the  second  is  to  construct  forts  at  the  extremities  of  this  dyke  to 

■  defend  the  voad  }  the  fort  of  the  centre  is  just  finished.  The 
roadibeing  in.tlus  manner  secured,  it  remained  to  dig  the  port  of 
this  great  work  ;  nine  tenths  are  executed.  Thirdly,  ships  of  the 
line  will  be  able  to  lie  in  the  port  and  bason  ;  already  a  vessel 
which  had  received  damage  at  sea  has  entered  the  bason,  and 
been  refitted  there.  The  avant-fiort  and  bason  will  be. finished  in 
1812.  The  building  docks  and  frames  already  «xist.  The  works 
of  Cherbourg  alone  require  niore  than  three  millions  yearly."* 

Edifices^']  Several  of  the  most  noble,  edifices  of  France  are  in 
Paris,  and  its  vicinity.  To  those  already  mentioned  must  be  add- 
ed, the  palace  of  Versailles,, rather  remarkable,  however,  for  the 
profusion  of  expense,  than  for  the  skill  of  the  architect;  the  parts 
being  small  and  unbarmonious,  and  the  general  effect  rather  idle 
poriip  than  true  grandeur.  The  bridge  of  Ncuillc  is  esteemed  the 
most  beautiful  in  Europe,  consisting  of  five  wide  ai'ches  of  equal 
size.  The  ancient  cathcdrfils  and  castles  are  so  numerous  that  it 
woOld  be  idle  to  attempt  to  enumerate  them ;  and  the  Freiich  no- 
bility were  notcoiitented,  like  those  of  Spain,  with  large  houses  ia 
the  cities,  but  had  grand  chatteaux  scattered  over  the  kingdom,  to 
which,  howeY,er,  th^y  seldom  retired,  except  when  compelled  by 
formal  banishment  from  the  court. 

RoadH.~\  In  the  improvement  of  the  roads  the  distaricco  are 
lessened. — It  has  been  computed  that  Turin  has  already  been 
brought  36  hours   nearer  Paris,  24  hours  by  the  passage  of  Mont 

■  Cenis,  and  12  hours  more  by  the  new  road  of  Mauricnne.  A  new 
road  fronx  Paris  to  Chambcrry  by  Tournees  has  been  established. 
This  road,  by  avoiding  the  mountains,  will  be  shorter  by  eight 
hours.  In  this  manner  Turin  will  be  brought  nearer  to  Paris  by 
44  hours,  which  is  almost  half  tlie  distance.  Milan  is  by  the  road 
of  Simplon  brought  nearer  Paris  by  more  than  a  march  of  59  hours, 
if  the  present  road  is  compared  with  that  which  existed  ten  years 
ago.  Bayonne,  and  Spain  have  been  brought  nearer  to  Paris  by 
18  hours,  by  the  road  which  has  been  made  through  the  sandy 
plains  between  Bourdeaux  and  Bayonne.  Mayence  and  Germany 
have  been  brought  12  hours  nearer,  by  the  road  which  has  been 
made  in  \  he  sands  from  Mayence  to  Metz.  Hamburcr  will  be  nearer 
by  more  than  60  hours  in  the  course  of  the  next  year,  by  the  road 
made  across  the  sands  of  Maestricht  to  Wesel,  and  from  that  to 
Hamburg  :  and  this  will  be  the  first  example  in  history  of  80  leagues 
of  roads  made  in  the  course  of  two  years.     Ten  sets  of  workmen  are 

•  Expose  of  the  Miuister  of  the  iDtcrioT)  June,  1111. 
VOL.  II.  35 


^7-1 

employed  ;'  and  before  the  year  1811,  much  more  thaii  lialf  of  it 
will  be  finished.  Amsterdam  will  bo  brought  twelve  hours  nearer 
Paris  by  the  roa'd  throuj<h  the  sands  of  Antwerp  to  Amsterdam, 
at  wbich  they  are  labouring  at  many  points.  New  roads  are  open- 
ed from  Spezia  to  Parma,  from  Florence  to  Rimini,  and  from  Nice 
to  Genoa. 

The  construction  of  £t  great  number  of  bridges  is  begun.  Those 
of  Bourdeaux,  Rouen,  as  well  as  that  over  the  Durance,  vv'hich  was 
fuiished  last  year  were  considered  as  impossible.  A  great  num- 
ber of  other  bridges  are  aljfo  finished.* 

Inland  naxngation  and  Canals?^  The  inland  navigation  of  France 
has  been  promoted  by  several  capital  exertions.  The  canal  of 
Briare,  otherwise  styled  that  of  Burgundy,  was  begun  by  Henry 
IV.  and  completed  by  Louis  XIII.  opening  a  communication  be- 
tween the  Loire  and  the  Seine,  or  in  other  words,  between  Paris 
and  the  western  provinces.  Passing  by  Montargis  it  joins  the  ca- 
nal of  Orleans,  and  falls  into  the  Seine  near  Fontaiiibleau.  This 
navigation  of  forty  two  locks,  is  of  great  utility  in  inland  com- 
nierce.f 

The  canal  of  Picardy  extends  from  the  Somme  to  the  Oise,  be- 
ginning at  St  Quintin,  and  forming  a  convenient  intercourse  to  the 
provinces  in  the  N.  E. 

But  the  chief  work  of  this  description  is  the  celebrated  canal  of 
Languedoc,  commenced  and  completed  in  the  reign  of  Louis  XIV. 
by  Riquet,  the  engineer,  under  the  auspices  of  that  able  minister 
Colbert.  Fifteen  years  of  labor  were  employed,  from  1666  to 
1681.  This  noble  canal  begins  in  the  bay  of  Languedoc;  and  at 
St.  Perriol  is  a  reservoir  of  595  acres  of  water :  it  enters  the  Ga- 
ronne about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  l)elow  the  city  of  Toulouse.  The 
breadth,  including  the  towing  paths,  is  144  feet;  the  depth  6  feet; 
the  length  64  French  leagues,  or  about  180  miles.  The  expense 
was  more  than  half  a  million  sterling.  The  canal  of  St.  Quintin  is 
finished.  From  the  beginning  of  this  year  (1811)  navigation  has 
been  in  great  activity  upon  it ;  its  effects  have  already  been  felt  in 
the  prices  of  wood  and  coal  in  the  metropolis.  The  canal  of  the 
North,  to  unite  the  Rhine  and  the  Scheldt,  was  one  third  part  fin- 
ished, when  the  union  of  Holland  having  made  it  useless,  these 
works  were  suspended.  The  canal  of  Napoleon,  which  joins  the 
Rhine  and  the  Saone  is  to  be  finished  in  1815.  Three  millions  a  .,  ^ 
year  are  applied  to  it.  The  canal  of  Burgundy,  which  joins  ^^fStJ' 
Saone  and  the  Seine,  is  continued  with  spirit.  In  the  course  of 
this  year  (1811)  a  million  and  a  half  will  be  expended  upon  it. 
The  canal  of  Aries,  which  brings  the  Rhone  to  the  Pont-du-bone, 
is  one  third  part  executed.  That  which  cuts  the  peninsula  of  Brc- 
tany,  in  joining  the  Rhone  to  La  Vilaine,  is  now  going  on.  The 
canal  of  Blouet,  which  joins  Napoleon  viile  to  L'Orient,  and  which 
will  one  day  lead  from  Napoleonville  to  Brest,  is  almoBt  finished. 
Manyother  cabals,  of  less  importance,  are  either  finished  or  going 
on  with  the  greatest  activity.^ 

•  Expose  of  the  minister  of  the  intei'ior,  June,  1811.  f  Phirips,  31 

t  Expose  of  the  Minister  of  the  iuterior,  Juuc,  1811. 


FRANCE.  275 

Ma7iufactures.~\  For  a  century  extending  from  1650  to  1750, 
JMr.*  Young  supposes  France  to  have  possessed  the  most  flour- 
ishing manufactures  in  Europe  ;  and  French  writers  effect  to  speak 
of  the  English  manufactures  as  being  of  recent  fame.  A  sketch  of 
this  important  subject,  is  here  traced  from  that  well-informed  au- 
thor. At  Abbeville  was  a  famous  manufacture  of  broadcloth ;  and 
another  at  Louviere  in  Normandy.  At  the  same  place,  and  at 
Amiens,  were  manufactures  of  stuffs,  worsteds,  8cc.  and  some  of 
cotton.  The  manufactures  of  Orleans  were  stockings,  and  refin- 
ed sugar.  At  Chatteau  Roux  another  manufactory  of  broad  cloths  ; 
and  in  the  same  neighborhood  large  iron  forges.  At  Limoges  an 
hundred  looms  were  employed  in  weaving  druggets  of  hemp  and 
wool ;  and  the  paper  mills  amounted  to  seventy.  The  large  wool- 
len m^anufactory  at  Cahors  had  declined  ;  but  those  of  Montauban 
continued  to  flourish.  At  Montpcllier  were  considerable  manu- 
factures of  blankets  and  silk  handkerchiefs  ;  but  those  of  Nismes 
were  still  more  important  in  silk,  cotton,  and  thread  :  and  at  Gauge 
was  the  chief  manufacture  of  silk  stockings  in  all  France.  The 
Londrins  for  the  Levant  were  chiefly  made  at  Bc/,-de-Rieux,  and 
at  Carcassonne.  At  Pau  are  large  manufactures  of  linen.  Tour 
has  long  been  celebrated  for  silks.  Beauvais,  one  of  the  most  ac- 
tive towns  in  France,  supplies  tapestries  and  printed  calicoes. 
The  fabrication  of  plate  glass  at  St.  Gobin  is  well  known  as  the 
first  in  Europe.  At  St.  Quintin  are  made  linen,  cambric,  and  gau- 
zes. Cambricks  derive  their  name  from  Cambray ;  and  the  laces 
of  Valenciennes  have  been  long  known.  Lisle  displays  fine  cloths 
and  camblets.  Mr.  Young  styles  Rouen  the  Manchester  of  France, 
being  a  town  eminent  in  commerce,  and  in  manufactures  of  vel- 
vet, and  cotton  cloths  ;  and  Caen  boasts  of  her  silky  fleeces.  Bre- 
tagne  in  general  has  numerous  manufactures  of  thread  and  lin- 
en. The  fine  clotlis  made  at  Louviere  our  author  esteems  the  first 
in  the  world,  and  at  the  same  place  is  a  large  cotton  mill.  Rhcims 
is  remarkable  for  woollens.  The  silk  manufactures  of  Lyons  were 
estimated  to  employ  60,000  people,  the  looms  being  computed  at 
12,000.  Iron  manufactures  flourished  at  Nantes,  Mont  Cenis,  St. 
Philippe -en-foret,  and  several  other  places. 

CommeTce.~\  From  this  detail  some  idea  may  be  formed  of  the 
commerce  of  France.  By  the  account  for  1784,  which  did  not  in- 
clude the  provinces  of  Lorraia  and  Alsace,  nor  the  West  Indian 
trade,  the  statement  was 

Total  exports,         307, 1 5 1 ,700  livres. 
imports,         271,365,000 


Balance,         35,786,700  or  /T  1,5 65,668  sterling, 

The  trade  with  the  West  Indicii  gave  a  large  balance  against 
France,  which,  hi  1786,  exported  to  the  amou'.Jt  of  more  than  64, 
000,000  livrcs,  but  the  imports  exceeded  174,000,000.     The  chic. 

•  Young's  i'runcc,  i.  S')?. 


276  'FRANCE.. 

articles  of  import  were' raw  silk,r£^w  wool,  olive-oil,  linens,  cottop, 
manufactured  cottons,  toljaccb,  copper,  iron,  flak,,  cattle,  brandy, 
soda  and  potash,  timber,  coal,  steel,  wheat,  and  hemp.  The  av- 
erage imports  of  France  in  1788  were  about  twelve  millions- and  a 
half  sterling,  the  exports  nearly  1 5,000,000.  The  innports  of  Great 
Britain  in  tlie  same  year  were  about  18,500,000,  the  exports  seven- 
teen and  a  half.*  The  principle  exports  were,  woollen  and  cotton 
manufactures,  clavet,  other  wines,  brandy,  cattle,  wheat,  and  leath- 
er.    At  present  France  has  no  commerce  on  the  ocean. 

.  CliAPTERJI,.. 

nAturaJl,  g'eogSi^phy. 

CLIMATE  A?JD  S10<ASONS,  FACE. d^-  THE'.COU;<rTRy,  SOIL  AND  AGRI- 
CULTURE, RIVEilS,  LAKES,  jJ'otjNTAjiJS,  FOilE3TS,*-B07A.K'Y, 
ZOOLOG-Y,  MINERALOGY,  MINERAL  WATERS,  NATURAL  CU- 
RIOSITIES. 

Climate  and  Seasons.']  THE  eastern  part  of  France  is 
warmer  than  the  western,  in  the  same  parallels.  Mi'.  Young-  di- 
vides the  country  into  four  climates.  A  line  passing  from  Her- 
bignac,  dtown  a  little  north  of  the  mouth  of  the  Loire,  nearly 
straight  tlirough  Beaumont,  Clermont  and  "'Couci,  to  the  Rhine, 
will  leave  a  tract  to  the  N-  W.  called  the  nor t her7i  c limat e,\n  which. 
the  vine  will  not' grow.  It  is  considerably  warmer  than  England.* 
but  equally  moist ;  and  produces  a  great  variety  of  fine  fruits. 
The  'vine  climate  is  a  space  included  between  this  and  a  line  pass- 
ing nearly  parallel  with  the  other,  from  tlie  mouth  of  the  Ga- 
ronne, through  Ruffec  and  Luneville.  This  is  the  pleasantest. 
The  air  is  light,  pure  and  clastic;  and  the  sky  is  generally  clear. 
The  summers  are  not  fervid,  and  the  winters  are  mild.  The  maize 
cUmate  is  broa,der.  Its  southern  boundaiy  is  a  line  passing  from 
tlie  Pyrenees  through  Cai'cassonnc  and  Grenoble  to  the  Alps. 
The  vine  also  grows  here  luxuriantly.  The  tract  S.  E.  of  this 
line  is  csXladi  the  olive  climate.  It  is  much  the  smallest,  and  in 
the  summer  season  is  Crowded  with  myriads  of  flies.  Both  vines 
and  maize  grow  here  abundantly.  This  division  of  France,  which 
with  here  and  there  a  set-off,  is  strictly  accurate,  points  out  the 
eastciT.  side  of  the  kingdom,  as  2^  degrees  of  latitude  hotter  than 
the  western,  or  at  least  more  favorable  to  vegetation. 

Violent  storms  of  rain  and  iiail  are  frequent  in  the  two  middle 
divisions.  In  some  provinces  the  average  damage  for  a  given 
number  of  years,  by  rain  and  iiail,  equals  a  tenth  of  the  whole 
produce  for  that  period.  In  these  districts,  also,  spring  frosts  arc 
custoniaiy  This  renders  the  vineyard  an  uncertain  culture,  and 
explains  why  so  few  mulberries  are  found  for  the  silk-worm  except  r.^^ 
in  tne  southern.     Even  there,*  they  frequently  suffer.  '  vjk^ 

Face  of  the  Country. ~\     France,  north  of  the   mountains  of  Au-    .  **^ 
yergne,  and  west  of  the  range  of  the  Vosges,  may  be  called  an 

»  Yonxig,  i.  520. 


FRANCE.  277 

uneven  country ;  but  is  no  where  mountainous.  The  surface  is 
every  where  sufficiently  varied  to  render  the  prospects  interest- 
ing. Between  the  Pyrenees  and  the  mountains  of  Auvergne,  lies 
an.  extensive  tract  of  the  same  description,  reaching  from  the 
ocean  to  the  Rhone.  Liraosin  surpasses  every  province  of  France 
in  beauty.  Hill,  dale,  wood,  inclosure,  streams,  lakes,  and  scat- 
tered farms  are  mingled  into  a  thousand  delightful  landscapes. 
The  banks  of  the  Seine  for  200  miles  from  its  mouth,  and  of  the 
Loire  as  high  as  Angers,  are  also  eminently  beautiful.  The 
course  of  the  Soane  is  marked  by  a  noble  tract  of  meadows.  The 
country  east  of  the  Rhone  presents  many  pleasing 'scenes,  and  the 
course  of  the  Isere  is  a  scene  of  perpetual  beauty.  The  Pyrenees 
are  the  most  striking  of  the  mountains,  and  their  verdure,  their 
woods,  their  rocks  and  their  torrei^t^  have  all  the  character  of  tx^e 
sublime  and  beautiful. 

Soil  and  JgricultureJ]  The  north  part  of  France,  from  Bun- 
kirk  to  Caen,  thence  to  Tours  on  the  Loire,  and  thence  through 
Nemours  and  Soissons,  to  the  Netherlands,  is  a  rich  calcarous 
plain,  having  a  loam  of  considerable  depth,  and  of  an  admirable 
texture.  Farther  W.  the  land  is  poor  and  stony.  The  rest  of 
Normandy,  Brittany,  Maine,  Anjou,  Touraine,  Sologne,  the  upper 
part  of  Poitou,  Berry,  Angoumois,  are  of  this  character.  The 
S.  W.  part  of  the  kingdom  from  Audi  to  Bayonne  is  indifferent; 
but  the  plain  of  the  Garonne  and  its  branches,  from  Liraosm  S. 
even  to  the  Pyrenees,  has  a  deep,  mellow,  fi'iable,  sandy  loam, 
witli  sufficient  moisture  for  any  culture  :  much  of  it  is  calcareous. 
The  cast  provinces,  Champaigne,  Lorraine,  Franche  Compte, 
Bresse,  Dauphine,  and  Provence  are  calcareous,  but  less  uni- 
formly rich  than  the  northern.  Lower  Poitou,  and  Alsace,  are 
eminently  fertile.  The  tract  between  tlie  Mediterranean  and  the 
Cavennes  mountains,  is  of  the  same  description. 

The  cultivation  of  the  vine  has  this  advantage,  that  the  farmer 
can  draw  from  poor  and  otherwise  barren  hills  and  rocks,  as  great 
a  profit,  as  from  the  richest  vallies.  In  the  maize  and  olive  cli- 
mates, a  second  crop,  either  of  maize,  millet,  or  buckwheat,  al- 
ways follows  the  wheat  harvest.  The  agriculture  of  France  is 
greatly  behind  that  of  England.  About  one  third  of  the  country 
is  divided  into  little  farms,  too  small  to  sirpport  their  proprietors. 

Rivers.~\  The  Rhine,  till  lately  a  boundary  of  France,  but, 
since  the  annexation  of  Holland,  running  for  a  considerable  extent 
through  it,  has  already  been  described.  Of  the  other  rivers  there 
are  four  of  considerable  size  ;  the  Seine,  the  Loire,  the  Garonne 
and  the  Rhone. 

The  Loire,  Liger.,  rises  from  MontGerbier,  one  of  the  Cevennes, 
in.  the  N.  of  ancient  Languedoc.  Its  course  is  a  little  W.  of  N.  to 
Orleans  ;  and  thence  W.  of  S.  to  the  ocean.  Its  whole  length 
is  upwards  of  500  miles.     The  chief  branch  is  the  AUier,  ELeaver. 

The  Rhone,  Rhodanus-,  is  a  noble  and  rapid  stream,  rising  in 
Mount  Furca,  about  5,400  feet  above  the  sea.     It  winds  about  90 
^,        miles  westward,  through  the  vale,  called  the  Vallais,  and  enters 
r^QT%hc  Geneva  lake. near  its  eastern  extremity.    From  the  westerq 


27S  FRANCE. 

end  its  course  is  S.  W.  to  Lyons,  where  k  receives  the  Saone, 
^imr,  a  remarkably  sluggish  stream,  from  the  Vosgcs.  Its  direc- 
tion is  S.  from  Lyons  to  the  Gulf  of  Lyons,  which  it  enters  by  seve- 
ral mouths.  A  little  below  Avignon  it  is  johied  by  the  Durance, 
Druentia^  a  veiy  rapid  and  strong  stream  from  the  Alps.  Its 
length  exceeds  400  miles 

The  Garonne,  Garumna.,  rises  in  the  valley  of  Aran  in  the  Py- 
renees, and  runs  N.  W.  to  the  bay  of  Biscay.  About  12  miles  be- 
low Bourdeaux  it  is  joined  by  the  Dordogne,  Durimiu/i,  from  the 
N.  E.  and,  for  the  remainder  of  its  course,  about  28  miles,  it  is 
called  the  Gironde.  Its  bonks  are  not  distinguished  for  their  beau- 
ty. Its  length  is  300  miles.  The  canal  of  Languedoc  connects  it 
with  the  Aude. 

The  Seine,  Se^-Kcwn,  is  of  about  equal  length  with  the -Gaiionne. , 
Rising  near  Saint  Seine,  it  runs  in  a  N.  W.  direction  to  the  Eng- 
lish channel,   and  is  the  most  beautiful  stream  in  France.     Its 
chief  tributary,  the  Marne,  Matrona,  joins  it  at  Charenton.       ^     . 

The  Moselle,  the  Meuse,  and  the  Schcld,  have  been  desifibed. 
The  Somme,  Samera,  runs  by  Amiens  and  Abbeville  to  the  Eng- 
lish channel.    The  Adour  empties  below  Bayonne.    The  Var  falls 
into  the  Mediterranean  about  4  miles  west- of  Nice.     It  was  for-  - 
merly  a  boundary  of  France. 

Lakes.^  A  few  small  lakes  occur  in  Provence,  and  perhaps  m 
some  of  the  other  provinces,  but  only  adapted  to  the  minute  de- 
scription of  the  topographer,  France  and  Spain  being  sirrg-ularly 
deficient  in  this  pleasing  feature  of  landscape.  ..         . 

Mountains.']  Before  proceeding  to  the  grand  chain  of  moun- 
tains in  the  S.  of  France,  it  maybe  proper  briefly  to  mention  a  few 
mountainous  tracts  in  the  north.  Those  of  Brittany  arc  granitic, 
but  of  small  elevation.  They  divide  into  branches  towards  Brest 
and  Alen^on.  The  Vosges,  in  the  department  of  that  name,  in 
the  S.  of  ancient  Lorrain,  are  supposed  to  be  connected  with  the 
mountains  of  Swisserland.* 

Mont  Jura,  a  vanguard  of  the  Alps,  forms  a  boundary  between 
France  and  Swisserland.  If  Mont  Blanc  be  admitted  among  the 
French  mountains,  the  other  Alps  cannot  rival  its  supreme  ele- 
vation. The  ancient  province  of  Dauphine  displays  several  Al- 
pine branches,  wWch  also  extend  through  great  part  of  Provence* 

The  grand  chain  of  the  Cevennes  seems  to  run  from  N.  to  S. 
and  to  send  out  branches  towards  the  E,  and  W.  In  the  modern 
departments  of  the  upper  Loire  and  Cantal,  are  appearances 
which,  in  the  opinion  of  eminent  naturalists,  indicate  ancient  vol- 
canoes ;  but  as  these  supposed  appearances  consist  chiefly  of 
basaltic  columns,  and  elevations,  the  subject  remains  dubious. 
The  northern  part  of  the  chain  is  styled  the  Puy  de  Dome,  while 
the  southern  is  called  that  of  Cantal.f  The  Monts  D'Or  form 
the  centre,  and  are  the  highest  mountains  in  France.  The  chief 
elevation  is  that  of  the  Puy  de  Sansi,  which  rises  about  6;300  feet 


*  I.arneth.  Theo.  de  la  Terre,  iv.  SSi, 
t  Voy.  dans  les  depart.  Cautal,  p.  5. 


FRANCE.  279 

febove  the  level  of  tlj^e  sea,  tyhile  the  Puy  cle  Dome  is  about  5000, 
and  the  Plomb  du  Cantal,  the  highest  of  that  part,  is  about  6,200 
feet.  Near  the  Puy  dc  Sansi  is  the  gigantic  mountain  I'Ango, 
and  Ecorchadc  a  shattered  and  wrecked  elevation.  The  Plomb 
du  Cantai  is  also  rxcompanied  by  bold  rivals,  as  the  Puy  de  Griou, 
le  Col-dc  Cabre,  le  Puy  Mari,  and  l:lie  Violent.  This  enormous 
assemblage  of  rocks  covers  an  extent  of  about  120  miles,  and  ac- 
cording to  the  French  authors  is  chiefly  basaltic.  The  Puy  de 
Sansi  is  capped  Avith  ahiiost  perpetual  snow,  foUov/ed  in  xhe  de- 
scent by  naked  rocks  and  ancient  pines  :  from  its  side  issues  from 
two  sources,  the  river  Dordogne,  and  many  picturesque  cascades 
devolve  amidst  basaltic  columns.*  On  the  23d  of  June,  1727, 
Pradines,  a  Village  on  the  slope  of  one  of  these  mountains,  was  to- 
tally overwhelmed,  the  whole  mountain  with  its  basaltic  columns 
rolling  into  the  valley.  The  inhabitaots  were  fortunately  engaged 
in  the  celebration  of  midsummer  eve,  around  a  bonfire  at  some 
distance.!  These  mountains  are  in  winter  exposed  to  dreadful 
snowy  hurricanes,  caUed  acirs,  which  in  a  few  hours  obliterate  the 
ravines,  and  even  the  precipices,  and  descending  to  the  paths  and 
streets,  confine  the  inhabitants  to  their  dwellings  till  a  communi- 
cation can  be  opened  with  their  neighbours,  sometimes  in  the  form 
of  anarch  under  the  vast  mass  of  snow.  Wretched  the  traveller 
vv^ho  is  thus  overtaken.  His  path  disappears,  the  precipice  cannot 
be  distinguished  from  the  level  ;  if  he  stand  he  is  chilled,  and 
buried  if  he  proceed  ;  his  eye-sight  fails  amidst  the  snowy  dark- 
•  ness  ;  his  'respiration  is  impeded  ;  his  head  becomes  giddy,  he 
'  falls  and  perishes.  In  summer,  thunder  storms  are  frequent  and 
terrible,  and  accompanied  with  torrents  of  large  haij,  which  de- 
stroy the  fruits  and  flocks,  which  for  six  months  pasture  on  the 
mountains,  guarded  by  shepherds,  who  have  temporary  cabins  of 
tui'f-and  reed,  styled  burona. 

The  Pyrenees  remain  to  be  descril)cd.  This  vast  chain,  known 
and  celebrated  since  the  days  of  Herodotus,  may  be  considered 
with  equal  justice  as  belonging  either  to  France  or  to  Spain  ;  but 
as  the  most  productive  and  interesting  parts  are  on  the  side  of 
France,  and  lier  literati  have  exerted  themselves  in  the  descrip- 
tion, while  those  of  Spain  have  been  silent,  it  seems  at  least  equal- 
ly proper  to  introduce  the  delineation  here,  which  shall  be  chiefly 
derived  from  the  recent  accounts  of  Raymond  and  Lapeyrousc^ 
To  the  surprise  of  naturalists,  the  Pyrenees  have  been  found  to 
present  calcareous  appearances,  and  even  shells  and  skeletons  ol" 
animals,  near  or  upon  their  highest  summits,  which  are  in  the  cen- 
tre of  the  chain.  Mont  Perdu  is  considered  as  the  highest  eleva- 
tion of  the  Pyrenees,  ascending  above  the  sea  1751  French  toiscs, 
or  about  11 ,000  feet  English.     Othernoted  heights  arc   Marbore, 

*  Voy.dans  les'tepart.   CanUl,  p.  13. 

t  Voy.  iL^nslesilepai-t.  Cant. tl,  p. '24.  One  vast  block  of  stone,  90  feet  long  and 
2G  Uiick,  being  loo  Ltavy  to  roll,  sunk  vertically,  an<l  the  shock  seemed  an  eariIiiiuaV.« 
•veil  at  the  (iislimce  of  a  league.  Anolhu-  ii.ouutaiu  us  3W<1  lo  hnve  leceuUy  su'ili  *^* 
disappeared  in  Uie  S.  of  I'lance. 

4  JouruMl  des  Mines,  No.  37,  p.  35. 


28p  FRANCE. ; 

the  pic  de  Midi,  the  Niege  Veille,  8cc.  Tlie  Pyren'ean  chain  af>- 
pcars  at  a,  distance  like  a  shaggy  ridge,  pi'cscriting  the  segment  of 
a  circle  ftonting  France,  and  descending  at  each  extremity  till  it 
disappear  in  the  ocean  and  Mediterranean.*  Thus  at  St.  Jean  de 
Luz  only  high  hills  appear,  and  in  like  manner  on  the  east,  beyond 
the  summit  Canigou,  the  elevations  gradually  diminish.  The 
highest  summits  are  crowned  with  perpetual  snow.  Blocks  of 
granite  are  interspersed  with  vertical  bands,  argillaceous  and  cal- 
careous, the  latter  primitive  or  secondary,  and  supplying  the  mar- 
bles of  Campan  and  Antin,  of  beautiful  red  spotted  with  white, 
though  the  general  mountain  mass  be  grey.  To  the  S.  and  W. 
the  Pyrenees  present  nothing  but  dreadful  sterility,  but  on  the  N. 
and  E.  the  descent  is  more  gradual,  and  affords  frequent  woods 
and  pastures.  Besides  the  dreadful  fall  of  rocks,  undermined  by 
the  waters,  they  are  exposed  to  Lavanges,  or  the  impetuous  de- 
scent of  vast  masses  of  snow,  called  Avalanches  in  Swisserland, 
and  have  their  glaciers  and  other  terrific  features  of  the  Alps. 

According  to  Raymondf  the  very  summit  of  mount  Perdil 
abounds  with  marine  spoils.  This  mountain  is  of  very  difficult 
access,  as  the  calcareous  rock  often  assumes  the  form  of  perpen- 
dicular walls,  from  100  to  600  feet  in  height  ;  and  the  snows,  ice, 
and  glaciers,  increase  the  difficulty.  Near  the  summit  is  a  con- 
siderable lake,  more  than  9000  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea, 
which  throws  its  waters  to  the  east  into  the  Spanish  valley  of  Be- 
oussa.  Mr.  Townsend:}:  observes,  that  the  limestone  and  schistus 
feed  the  vegetation  on  the  N.  of  the  Pyrenees,  while  the  south  is 
baiTcn  and  consists  of  granite  ;  though  mountains  are  generally 
barren  and  precipitous  on  the  S.  and  W.  because  the  most  violent 
rains  and  tempests  come  from  those  regions. 

I'^orests.^  The  forests  of  France  are  numerous  and  extensive  ; 
and  as  wood  is  the  general  fuel,  attention  to  their  growth  becomes 
indispensable.  Two  of  the  most  remarkable  are  those  of  Orleans 
and  Ardennes,  the  former  for  extent  and  the  numerous  troops 
of  banditti  who  used  to  infest  its  precincts  ;  the  latter  for  ancient 
fame  and  events  of  chivalry.  The  forest  ot  Ardennes  extended 
from  Rheims  to  Tournay,  and  en  the  N.  E.  to  Sedan  in  the  pres- 
ent department  of  the  Ardennes.  To  these  names  might  be  added 
the  forest  of  Fontainbleau,  and  many  others,  which  it  would  be 
superfluous  to  enumerate. 

Botany.']  The  country  which  produces  in  full  and  equal  per- 
fection wheat  and  apples,  maize  and  grapes,  oranges  and  olives, 
the  oak  and  the  myrtle,  must  doubtless  exceed  all  other  European 
countries  of  equal  extent  in  the  variety  and  richness  of  its  vegeta- 
ble treasures. 

Of  the  compound  flowers  the  lavender  cotton,  and  common 
southern  wood,  are  plentiful  on  the  rocks  of  Dauphine  and  Pro- 
vence ;  the  alpine  Cacalia  abounds  on  the  mountainous  frontiers  of 
Savoy  and  Piedmont,  and  a  few  esculent  vegetables  grow  wild  in 

*  Voy.  dans  les  Dep.  No.  C",  p.  4. 

f  Jgurn.  desMia.  No.  46,  p.  757.  A  Spain,  i.  89. 


FRANCE.  281 

Languedoc  and  Provence,  as  the  artichoke,  the  salsafy,  and  scor- 
zonera. 

The  cucumber,  the  melon,  the  gourd,  and  other  kindred  gene- 
ra, though  cultivated  largely  and  with  great  ease  in  the  South,  are 
yet  natives  of  hotter  climates  ;  only  one  of  this  family,  the  Mo- 
mordica  elaterium,  squirting  cucumber^  properly  belongs  to  France  ; 
it  occurs  in  a  truly  wild  state,  on  low  loose  I'ocks,  in  Provence  and 
Languedoc. 

Of  the  bulbiferous  plants,  the  large  branched  Asphodel,  a  flow- 
er of  great  beauty,  is  by  no  means  uncommon  in  Provence.  The 
tawny  day-lily,  clustered  hyacinth  and  spiked  star  of  Bethlehem 
all  are  found  in  the  Mediterranean  provinces  of  France,  as  are 
also  the  orange,  pompadore,  and  martagon  lilies  ;  the  white  helle- 
bore, Narcissus  and  Jonquil.  The  shore  of  Hieres  is  adorned  by 
the  sea  daffodil,  growing  luxuriantly  on  the  very  beach  :  and  on 
the  lower  cliffs  of  the  Nicene  and  Genoese  Alps,  the  gigantic 
Agave,  America7i  aloe^  now  naturalized  to  the  soil  and  climate, 
raises  its  stem  to  the  height  of  20  or  30  feet,  and  looks  down  on 
every  herbaceous  plant  of  European  origin. 

Of  the  papilionaceous  plants  that  are  natives  of  this  country, 
several  deserve  notice  for  their  use  or  ornament.  Lathyrus  tube- 
rosus,  a  vegetable  of  the  pea  kind,  grows  wild  in  Alsace,  and  is 
cultivated  in  many  parts  of  France  for  its  large  esculent  roots  ; 
the*great  lupin,  varying  with  blue,  white,  or  flesh  coloured  blos- 
soms ;  and  chick  pea,  are  met  with  in  the  southern  provinces 
growing  spontaneously,  but  are  more  frequently  cultivated  in 
large  fields  as  food  both  for  cattle  and  man. 

The  broad  leaved  myrtle,  grows  with  great  luxuriance  along 
the  whole  of  the  Mediterranean  coast  ;  the  Caper-bush,  tlie  lau- 
rel leaved  and  MontpcUier  cistus,  three  low  shrubs  of  exquisite 
beauty,  hang  from  the  summits,  or  cluster  round  the  sides  of  the 
low  rocks  about  Toulon  and  Montpellier.  In  the  same  vicinity 
also  are  found  the  Provence  rose,  the  pyracantha,  and  the  pome- 
granate tree. 

Zoology. ^^  The  horses  of  France  do  not  appear  to  have  been 
celebrated  at  any  period  ;  and  it  is  well  known  that  the  ancient 
monarchs  were  drawn  to  the  national  assemblies  by  oxen.  Many 
English  horses  are  in  times  of  peace  imported  for  the  coach  and 
saddle.  The  best  native  horses  are,  for  draught,  those  of  Nor- 
mandy :  for  the  saddle,  those  of  the  Limo^in,  which  have  been 
recently  improved  by  crossing  the  breed  witii  the  Arabian,  Turk- 
ish, and  English.*  But  the  greater  numuer  of  horses  in  France 
consists  of  Bidets,  small  animals  of  little  shew,  but  great  utility. 
The  cattle  of  Limoges,  and  some  other  provinces,  are  of  a  beauti- 
ful cream  colour.  The  sheep  are  ill  managed,  having  in  winter 
only  straw,  instead  of  green  food  as  inEngland.f  The  consequen- 
ces are  poor  fleeces,  and  rarity  of  sheep,  so  tliat  the  poor  are 
forced  to  cat  bread  only,  and  large  quantities  of  wool  are  import- 
ed.    Of  ferocious  animals  the  most  remarkable  are  the  wild  boar 

•  Young'*  France,  ii.  55.  f  Ibid.  i.  *30. 

VOL.  II.  .  ,  36 


282  FRANCE. 

and  the  wolf ;  the  ibex  and  chamois  arc  found  on  the  Pyrenees 
and  the  Alps. 

Mineralogy. ~\  Gold  mines  anciently  existed  in  the  9.  of  France, 
and  some  of  the  rivulets  still  roll  down  particles  of  that  metal. 
The  ancient  Gallic  coins  are  however  of  a  base  gold  mingled  with 
silver,  being  the  metal  styled  by  the  ancients  electrum.  There 
are  silver  mines  at  St.  Marie-aux-Mines  in  Alsace,  and  at  Giro- 
magny  in  the  department  of  the  Upper  Rhine.  The  same  dis- 
trict contains  mines  of  copper,  a  metal  not  unfrequent  in  the  de- 
partments of  the  Alps,  and  those  of  the  Loire,  the  Lozere,  and 
the  Ardeche.  The  duchy  of  Deux  Fonts,  a  valuable  acquisition 
of  France  on  the  west  of  the  Rhine,  is  celebrated  for  mines  of 
quicksilver.  The  mountains  which  contain  this  metal  embrace  a 
district  oi  ten  or  twelve  leagues  in  length,  S.  to  N.  from  Wolfstein 
to  Cruznach,  and  seven  or  eight  leagties  in  breadth,  being  of  a 
reddish  brown  or  grey  sand-stone.  In  this  territory  among  nu- 
merous mines  of  quicksilver,  are  those  of  Stahlberg,  and  Don- 
nersberg,  which  have  been  explored  for  many  centuries.  The 
adjacent  part  of  the  Palatinate  also  contains  similar  mines,  partic- 
ularly in  the  mountain  of  Potsberg,  and  at  Wolfstein.  The  an- 
nual product  of  these  mines  may  be  estimated  at  67,200  pounds  of 
mercury.*  Two  thirds  of  the  lead  of  France  are  from  Bretagne, 
particularly  the  mines  of  Poullaouen  and  Huelgoet  ;  mines  of 
lead  also  occur  in  the  maritime  Alps,  and  In  the  mountaiift  of 
Vosges,  in  tlie  departments  of  Lozere,  Ardeche,  8cc.  8cc.  Anti- 
mony occurs  in  the  Ardecl>e,  in  the  depai'tment  of  the  Allier,  at 
Allemont  in  former  Dauphine,  and  in  that  of  Mont  Blanc.  There 
are  noted  mines  of  calamine  near  Aix  la  Chapelle.  Manganese 
occurs  in  the  department  of  the  Loire,  and  in  that  of  the  Vosges ; 
and  at  Romaneche,  in  the  department  of  the  Saone,  and  Loire  ;  it 
is  also  found  near  Perigou,  whence  it  vised  to  be  called  pierre  de 
Perigord  :  Cobalt  is  another  product  of  Alsace.  The  new  acqui- 
sitions in  Savoy  present  some  mercury  ;  and  there  is  a  mine  at 
Menildot. 

Iron,  the  most  important  and  universal  of  metals,  is  found  in 
abundance,  particularly  in  some  of  the  northern  departments.  In 
1798  it  was  computed  that  there  were  2000  furnaces,  forges,  Sec. 
for  the  working  of  iron  and  steel.f 

The  coal  mines  of  France  were  at  the  same  time  estimated  at 
400,  constantly  wrought ;  and  200  more  capable  of  being  wrought. 
Of  these  coal  mines  m,any  occur  in  the  provinces  which  formerly 
belonged  to  Flanders,  aud  in  the  departments  of  Boulogne,  and 
La  Manche.  Coal  is  also  not  unfrequent  in  the  centre  and  south 
of  France.  Nearly  allied  to  coal  is  jet,  an  article  formerly  of 
great  consumption,  chiefly  in  Spain,  where  it  was  made  into  ro- 
saries, crosses,  buttons,  for  black  dresses,  &c.:j:  France  was  from 
time  immemorial  in  possession  of  this  branch,  which  was  center- 

*  Journ.  des  Mines  xi.  43.  \  Ibid.  Ann.  vii.  p.  171. 

\  Ibid.  Aim.  iii.  No.  4,  p.  41. 


FRANCE.  383 

«d  in  three  villages  in  the  department  of  the  Audc,  in  the  S.  W. 
of  ancient  Languedoc. 

Besides  excellent  freestone,  the  environs  of  Paris  contain  abun- 
dance of  gypsum.  Alum  is  found  in  considerable  quantities  at 
Aveyron.     The  Pyrenees  in  particular  supply  beautiful  marbles. 

Mineral  fVaters.l^  The  chief  mineral  waters  of  France  arc 
those  of  Barrege,  Bagneres,  Vichi,  and  Plombieres.  The  warm 
baths  of  Barrege,  in  particular,  at  the  foot  of  the  Pyrenees,  have 
been  long  celebrated,  and  there  the  Queen  of  Navarre  lays  the 
scene  of  her  tales.  The  baths  of  Bagneres  are  in  the  same  neigh- 
bourhood. 

J^atural  Curiosities.^  Among  the  natural  curiosities  of  France, 
the  most  worthy  of  notice  is  the  plain  of  La  Crau,  which  lies  in 
Provence,  not  far  from  the  mouth  of  the  Rhone.  This  is  the  most 
singular  stony  desert  that  is  to  be  found  in  France,  or  perhaps  in 
Europe.*  The  diameter  is  about  five  leagues,  and  the  contents 
from  20  to  25  square  leagues,  or  about  150,000  English  acres.  It 
is  entirely  composed  of  shingle,  or  round  gravel,  some  of  the 
stones  as  large  as  the  head  of  a  man,  and.  the  shingle  of  the  sea 
shore  is  not  more  barren  of  soil.  Beneath  is  a  small  mixture  of 
loam  with  fragments  of  stone.  In  the  winter  there  are  scattered 
piles  of  grass,  which,  from  the  vast  extent  of  the  space,  pasture  a 
considerable  multitude  of  sheep.  In  general  however  France,  be- 
ing mostly  a  plain  country,  does  not  present  much  singularity  of 
feature  ;  and  the  scenes  of  the  Cevennes  and  Pyrenees  have  been 
little  exploied  by  travellers. 

FRENCH  ISLANDS. 

Corsica,  called  by  the  Greeks  Calliste,  and  afterwards  Cyrnusy 
is  110  miles  from  the  coast  of  Genoa,  55  from  that  of  Etruria,  and 
11  from,  that  of  Sardinia.  It  lies  between  41  11  and  42  54  N. ; 
and  between  8  and  10  E. ;  having  the  gulf  of  Genoa,  N. ;  the  Tus- 
can sea,  E. ;  the  straits  of  Bonifacio,  S. ;  and  the  Mediterranean, 
W.  Its  length,  from  cape  Corso  to  the  straits,  is  106  miles  ;  its 
breadth  varies  from  50  to  40 ;  and  it  contains  according  to  Hassel 
3,977  square  miles.  The  first  inhabitants  were  the  Pheceans, 
from  Ionia.  The  Carthaginians  took  it  from  them  in  the  reign  of 
Cyrus,  B.  C.  542  ;  and  retained  it  till  B.  C.  231,  when  it  was  cap- 
tured by  the  Romans.  The  Goths  subjugated  it  A.  D.  553.  The 
Saracens  drove  out  the  Goths,  and  they  were  succeeded  by  the 
Franks  under  Charles  Martel,  about  725.  The  island  was  soon 
ceded  to  the  popes  ;  and  the  Genoese,  after  many  unsuccessful  ef- 
forts, at  length  subdued  it,  in  the  beginning  of  the  14th  century. 
Their  dominion  was  oppressive  and  insecure.  The  Corsicans 
often  revolted  ;  and,  at  length,  in  1736,  elected  Theodore,  one  of 
the  noble  family  of  Neuhoff,  in  Westphalia,  their  king.  He  failed, 
however,  of  success,  and  died  a  beggar  in  London.  General 
Paoli  was  chosen  chief  of  the  island,  in  1755.     His  measures  wcvQ 

•  Voupg,  i.  379. 


GERMANY. 

CHAPTER  I. 
raSTORICAL  GEOGRAPHY. 

NAMES,  EXTENT,  BOUNDARIES,  ORIGINAL  POPULATION,  ANCIENT 
DIVISIONS,  PROGRESSIVE  GEOGRAPHY,  HISTORICAL  GEOGRAPHY, 
ANTIQUITIES,  RELIGION,  LITERATURE  AND  UNIVERSITIES,  GOV- 
ERNMENT, POPULATION,  REVENUES,  POLITICAL  IMPORTANCE 
AND  RELATIONS,  FACE  OF  THE  COUNTRY,  RIVERS,  MOUNTAINS, 
FORESTS,  BOTANY,  ZOOLOGY. 

THE  geography  of  Germany  has  always  been  the  most 
difficult  of  any  country  in  Europe.  It  is  subdivided  into  so  many 
states,  and  these  again  into  so  many  petty  districts,  each  an  inde-* 
pendent  principality,  governed  by  its  own  laws  and  regulating  its 
own  police,  that  the  geographer  has  found  it  impossible  to  be  C9n- 
cise,  without  being  defective  ;  minute  without  being  tedious  ;  or 
either,  without  being  obscure.  The  late  changes  have  not  relieved 
him  from  these  difficulties. 

JVamesJ]  The  most  ancient  name  of  this  country  is  said  to  have 
been  Teutschland^  from  the  Teutones  or  their  god  Tenth.  The 
common  people  still  call  themselves  Teutschers.*  The  Roman 
name  was  German'ta.  The  French  call  the  country  Alemegna  from 
the  ancient  Alemanni.  The  word  German  or  Garman  is  said  to 
be  Celtic,  and  to  signify  a  ivarlikc  man.* 

Extent.']  Germany  anciently  reached  from  the  Rhine  to  beyond 
the  Vistula,  and  from  the  Baltic  to  the  Danube.  Its  modern 
breadth,  from  the  Rhine  to  the  eastern  confines  of  Silesia,  is  500 
miles  ;  and  its  length,  from  the  Isle  of  Rugen  to  the  southei'n 
limits  of  Austria,  is  600.  The  country  south  of  the  Danube,  in  the 
cii;ple  of  Austria,  is  the  ancient  JSToricum  ;  west  of  which  lay  Rhcr 
tia  and  Vindelicia. 

Boundaries.]  On  the  N.  are  Denmark,  and  the  Baltic  ;  on  the 
E.  Prussia,  Poland,  Hungary,  Sclavonia,  and  Croatia  ;  on  the  S. 
Italy  and  Switzerland  ;  and  on  the  W.  France,  the  Netherlands, 
Holland,  and  the  German  ocean. 

Original  Population.]  The  G:elts,  the  earliest  occupants  of  Eu- 
rope, appear  to  have  settled  principally  in  its  southern  regions. 
The  Cimbri,  one  of  the  Celtic  nations,  appear,  however,  to  have 
penetrated  farther  north.  They  occupied  a  large  portion  of  the 
N.  W.  of  Germany,  and  from  them  Jutland  was  called  by  the  Ro- 
mans Cimbrica  Chersonesus.  They  were  early  the  terror  of  Rome  ; 
but  in  the  time  of  Tacitus  an  inconsiderable  people.  The  Finns, 
who  followed  them,  went  rather  to  the  E.  and  the  N  ;  and  appear 
never  to  have  interfered  with  the  Celtic  tribes.  Several  of  the 
Finnish  nations  in  the  time  of  Tacitus,  p?irticularly  the  Estyi  or 

•  Adam's  Ant.  Geog.  p.  555. 


GERMANY. 


287 


£«?Aes,  occupied  the  N.  E.  parts  of  Germany  ;  and  the  Hnns^  the 
only  one  of  them  that  ever  acquired  extensive  power,  have  long 
been  settled  on  its  eastern  frontier.  Both  the  Celts  and  the  Finns 
however  are  obliged  to  yield  to  the  invasion  of  the  Goths  or  Scy- 
thians who  migrated  Avestward  from  their  original  seats  on  the 
Euxine,  and  had  planted  colonies  in  Germany,  Britain,  Gaul,  and 
Spain  long  before  the  Roman  interference  in  the  affairs  of  those 
countries. 

Ancient  Divisions.']  The  tribes  on  the  Rhine  in  the  time  of 
Tacitus  were  the  Calti  on  the  northwestern  skirts  of  the  Hercy- 
nian  forest ;  the  Usippii  and  Teuctcri  lower  down  on  the  river,  and 
the  Bructeri  near  its  mouth.  North  of  its  mouth  lay  the  Frisii,  in 
■what  is  noAV  Frieseland ;  the  Chauci,  an  extensive  tribe  directly 
north,  and  also  on  the  Baltic  ;  and  east  of  these  last  the  Cherusci 
and  the  Fossii.  The  Cimbri  were  in  what  is  now  Holstein,  and 
probably  also  on  the  southern  bank  of  the  Elbe. 

The  Generic  name  of  Suevi  was  given  to  tlie  tribes  lying  be- 
tween the  Elbe  and  the  Vistula.  Their  names  were  the  Snnnoncs^ 
the  Longobardi,  the  ReudigTii,  the  Aviones,  the  Angli,  who  after- 
wards gave  name  to  England,  the  Varini^  the  Endoses,  the  Suar^ 
doses  and  the  JVuithones. 

The  Estyi  were  on  the  S.  E.  of  the  Baltic.  The  Peucini  and 
Bastamte  lay  east  of  the  Vistula,  but  were  ranked  among  the  Ger- 
man tribes.  The  states  of  the  Germans,  on  the  banks  of  the  Dan- 
ube, were  the  Hermundurii^  the  J^arisci^  the  Marcomenori,  and  the 
Quadi.* 

On  the  decline  of  the  Roman  empire  Germany  was  formed  of  7 
principal  nations,  the  Franks,  Swabiajis,  Alemans,  Frisians,  Sax- 
ons, Thuringians,  and  Bavarians. 

The  emperor  Maximilian  grandfather,  and  predecessor  of 
Charles  V.  divided  Germany  inxo  10  circles. 

"l.  Pomerania 

2.  Electorate  of  Brandenburg 

3.  Elecioi'ate  of  Saxony 

4.  Thuringia 
"1.  Holstein  (duchy  of) 

2.  Lawenburg  (duchy  of) 

3.  Brunswick  (duchy  of) 

4.  Electorate  of  Hanover 

5.  Luneburg 

6.  Bremen 

7.  Mecklenberg  (duchies  of) 

8.  Hildeshein  (bishopric  of) 

9.  Magdeburg  and  Halberstadt  (duch- 
ies of) 

5  Divided   into    very  many    petty  sovc- 
^      reignties 

K  Its  petty  sovereigns  were  styled  Land- 
(     gravesy  Counts  and  Dukca 


I.  Upper  Saxony. 


11.  Lower  Saxony.  < 


III.  Westphalia. 

IV.  Upper  Rhine. 


•   Adam's  Ant.  Ge<%. 


GERMANY. 

CHAPTER  I. 
HISTORICAL  GEOGRAPHY. 

KAMES,  EXTENT,  BOUNDARIES,  ORIGINAL  POPULATION,  ANCIENT 
DIVISIONS,  PROGRESSIVE  GEOGRAPHY,  HISTORICAL  GEOGRAPHY, 
ANTIQUITIES,  RELIGION,  LITERATURE  AND  UNIVERSITIES,  GOV- 
ERNMENT, POPULATION,  REVENUES,  POLITICAL  IMPORTANCE 
AND  RELATIONS,  FACE  OF  THE  COUNTRY,  RIVERS,  MOUNTAINS, 
FORESTS,  BOTANY,  ZOOLOGY. 

THE  geography  of  Germany  has  always  been  the  most 
difficult  of  any  country  in  Europe.  It  is  subdivided  into  so  many 
states,  and  these  again  into  so  many  petty  districts,  each  an  inde.* 
pendent  principality,  governed  by  its  own  laws  and  regulating  its 
own  police,  that  the  geographer  has  found  it  impossible  to  be  con- 
cise, without  being  defective  ;  minute  without  being  tedious  ;  or 
either,  without  being  obscure.  The  late  changes  have  not  relieved 
him  from  these  difficulties. 

J\''ames.~\  The  most  ancient  name  of  this  country  is  said  to  have 
been  Teutschlandf  from  the  Teutones  or  their  god  Tenth.  The 
common  people  still  call  themselves  Teutschers.*  The  Roman 
name  was  Germania.  The  French  call  the  country  Alemegna  from 
the  ancient  Alemanni.  The  word  German  or  Garinan  is  said  to 
be  Celtic,  and  to  signify  a  warlike  man.* 

Extent. ~\  Germany  anciently  reached  from  the  Rhine  to  beyond 
the  Vistula,  and  from  the  Baltic  to  the  Danube.  Its  modern 
breadth,  from  the  Rhine  to  the  eastern  confines  of  Silesia,  is  500 
miles  ;  and  its  length,  from  the  Isle  of  Rugen  to  the  southern 
limits  of  Austria,  is  600.  The  country  south  of  the  Danube,  in  the 
ciijple  of  Austria,  is  the  ancient  Noricum  ;  west  of  which  lay  Rhcf 
tia  and  Vindelicia. 

Bou7idaries.~\  On  the  N.  are  Denmark,  and  the  Baltic  ;  on  the 
E.  Prussia,  Poland,  Hungary,  Sclavonia,  and  Croatia  ;  on  the  S. 
Italy  and  Switzerland  ;  and  on  the  W.  France,  the  Netherlands, 
Holland,  and  the  German  ocean. 

Original  Pofitilation.']  The  Gielts,  the  earliest  occupants  of  Eu- 
rope, appear  to  have  settled  principally  in  its  southern  regions. 
The  Cimbri,  one  of  the  Celtic  nations,  appear,  however,  to  have 
penetrated  farther  north.  They  occupied  a  large  portion  of  the 
N.  W.  of  Germany,  and  from  them  Jutland  was  called  by  the  Ro- 
mans Cimbrica  Chersonesus.  They  were  early  the  terror  of  Rome  ; 
but  in  the  time  of  Tacitus  an  inconsiderable  people.  The  Finns  j 
who  followed  them,  went  rather  to  the  E.  and  the  N  ;  and  appear 
never  to  have  interfered  with  the  Celtic  tribes.  Several  of  the 
Finnish  nations  in  the  time  of  Tacitus,  particularly  the  Estiji  or 

•  Adam's  Ant.  Geog.  p.  555. 


GERMANY.  287 

£sthes,  occupied  the  N.  E.  parts  of  Germany  ;  and  the  Huns,  the 
only  one  of  them  that  ever  acquired  extensive  power,  have  long 
been  settled  on  its  eastern  frontier.  Both  the  Celts  and  the  Finns 
hovtrever  are  obliged  to  yield  to  the  invasion  of  the  Goths  or  Scy- 
thians who  migrated  westward  from  their  original  seats  on  the 
Euxine,  and  had  planted  colonies  in  Germany,  Britain,  Gaul,  and 
Spain  long  before  the  Roman  interference  in  the  affairs  of  those 
countries. 

Ancient  Bivision8.'\  The  tribes  on  the  Rhine  in  the  time  of 
Tacitus  were  the  Calti  on  the  northwestern  skirts  of  the  Hercy- 
nian  forest ;  the  Usijipii  and  Teuctcri  lower  down  on  the  river,  and 
the  Bructeri  near  its  mouth.  North  of  its  mouth  lay  the  Frim,  in 
what  is  now  Frieseland ;  the  C/iaucif  an  extensive  tribe  directly 
north,  and  also  on  the  Baltic  ;  and  east  of  these  last  the  Cherusci 
and  the  Fossii.  The  Cirnbri  were  in  what  is  now  Holstein,  and 
pi'obably  also  on  the  southern  bank  of  the  Elbe. 

The  Generic  name  of  Suevi  was  given  to  tlie  tribes  lying  be- 
tween the  Elbe  and  the  Vistula.  Their  names  were  the  Scmnonesy 
the  Longobardi,  the  Jieudiffni,  the  Avionesj  the  Angli,  who  after- 
wards gave  name  to  England,  the  Farini,  the  Endoses,  the  Suar^ 
doses  and  the  JVuithones. 

The  Estyi  were  on  the  S.  E.  of  the  Baltic.  The  Peucini  and 
Bastama  lay  east  of  the  Vistula,  but  were  ranked  among  the  Ger- 
man tribes.  The  states  of  the  Germans,  on  the  banks  of  the  Dan- 
ube, were  the  Hermundurii,  the  JVcmci,  the  J\Iarconienori,  and  the 
Qtiadi.* 

On  the  decline  of  the  Roman  empire  Germany  was  formed  of  7 
principal  nations,  the  Franks,  Swabians,  Alemans,  Frisians,  Sax- 
ons, Thuringians,  and  Bavarians. 

The  emperor  Maximilian  grandfather,  and  predecessor  of 
Charles  V.  divided  Germany  in'o  10  circles. 

f  1.  Pom  crania 

I.  Upper  Saxony.       <^  ?'  f^^'Z^t  of  Brandenburg 

I  3.  Electorate  ot  Saxony 
1^4.  Thuringia 
"1.  Holstein  (duchy  of) 

2.  Lawenburg  (duchy  of) 

3.  Brunswick  (duchy  of) 

4.  Electorate  of  Hanover 

II.  Lower  Saxony.     \  '•  Luneburg 
16.  Bremen 

7.  Mecklenberg  (duchies  of) 

8.  Hildeshein  (bishopric  of) 

9.  Magdeburg  and  Halberstadt  (duch- 
ies of) 

III.  Westphalia.          (Divided   into    very  many    petty  sovc- 

l      reignties 

IV.  Upper  Rhine.        J^'^  P^"^  sovereigns  were  styled  Land- 

C     fffovesf  Counts  and  Duke* 

•   Adan/s  Ant.  Ge<^. 


3M 


GERMANY. 


fPalatine 
V.  Lower  Rhike,  or  J  Cologne 
the  Electoral  Circle,    j  Mentz 
(^Triers 


>  Electorates  of 


VI.  Franconia. 


VII.  Austria. 


VIII.  Bavaria. 

IX.  SWABIA. 


Subject  to  Princes,  Margraves-,  Bish- 
ops, &c. 
''Austria  (archduchy  of) 

Stiria 

Carinthia 

Carmiola 

Goritia 

Tyrol 

Brixin 
^  Trent 


X.  Burgundy. 


Which  comprehended  Holland,  the 
Netherlands,  and  French  Burgundy 

Bohemia,  Moravia,  Lusatia,  and  Silesia  are  not  comprized  in 
the  10  circles  except  Burgundy,  which  was  early  dismembered. 
These  circles  remained  with  a  few  variations  as  tJiey  were  origi- 
nally formed,  till  the  late  dissolution  of  the  Germanic  empire. 
Since  that  event  Germany  has  been  formed  into  many  states  stiled 
independent ;  and  actually  so  of  each  other.  They  are  all  mem- 
bei^s  of  what  is  called  The  Confederation  of  the  Rhine,  and 
Avhen  the  principles  of  that  confederation  are  infringed  are  obliged 
to  furnish,  each  their  respective  contingent  of  men  and  money  to 
support  them. 

Prog^ressive  Geografihy.~\  The  progressive  geography  of  Ger- 
many, though  an  interesting  topic*  has  never  been  ably  illustrated. 
It  appears  that  the  central  parts  oi  Germany  were  little  known  to 
the  ancients.  The  southern  and  western  districts,  as  bordering 
on  the  Roman  empire,  had  been  partially  explored.  Roman  ships 
had  navigated  tlie  Baltic,  and  the  Roman  arms  had  penetrated 
nearly  in  a  direction  due  east,  to  the  nearest  circuit  of  the  Elbe 
near  Magdeburg,  in  which  quarter  the  trophies  of  Drusus  w^ere 
erected.  On  the  south,  the  Sudetic  mountains  seem  to  bound 
the  knowledge  of  the  ancients  ;  while  through  the  centre  of  Ger- 
many, from  the  Rhine  to  the  Vistula,  extended  the  vast  Hercinian 
forest. 

The  interior  of  this  country  remained  unexplored  till  the  age 
of  Charlemagne,  and  the  northern  parts  for  some  centuries  after 
that  period. 

Historical  Efiochs.~\  1.  The  state  of  savage  independence,  be- 
fore Germany  was  known  to  the  Romans.  2.  The  subjugatioii  by 
the  Roman  arms,  under  Germanicus,  A.  D.  17.  3.  The  success- 
ful revolt  from  the  Roman  dominion  in  the  reign  of  Domitian. 
4.  The  conquest  of  Rome  by  the  Heruli,  who  made  Odoacer  their 
general  king  of  Italy.  5.  The  establishment  of  the  empire,  by 
Charlemagne  king  of  France.  He  conquered  both  Italy  and  Ger- 
many and  was  crowned  emperor  of  the  west  A.  D.  80Q.     6.  The 


GERMANY.  289 

rejection  of  the  Carlovinian  line  in  880,  since  which  time  Germa- 
ny has  been  considered  as  an  elective  empire.  After  much  con- 
tention Henry  duke  of  Saxony  was  chosen  in  9  1 8  ;  and  this  line 
failing  in  1024,  was  followed  by  that  of  Franconia.  To  this  suc- 
ceeded the  line  of  Swabia.  7.  The  Interregnum  after  the  death 
of  Frederic  II.  which  lasted  23  years.  No  less  than  six  candidates 
claimed  the  empire,  all  of  whom  were  destroyed.  8.  The  perma- 
nent annexation  of  the  imperial  dignity  to  the  family  of  Austria  in 
1440.  9.  The  reign  of  Charles  V.  which  was  the  period  of  the 
Reformation.  10.  The  dissolution  of  the  Germanic  body  in  1809. 
Since  that  time  the  western  and  middle  parts  of  Germany  ha\-e 
been  divided  into  many  large  and  small  kingdoms  and  principali- 
ties nominally  independent  and  really  so  of  each  other,  but  actually 
under  complete  subjection  to  France.  These  now  constitute 
what  is  called  the  Confederation  of  the  Rhixe. 

A7itiquUies.~\  The  antiquities  of  Germany  consist  chiefly  of  a 
few  Roman  remains  in  the  S.  and  W-  It  would  be  endless  to 
enumerate  the  churches  founded  by  Charlemagne  ;  or  the  nume- 
rous castles  erected  by  powerful  princes  and  barons. 

Religion.'^  The  religion  of  the  greater  part  of  Germany  may 
be  pronounced  to  be  the  Reformed,  first  introduced  into  Saxony 
by  Luther.  Yet  the  south  continues  firmly  attached  to  the  Roman 
Catholic  faith,  now  chiefly  supported  by  the  house  of  Austria. 

Literature  and  Universities.^  The  Germans  can  boast  of  a 
greater  number  of  useful  discoveries  and  inventions  in  arts  and 
sciences,  than  any  other  European  nation.  They  have  the  honor 
of  discovering  the  Art  of  Printing  about  the  year  1450.  It  would 
be  easy  to  enumerate  nearly  one  hundred  of  their  inventions,  with- 
out filling  up  the  list  with  mere  improvements  in  machines  and 
mechanical  arts.  Literature  and^he  sciences  are  arrived  in  Ger- 
many at  a  very  high  degree  of  eminence,  both  with  respect  to  uni- 
versality and  solidity.  Within  these  fifty  years  their  improve- 
ments have  been  rapid  and  astonishing.  Universal  geography, 
chronology,  antiquities  and  heraldry  owe  their  perfection  to  the 
Germans,  and  the  science  of  Statistics  its  origin.  The  German 
language  has  been  greatly  cultivated  and  enriched  with  many 
excellent  compositions  in  all  branches  of  polite  and  useful  litera- 
ture, which  have  been  marked  with  the  applause,  and  translated 
into  the  languages  of  neighboring  nations.  Many  branches  of 
useful  knowledge,  hitherto  confined  to  particular  classes  of  men, 
and  difficult  to  be  acquired,  have  been  reduced  to  a  scientific 
form  in  Germany  ;  they  form  indispensable  parts  of  polite  educa- 
tion, and  are  publicly  taught  in  the  universities.  The  theory 
of  trades  and  mechanical  arts,  the  principles  of  private  and  public 
economy,  of  internal  administration,  and  the  science  of  finances  ; 
the  knowledge  of  the  political  situation,  resources  and  wealth  of 
every  state,  have  been  added  to  the  established  list  of  academical 
sciences,  and  they  employ  the  talents  of  a  great  number  of  writ- 
ers, under  the  name  of  Technology,  Economy,  Science  of  Finan- 
ces, and  Statistics. 

The  number  of  readers  in  the  German   empire,  and  in  tlffc 

VOL.  n.  r>7 


290  GERMANY. 

neighboring  countries,  especially  in  the  north  of  Europe,  where 
the  German  language  has  an  extensive  circulation,  is  large  enough 
to  encourage  the  publication  of  no  less  than  5000*  annual  literary- 
productions,  of  which  two  thirds  are  original  performances,  and 
one  third  translations  from  other  languages.  The  book  trade  is 
no  where  equally  important  ;  at  the  Leipsick  fair,  books  are  sold 
and  exchanged  to  the  value  of  several  hundred  thousand  dollars. 

There  arc  38  universities  in  Germany,  of  which  19  belong  to 
the  Protestants,  and  17  to  the  Roman  Catholics  ;  though  the  lat- 
ter ought  to  have  many  more,  considering  the  proportion  of  their 
numbers  to  those  of  the  Protestants,  which  is  as  two  to  one.  Of 
all  the  German  institutions  of  education,  the  universities  are  still 
the  most  faulty,  considering  the  wants  of  our  age  ;  yet  most  of 
the  Protestant  universities  in  Germany  are  the  least  exceptionable 
institutions  of  that  kind  in  Europe.  The  number  of  literary  and 
scientifical  societies,  publiclibraries,  academies  of  arts,  collections 
of  pictures,  militai-y  academies,  Sec.  is  greater  in  Germany  than 
in  any  other  country. 

Gov  eminent. ^  The  government  was  that  of  an  aristocracy, 
which  elected  a  monarch,  who  may  be  of  any  family.  Catholic, 
Lutheran,  or  Calvinist.  To  consider  the  constitution  at  length, 
which  has  been  called  by  a  German  writer  "  a  confusion  supported 
by  providence,"  would  be  foreign  to  the  nature  of  this  work. — 
There  is  now  no  empire  of  Germany,  nor  are  the  states  connected 
by  any. common  bond. 

Population.']  The  states  composing  the  confederation  of  the 
Rhine  have,  according  to  Hassel,  a  population  of  16,927,600;  of 
whom  2,277,000  arc  in  the  duchy  of  Warsaw  ;  and  84,000  in  the 
district  of  Dantzic.  The  remainder  14,566,600  are  in  Germany. 
Of  the  present  Prussian  population  3,584,000  are  Germans  ;  and 
of  that  of  Austria  8,660,000  :  to  which,  if  that  of  the  duchy  of  Hol- 
stein  be  added,  the  whole  amount  of  the  population  of  Germany, 
will  be,  according  to  Hassel,  27,140,600. 

Ar7mj.~\  The  whole  military  force  of  the  states  composing  the 
confederation  of  the  Rhine,  is  stated,  by  Hassel,  at  205,700  men, 
of  whom  they  are  obliged  to  furnish  1 16,750  m^^n  as  a  contingent 
to  the  French  Emperor,  the  head  of  the  confederacy,  whenever  Us 
principles  are  infringed  upon  by  other  nations.  What  proportion 
of  the  Austrian,  Prussian,  and  Danish  troops  is  derived  from  Gel*- 
many,  we  are  unable  to  state. 

Revenues.]  The  whole  revenue  of  the  confederation  of  the 
Rhine  is  stated  by  Hassel,  at  94,193,000  guilders.  The  Austrian 
revenues  derived  from  Germany  are  not  less  than  50,000,000 ;  the 
Prussian  20,300,000,  and  those  of  Holstein  about  1,300,000  ;  mak- 
ing a  total  of  165,793,000  guilders  annually  yielded  by  Germany. 

Political  Imliortance  and  Relations.]  The  states  which  compose 
the  confederation  of  the  Rhine,  are  at  present,  entirely  under  the 

•  In  the  rear  1792,  "at  the  Easter  fair,  (there  is  another  not  so  productive,  at 
Michaelmas)  were  jniblislied  22^27  new  books,  inclusive  of  4C8  continuations,  194  new 
editions,  and  154  translations;  most  of  them  in  the  Belle  Lettres,  Geography,  History- 
and  Physic."    \_^Professor  EbeUng's  letter  to  the  Author. 


GERMANY,  291 

control  of  the  French  Emperor,  and  have  scarcely  the  indepen- 
dence of  colonies.  The  weight  which  Prussia  lately  had  in  the 
politics  of  Europe  is  entirely  gone  ;  and  it  is  difficult  to  say 
whether  the  interests  of  Russia  or  France  will  predominate  in  her 
councils.  Austria,  though  crippled  by  her  two  late  contests,  is 
still  formidable.  With  a  wiser  monarch  and  an  abler  cabinet,  she 
might  soon,  under  the  banners  of  the  Arch  Duke  Charles,  regain 
what  she  has  lost. 

The  manners,  customs,  and  dialects  of  Germany  vaiy  seriously 
in  the  different  states.  The  Saxon  is  accounted  the  purest  and 
most  classical  idiom  of  the  German  ;  and  the  southern  dialects  of 
Suabia,  Bavaria,  and  Austria  the  most  uncouth.  The  literature 
will  be  best  considered  under  each  state.  To  style  an  author  a 
German  ;  being  almost  as  vague  as  to  call  him  an  European,  so 
distinct  are  the  several  states,  the  dialects,  and  the  shades  of  civil- 
ization. 

Face  of  the  Country.^  To  the  north  of  the  Mayn,  Germany 
chiefly  presents  wide  sandy  plains,  which  seem  as  if  they  had  been, 
in  the  first  ages  of  the  world,  overwhelmed  by  the  sea.  A  few  hiils 
begin  to  appear  in  the  neighborhood  of  Minden  ;  and  in  the 
south  of  the  Hanoverian  dominions  arise  the  most  northern  moun- 
tains of  Germany,  those  of  Blocksbcrg,  and  others  in  the  Hartz. 
To  the  S.  W.  ai-e  the  mountains  of  Hessia,  and  others,  extending 
towards  the  Rhine  :  while  on  the  east  the  rich  and  variegated  coun- 
try of  Saxony,  one  of  the  most  beautiful  and  fertile  in  the  empire, 
extends  to  the  souchern  limits  of  the  mountains  of  Erzgeberg,  a- 
bundant  in  mines  and  singular  fossils. 

The  regions  to  the  south  of  the  Mayn  may  be  regarded  as  rath- 
er mountainous. 

liiveis.^  Both  portions  are  watered  by  numerous  and  impor- 
tant rivers.  In  the  north  the  Elbe  is  the  most  distinguished 
stream,  rising  in  the  Sudetic  mountains  of  Silesia ;  and,  after  run- 
ning south  for  about  50  miles,  it  suddenly  assumes  its  destination 
of  N.  W.  receives  the  Bohemian  Muldo  and  Eger,  the  Mulda  and 
Sala  of  Saxony,  and  the  large  river  Havel  from  the  east,  and  en- 
ters the  sea  near  Cuxhaven,  after  a  comparative  course  of  more 
than  500  British  miles.  The  chief  cities  on  the  banks  of  the  Elbe 
are  Dresden,  Meissen,  Whittenberg,  Magdeburg,  from  which  it 
runs  almost  a  solitary  stream  to  Hamburg.  The  tide  is  perceived 
to  the  height  of  22  miles ;  and,  when  raised  by  the  north  wind,  mid- 
dle sized  vessels  may  arrive  at  Hamburg,  but  they  are  in  general 
obliged  to  anchor  a  mile  below  the  city.* 

Not  far  to  the  west  is  the  mouth  of  the  Weser,  which  first  re- 
ceives that  name  Avhen  its  two  sources,  the  Werra  and  the  Fulda, 
join  near  Mundcn  in  the  principality  of  Calenburg,  about  16  British 
miles  S.  W.  of  Gottingen.  The  Werra  springs  in  the  principali- 
ty of  Hildburghausen  ;  and  the  Fulda  in  dc  territories  of  tlie  Bish- 
opric so  called  ;  the  former  having  the  longest  course,  and  being 
justly  considered  as  the  chief  source  of  the  Wesser,  which  thus 

♦  Uusching,  vi.  10. 


292  GERMANY. 

flows  about  270  British  miles.  The  principal  towns  on  this  river 
arc  Bevern,  Mindcn,  and  Bremen.  The  chief  tributary  stream 
is  the  Allcr,  from  the  duchy  of  Brunswick.  The  inundations  of 
the  Weser  are  terrible,  the  adjacent  towns  and  villages  seeming 
to  form  islands  in  the  sea  :  hence  the  shores  are  esteemed  un- 
healthy. 

The  sources  and  mouths  of  the  Rhine  have  been  already  de- 
scribed. This  noble  river  forms  the  grand  ancient  barrier  be- 
tween France  and  Germany  ;  and  its  course  may  be  computed  at 
about  600  British  miles.  On  the  German  side  it  is  diversified 
with  mountains  and  rocks  ;  but  from  Basel  to  Spire  the  shores  are 
flat  and  uninteresting.*  Near  Mentz  they  become  rich,  variegat- 
ed, and  grand  ;  and  on  the  confluence  with  the  Mayn  the  waters 
are  distinguishable  for  many  leagues.  The  Rhinegau  is  not 
only  celebrated  for  its  wines,  but  for  the  romantic  appearance  of 
the  counti-y,  the  river  running  through  wild  rocks  crowned  with 
majestic  castles.  Hence  as  far  as  Bonn  the  shores  abound  with 
beautiful  and  striking  objects,  the  Rbine  not  seeming  to  assume 
his  grandeur  till  after  his  junction  with  the  Mayn. 

The  Danube  has  already  been  described.  Its  chief  tributaries 
in  Germany,  arc  the  Her,  the  Lech,  the  Iser  and  the  Iim  from  the 
S.  and  the  Naab  from  the  N. 

The  Necker  is  a  tributary  stream  of  the  Rhine,  rising  in  the 
Black  Forest,  not  far  from  the  Danube,  and  running  a  picturesque 
course  of  about  150  British  miles  through  a  country  variegated 
with  vineyards.  Another  and  grander  tributary  stream  of  the 
Rhine  springs  from  the  lake  of  Fitchtel  See,  on  the  mountain  of 
Fitchtelberg,  esteemed  among  the  most  elevated  parts  of  Ger- 
many, as  it  gives  source  to  four  rivers  running  in  various  direc- 
tions. This  source  is  called  the  White  Mayn ;  w^hile  another 
source  the  Red  Mayn,  so  called  from  the  red  clay  through  which 
it  flows,  rises  near  Haernleinsreuth,  in  the  principality  of  Bareuth. 
The  Mayn,  afte»'  receiving  the  Rednite  and  other  considerable 
streams,  joins  the  Rhine  to  the  S.  of  Mentz.  The  Mayn  is  a  mud- 
dy stream,  but  abounds  with  trout,  carp,  and  other  fish.  After 
pervading  the  rich  bishopricks  of  Bamberg  and  Wurtzburg,  and 
some  territories  of  the  See  of  Mentz,  it  waters  the  walls  of  Frank- 
fort, formerly  a  city  of  celebrated  trade  ;  and  has  recently  acquir- 
ed fresh  importance  from  being  considered  by  German  politiciana 
as  a  natural  boundary  between  the  power  of  Prussia  in  the  N.  of 
Germany,  and  that  of  Austria  in  the  S. 

Lakes.']  To  the  north  of  the  Mayn  Germany  presents  few 
lakes,  the  largest  being  in  the  duchy  of  Mecklenburg,  where  the 
lake  of  Plau  extends  under  various  names  about  25  British  miles, 
in  length,  by  6  in  breadth.  In  the  more  southern  and  Alpine  re- 
gions, the  Bodcn  See,  or  lake  of  Constance,  is  the  most  distin- 
guished expanse  of  water,  already  described  under  Swisserland. 
Next  is  the  Chicm  See  in  Upper  Bavaria,  about  14  British  miles 
in  length  by  five  in  breadth,  sometimes  largely  styled  the  Sea  of 

♦  Gardiior's  Views  on  tiie  Tlhine, 


GERMANY.  393 

Bavaria.     That  circle,  like  most  mountainous  countries,  also  con- 
tains many  other  lakes  of  smaller  account. 

Mountains.^  The  most  northern  mountains  in  Germany  are 
t-hose  of  the  Hartz,  called  the  Brocken  or  Blocksberg.*  These 
mountains  rise  in  the  form  of  an  amphitheatre,  the  highest  being 
v/hat  is  called  the  great  Blocksberg.  The  river  Use  rises  from  the 
bottom  ;  and  other  streams  spring  from  the  hills  to  the  N.  W. 
and  to  the  E.  the  height  of  the  great  Brocken  is  302 1  feet ;  and  of 
the  little  Brocken  2713. 

In  Westphalia  there  are  some  hills  near  Minden  ;  and  in  the 
duchy  of  the  same  name,  bordering  on  Hessia,  are  the  mountains 
of  Winterberg,  Astenberg,  Schlossberg,  and  others.f  The  Hes- 
sian territories  may  be  regarded  as  generally  mountainous,  espe- 
cially towards  the  north.  Thence  S.  W.  towards  the  Rhine  are 
several  considerable  hills,  among  which  may  be  mentioned  those 
in  the  W.  of  Wctterau,  and  the  seven  hills  near  the  Rhine  almost 
opposite  to  Andernach  ;  with  the  ridge  of  Heyrich  which  pro- 
tects the  vines  of  Rhinegau.  To  the  east  of  Frankfort  on  the 
Mayn  are  the  hilly  forest  of  Spessart,  Avith  the  metallic  heights  of 
Fulda  and  Henneberg. 

But  the  most  celebrated  mountains,  in  that  part  of  Germany 
which  lies  to  the  N.  of  the  Mayn,  are  the  Erzgeberg,  or  Metallic 
Mountains,  which  rise  to  the  N.  E.  of  the  Fichtelberg,  running  be- 
tween Bohemia  and  Saxony,  but  supplying  both  countries  with 
silver,  tin,  and  other  metals.  The  Erzgeberg  are  not  of  remarka- 
ble height,  yet  contain  much  granite  like  those  of  the  Hartz  and 
Hessia  ;  with  gneiss,  in  which  most  of  the  Saxon  and  Bohemian 
mines  are  found.  Granular  limestone  also  appears ;  and  in  Upper 
Lusatia  an  entire  mountain  is  found  of  siliceous  schistus,  while 
Fiinzburg  consists  almost  entirely  of  milk-white  quartz. ^:  Mis- 
nia  contains  mountains  of  pitcUstone  ;  and  strata  of  hornblende. 
In  Voigtland,  near  Averbach,  appears  the  famous  topaz  rock,  con- 
sisting of  pale  topazes  in  hard  Uihomarga.  Micaceous  schistus 
and  slate  also  form  portions  of  the  Saxon  mountains  ;  with  large 
masses  of  trap  and  basalt.  Those  of  Hessia  and  the  Hartz  pre- 
st»it  nearly  the  same  substances  :  and  a  summit  of  the  Meisner 
consists  of  basalt  resting  on  coal.  The  metals  will  be  considered 
iji  tlie  account  of  each  country. 

Among  the  German  mountains  to  the  S.  of  the  Mayn  may  first 
be  named  the  Bergstrass,  a  ridge  passing  from  near  Manheim  to 
the  vicinity  of  Frankfoit.  On  the  east  are  the  high  hills  of  Odcn- 
wald.  Farther  to  the  S.  are  the  mountains  of  Wurtemburg,  rising 
both  on  the  E,  and  W.  of  that  extensive  duchy.  On  the  W.  the 
mountains  form  a  continuation  of  those  of  the  Black  Forest,  the 
mount  Abnoba  of  Tacitus,  whence  he  justly  derives  the  source  of 
the  Danube  ;  and  the  Helvetian  forest  of  Ptolemy.  The  moun- 
tains of  the  Black  Forest,  in  German  Schwanzwald,  extend  from 
near.  Neuenburg,  in  the  territories  of  Wurtemburg  south  to  the 
four  forest  towns  on  the  Rhinc.^     The  southern  part  is  called  the 

'  Rusciiing,  X.  251.  f  Uiesl>eck,  viii.  8,  9. 

^  Kirwan,  Geol.  Ess.  174-176  §  liushchingi  viii.  4KI. 


394  GERMANY. 

Hij^h,  and  the  northern  the  Lower  forest  :  the  length  being  about 
80  and  the  breadth  20  British  miles.  The  eastern  part,  as  usual, 
presents  a  gradual  elevation  ;  while  the  western  shews  precipitous 
summits  to  the  inhabitants  of  Baden  and  Alsace,  The  appella- 
tion seems  to  arise  from  the  thick  dark  forests  with  which  the 
ascents  are  clothed.  A  branch  of  the  Black  Mountains  spreads 
E.  irom  near  Sulz  on  the  Necker  towards  the  country  of  CEtin- 
gen,  being  more  than  60  miles  in  length.  This  chain  is  called 
the  Alb,  and  sometimes  the  Suabian  Alps.  The  constituent  parts 
of  these  extensive  ridges  have  been  little  detailed  ;  but  a  great 
pai't  is  calcareous,  as  they  supply  excellent  marbles.  Near  Fru- 
denstadt  in  the  Black  Mountains  are  mines  of  silver  and  copper. 

The  south  east  of  this  portion  of  Germany  is  bounded  by  the 
high  mountains  of  Bavaria  and  Salzia  or  Salzburg  ;  being  branch- 
es or  continuations  of  the  Swiss  or  Tyrolese  Alps,  but  without 
general  appellations.  Those  bordering  on  Tyrol  are  granite  ; 
thence,  as  usual,  argillacous  and  calcareous  in  the  lower  parts.* 
Large  pieces  of  grass-green  quartz  are  found  studded  with  red 
transparent  garnets,  and  at  Munich  are  worked  into  elegant  snuff 
boxes.  The  Alps  of  Salzburg  exceed  in  height  the  Carpathian 
chain  or  the  Pyrenees,  and  only  yield  to  the  Swiss  and  Tyrolese 
Alps,  the  highest  summits  being  computed,  at  more  than  10,000 
feet  above  the  sea. 

i''or 'v^s.]  Considerable  remains  yet  exist  of  the  ancient  for- 
ests which  pervaded  Germany.  The  German  word  ivald,  corres- 
ponding with  the  old  English  weald.,  denotes  a  forest.  The  chief 
of  tiiese  appear  always  to  have  extended  along  the  middle  regions 
of  Germany,  from  the  N.  W.  towards  the  S.  E.  The  Dromling- 
waid  is  to  the  north  of  Magdeburg  ;  but  the  Solinger-wald,  the 
woody  mountains  of  Hartz,  the  Lutten-wald,  the  wide  forest  of 
Thuringia,  may  be  said  to  be  connected  with  the  ancient  forests 
pf  Silesia,  hence  extending  far  to  tne  E.  through  the  centre  of  Po- 
land and  Russia.  More  to  the  si-ath,  in  this  part  of  Germany,  are 
the  Spessart  forest,  and  others.  In  the  portion  south  of  the  Mayn, 
the  vast  Black  Forest,  and  the  woods  along  the  Alb,  are  continued 
by  others  i^n  various  parts  of  Bavai'ia.  In  general  the  passii/n 
among  the  grandees  for  the  chase  of  the  wild  boar,  and  other 
pleasures  of  hunting,  has  contributed  greatly  to  the  preservation 
of  the  forests. 

J3ota7ii/.']  As  Spain  is  distinguished  by  its  groves  of  cork  ti*ees 
and  ilex,  and  Scandinavia^  by  its  fir  woods,  so  is  Germany  remark- 
able for  its  deep  and  almost  impenetrable  forests  of  oak  :  not  in- 
deed that  this  is  the  invariable  characteristic  of  the  country,  for  in 
|Ui  empire  of  such  great  extent,  and  of  so  varied  a  surface,  it  must 
needs  happen  that  the  native  vegetable  productions  on  the  shore 
of  the  German  ocean  should  differ  considerably  from  those  in  the 
Black  Forest  or  on  the  frontiers  of  Tyrol.  There  is  however  on 
the  wliole  more  uniformity  than  might  be  expected,  and  though 
perhaps  few  pUnts  are  absolutely  peculiar  to  Germany,  yetth^ 

•  Tour  in  Italy,  329. 


GERMAN  STATES.  295 

abundance  of  some  species,  and  the  absence  of  others,  forms  a 
striking  feature  in  the  natural  history  of  the  empire. 

The  lilac  and  syringa,  are  by  no  means  of  unfrequent  occur- 
rence in  the  hedges  of  the  north  of  Germany  ;  the  cornel,  the 
sweet  briar,  and  cinnamon  rose,  are  also  common.  Of  the  smaller 
plants  the  principal  are  lesser  honeywort,  winter  cherry,  yellow 
and  least  star  of  Bethlehem,  evening  primrose,  and  coronilla  varia. 

The  pastures  and  edges  of  woods  afford  several  kinds  of  iris  and 
gentian  :  a  number  of  bulbous  rooted  plants,  particularly  snow- 
flake,  narcissus  and  daffodil :  two  kinds  of  hyacinth,  tlie  muscari 
and  racemosus,  and  branched  asphodel. 

The  vegetables  of  tlie  woods  and  groves  may  be  divided  into 
the  shrubby  and  herbaceous  ;  to  the  first  belong,  besides  the  com- 
11  on  forest  trees  and  shrubs  of  England,  branched  elder  ;  Daphne 
cneorurn,  Mespilus  Germanica,  pendent  ix)se  ;  Bladder  Senna  and 
laburnum.  Of  the  latter  the  most  worth  notice  are  millet  grass, 
asclepias  vincetoxicum,  lily  of  the  valley,  clustered  hyacinth,  mar- 
t,agon  lily,  fraxinclla,  baneberry,  monkshood,  green  hellebore,  and 
Jhepatica. 

A  few  characteristic  plants  also  are  met  with  in  the  cultivated 
fields  and  vineyards,  such  as  tournesol,  blue  pimpernel,  and  Car- 
thusian pink. 

Zoology.']  The  zoology  of  this  western  half  of  Germany  cor- 
responds so  much  with  that  of  the  Austrian  and  Prussian  domin- 
ions, that  little  need  be  added.  The  German  horses  are  generally 
more  remarkable  for  weight  than  spirit.  The  German  wild  boar 
is  of  superior  size  ;  and  those  of  Westphalia  are  in  particular  es- 
timation. In  the  N.  of  Germany  the  lynx  is  sometimes  seen  ;  and 
the  wolf  is  common  in  the  south. 

GERMANIC  STATES. 

HAD  Germany  been  one  empire  under  one  monarch,  its 
power  would  probably  have  rivalled  that  of  any  nation  in  Europe. 
Its  territory  is  extensive,  its  soil  every  where  fertile  ;  its  population 
always  numerous,  and  its  wealth  very  great.  With  the  Baltic 
for  its  northern  frontier,  the  Atlantic  for  more  than  half  of  its  west- 
ern, and  an  opening  on  the  Adriatic,  its  foreign  commerce  would 
«nly  have  been  surpassed  by  that  of  England  ;  while  its  large  and 
numerous  rivers  would  have  given  life  and  circulation  to  its  do- 
mestic industry.  Tnese  advantages,  added  to  its  central  situation, 
might  easily  have  given  it  great,  if  not  commanding  influence 
over  the  powers  of  the  continent.  Germany  however  was  for 
more  than  2000  years  composed  of  petty  principalities,  connected 
by  no  common  bond,  and  united  only  against  each  other.  It  was 
the  scene  of  more  domestic  jealousies  and  wars,  than  all  the  other 
countries  of  Europe;  jealousies  excited  by  foreign  intrigues,  and 
wars  directed  by  foreign  cabinets.  Nations  inferior  in  population 
and  in  wealth,  easily  surpassed  it  in  arms,  and  even  its  own  sub- 
ordinate states,  safely  resisted  the  strengtii  of  the  empire.  The 
constitution  of  the  Germanic  body,  the  only  semblance  of  union  be- 


2? 6  GERMAN  STATES. 

tween  its  various  sovereignties,  has  lately  been  dissolved  ;  but  its 
numerous  divisions  still  remain  ;  and  the  same  disunion  will  proba- 
bly prevail,  until  its  various  states  are  united  under  a  common  gov- 
ernment. Of  these  Austi'ia  and  Prussia  claim  separate  heads. 
The  others  will  be  described  under  the  two  following  divisions. 

GERMAN  STATES  NORTH  OF  THE  MAYN. 

SAXONY. 

I.  THE  kingdom  of  Saxony  is  the  most  powerful  state  in  this 
division  of  Germany,  It  is  one  of  the  modern  kingdoms,  having 
been  merely  an  electorate,  till  the  peace  of  Tilsit,  when  it  received 
a  large  addition  from  Prussian  Poland,  called  the  Duchy  of  War- 
saw. It  now  comprises  56,970  square  miles,  with  a  population  of 
4,363,000.  The  name  Saxony  is  derived  from  the  ancient  nation 
of  the  Saxons ;  who,  in  the  middle  ages,  held  the  greatest  part  of 
the  N.  and  W.  of  Germany,  and  extended  themselves  over  Thu- 
I'ingia,  towards  the  territories  of  the  JLusitzi,  a  Slavonic  tribe, 
which  gave  name  to  Lusitz,  or  Lusatia. 

Saxony  Proper,  lies  N.  W.  and  N.  of  Bohemia  and  reaches  from 
the  head  of  the  Weser,  to  that  of  the  Oder.  It  is  about  220  miles 
from  E.  to  W.  and  130  from  N.  to  S.  The  kingdom  comprises 
the  following  territories. 

1.  Old  Saxony,  containing  11,485  square  miles,  and  1,612,000 
inhabitants,  and  divided  into  1 1  counties. 

Wittcnburg  Erzegeberge  Naumburg 

Thuringia  Voigtland  Querfurt 

Meissen  Neustadt  Henneberg 

Leipsic  with  Wurzen  Mcrseburg 

2.  Margravate  of  Lausitz,  or  Lusatia,  containing  4,915  square 
miles,  and  474,000  inhabitants  ;  and  divided  into  Upper  Lusatia, 
and  Lower  Lusatia,  with  Korbus. 

3.  Duchy  of  Warsaw,  containing  40,570  square  miles,  2,277,000 
inhabitants  ;  and  divided  into  6  departments. 

Posen  Warsaw  Kalwary 

New  Silesia  Plock  Bromburg 

This  duchy  is  in  the  western  part  of  Poland,  and  constitutes  the 
great  part  of  the  acquisitions  of  Prussia,  in  the  division  of  that 
kingdom.  The  possessions  of  Prussia  entirely  separate  this  duchy 
from  Lusatia.  The  distance  across,  however,  in  the  narrowest 
place,  is  not  more  than  40  miles.  And  in  the  treaty  of  Tilsit,  a 
communication  was  stipulated  for  by  means  of  a  military  road. 
The  ancient  dukes  of  Saxony  sprung  from  the  kings,  who  de- 
fended themselves  with  such  valor  against  France.  Otho  III. 
duke  of  Saxony  became  emperor  in  936,  and  resigned  Saxony  to 
the  house  of  Stubenskorn  or  Billing,  which  ended  in  1106;  and 
soon  after  this  potent  dukedom  passed  by  marriage  to  the  house  of 
Bavaria.  In  1180  the  eastern  part  of  Saxony  was  assigned  to 
Bernard  of  Ascania,  the  western  half  being  given  to  the  archbish- 
op of  Cologne.     The  house  of  Ascania  ended  with  Albert  III. 


GERMAN  STATES.  '  297' 

1422  ;  and  was  followed  by  that  of  Misnia.  Ernest  and  Alberti 
sons  of  Frederic  II.  divided  the  territories  in  1485,  and  formed 
two  branches  bearing  their  names.  The  Ernestine  branch  of  the 
house  of  Misnia  ruled  till  1547,  when  John  Frederic  was  deposed 
by  Charles  V.  and  the  electorate  assigned  to  Maurice  of  the  Al- 
bertine  branch,  in  which  it  continues.  In  order  to  gain  the  crown 
of  Poland,  the  vain  wish  of  the  Saxon  electors,  Frederic  Augustus, 
1697,  abjured  the  protestant  religion  ;  but  neither  he  nor  his  suc- 
cessors have  attempted  to  constrain  the  conscience  of  their  sub- 
jects. The  electorate  suffered  greatly  by  the  invasion  of  the 
Prussians,  in  the  war  of  seven  years ;  but  has  since  continued  th« 
tranquil  and  flourishing  seat  of  arts  and  sciences. 

The  religion  of  the  electorate  is  the  protestant,  which  was  here 
introduced  by  Luther  ;  and  there  are  two  bishoprics,  Merseberg 
and  Naumburg.  That  of  the  duchy  is  the  catholic.  The  govern- 
ment is,  as  usual  among  the  German  princes,  nearly  absolute,  but 
conducted  v/ith  moderation  through  different  councils.  Yet  there 
are  states  general  of  nobles,  clergy,  and  burgesses,  commonly  as- 
sembled every  sixth  year  to  regulate  the  taxation  ;  and  the  sove- 
reign can  issue  no  laws  without  their  consent.  The  army  is  65,000, 
of  whom  30,000  are  raised  in  the  Duchy  of  Warsaw.  The  con- 
tingent of  Saxony,  as  a  member  of  the  confederation  of  the  Rhine, 
is  20,000  men.  The  revenue  is  stated  by  Hassel  at  17,500,000 
guilders,  the  expenditure  at  16,750,000,  and  the  debt  at  35,000,000. 
The  credit  of  Saxony  has  always  been  high. 

The  language  and  literature  of  Saxony  are  the  most  distin- 
guished in  all  Germany,  most  of  the  writers  who  have  refined  the 
language  having  been  born,  or  having  resided  in  this  country,  as 
Gottshed,  who  first  introduced  a  superior  style,  and  many  others. 
Leibnitz,  Wolf,  and  other  philosophers  were  also  born  or  resided 
in  Saxony  ;  among  the  artists  may  be  named  Mengs,  Haffe,  and 
Gluck.  Leipsig  is  a  celebrated  mart  of  German  literature.  There 
are  many  schools,  colleges,  and  academies  ;  among  the  latter,  the 
mineralogic  academy  of  Freyberg,  instituted  in  1765,  is  esteemed 
the  leading  school  of  that  s^cience.  Dresden  the  capital  is  built 
on  the  Elbe  where  the  Weissesitz  falls  into  it.  It  is  one  of  the 
handsomest  towns  in  Europe,  and  is  supposed  to  have  been  built 
in  the  10th  century.  It  contains  61  streets,  40  public  schools,  and 
18  churches.  In  1803  the  population  amounted  to  49,094,  and 
the  dwelling-houses  to  2,644. 

Warsaw  the  former  capital  of  Poland  is  built  upon  the  Vistula, 
partly  on  a  plain  and  partly  on  a  gentle  ascent  rising  from  the 
river.  The  town  is  very  extensive,  and  .wears  a  melancholy  ap- 
pearance. The  palaces  are  numerous  and  splendid,  but  the  great 
body  of  the  houses  are  mean  wooden  hovels.  Population  in  1805, 
64,421  ;  houses  3,578.     52  14,  23  N. 

Leipsig  stands  on  the  Plisse,  in  a  pleasant  fertile  plain.  Its 
university,  founded  in  1409,  has  been  one  of  the  most  celebrated  in 
Europe.  There  are  8  Lutheran  churches,  1  Calvinistic,  and  I 
Catiiolic.     Three  annual  faii's  are  held  here,  and  the  commerce  is 

YOL  H.  38 


298  GERMAN  STATES. 

very  exlcnsivc.     Inhabitants,  in  1801,  30,796  ;  houses   1340.     51 
20  15  N. 

Naumburg  lies  near  the  Saale,  and  contains  1,070  houses  and 
12,000  inhabitants. 

Posen  or  Posna,  in  the  Duchy  of  Warsaw,  is  built  on  the  War- 
ta,  a  branch  of  the  Oder,  which  empties  at  Custrin.  It  is  well 
and  compactly  built,  and  enclosed  with  a  double  Avail  and  a  deep 
moat.  Houses  in  1803,  1,391  ;  inhabitants  15,992.  Thorn  in  the 
same  Duchy,  contained  8,571  inhabitants,  in  1802,  and  1,070 
houses,  and  Kalisch  6,313  houses.  Wittenberg,  in  Saxony,  is 
much  reduced  ;  its  population  in  1806,  amounting  to  only  4,920. 
It  was  the  residence  of  Luther. 

The  manufactures  of  Saxony  are  thread,  linen,  laces,  ribbons, 
velvets,  carpets,  paper,  colours  derived  from  various  minerals, 
glass,  and  porcelain  of  remarkable  beauty,  and  various  works  in 
serpentine  stone.  The  country  is  also  rich  in  native  products, 
both  agricultural  and  mineral,  and  beautiful  pearls  arc  found  in 
the  Elster  in  shells  about  six  inches  long.*  With  such  advanta- 
ges Saxony  maintains  a  considerable  inland  commerce  ;  and  Leip- 
sig  is  esteemed  one  of  the  chief  trading  towns  of  Germany. 

The  climate  is  so  favorable  that  wine  is  made  in  Misnia.  The 
face  of  the  country,  especially  towards  the  south,  is  beautifully  di- 
versified with  hill  and  dale  ;  and  its  richness  between  Meissen 
and  Dresden  is  esteemed  to  rival  that  of  the  north  of  Italy.  The 
land  is  well  cultivated  ;  the  products,  all  kinds  of  grain  and  vege- 
tables, with  hops,  flax,  hemp,  tobacco,  saftron,  madder,  Scc-f 
Chief  rivers,  the  Elbe,  the  Saal  or  Sala,  the  Mulda,  the  Pleisse,  the 
Elster,  with  the  Spree  of  Lusatia  j  all  except  the  Elbe  and  Sala, 
rising  in  the  mountains  between  Saxony  and  Bohemia.  The 
mountains  arc  those  of  the  Erzgeberg,  already  described  in  the  gen- 
eral account  of  Germany  ;  and  there  are  several  small  forests 
supplying  fuel  for  the  mines  and  domestic  purposes.  The  botany 
and  zoology  are  in  general  common  with  the  rest  of  Germany  ; 
but  the  mineralogy  is  as  usual  particular,  and  few  countries  can 
boast  of  such  fossil  opulence.  The  mines  of  Johngeorgenstadt 
produce  silver,  tin,  bismuth,  manganese,  cobalt,  wolfram,  £cc. 
The  other  nnines  are  those  of  Freyberg,  Annaberg,  Ehrenfrieders- 
dorf,  Altenberg,  Eibenstock,  Sec.  producing  silver,  copper,  lead, 
and  other  metals.  At  Schneckenstein,  near  Averbach  in  the 
Voigtland,  appears  the  topaz  rock,  unique  in  its  kind.  The  tin  of 
Saxony  is  not  only  a  rare  product,  but  is  excellent.  Jet  is  also 
found  ;  and  abundance  of  fine  porcelain  clay,  with  fuller's  earth, 
marble,  slate,  serpentine,  agates,  and  jasper.  The  annual  product 
pf  the  silver  mines  has  been  computed,  in  the  German  style,  at 
four  tons  of  gold  or  /;40,000,  and  is  thought  to  be  rivalled  by  that 
of  the  cobalt  converted  into  the  blue  pigment  called  smalt.  The 
tin,  copper,  lead,  and  iron,  arc  also  very  productive.  Nor  must 
coal  and  turf  be  forgotten  among  the  mineral  productions  of  tliis 
remarkable  region. 

*  Buscliing,  ix.  352.  f  See  Hoeck's  Tables  for  minute  particulars. 


GERMAN  STATES-  299 

II.  The  next  kingdom  in  size  is  that  of  Westphalia.  It  con- 
tains 15,120  square  miles.  Its  situation  is  nearly  ceniral  in  this 
part  of  Germany.  The  Saale,  and  the  Elbe,  on  the  E.  separate  it 
from  Saxony  and  Prussia.  On  the  West  it  reaches  to  the  Ems. 
It  is  formed  out  of  the  southern  part  of  the  circle  of  Lower  Sax- 
ony, and  the  eastern  part  of  the  circle  of  Westphalia.  It  is  di- 
vided into  8  departments,  which  are  subdivided  into  27  districts. 


I. 

Elbe, 

V. 

Oker, 

1, 

2 

Magdeburg 
Newhalden 

Brunswick 
Helmstadt 

3, 

Stendal 

Hildcsheim 

4j 

Salzwedel 

Goslar 

II. 

Fulda, 

VI. 

Saale, 

1, 

Cassel 

Halberstadt 

2> 

Hoxter 

Blankenbursj 

Paderborn 

Hable 

II. 

Harze, 

VII. 

Werra, 

Heiligenstadt 
Drudenstadt 

Marburg 
Hersfield 

Nordhausen 
Osterode 

VIII, 

Eschwege 
.  Weser, 

[V. 

Leinc, 

Osnaburg 

Gottingen 
Einbeck 

Minden 

Bielefield 

Binteln 

The  departments  are  named  from  the  rivers  on  which  they  lie. 
The  kingdom,  in  1807,  contained  1,941,561  inhabitants,  202  cities, 
81  market  towns,  4,261  villages  and  hamlets,  and  522,000  houses. 
The  revenue  is  14,430,502  guilders  ;  the  expenditure  the  same  ; 
and  the  debt  40,000,000  guilders.  The  army  consists  of  25,000 
men  ;  viz.  20,000  infantry,  3,500  cavalry,  and  1,500  artillery.  Its 
contingent  is  25,000  men. 

Westphalia  was  formed  into  a  kingdom  immediately  after  the 
Treaty  of  Tilsit,  in  1807.  All  the  territories  of  Prussia,  west  of 
the  Elbe,  were  allotted  to  it,  together  with  various  small  princi- 
palities. Jerome  Buonaparte  was  made  king  ;  but,  for  reasons  of 
state,  resigned  his  kingdom  in  1811. 

Magdeburg,  the  capital,  lies  on  the  Elbe  ;  and  is  a  large,  beau- 
tiful, wealthy  and  strongly  fortified  city.  It  was  a  town  of  con- 
siderable size  in  the  time  of  Charlemagne,  und  has  often  suffered 
severely  in  the  civil  wars  of  Germany.  Its  trade  is  extensive,  and 
its  manufactures  numerous,  particularly  of  woollens,  silks,  cottons, 
linen,  stockings,  hats,  gloves,  tobacco  and  snuff.  In  1802  it  con- 
tained 3,233  houses,  and  32,013  inhabitants. 

Cassel,  in  51  19,  20  N.  is  equally  divided  by  the  Fulda.  It  was 
the  capital  of  the  Landgrave  of  Hesse-Cassel  before  he  was  driven 
from  his  dominions.  There  are  several  manufactures  of  cloth  and 
stuffs,  hats,  gold  and  silver  lace,  worsted  and  silk  stockings,  to- 
bacco and  porcelain.  In  1800  it  contained  1,228  houses,  und 
18,450  inhabitants. 


306  GERMAN  STATES. 

Brunswick  lies  on  the  Ocker,  and  is  said  to  have  been  built  by 
Bruno,  of  Saxony,  in  868.  It  contained  in  1804,  2,845  houses,  and 
31,714  inhabitants.     It  was  one  of  the  Hanse  Towns. 

Hildesheim  was  also  one  of  the  Hanse  ToAvns,  and  is  an  old- 
fashioned,  irregular  town,  containing,  in  1802,  2,300  houses,  and 
11,108  inhabitants. 

Mulhauscn  on  the  Unstrutt,  a  branch  of  the  Saale,  had,  in  1802, 
1576  houses,  and  9227  inhabitants. 

Gottingen  is  in  a  spacious,  ferfile  valley,  on  a  branch  of  the 
Leine,  and  its  university  has  been  much  celebrated,  and  was  found- 
ed by  George  II.  in  1734.  The  town  contains  5  Lutheran  church- 
es, one  Calvinistic,  and  a  Catholic  chapel.  It  had,  in  1807,  969 
houses,  and  8914  inhabitants. 

Osnabur<?  stands  on  the  Hase,  and  is  built  and  fortified  in  the 
ancient  manner.  It  contained,  in  1805,  1,250  houses  and  8,240  in- 
habitants. Wolfenbuttel,  in  a  low  marshy  situation  on  the  Ocker, 
had,  in  1803,  998  houses,  and  7,126  inhabitants.  Minden  is  cele- 
bfated  for  a  battle  fought  on  a  heath,  near  it,  in  1759,  between 
Ferdinand  of  Brunswick,  and  the  Fi'ench.  Houses  in  1802,  1,132  ; 
Inhabitants  5,152.     Paderborn.     Houses  871.     Inhabitants  4,752. 

III.  The  Hanoverian  States  bound  the  kingdom  of  Westphalia, 
on  the  N.  W.  Since  their  subjugation  by  France,  they  have  not 
been  formed  into  a  distinct  government,  but  are  merely  colonies 
of  that  country.     They  consist  of  the  following  territories. 

1 ,  Principality  of  Kalenburg  5,  Duchy  of  Bremen 

2,  Principality  of  Luneburg  6,  Principality  of  Verden 

3,  Principality  of  Lauenburg  7,  County  ofHoya 

4,  District  of  Hadeln  8,  County  of  Diepholz. 

They  extend  in  length  from  E.  toW.  about  1 80  miles,  and  from 
N.  to  S.  100.  Their  whole  contents  is  10,132  square  miles,  and 
their  population  629,000.  These  are  descendants  of  a  branch  of 
that  great  nation,  called  the  Ost-Fali,  or  eastern  Falians  ;  while 
another  branch  to  the  W.  gave  the  name  to  Westphalia.  Hano- 
ver, before  its  seizure  by  the  French,  was  an  electorate;  and  the 
kings  of  England,  from  the  time  of  George  I.  had  been,  until  that 
event,  the  Electors.  The  Electors  sprang  from  the  ancient  Dukes 
of  Brunswick.  Bruno  I.  margrave  of  Saxony,  A.  D.  955,  enlarged 
and  embellished  the  city  of  Brunswick.  In  1071  the  emperor 
Henry  IV.  gave  the  duchy  of  Bavaria  to  Welph,  son  of  Azo  of 
Este,  a  powerful  marquis  in  Italy,  and  of  Cuniza,  heiress  of  the 
first  Weiphs  earls  of  Altorf  in  Suabia.  His  grandson,  Heniy 
duke  of  Bavaria,  acquired  Brunswick  along  with  Saxony.  In 
J 195  William,  son  of  Henry  the  Lion,  and  of  Matilda  of  England, 
acquired  Luneburg  :  and  his  son  Otho,  1213,  was  the  first  duke 
of  Brunswick  and  Luneburg.  His  son  Albert  I.  1252,  was  sur- 
named  the  Great.  Magnus  II.  1368,  was  surnamed  Torquatus, 
from  a  large  chain  which  he  wore.  His  son  Bernard  retained 
Luneburg  ;  while  Brunswick  passed  to  Henry  the  second  son,  and 
continued  in  his  descendants  till  1634.  The  dukes  of  Luneburg 
picquired  some  small  portions  of  adjacent  territory.     Henry,  beingj 


GERMAN  STATES.  301 

put  to  the  ban  of  the  empire  in  1521,  was  succeeded  by  his  son, 
who  only  assumed  the  title  of  duke  of  Zell,  a  style  which  contin- 
ued till  the  reign  of  George  William,  1665.  In  1617,  Christian 
duke  of  Zell  obtained  possession  of  Grubenhagcn.  In  1692 
George  William  duke  of  Zell  consented  that  the  electorate,  insti- 
tuted in  favor  of  his  family,  should  be  conferred  on  his  younger 
brother,  as  he  had  no  male  heir.  Ernest  died  in  1698,  having 
married  Sophia  daughter  of  Elizabeth,  daughter  of  James  I.  of 
England.  He  was  succeeded  by  his  son  George  Lewis,  elector, 
1698,  and  king  of  England,  1714. 

The  religion  is  the  Lutheran.  The  government  was  conducted 
by  a  council  of  regency,  and  there  were  provincial  states,  though 
rarely  summoned.  The  revenue  is  now  3,600,000  guilders,  which 
is  paid  to  the  Treasury  of  France.  The  literature  of  this  coun- 
try has  deserved  considerable  applause,  since  the  institution  of  the 
university  of  Gottingen  by  George  II  :  it  was  founded  in  1734, 
and  solemnly  opened  1737.  It  is  cow  in  the  kingdom  of  West- 
phalia. The  chief  city  is  Hanover,  in  the  northern  part  of  the 
principality  of  Calenburg,  situated  on  the  river  Lcine,  amidst  nu- 
merous gardens  and  villas.  This  city  is  first  mentioned  in  the 
twelfth  century  ;  and  is  slightly  fortified,  containing  2,194  houses 
and  21,360  inhabitants.  In  the  new  city,  on  the  left  of  the  Leine, 
is  a  library,  particularly  rich  in  books'  of  history  and  politics. 
Verden,  near  the  junction  of  AUer  with  the  Weser,  is  of  small 
account,  but  has  recently  sent  some  vessels  to  the  Greenland  fish- 
ery under  the  Hanovei'ian  flag.  Other  towns  are  Luneberg,  with 
2,001  houses  and  12,100  inhabitants.  Zelle,  with  1,121  houses 
and  7,847  inhabitants.  Lauenburg,  with  3,283  inhabitants.  The 
manufactures  and  commerce  of  this  electorate  are  pretty  consid- 
erable, in  metals  from  the  Hartz,  linen,  cotton,  some  broad  cloths, 
&c.  The  silver  fabrics  of  Zelle  arc  celebrated  in  Germany.  The 
chief  exports  are  metals,  coarse  linens,  timber,  peat,  with  some 
cattle  and  grain. 

The  aspect  of  the  country  is  plain,  partaking  somewhat  of  the 
sandy  nature  of  Bi-andenburg.  The  agricultural  products  arc 
wheat,  rye,  barley,  oats,  peas,  haricots,  and  pot-herbs  of  all  kinds ; 
with  abundance  of  potatoes,  good  fruits,  flax,  hemp,  tobacco,  mad- 
der, &c.  Wocd  abounds  both  for  fuel  and  architecture,  and  af- 
fords considerable  quantities  of  tar  and  pitch.  Bees  are  particu- 
larly attended  to.  Horses,  cattle,  and  sheep  are  numerous.  The 
chief  river  is  the  Elbe  towards  the  north  ;  and  tlie  Weser  and 
Leine  on  the  west ;  with  the  Aller  and  Ilmcnau  in  the  centre. 
Smaller  streams  are  the  Loha,  the  Lutter,  the  Fuse,  with  the 
Siber  which  pervades  the  Hartzwald  in  the  south.  There  are  a 
few  small  lakes,  as  that  of  Diepholtz,  and  Stinhudder  ;  but  none 
equal  in  size  to  those  in  the  adjacent  province  of  Mecklenburg. 
The  Hanoverian  dominions  contain  many  small  forests,  and  woods. 
The  mineralogy  is  rich,  consisting  of  silvei,  copper,  lead,  iron, 
cobalt,  zinc  ;  with  marble,  slate,  coal,  turf,  and  limestone,  the  last 
particularly  from  the  hill  of  Kalkberg  near  Luneburg.  Boracite 
is  found  in  the  Kall^berg. 


502  GERMAN  STATES. 

IV.  The  House  of  Mecklenburg.  The  territories  of  this  fam- 
ily lie  between  Hanover,  on  the  S.  W.  and  SAvedish  Pomerania  on 
the  N.  E.  The  kingdom  of  Westphalia  borders  on  the  S.  The 
country  is  divided  in  two  duchies,  that  of  Mccklenburg-Schwcrin, 
and  that  of  Mecklenburg-Strelitz.  The  former  contains  7000 
square  miles,  290,000  inhabitants,  furnishes  a  revenue  of  1,800,000 
guilders,  and  an  army  of  1,800  men  ;  the  latter  contains  800  square 
miles,  66,000  inhabitants,  and  yields  a  revenue  of  525,000  guilders. 
The  contingent  furnished  by  both  is  1,900  men.  The  whole  coun- 
try  is  full  of  lakes,  heaths,  and  marshes,  and  the  soil  being  sandy, 
produces  little  except  rye  and  oats.     It  was  long  possessed  by  the 

Vencti  or  Wends^  being  the  farthest  western  settlement  of  that 
Slavonic  nation,  and  the  peasants  remain  in  a  state  of  servitude. 
The  states  consisting  of  nobility  and  burgesses  are  assembled 
yearly  to  regulate  the  taxation.  The  religion  is  the  Lutheran, 
with  six  superintendents,  and  an  university  at  Rostock.  Rostock, 
the  chief  town,  is  built  on  a  liarbor  formed  by  the  mouth  of  the 
Warne.  It  has  a  university,  founded  in  1419.  The  town  was 
built  in  1030,  and  contained,  in  1803,  2,308  houses,  and  13,736  in- 
habitants. Its  commerce  is  valuable.  Schwerin  is  built  on  a 
beautiful  lake,  called  Schwerin-Sea,  through  which  runs  the  Elde. 
Inhabitants,  9,801.  Houses,  984.  Wismar,  at  the  mouth  of  the 
Elde,  is  well  fortified  ;  contains  6  churches,  1000  houses  and  6254 
inhabitants.  The  manufactures  are  avooI  and  tobacco.  The  ex- 
ports partly  by  Lubeck  and  partly  by  Hamburg  are  grain,  flax, 
hemp,  hops,  wax,  honey,  cattle,  butter,  cheese  and  timber.  The 
ruling  family  descends  from  the  old  Venedic  sovereigns.  The 
branch  of  Mecklenburg-Strelitz  began  in  the  17th  century. 

,  V.  The  Grand  Duchy  of  Berg  reaches  from  the  Lahn  to  Hol- 
land and  from  the  Rhine  to  the  kingdom  of  Westphalia.  It  is 
composed  of 

1,  The  Duchy  of  Berg  5,  The  county  of  Lingen 

2,  The  Duchy  of  Cleves  6,  The  county  of  Tecklenbui'g 

3,  The  Duchy  of  Munster  7,  The  county  of  Dortmund, 

4,  The  county  of  Mark  beside  several  lordships. 

It  contains  6,900  square  miles,  and  922,649  inhabitants,  with  a 
revenue  of  3,994,000  guilders,  an  army  of  8,000,  and  a  contingent 
of  5,000. 

VI.  The  Grand  Duchy  of  Hesse  consists  of  1,  The  Principality 
of  Starkenburg,  which  lies  S.  of  the  Mayn  on  the  Rhine.  2,  The 
Principality  of  Upper  Hesse,  and  3,  The  Duchy  of  Westphalia. 
It  has  the  Grand  Duchy  of  Wirzburg  on  the  S.  that  of  Berg  on  the 
W.  the  kingdom  of  Westphalia  on  the  N.  and  that  of  Saxony  on 
the  E.  It  covers  an  extent  of  4,380  square  miles,  has  a  popula- 
tion of  539,000,  a  revenue  of  3,500,000  guilders,  an  army  of  8,000, 
and  a  contingent  of  5,000.  Hesse  was  the  seat  of  the  ancient  Cat- 
ti.  The  present  inhabitants,  the  Hessi,  or  Hessians,  derive  their 
name  from  the  river  Esse,  a  branch  of  the  Fulda,  The  country  is 
generally  mountainous  ;  but  there  are  many  pleasant  vales,  some- 
times containing  vineyards  and  fields  fertile  in  corn  and  pastur- 


GERMAN  STATES.  303 

age.  There  are  a  few  manufactures  of  linen,  cloths,  hats,  and 
stockings.  The  religion  is  the  Lutheran.  Darmstadt,  in  Stark- 
enburg,  is  the  capital,  and  contained,  in  1805,  791  houses,  and 
1 1,350  inhabitants.  Giessen,  in  Upper  Hesse,  contains  5,174.  The 
Hessians  have  been  much  employed  as  mercenary  soldiers,  and 
were  hired  by  the  British  in  the  American  War. 

Vn.  The  House  of  Saxe.  The  territories  of  this  family  com- 
pose five  duchies  : 

Saxe-Weimar  Saxe-Hildburghausen 

Saxe-Gotha  Saxe-Coburg. 

Saxe-Mcinungen 

They  lie  between  the  Grand  Duchy  of  Wurtzburg,  on  the  S.  and 
the  House  of  Schwarzburg,  on  the  N.  and  cover  an  extent  of  5,045 
square  miles.  The  population  is  438,000  ;  revenues  3,226,000 
guilders  ;  army  3,400  ;  contingent  2,800  men.  Gotha,  the  chief 
town,  contained,  in  1805,  1330  houses,  and  12,400  inhabitants  ;  Al- 
tenburg,  1264  houses,  and  9484  inhabitants  ;  Weimar,  in  1808, 
aoo  houses,  and  8,500  inhabitants  ;  and  Coburg  745  houses,  and 
7,096  inhabitants. 

VHI.  The  Duchy  of  Oldenburg  is  divided  into  the  districts  of 

Oldenburg  Wuhrden  Vechta 

Deiraenhorst         Warel  Kloppenburg 

and  Wildeshausen, 

^nd  contains  2,165  square  miles,  and  140,000  inhabitants.  It  lies 
W.  of  the  Weser,  near  its  mouth,  and  lately  belonged  to  Denmark. 
The  soil  is  fertile  in  pasturage,  and  produces  an  excellent  breed 
of  horned  cattle.  Large  and  expensive  dykes  secure  the  shci'es 
from  invuidations.  The  revenue  is  720,000  guilders,  and  the  ar- 
my 1000  men.  Oldenburg,  the  capital,  contained,  in  1800,  625 
houses  and  4,500  inhabitants. 

IX.  The  House  of  Nassau  comprises  the  Duchy  of  Usingen  and 
the  principality  of  Weilburg,  beside  several  petty  lordships.  It 
is  situated  near  the  mouth  of  the  Mayn,  and  contains  2,270  square 
miles,  and  272,000  inhabitants.  The  revenue  is  1,757,000  guild- 
ers ;  the  army  3000  men,  and  the  contingent  1680.  The  country 
is  mountainous  and  covered  with  forests,  yet  not  without  fine  ara- 
ble and  meadow  lands.  The  reigning  princes  are  descended  from 
Otho,  who  lived  in  the  10th  centuiy.  Wisbader  contains  only 
3,500  inhabitants. 

X.  House  of  Anhalt.  The  territories  of  this  family,  one  of  the 
most  illustrious  in  Germany,  are  the  Duchies  of  Dessau,  Bernburg, 
and  Cothen,  containing  1,052  square  miles,  and  124,00p  inhab- 
itants. The  revenue  is  1,190,000  guilders,  and  the  contingent 
800  men.  The  religion  is  Calvinism.  The  soil  is  good  and  fer- 
tile in  grain.  The  mines  yield  lead,  copper,  silver,  iron,  and  coal. 
Dessau  lies  on  the  Muldau,  near  its  mouth,  and  contained,  in  180:J, 
900  houses,  9,220  inhabitants,  2  Caivinistic  and  2  Lutheran 
churches.  Lat.  51,49.  Bernburg  contains  646  houses  and  4,844 
inhabitants. 

XI.  The  Duchy  of  Aremberg  lies  round  the  lower  part  of  tli« 


304  GERMAN  STATES. 

river  Ems,  comprising  the  counties  of  Recklinghausen  and  Mep- 
pcn,  and  the  lordship  of  Dulmen.  It  contains  1,107  square  miles, 
and  59,000  inhabitants  ;  and  yields  a  revenue  of  300,000  guilders, 
and  a  contingent  of  379  men.  The  town  of  Meppen,  on  the  Ems, 
contains  3,000  inhabitants. 

XII.  The  territories  of  the  House  of  Schwarzburg,  are  the 
principalities  of  Sondershausen,  and  Rudolstadt.  The  extent  is 
986  square  miles  ;  the  population  114,000  ;  the  revenue  450,000  ; 
the  contingent  650  men  ;  Sondershausen  stands  on  the  Unstrutt, 
and  contains  4000  inhabitants  ;  Rudolstadt,  a  little  farther  S.  con- 
tains 4,800, 

XIII.  The  territories  of  the  House  of  Lippe  lie  N.  of  Paderborn, 
and  S.  of  the  Weser,  composing  the  principality  of  Detmold,  and 
the  county  of  Schauenburg,  and  containing  942  square  miles,  and 
95,000  inhabitants.  The  revenue  is  35,000  guilders  ;  the  contin- 
gent 650  men. 

XIV.  The  New  Hanseatic  League. 

1   Hambure:  5  ^'^^  ^^^^^^  "^^^^^^'   1^9,000  inhabitants;  reve- 

^  ^enue  1,500,000  guilders  ;  contingent  1800  men. 

o   T  iiKo,-ir  5  ^^"^  square  miles  ;  45,000  inhabitants  ;  revenue 

i..Lubeck  J  400,000  guilders. 

„   T.  5^8  square  miles  ;  50,000  inhabitants  ;  revenue 

C  400,000  guilders  ;  contingent  500  men. 

Dantzic  in  C416  square  miles  ;  84,000  inhabitants;  revemre 

Poland  2'!'^0)000  guilders. 

These  territories  were  called  by  the  French  government,  the 
New  Hanseatic  League,  for  want  of  abetter  name.  Each  district 
includes  the  city,  and  a  part  of  the  adjoining  country. 

Hamburg  is  the  third  city  in  Germany,  and  contained,  in  1807, 
7,904  houses  and  102,000  inhabitants.  It  was  fortified  by  Charle- 
magne A.  D.  808.  The  Elbe  is  here,  including  the  islands,  near 
a  mile  broad.  The  houses  are  rather  commodious  than  elegant, 
and  there  are  few  fine  streets,  the  population  being  overcrowded 
on  account  of  the  fortifications,  built  in  the  old  Dutch  taste,  with 
spacious  ramparts,  planted  with  trees.  It  is  ruled  by  a  senate  of 
37  persons,  the  form  being  aristocratic.  The  religion  is  Lutheran.. 
There  are  considerable  breweries,  and  works  for  refining  sugar, 
with  some  manufactures  of  cloth.  Formerly  the  trade  chiefly  con- 
sisted of  linens,  woollens,  wine,  sugar,  coftee,  spiceries,  metaJs,  to- 
bacco, timber,  leather,  corn,  dried  fish,  furs.  See. ;  but  at  present 
it  is  the  great  mart  of  the  commerce  of  the  British  isles  with  the 
continent.  The  bank  was  founded  in  1619;  and  the  numerous 
libraries  do  honor  to  the  taste  of  the  inhabitants.  Its  chief  de- 
pendencies are  the  river  of  Alster,  the  bailliage  of  Ham,  some 
isles  and  lowlands  on  the  Elbe  ;  and,  besides  some  districts  ac- 
quired from  Holstein,  the  bailliage  of  Ritzebuttel,  on  the  north  of 
the  duchy  of  Bremen,  including  the  portof  Cuxhaven,  and  the  isle 
called  Neuewerk,  situated  opposite  to  that  port.*  It  lies  in  53 
34  32  N. 

*  BusehinS)  2ti,  146—168. 


GERMAN  STATES.  305 

Lubec  stands  on  the  Trave,  a  navigable  river,  emptying  into  the 
Baltic.  It  was  one  of  the  chief  members  of  the  old  Hanseatic 
league.  It  contains  3300  houses,  and  32,000  inhabitants.  Luihe- 
ranism  is  the  established  religion.     The  town  was  built  in  1 144. 

Bremen  is  on  tlie  Weser.  It  contains  5350  houses,  and  42,000 
inhabitants.  The  religion  is  Calvinism.  The  manufactures  and 
trade  are  very  considerable. 

Dantzic  stands  on  the  Vistula  four  miles  from  the  Baltic.  It 
has  generally  been  stiled  the  chief  of  the  Hanse  Towns,  and  so 
early  as  997,  was  a  large  commercial  town.  It  lately  belonged  to 
Prussia.  In  1 804,  it  contained  5355  houses,  and  42,273  inhabitants. 
Here  are  1 2  Lutheran  churches,  two  Calvinistic,  and  one  Roman 
catholic.  The  inhabitants  are  almost  exclusively  Germans.  It  is 
now  occupied  by  a  French  garrison.  From  forty  to  fifty  thousand 
lacts  of  corn  are  annually  exported,  also  timber,  wax,  honey,  hemp, 
flax,  yam,  potash,  cordials,  and  spruce  beer.  Its  manufactures 
are  brandy,  woollen  cloth,  hardware,  and  refined  sugar. 

XV.  The  house  of  Salm.  The  territories  of  this  family  are 
north  of  tile  Lippe,  on  the  frontiers  of  Holland,  and  are  divided 
into  the  principalities  of  Salm-Salm,  and  Salm-Koburg.  Extent 
680  square  miles  ;  population  56,000  ;  revenue  230,000  guilders; 
contingent  323  men. 

XVi.  The  territories  of  the  house  of  Reussen  lie  in  the  south- 
ern part  of  Upper  Saxony,  round  the  sources  of  the  Saale,  com- 
prising the  principalities  of  Graitz  and  Lobenstein,  and  the  coun- 
ties of  Schleitz  and  Ebcrsdorf.  Extent  560  square  miles;  inhab- 
itants 82,000 ;  revenue  420,000  guilders ;  contingent  450  men. 
Graitz  on  tlie  Elster,  a  branch  of  the  Saale,  contains  566  houses, 
and  4500  inhabitants. 

XVII.  The  principality  of  Waldeck,  consisting  of  the  lordship 
ef  Waldeck,  and  the  county  of  Pyrmont,  lies  so\ith  of  Paderborn, 
and  west  of  Hesse,  containing  475  square  miles  and  48,000  inhab- 
itants. Its  revenue  is  375,000  guilders,  and  its  contingent  400 
men.     The  inhabitants  are  chiefly  Lutherans. 

XVin.  The  principality  of  Isenberg  lies  N.  E.  of  Fi*ancforton  the 
Mayn,  comprising  the  counties  of  Birstein,  Budingen,  Wachters- 
bach,  and  Meerholz,  and  containing  25  I  square  miles,  and  43,000 
inhabitants.     Revenues  260,000  guilders  ;  contmgent  291  men. 

Beside  Hanover,  already  described,  there  are  five  other  districts 
north  of  the  Mayn,  which  are  provinces  of  France.  1.  Swedish 
Pomerania,  including  the  island  of  Rugen,  with  Mecklenburg  on 
the  S.  W.  and  Saxony  on  the  S.  It  contains  1446  square  miles, 
and  1 1 6,000  inhabitants.  The  contribution  is  400,000  guilders. 
2.  The  principality  of  Fulda,  N.  of  Wurzburg,  and  E.  of  Isen- 
burg;  712  sijuare  miles;  91,000  inhabitants  ;  revenue,  600,000 
guilders.  3.  County  of  Hanau,  E.  of  Frankfort  on  the  Mayn. 
482  square  miles  ;  66,000  uihabitants;  revenue  820,000  guilders. 
4.  Principality  of  Erfurt  with  Biackenheyn,  inThuringia  ;  square 
miles  350;  population  5 1, OOO";  revenue  300,000  guilders.  5. 
County  of  Catzenelnebogen  on  the  Rhine  and  the  Mayn  ;  square 
miles  137;  inhabitants  18,000;  revenue  80,000  guilders. 

VOL.  XI.  39 


30.6  GERMAN  STATES. 

GERMANY  SOUTH  OF  THE  MAYN. 

THERE  are  two  kingdoms  also  in  this  part  of  Germany,  both 
of  recent  oris^in  ;  but  the  smaller,  states  are  much  less  numerous 
than  in  the  other. 

I.  The  kingdom  of  Bavaria  includes,  not  only  the  old  elccterate 
of  Bavaria,  but  the  principal  part  of  Franconia,  about  one  third  of 
Swabia,  and  the  whole  of  the  Tyrol.  Its  length,  from  Schwein- 
furth  on  the  Mayn,  to  the  southern  part  of  the  Tyrol,  is  300  miles. 
Its  breadth,  from  above  Ulm  on  the  Danube  to  Passau,  is  160 
miles.  It  is  bounded  on  the  E.  by  Bohemia  and  Austria ;  S.  by 
Venice  ;  W.  by  Swisserland,  the  grand  duchy  of  Baden,  and  the 
kingdom  of  Wurtemburg  ;  N.  by  the  Mayn,  and  by  the  principality 
of  Bayreuth.  It  contains  35,870  square  miles,  and  is  divided  into 
15  circles  w'hich  are  named  from  the  rivers  on  which  they  lie. 


1. 

Mayn 

6. 

Upper  Danube 

11. 

Salzac 

2. 

Pegnitz 

r. 

Lech 

12. 

Iller 

S. 

Naab 

8. 

Regen 

13. 

Inn 

4. 

Rezat 

9. 

Lower  Danube 

14. 

Eisak 

5. 

Altmuhl 

10. 

Iscr 

15. 

Etsch 

Bavaria  is  part  of  the  Rlictia  Vi7idclicia,  and  JVoricum  of  the  an- 
cients, and  probably  derived  its  name  from  the  Boiiy  who  first  inhab- 
ited it.  In  the  6th  century  it  became  subject  to  the  Austiian 
kings,  and  was  governed  by  dukes.  In  889  Luitpold,  the  first 
duke  of  the  Francic  family  assumed  the  style  of  king.  His  prog- 
eny extend  to  the  present  day,  though  interrupted  in  946,  when 
Berthoid  dying  without  issue,  the  emperor  Otho  gave  Bavaria  to 
his  brother  Henry  of  Saxony.  In  1071  Welph  son  of  Azo  of  Erte 
became  duke  of  13avaria,  which,  in  1138,  passed  to  the  house  of 
Austria,  and  in  1 154  reverted  to  the  family  of  Welph,  in  the  per- 
son of  Henry  the  Lion.  In  1180  it  finally  returned  to  the  family  of 
Luitpold,  by  the  succession  of  Otho  of  Wittlebach. 

The  Palatinate,  which  belonged  to  Bavaria  before  the  French 
revolution,  lies  on  both  sides  of  the  Rhine.  The  western  half  is 
now  incorporated  with  Frknce,  the  eastern  is  a  part  of  the  grand 
duchy  of  Baden. 

The  population  of  Bavaria,  in  1807,  was  3,2r>l,570;  and  the 
revenue  in  that  year,  17,375,080  guilders.  The  debt,  in  1808,  was 
80,000,000  gui^ers.  The  army,  28,820  infantry ;  5504  cavalry, 
and  1570  artillery  :  total,  35,894.  The  contingent  30,000  men. 
The  established  religion  is  the  Roman  catholic,  with  some  Luthe- 
rans in- the  provinces,  taken  from  Franconia  and  Swabia.  The 
eastern  part  of  Bavaria  is  plain  and  fertile.  The  western  is  moun- 
tainous and  forested,  and  interspersed  with  large  and  small 
lakes.  The  Tyrol  is  almost  made  up  of  ranges  of  mountains,  call- 
ed the  Tyrolese  Alps.  Their  direction  is  N.  E.  and  S.  W.  The 
greatest  elevations  rise  to  the  N.  of  Stirzing,  whence  streams  pro- 
ceed towards  the  Inn,  on  the  N.  and  the  Adige  on  the  S.  The 
glacier  of  Stuben  is  4692  feet  above  the  ocean,  the  Brenner  5109, 
and  the  Gcfrorn,  the  Tributaan  and  the  Bock-kogo  are  still  higher. 
Qn  tlie  highest  mountains  are  foiuid  rubies  and  emeralds,  and  on 


GERMAN  STATES.  30? 

the  lower,  silver,  copper,  lead,  mercury,  iron,  alum,  and  sulphur. 
The  southern  ranges  are  rich  in  wood  and  pasturage,  the  north- 
ern bleak  and  barren.  The  chief  rivers  of  this  kingdom  are  the 
Danube,  the  Inn,  the  Iser,  the  Lech,  the  Nab,  and,  in  the  Tyrol, 
the  Adige.  The  lake  of  Constance  forms  part  of  the  western 
boundary. 

Munich,  the  capital,  stands  upon  the  Iser,  in  48  8  20  N.  It  is  one 
of  the  handsomest  cities  in  Germany,  and  lately  contained  2270 
houses,  and  48,740  inhabitants.  Here  are  manufactures  of  velvet, 
silk,  wool,  and  tapestry.     It  was  built  about  1175. 

Nuremburg  contains  3284  houses,  and  30,000  inhabitants.  It 
stands  on  the  Pegnitz,  and  is  environed  with  double  walls.  It 
contains  17  churches.  The  town  has  long  been  celebrated  for 
its  toys. 

Augsburg,  between  the  Lech,  and  the  Wertach,  in  48  21  41 
N.  is  in  a  fertile  and  delightful  country,  and  is  surrounded  with 
ramparts,  walls,  and  ditches.  It  contained,  in  1807,  3680  houses, 
and  28,534  inhabitants. 

Anspach,  in  1801,  contained  1007  houses,  and  13,928  inhabi- 
tants. It  lies  on  the  Rezat,  13  miles  from  Nuremburg.  Um  lies 
on  the  Danube.  The  inhabitants  are  Lutherans.  In  1803  they 
amounted  to  1 1,289,  and  the  houses  to  1626. 

Innspruck  on  the  Inn,  the  capital  of  the  Tyrol,  contains  1 1,000 
inhabitants. 

Trent  lies  in  a  valley,  on  the  Adige,  in  the  southern  part  of  the 
Tyrol.  It  is  memorable  for  a  grand  council  held  there  from  1545 
to  1563.  It  contains  700  houses,  and  7000  inhabitants,  a  cathedral, 
three  parish  churches,  a  college,  and  several  convents. 

SchweinfurtjOnthe  Mayn,  contains  two  churches,  a  hospital,  and 
a  college.  Its  trade  is  in  cloth,  linen,  and  feathers.  It  has  879 
houses,  and  6361  inhabitants. 

Lindau  stands  on  an  island  in  the  lake  of  Constance,  connected 
Avith  the  main  land  by  a  bridge.  The  castle  and  the  wall,  arc 
reckoned  Roman  works.  The  religion^is  Lutheran.  The  houses 
are  700  in  number  ;  the  inhabitants  5176. 

II.  The  kingdom  of  Wurtemburg,  in  the  central  part  of  Swa- 
bia,  reaches  from  the  Taxt,  a  branch  of  the  Neckai*,  to  within  20 
miles  of  the  lake  of  Constance,  about  120  miles  in  length,  and 
contains  7  220  square  miles.  The  kingdom  of  Ba^varia  lies  on  the 
E. ;  the  same  and  the  grand  duchy  of  Baden,  on  the  S. ;  that 
duchy  on  the  W. ;  and  the  laxt  and  the  Neckaron  the  N.  There 
were  earls  of  Wirtemburg  in  the  12th  centuiy;  and  in  1495  the 
ducal  title  was  conferred  on  earl  Everard.  The  present  duke, 
like  the  electors  of  Saxony  and  Bavaria,  received  the  empty  title 
of  royalty,  and  considerable  additions  to  his  territories,  as  a  com- 
pensation for  his  want  of  fidelity  to  the  empire,  and  for  the  loss  of 
real  independence.  The  population  of  the  kingdom,  in  1807,  was 
1,181 ,372  ;  the  revenue  8,000,000  guilders,  and  the  debt  25,000,000. 
The  army  was  20,000  men,  and  the  contingent  12,000.  The  king- 
dom is  divided  into  12  counties,  Stutgard,  Ludwigsburg,  Hcil- 
bronn,  Dchringen,  Calw,  Rothenburg,  Rothweil,  Urach,  Ehingen, 


308  GERMAN  STATES. 

Altdorf  Schorndorf,  and  Elwangen.  The  soil  is  very  fertile.  The 
mountains  of  the  Black  Forest  on  the  W.  and  those  of  the  Alb  on 
the.  E.  and  S.  diversify  the  face  of  the  country,  and  supply  timber, 
fuel,  and  mines.  Spelt  is  the  chief  grain,  and  some  barley  and 
wheat,  with  flax.  Wine  and  cyder  are  made  in  considerable 
abundance.  There  are  mines  of  silver  at  Freudenstadt,  Konigs- 
wart,  and  Konigstein  ;  and  of  copper  at  Guttach,  near  Hornberg. 
The  religion  is  the  Lutheran,  with  some  Calvinists,  and  some  colo- 
nies of  the  Vaudois.  The  church  is  ruled  by  four  abbots  and  38 
deans.  Education  and  ecclesiastical  studies  are  favored  by  laud- 
able institutions,  particularly  the  seminaries  of  Tubingen  and  Stut- 
gard.  This  last  is  the  chief  town,  and  contained,  in  1808,  2012 
houses,  and  22,680  inhabitants.  The  streets  are  large  and  straight, 
and  the  houses  handsome.  The  town  stands  on  the  Nisenbach, 
two  miles  from  the  Neckar,  and  contains  raanufactoriea  of  stuffs, 
silk  stockings,  and  ribbands.  Tubingen  had,  in  1803,  700  houses, 
and  5765  inhabitants.  It  is  a  place  of  great  antiquity,  and  stands  in 
a  valley  on  the  Neckar.  Heilbronn,  the  same  year,  contained  900 
houses,  and  5485  inhabitants.  It  is  well  built,  contains  three 
churches,  two  convents,  a  seminary,  a  library,  and  public  baths. 

III.  The  grand  duchy  of  Baden,  has  the  kingdoms  of  Wirtem- 
berg  and  Bavaria  on  the  E.  ;  the  lake  of  Constance  and  the  Rhine, 
which  divide  it  from  Swisserland,  on  the  S.  the  Rhine  on  the  W. 
and  on  the  N.  by  the  principality  of  Stackenburg,  in  Hesse,  and  by 
the  Mayn.  It  is  every  where  narrow,  except  near  its  southern  ex- 
tremity ;  but  its  length  exceeds  1 50  miles,  and  the  number  of  square 
miles  is  6030.  The  religion  is  the  Lutheran.  The  population  in 
1807  was  922,649.  In  1808,  the  revenue  was  2,9-53,936  guilders, 
the  expenditure  3,472,765  ;  and  the  debt  18,000,000.  The  army 
contains  12,000  troops,  and  the  contingent  8000.  Manheim,  the 
chief  town,  in  1800,  had  1548  houses,  and  18,818  inhabitants.  It 
is  oiv  the  Neckar  near  its  mouth,  and  was  formerly  the  capital  of 
the  Elector  Palatine.     It  is  strongly  fortified. 

Friburg  stands  on  the  Traisam,  and  contains  900  houses,  and 
7916  inhabitants.  It  is  the  seat  of  a  university  and  contains  13 
churches,  and  10  convents. 

IV.  The  grand  duchy  of  Wurtzburg  lies  on  both  sides  of  the 
Mayn,  and  extends  from  the  Pegnitz,  westward  to  the  limits  of 
Baden,  and  from  Mergentheim  on  the  Tauber,  northward  to  the 
territories  of  the  house  of  Saxe.  It  contains  2126  square  miles, 
and  311,000  inhabitants.  The  revenue,  is  2,800,000  guilders. 
The  debt,  in  1802,  was  3,954,730.  The  army  is  2500  men,  and 
the  contingent  2000.  Wurtzburg,  the  capital,  is  situated  on  the 
Mayn,  and  is  well  fortified,  containing  1913  houses,  and  21,380 
inhabitants. 

V.  The  United  Principalities  compose  a  state  similar  to  the 
New  Hanse-Towns,  and  consist  of  the  Principalities  of  Ratisbon, 
on  the  Danube,  in  the  heart  of  Bavaria,  containing  90  square  miles, 
32,200  inhabitants,  and  Aschaffenburg  on  the  Mayn,  containing 
460  square  miles,  and  in  1802,  67,711  inhabitants  ;  of  the  county 
of  Wezlar  on  the  Lahn,  containing  1 1  square  miles^  and   4988  in- 


AUSTRIA.  309 

habitants;  and  of  the  district  of  Frankfort  on  the  Mayn,  contain- 
ing 88  square  miles,  and  52,000  inhabitants  :  besides  three  hered- 
itary lordships  on  the  north  bank  of  the  Mayn,  near  Aschaffenburg, 
containing  203  square  miles,  and  18,137  inhabitants.  The  wliole 
revenue  is  1,800,000  guilders  ;  the  army  1500  men. 

The  city  of  Ratisbon,  on  the  Danube,  is  an  ancient,  large,  well- 
built,  and  commercial  town,  and  from  1662,  till  within  a  few  years, 
was  the  seat  of  the  diet  of  the  empire.  It  exports  large  quantities 
of  salt,  corn,  wood,  and  all  kinds  of  provisions,  to  Vienna.  It  con- 
tains 1287  houses,  and  22,000  inhabitants. 

Frankfort-on-the-IVIayn,  so  called  to  distinguish  it  fi'om  Frank- 
fort-on-the-Oder,  was  anciently  the  residence  of  the  kings  of  the 
Franks,  and  afterwards  of  the  immediate  successors  of  Charle- 
magne in  the  empire.  Here  the  emperors  of  Germany  have  al- 
ways been  crowned.  It  is  strongly  fortified,  contains  6  Lutheran 
churches,  and  3  Roman  catholic,  a  synagogue,  2997  houses,  and 
37,000  inhabitants.  Two  fairs  are  held  here  annually,  and  the 
trade  is  considerable, 

VI.  The  little  principality  of  Lcyen,  lies  in  Baden,  on  the  Kint- 
zig,  near  its  entrance  into  the  Rhine,  Square  miles  54.  Inhabi- 
tants 4500  ;  revenue  34,000  guilders ;  contingent,  29  men. 

VII.  The  principality  of  Liechtenstein,  containing  the  lordship 
of  Vadutz  and  Schellenburg,  lies  on  the  Rhine,  before  its  entrance 
into  the  lake  of  Constance.  Square  miles  54  ;  inhabitants 
5100  ;  revenue  40,000  guilders  ;  contingent  40  men. 

Here  ought  also  to  be  mentioned  the  principality  of  Bayreuth,  or 
Culmbach,  which  lies  nortli  of  Bavaria,  between  Wurtzburg  and 
Bohemia,  containing  1225  square  miles,  and  233,000  inhabitants; 
and  yielding  a  tribute  of  900,000  guilders.  Bayieuth,  the  capital, 
contains  856  houses,  and  10,000  inhabitants.  Hoff,  on  the  Saale, 
contained  in  1792,  620  houses,  and  4809  inhabitants.  Culmbach, 
in  1800,  412  houses,  and  2859  inhabitants. 


AUSTRIA. 

THE  head  of  the  house  of  Austria,  was  styled,  till  1809, 
emperor  of  Germany,  and  king  of  Bohemia  and  Hungary.  After 
the  termination  of  the  unfortunate  campaign  of  that  year,  the  con- 
stitution of  the  Germanic  body  was  dissolved,  and  Francis  II.  not 
only  lost  a  part  of  his  own  hereditary  dominions ;  but  also  resigned 
the  imperial  crown  of  Germany.  His  remaining  territories,  how- 
ever, were  at  that  time  formed  into  an  empire,  called  the  Empire 
or  Austria  ;  and,  as  its  hereditary  sovereign,  he  still  possesses 
sufficient  power  to  claim  the  third  place  among  the  sovci-eigns  of 
the  continent. 


GIO  AUSTRIA. 

CHAPTER  I. 

HtSrOUICAl.  GEOGIJAPIJV. 

NAMES,  EXTENT,  BOUNDARIES,  DIVISIONS,  ORIGINAL  rOPULATlON, 
PROGRESSIVE  GEOGRAPHY,  HISTORICAL  EPOCHS,  ANTIQUITIES, 
RELIGION,  GOVERNMENT,  LAWS,  POPULATION,  ARMY,  NAVY, 
REVENUE,  EXPENDITURE  AND  NATIONAL  DEBT,  MANNERS  AND 
CUSTOMS,  GYPSIES,  LANGUAGE,  LITERATURE,  EDUCATION,  UNI- 
VERSITIES, CITIES  AND  TOWNS,  EDIFICES,  MANUFACTURES  AND 
"  COMMERCE. 

Mimes.']  THE  archduchy  of  Austria  may  be  considered  as  be- 
longing-, in  part  to  ancient,  PannoTiia,  the  Vindoho7ia  of  the  Romans 
being  the  modern  Vienna.  But  that  half  of  Austria,  which  lies 
north  of  the  Danube,  was  occupied  by  the  Quadi,  a  barbaric  na- 
tion, who  anciently  infested  the  adjoining  provinces  of  Pannonia 
and  Moriciim  ;  for  the  western  part  of  Austria  on  the  S.  of  the 
Danube,  falls  under  the  latter  ancient  appellation.  The  German 
name  and  division  of  Osterich,*  or  the  eastern  kingdom,  softened 
into  Austina  by  the  Italian  and  French  enunciation,  arose  after 
Charlemagne  had  established  the  western  empire,  being  a  rem- 
nant of  the  sovereignty  of  what  was  called  eastern  France,  estab- 
lished by  that  conqueror.  It  was  also  styled  Marchia  Orientalise 
the  eastern  march,  or  boundary  :  and  after  the  failure  of  the  Fran- 
cic  line  became  a  marquisate  feudatory  to  the  dukes  of  Bavaria, 
till  the  emperor  Frederic  Barbarosa,  in  11 56,  constituted  it  a  duchy 
held  immediately  of  the  empire.t  Hungary,  a  part  of  which  be- 
longed to  ancient  Dacia,  derives  its  modern  appellation  from  the 
Ugurs,  a  nation  of  Turkomanic  or  Tataric  origin,  who  after 
spreading  devastation  through  a  great  part  of  Germany,  fixed 
their  residence  here  in  the  10th  century.  In  the  time  of  Charle- 
Tnagne  it  was  possessed  by  the  Avars,  a  Slavonic  people. |  The 
Hungarians  style  themselves  Magiar  ;  and  their  language  is  a 
Finnic  dialect.  Bohemia,  or  the  habitation  of  the  Boii,  was  a  cen- 
tral province  of  Barbaric  Germany,  afterwards  seized  by  a  Slavo- 
nic tribe,  whose  chiefs  were  originally  styled  dukes  of  Bohemia, 
Transylvania,  and  the  Buckovina  are  parts  of  the  province  of  Da- 
da,  founded  by  Trajan.  The  former  is  by  the  Hungarians  callqd 
Erdeli :  by  the  Germans  Sieben-burgen,  or  the  Seven  towns,  from 
a  colony  there  established  ;  the  more  common  name  seems  de- 
rived from  the  woody  passes  of  the  Carpathian  mountains,  and 
•was  imposed  by  the  monkish  writers. 

£xtent.']  The  length  of  Austria,  from  the  eastern  limits  of 
Transylvania,  to  the  western  of  Carinthia,  is  620  miles  ;  the 
breadth,  from  the  Bug,- which  separates  Gallicia  from  the  grand 

•  Several  of  the  German  nnnies  of  Austrian  provinees  clifier  considerably  kVom  our 
appellations:  Carinthia  is  Cam  ten  ;  Carniola,  A'cajh  ,•  Stiria,  Sieyermark  ;  Croatia, 
Crahaten  :  Bohemia,  2<oe/i;7?;«iv  Moravia,  JMxhren.  Galitis,  or  Galitzia  is  wrongly 
styled  Galicia. 

t  D'Anville,  Etats  formes  en  Europe,  p.  51.  :j:  Gibbon,  x.  204. 


AUSTRIA.  311 

duchy  of  Warsaw,  lo  the  Save,  the  frontier  of  Turkey,  is  520. 
The  area  is  given  in  the  table. 

Boundaries.']  Bounded  on  the  W.  by  the  kingdoms  of  Bavaria 
and  Saxony  ;  on  the  N.  by  Prussia  and  Saxony  ;  on  the  E.  by  Rus- 
sia ;  on  the  S,  by  Turkey,  the  Adriatic,  Istria  and  Bavaria.  Aus- 
tria touches  on  the  Adriatic  in  two  places.  The  territory  of 
Trieste  has  a  little  line  of  seacoastj  and  Carniola,  east  of  Istria, 
has  a  greater  extent. 

Divuions.]    The  principal  divisions  of  the  Austrian  dominions 


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812  AUSTRIA. 

Austria  also  possessed,  before  the  campaign  of  1805, 

Square  Miles.       Population. 

1,  The  Tyrol,  10,154         620,854 

2,  Part  of  Bavarian  tt  cifi 

E.  of  thelnn,$  ^^'^^^ 

3,  Part  of  Swabia,  293,433 

4,  Dalmatia,  7,230         296,415 

5,  Venetian  territories,  9,349      1,630,179 

The  three  first  are  now  attached  to  Bavaria.  Dalmatia  and  tlie 
territories  ot  Venice,  under  the  name  of  East  Lombardy,  form  two 
great  divisions  of  the  kingdom  of  Italy.  At  the  commencement 
of  the  French  revolution  Axistria  also  possessed  Lombardy,  or  the 
Duchies  of  Milan  and  Mantua  ;  and  the  Austrian  Netherlands. 
These  last  are  now  an  integral  part  of  France.  Milan  and  Mantua 
belong  to  the  kingdom  of  Italy. 

Original  Pojiulationr\  The  original  population  of  these  exten- 
sive regions  is  various,  but  chiefly  Gothic  and  Slavonic.  The 
native  ancient  Germans,  a  Gothic  race,  form  the  ruling,  most  in- 
dustrious, and  most  important  part  of  the  inhabitants.  Bohemia 
and  Moravia  were  originally  Slavonic  kingdoms  ;  the  people  of 
Poland  may  be  referred  to  the  same  origin  ;  while  those  of  Hun- 
gaiy  are  the  largest  of  the  Finnish  tribes,  and  the  only  one  that 
ever  gained  the  rank  of  a  kingdom.  The  Tranaylvanians  are 
chiefly  Slavonic.  But  a  great  number  of  Saxons  are  found  in  the 
large  towns.  The  Croats  and  Slavonians  are  almost  wholly  of 
Slavonic  origin.     The  number  of  Jews  has  been  mentioned. 

Progressive  Geographij.^  The  progressive  geography  of  the 
southern  part  of  the  Austrian  dornhiions  commences  at  an  early 
period.  Yet  the  Adriatic  was  not  a  favorite  sea  of  the  Gi'eeks  ; 
and  the  Roman  writers  throw  the  first  steady  light  upon  these  re- 
gions. Passing  from  Cisalpine  Gaul  in  defiance  of  the  barriers 
of  the  Rhatian,  and  Carnic,  or  JulianAlps,  now  the  mountains  of  Ty- 
rol, Carinthia,  and  Carniola,  the  Roman  generals  subdued  many 
barbarous  tribes  ;  and  founded  the  provinces  of  Noricum  and  Pan- 
nonia,  their  most  northern  acquisitions  in  this  quarter,  till  Tra- 
jan added  Dacia.  The  Rhjetians  were  subdued  by  Drusus  in  the 
reign  of  Augustus,  under  whose  sway,  or  rather  in  the  time  of  his 
successor  Tiberius,  Pannonia  and  Noricum  also  became  provinces 
of  the  Roman  empire.  Concerning  those  regions  much  informa- 
tion may  be  derived  from  the  luminous  page  of  Tacitus  ;  and 
soon  after,  the  geography  of  Ptolemy  opens  additional  illustra- 
tions. The  common  resources  of  ancient  geography  are  contin- 
ued by  the  Byzantine  writers  ;  and,  after  the  age  of  Charlemagne, 
by  many  historians  of  the  west.  Since  the  invention  of  printing 
to  the  present  period,  the  geography  of  these  extensive  provinces 
has  been  gradually  improved,  though  not  with  the  rapidity  which 
might  have  been  expected,  as  they  unfortunately  have  not  pro- 
duced many  men  of  acute  genius,  extensive  learning,  or  exact 
science  ;  and  the  best  accounts  are  derived  from  writers  in  the 
N.  of  Germany,  and  fi'om  foreign  travellers. 

Historical  Ejiochs.~\    The  historical  epochs  of  various  kingdoms 


AUSTRIA.  313 

*hd  states,  recently  united  under  one  sovereignty,  must  of  course 
be  subdivided  into  tlieir  original  distinct  portions,  beginning  in  the 
order  above-mentioned,  with  the  first  important  state,  around 
v/hich,  as  a  nucleus,  the  others  are  conglomerated  ;  but  pi'oceed- 
ing  thence  to  the  other  provinces,  according  to  their  modern  ex- 
tent and  importance. 

1.  The  house  o(  Austria,  vv^hich,  by  successive  fortunate  mar- 
riages since  the  fifteenth  century,  has 'arisen  to  such  a  summit  of 
power,  is  well  known  to  have  sprung  from  the  humble  counts  of 
Hapsburg.  Those  lords  possessed  a  small  territory  in  Swisser- 
land,  in  the  northern  corner  of  the  canton  of  Berne.  On  a  lofty 
eminence,  crowned  with  beech,  stands  an  ancient  tower,  the  first 
seat  of  the  house  of  Austria.  In  1273  Rodolph  of  Hapsburg  was 
called  to  the  Imperial  throne,  being  at  this  time  lord  of  the  great- 
er part  of  Swisserland  ;  by  the  extinction  of  the  powerful  house 
of  Zaeringcn,  and  that  of  the  counts  of  Kyburg,  whose  joint  in- 
heritance devolving  to  Rodolph,  became  the  basis  of  his  power, 
and  that  of  his  successors.* 

2.  Another  emperor  of  the  house  of  Austria  appeared  in  Al- 
bert, A.  D.  1298  ;  from  whom  the  Swiss  made  their  signal  revolt 
in  1307.  His  son  Frederic  was  obliged  to  yield  the  empire  to 
Louis  of  Bavaria. 

3.  Albert  II.  duke  of  Austria,  A.  D.  1438,  succeeded  to  three 
crowns,  on  the  death  of  his  father-in-law  the  emperor  Sigismond ; 
those  of  Hungary  and  Bohemia  by  inheritance,  and  that  of  the  em- 
pire by  unanimous  election. 

4.  Maximilian  having  married  the  heiress  of  Burgundy,  the 
Netherlands  became  subject  to  the  house  of  Austria  in  1477  ;  and 
his  son  Philip,  in  1496,  marrying  the  heiress  of  Arragon  and  Cas- 
tile, the  ample  dominions  of  Spain  fell  afterwards  under  the  Aus- 
trian sceptre.  Charles  V.  inherited  all  these  domains  :  but  on 
his  resignation,  Spain  and  the  Nethei'lands  devolved  to  his  son 
Philip  II.  ;  and  Austria,  Bohemia,  and  Hungary,  passed  to  Ferdi- 
nand the  brother  of  Charles  V.  who  was  also  chosen  emperor  of 
Germany. 

5.  The  noted  bigotry  of  the  house  of  Austria  was  not  confined 
to  the  Spanish  branch;  for  though  Maximilian  II.  about  1570, 
had  granted  liberty  of  conscience  even  to  the  protestants  of  Aas- 
tria,  yet  those  of  Bohemia,  and  other  parts,  were  afterwards  so  much 
oppressed,  that  the  protestant  piinccs  of  Germany  called  in  Gustaf 
Adolf,  the  celebrated  Swedish  monarch,  to  their  assistance,  who 
shook  the  empire  to  its  very  foundations.  Even  France  supported 
the  protestants,  in  the  view  of  weakening  the  Austrian  power  ; 
and  the  war  continued  till  1648,  when  the  famous  treaty  of  West- 
phalia was  signed,  which  has  served  as  a  basis  for  other  diplo- 
matic transactions. 

6.  The  war  with  France  was  often  rekindled  during  the  long 
reign  of  Leopold  I.  1658,  to  1705  ;  and  in  1683  the  Turks  were 
so  successful  as  to  lay  siege  to  Vienna. 

*  Planta's  Smiss.  i.  170. 
VOL.    11.  40 


S14  AUSTRIA. 

7.  His  son  Joseph  I.  joined  the  allies  against  France,  and 
shared  in  their  success.  He  married  the  daughter  of  John  Fred- 
eric duke  of  Hanover, 

8.  By  the  death  of  the  emperor  Charles  VI.  on  the  20th  Octo- 
ber, 1740,  without  male  issue,  the  house  of  Austria  became  ex- 
tinct The  elector  of  Bavaria  seized  the  kingdom  of  Bohemia, 
and  was  elected  emperor  in  1742,  but  died  in  1745. 

9.  Francis  of  Lorrain,  son  of  Leopold  duke  of  Lorrain,  having 
married  Maria  Theresa,  daughter  of  the  emperor  Charles  VI. 
succeeded  to  the  Austrian  dominions,  which  continue  to  be  held 
by  his  descendants.  In  1745  he  was  elected  emperor,  and  his  suc- 
cessors have  enjoyed  the  imj>erial  crown,  as  if  hereditary. 

10.  The  reign  of  the  emperor  Joseph  II.  a  beneficent  but  im- 
petuous prince,  whose  grand  designs  of  reformation  were  frus- 
trated by  his  ignorance  of  the  inveteracy  of  habits  and  prejudices, 
which  must  ever  be  considered  in  a  due  estimate  of  human  af- 
fairs. 

1 1 .  The  formation  of  the  Austrian  States  into  an  empire  on  the 
dissolution  of  the  Germanic  body  in  1809. 

Having  thus  briefly  marked  the  chief  epochs  of  the  Austrian 
power,  the  events  of  the  subject  kingdoms  and  states  must  be  as 
much  compressed  as  possible.  The  next  in  importance  are  those 
of  the  kingdom  of  Hungary. 

1.  The  Roman  province  of  Dacia.  The  conquest  by  the  Huns  ; 
and  afterwards  by  the  Avars,  and  other  Slavonic  tribes. 

2.  The  conquest  by  the  Ugrians,*  who  continued  under  dukes 
from  their  first  settlement  in  884. 

3.  St.  Stephen  king  of  Hungary,  A.  D.  1000.  The  crown  is 
partly  elective,  and  partly  hereditary  ;  and  among  the  chief  his- 
torical events  are  the  wars  in  Dalmatia,  against  the  Venetians. 

4.  Louis  I.  surnamed  the  great,  A.  D.  1342  ;  subdues  a  great 
part  of  Dalmatia,  and  carries  his  arms  into  Italy.  He  was  suc- 
ceeded by  his  daughter  Mary,  who  was  styled  King  of  Hungary  ; 
but  dying  1392,  the  succession  became  controverted,  and  at  last 
terminated  in  the  election  of  Sigismond,  marquis  of  Brandenburg, 
who  had  wedded  Mary  the  heiress.  In  1411  he' was  chosen  em- 
peror of  Gei'many. 

5.  Albert  of  Austria  having  wedded  Elizabeth  the  heiress  of 
Sigismond,  was,  with  her,  crowned  king  and  queen  of  Hungary,. 
1438  :  an  event  which  forms  the  earliest  basis  of  the  Austrian 
claim  to  the  Hungarian  monarchy.  Upon  the  death  of  Albert, 
Ladislas,  king  of  Poland,  is  also  chosen  king  of  Hungary,  but 
perishes  in  the  battle  of  Werna  against  the  Turks.  The  famous 
John  Hunniades  is  appointed  regent  of  the  kingdom. 

6.  On  the  death  of  another  Ladislas,  the  posthumous  son  of  Al- 
bert of  Austria,  in  1457,  the  celebrated  Mathias  Corvinus,  son  of 

*  The  Ugrians,  as  they  are  called  by  the  Ruasians,  or  M adshares,  as  they  call  them- 
selves, are  the  most  numerous  J'innish  tribe,  and  constitute  the  chief  part  of  the  Hun- 
garian population.  Out  of  Ugrians  the  modern  Europeans  have  made  Hu7ig avians. 
They  are  a  totally  disUnct  race  from  the  Huns  in  ladguage,  appearance,  and  origin. 

Tookc. 


AUSTRIA.  515 

Hunniades,  is  proclaimed  king  of  Hungaiy  by  the  states,  assem- 
bled in  the  plain  of  Rakos,  near  Pest.  In  1485  he  seized  Vienna, 
and  the  other  Austrian  states,  and  retained  them  till  his  death  in 
1490.  Mathias  was  the  greatest  prince  who  had  ever  held  the 
Hungarian  sceptre  ;  brave,  prudent,  generous,  the  friend  of  arts 
and  letters,  and  a  man  of  letters  himself.  He  founded  a  magnifi- 
cent library  at  Buda,  and  furnished  it  with  the  best  Greek  and 
Latin  books,  and  many  valuable  manuscripts. 

7.  After  repeated  contests,  the  house  of  Austria  again  fills  the 
throne  of  Hungary,  in  the  person  of  Ferdinand,  1527,  but  towards 
the  end  of  his  reign  the  Turks  seized  on  the  greater  part  of  this 
kingdom.  On  his  being  chosen  emperor  of  Germany,  Ferdinand 
retained  the  crown  of  Hungary  till  1563,  when  he  resigned  it  to 
his  son  Maximilian  ;  and  it  has  since  continued  a  constant  appan- 
age of  the  house  of  Austria. 

Transylvania  was  a  part  of  ancient  Dacia.  Trajan  formed  it 
into  a  Roman  province.  The  Goths  conquered  it  from  tl'e  Ro- 
mans. The  Scythian  Hunns,  a  Slavonic  nation,  next  subdued  it, 
and  after  them  the  Ugrians  or  Hungarians,  the  most  powerful  of 
the  Finnish  tribes.  In  1004  it  was  first  made  a  province  of  Hun- 
gary, and  was  governed  by  a  waywode  till  1526,  when  two  rival 
princes,  one  the  head  of  the  Protestants,  aided  by  the  Turks,  the 
other  of  the  Catholics,  assisted  by  the  Emperor,  made  it  for  many 
years  the  seat  of  a  civil  war.  In  1540  its  connection  with  Hun- 
gary appears  to  have  been  wholly  and  finally  dissolved.  In  1694, 
Michael  Abaffi,  the  last  prince,  yielded  the  sovereignty  to  the  em- 
peror ;  and  in  1699  Transylvania  was  confirmed  as  a  Princedom 
to  the  House  of  Austria  by  the  Turks.  In  1722  it  was  changed 
from  an  elective  to  an  l^reditary  principality. 

Croatia  was  a  part  of  the  ancient  lUyricuni.  The  Slavi  estab- 
lished themselves  in  it  about  640.  In  the  middle  ages  it  formed 
a  kingdom  subject  to  the  Constantinopolitan  empire.  In  the  elev- 
enth century  with  Dalmatia  it  devolved  to  Hungary,  and  in  1540 
was  annexed  with  both  to  Austria. 

Slavonia  was  also  a  part  of  ancient  lUyricum^  and  is  the  only 
territory  deriving  its  name  from  one  of  the  largest  aboriginal  na- 
tions of  Europe.  The  Slavi  settled  here  about  640.  In  the  mid- 
dle ages  it  was  possessed  alternately  by  the  Venetians  and  Hun- 
garians. SolymaH  the  magnificent  took  it  from  these  last  in  1540, 
and  the  Turks  retained  it  till  1687  ;  when  it  fell  under  the  do- 
minion of  Austria. 

The  historical  epochs  of  the  kingdom  of  Bohemia  deserve  m6rc 
attention. 

1.  In  the  seventh  century  the  Slavons  seizing  on  Bohemia  were 
ruled  by  chiefs  or  dukes,  seemingly  hereditary,  at  least  after  Bor- 
zivoi,  who  embraced  Christianity  in  the  year  894.  In  the  eleventh 
century  Bretislas  subdued  the  little  adjacent  kingdom  of  Moravia. 

2.  Vratislas  duke  of  Bohemia  is  honored  with  the  regal  title 
by  the  emperor  Henry  IV.  in  1086  ;  who  at  the  same  time  invest- 
ed him  with  the  domains  of  Lusatia,  Moravia,  and  Silesia.  But 
this  dignity  was  personal ;  and  tlic  constant  title  of  king  only 


316  AUSTRIA. 

dates  from  Premislas  II.  in  1199.  He  and  his  immediate  sucv 
cessors  arc  styled  Ottocari,  from  their  zeal  in  the  cause  of  the  em- 
peror Otto. 

3.  One  of  the  most  renowned  monarchs  was  another  Premislas 
Ottocar,  -who  ascended  the  throne  in  1253,  seized  Austria  and 
Stiria,  and  other  provinces  to  the  south,  and  carried  his  arms  into 
Prussia.  In  1271  he  refused  the  imperial  crown,  which  was  af- 
terwards given  to  Rodolph  count  of  Plapshurg. 

4.  The  ancient  lineage  having  failed,  John  count  of  Luxem- 
boui'g,  who  had  married  a  daughter  of  Bohemia,  became  king  in 
1310,  and  was  slain  at  the  battle  of  Creci,  fighting  against  the 
English  in  1346.  His  son  and  successor,  Charles,  was  also  em- 
peror of  Germany. 

5.  In  the  reign  of  Wenceslas  VI.  king  of  Bohemia,  and  em- 
peror, John  Huss  having  read  the  books  of  WicklifFe  the  English 
reformer,  introduced  his  docti'ines  into  Bohemia.  He  was  con- 
demned to  the  flames  in  1415.  The  Bohemians  and  Moravian* 
have  since  become  remarkable  for  various  sects  of  religion,  and 
consequent  intestine  commotions.  The  Hussites  under  Ziska, 
repeatedly  defeated  the  troops  of  their  king  Sigismond,  brother  of 
Wenceslas,  and  also  emperor  of  Germany. 

6.  Albert  of  Austria,  having  wedded  the  daughter  of  Sigis- 
mond, received  the  crowns  of  Bohemia  and  Hungary.  But  the 
succession  was  afterwards  controverted  and  infringed  by  George 
Podiebrad,  (a  Hussite  chief,  who  obtained  from  the  weakness  of 
the  emperor  Frederic  III.  of  the  house  of  Austria,  the  crown  of 
Bohemia  in  1459,)  by  Vladislas  son  of  the  Polish  monarch,  and  by 
Mathias  king  of  Hungary. 

7.  Louis,  son  of  Vladislas,  succeeded  his  father  in  the  kingr 
doms  of  Bohemia  and  Hungary;  but  being  slain  at  the  battle  of 
Mohatz,  1526,  the  crown  finally  passed  to  the  house  of  Austria. 

^ndquities.']  The  ancient  monuments  of  the  more  northern 
kingdoms  and  provinces  belonging  to  Austria,  cannot  be  expected 
to  be  very  numerous  or  important.  Vindobona,  and  the  adjacent 
parts  of  Noricum  and  Pannonia,  occasionally  display  Roman  re- 
mains ;  but  the  ruins  of  the  celebrated  bridge  of  Trajan,  over  the 
Danube,  belong  to  Turkey  in  Europe,  being  situated  not  far  from 
AVidin,  in  Bulgaria  :  it  is  supposed  to  have  consisted  of  twenty 
arches,  or  rather  vast  piers  of  stone,  originally  supporting  a  wood- 
en fabric  of  the  length  of  more  than  3,300  English  feet.  In  Hun- 
gary, and  other  pans  of  the  ancient  province  of  Dacia,  appear  ma- 
ny relics  of  Roman  power,  as  military  roads,  ruins,  &c.  and  an 
elegant  historian  remarks,  "  that  if  we  except  Bohemia,  Moravia, 
the  northern  skirts  of  Austria,  and  a  part  of  Hungary  between  the 
Teyss  and  the  Danube,  all  the  other  dominions  of  the  house  of 
Austria  were  situate  within  the  limits  of  the  Roman  empire."* 
Hungary,  and  the  otlier  provinces  of  the  Austrian  dominions,  hav- 
ing been  irequently  exposed  to  the  ravages  of  war,  many  ancient 
monuments  have  perished  ;  yet   several   castles,  churches,  and 

•  Gibbon,  vol.  i.  p.  2^ 


AUSTRIA.  3ir 

monasteries  still  attest  the  magnificence  of  the  founders.*  The 
cathedral  church  of  St.  Stephen,  in  Vienna,  is  a  gothic  fabric  of 
singular  pomp,  and  minute  decoration. 

Betigion.']  The  established  religion  of  the  monarchy  is  the  Ro- 
man Catholic.  Formerly  no  others  were  tol'^-rated.  The  later 
emperors  have  wisely  encouraged  the  settlement  of  protestants. 
Various  sects  are  extensively  spread  over  Bohemia  and  Moravia; 
and  Lutherans  are  found  even  in  Vienna.  In  Hungary  the  Pro- 
testants and  Greeks  are  thought  to  constitute  a  majority  of  the  in- 
habitants ;  though  the  Catholic  religion  is  also  there  established. 
In  Transylvania  Catholics,  Lutherans,  Calvinists,  Socinians,  Ari- 
ans,  Greeks,  Mahometans,  enjoy  their  several  religions.  The 
Mahometans  are  principally  in  the  eastern  parts.  The  Slavoni- 
ans are  zealous  Catholics,  though  Greeks  and  Jews  are  tolerated. 
This  is  equally  true  of  the  Croatians. 

Prague  is  an  archbishopric,  in  Bohemia  ;  and  Presburg,  Gran, 
and  Colocza,  in  Hungary.  Konigsgratz  is  a  bishopric  in  Bohe- 
mia ;  Olmutz  in  Moravia  ;  Neusaz,  Agria,  Vesprin  and  Raab,  in 
Hungaiy  ;  Hermanstadt  in  Transylvania  ;  Posega  in  Slavonia  ; 
and  Agram  in  Croatia. 

Government.']  Austria  was  created  a  marquisate  by  Otho  I.  a 
duchy  by  Frederic  Barbarossa,  and  an  archduchy  in  1477.  In 
1809,  it  was  formed  into  an  hereditary  empire,  with  a  power  near- 
ly absolute,  vested  in  the  sovereign.  Bohemia  is  really  an  hered- 
itary kingdom,  of  which  the  head  of  the  House  of  Austria  has  been 
king  since  1526.  The  States  pretend  to  claim  the  right  of  elec- 
tion to  the  crown.  No  taxes  can  be  raised  without  their  consent, 
nor  except  when  they  are  assembled  ;  still  th'^.y  always  grant  the 
supplies  proposed  by  the  Imperial  Commissioner.  It  is  divided 
into  1 2  circles,  in  each  of  which  are  two  head  men,  appomted  an- 
nually for  the  administration  of  government. 

Hungary  also  is  a  hereditary  kingdom.  The  States  composing 
the  Diet  consist  of  the  prelates,  barons,  gentry,  and  burghers. 
These  meet  at  Presburg.  The  king's  representative  is  called  the 
Palatine. 

Transylvania  has  its  states,  which  meet  at  Hermanstadt.  The 
prince's  representative  is  called  the  Stadtholder. 

Croatia  and  Slavonia  constitute  a  viceroyalty. 

The  Transylvanians,  Slavonians,  and  Croats,  have  always  been 
characterized  by  a  love  of  freedom,  and  an  impatience  of  control  ; 
and  the  emperor  has  found  his  mterest  in  letting  them  live  in  their 
own  manner. 

Laws.]  The  laws  vary  according  to  the  different  provinces, 
almost  every  state  having  its  peculiar  code.  The  Hungarians  in 
particular  have  vigorously  defended  their  ancient  laws,  though  in 
many  instances  illaudable,  the  peasantry  being  in  a  state  of  vil- 
lanage  till  1785.t  In  1786  Joseph  II.  after  suppressing  yillanage 
in  Bohemia  and  Moravia,  extended  the  like  freedom  to  Hungai-y  ; 
and  this  decree  remains  uncancelled,  though  many  of  the  laws  of 

*  Dr.  Brown's  Trav.  part  li.  p.  80.  f  Townson,  lOiJ,  107. 


31t  AUSTRIA. 

that  weJl-meaning,  but  injudicious,  monarch  expired  with  their  au- 
thor. Yet  the  boasted  freedom  of  Hungary  is  rather  that  of  a 
powerful  aristocracy,  than  of  the  people  at  large.  In  general  the 
laws  may  be  regarded  as  mild  and  salutary  ;  and  the  Austrians  in 
particular  are  a  well  regulated  and  contented  people,  while  the 
Hungarians  are  often  dissatisfied,  and  retain  much  of  their  ancient 
animosity  against  the  Germans. 

Population.']  Hassel  estimates  the  population  of  the  Austrian 
dominions  in  1809  at  23,570,000.  The  latest  actual  census  is  that 
of  1801,  which  gave  the  following  results  in  the  territories  now 
belonging  to  Austria  : 


Christian  families  4,284,408 

Jewish        do.  100,315 


Male  Christian  subjects  10,795,189 

Female          do.  11,145,897 

Strangers  and  Paupers  396,545 

Jews  221,045 

JcAvesses  229,861 

Duchy  of  Salzburg*  2 1 7,0 1 8 

Army*  346,79 1 


.4,384,723 


-23,352,347 


Of  the  male  population  41,009  were  clergy;  258,912  nobility  ; 
26,998  officers  of  state  ;  545,714  tradesmen  ;  1,503,873  peasants  ; 
1,013,045  assistants  of  tradesmen  and  peasants;  3,011,049  were 
boys  under  12  years  of  age  ;  and  843,533  were  boys  between  12 
and  17. 

Jrmy.']  The  Austrian  army  in  1809,  is  stated  by  Hassel  as 
follows,  viz. 


Infantry,  81  regiments, 

266,296 

Cavalry,  35  regiments, 

-      47,579 

Artillery, 

13,514 

Engineer  corps, 

146 

Miners,  4  companies,     - 

420 

Sappers,  4     do. 

420 

Pontonncers,  6  do. 

-      629 

Pioneers, 

300 

Sundry  other  corps,     - 

17,000 

Guards, 

387 

346,791 

This  army  was  under  the  command  of  9  field  marshals,  21  mas- 
ters of  ordnance,  U  generals  of  cavalry,  125  field  marshal  lieu- 
tenants, and  272  major  generals.  The  Austrian  army  has  varied 
as  follows,  under  different  emperors  : 

*  The  census  of  Salzburg,  in  the  Archduchy,  appears  only  to  have  been  taken  in 
the  gross.    As  the  army  was  not  included,  we  have  added  it,  as  it  was  in  1809. 


Ferdinand  II.  who  flourished  about  1630 

150,000 

Leopold  I. 

60,000 

Afterwards 

97,000 

Joseph  I. 

130,000 

Charles  VI. 

150,000 

Maria  Theresa 

200,000 

Joseph  II. 

364,000 

Francis  IL 

496,000 

Afterwards 

346,000 

319 


J^avy.~\  Austria  has  a  few  armed  vessels  in  the  harbor  of 
Trieste,  and  a  fleet  of  flat  bottomed  vessels  on  the  Danube. 

Revenue.,  Mx^ienditure,  and  National  DebtT^  The  amount  of  the 
ordinary  revenue,  in  1809,  was  104,000,000  guilders  ;  of  which 
19,000,000  were  raised  from  the  royal  domains,  48,000,000  from 
the  impost,  and  37,000,000  from  the  land,  poll,  and  circulation 
taxes.  The  royal  domain,  in  1 803,  were  estimated  at  350,000,000 ; 
and  the  ecclesiastical  domains  at  80,000,000. 

This  revenue,  exclusive  of  that  from  the  royal  domains  wS* 
proportioned  nearly  as  follows  :  from  the 

Hereditary  States  43,000,000 

Gallicia  18,000,000 

Hungarian  States  24,000,000 


85,000,000 

This  sum  is  chiefly  raised,  as  follows  : 

Mountains,  salt,  and  mines  13,000,000 

Post-ofiice  1,800,000 

Stamps  500,000 

Tobacco  8,000,000 

Lotteries  200,000 

Tolls  24,000,000 

Land  tax  28,OC?O,00O 

Poll  tax  6,000,000 

The  extraordinary  revenue  is  from  12  to  16,000,000. 

The  expenditure  is  from  105  to  1 10,000,000. 

The  sources  of  expenditure  are  stated  by  Hassel,  as  follows  : 
Court  6,500,000 

Corps  Diplomatique  800,000 

Civil  list  16,600,000 

Privy  purse  12,000,000 

Public  buildings  4,000,000 

Pensions  2,600,000 

Harbor  of  Trieste  60,000 

Order  of  Theresia  126,000 

Army  28,000,000 

Interest  of  national  debt  25,000,000 

Other  expenses  10,000,000 


105,686,000 
The  national  debt  is  estimated  at  from  1,200  to  1 ,600,000,000  in- 
cluding from  800  to  1 ,000,000,000  guilders  in  paper  money,  capa- 


520  AUSTRIA. 

blc  of  being  redeemed  at  half  its  nominal  value.  The  circulating^ 
specie  amounts  to  from  100  to  120,000,000  guilders. 

Manners  and  Customs.~\  Various  are  the  manners  and  customs 
of  the  numerous  kingdoms  and  provinces  subject  to  the  house  of 
Austria.  Vienna,  the  capital,  presents  as  it  were  an  assemblage 
of  nations,  in  their  various  dresses.  In  Austria  propc  the  peo- 
ple are  much  at  their  ease  :  and  the  farmers,  and  even  peasantry, 
little  inferior  to  those  of  England.  Travellers  have  remarked  the 
abundance  of  provisions  at  Vienna,  and  the  consequent  daily  lux- 
ury of  food,  accompanied  with  great  variety  of  wines.  The  Aus- 
trian manners  are  cold,  but  civil  ;  the  women  elegant,  but  devoid 
of  mental  accomplishments.  The  youth  of  rank  are  commonly  ig- 
norant, and  of  course  haughty,  being  entire  strangers  to  the  culti- 
vation of  mind,  and  condescension  of  manners,  to  be  found  among 
the  superior  ranks  of  some. other  countries,  a  circumstance  more 
striking  to  the  English  traveller  in  particular  from  the  very  great 
contrast.  An  Austrian  nobleman  or  gentleman  is  never  seen 
to  read,  and  hence  polite  literature  is  almost  unknown  and  unculti- 
vated. In  consequence  of  this  ignorance  the  language  remains 
unpolished  ;  and  the  Austrian  speech  is  one  of  the  meanest  dia- 
lects of  the  German,  so  that  polite  people  are  consti'ained  to  use 
French.  The  lower  orders  are,  however,  little  addicted  to  crimes 
or  vices,  and  punishments  are  rare  :  robberies  are  seldom  commit- 
ted, and  murder  little  known.  When  capital  punishment  becomes 
unavoidable,  it  is  administered  with  great  solemnity,  and  accom- 
paiiied  Vvith  public  prayers,  an  example  worthy  of  universal  im- 
itation. 

The  next  people  in  estimation,  and  the  first  in  numbers,  are  the 
Hungarians.  Their  manners  are  now  considerably  tinctured  by 
those  of  the  ruling  Germans,  but  they  remain  a  spirited  people, 
and  affect  to  despise  their  masters.  Their  dress  consists  of  a  tight 
vest,  mantle,  and  furred  cap,  is  graceful ;  and  the  whiskers  add  a 
military  ferocity  to  their  appearance.  The  Transylvanians  are  a 
medley  of  several  different  nations,  and  are  characterized  by  noth- 
ing but  their  savage  manners,  and  their  impatience  of  restraint. 
The  Slavonians  and  Croatians  are  equally  lawless. 

Gy/isics.^  We  ought,  in  this  connection  to  mention  a  singular 
race  of  people,  dispersed  indeed  over  almost  every  country  in  Eu- 
rope ;  but  found  in  great  numbers  in  the  Austrian  dominions. 
The  Gypsies  made  their  first  appearance  in  Germany,  in  the  1 6th 
century.  Historians  inform  us,  that,  when  Sultan  Selim  conquer- 
ed Egypt,  several  of  the  natives,  refusing  to  submit  to  the  Turk- 
ish yoke,  revolted  under  one  Zinganeus,  (whence  the  Turks  call 
them  Zinganees  ;)  and  agreed  to  disperse  in  small  parties  over  the 
world.  The  French  call  them  Bohemians.  Mr.  Grellman  and  Mr. 
Marsden  consider  them  of  Hindoo  origin.  They  wander  about^in 
Asia  ;  in  the  interior  of  Africa  ;  and,  like  locusts,  have  overrun 
most  European  nations.  Their  whole  number  in  Europe  is  be- 
lieved to  exceed  seven  hundred  thousand.  They  are  found  in  con- 
siderable numbers  in  Great  Britain.  The  vigilance  of  the  police 
has  rendered  them  less  numerous  in  France.     In  Spain  they  arc 


AUSTRIA.  321 

believed  to  amount  to  eighty  thousand.  They  are  somewhat  nu- 
mei'ous  in  Germany,  Denmark,  Sweden  and  Russia.  In  Itaiy  they 
abound,  particularly  in  the  states  of  the  church.  But  their  chiet" 
population  is  in  the  8.  E.  parts  of  Europe,  particularly  in  Hunga- 
ry, Transylvania,  and  various  parts  of  Turkey,  which  seems  ever  to 
have  been  the  place  of  general  rendezvous  for  the  Gypsy  tribes. 
England  endeavoured  to  expel  them  in  1530;  France  in  1560; 
and  Spain  in  1591  ;  but  never  with  complete  success. 

For  three  centuries  they  have  continued  the  same,  wherever 
they  have  gone  ;  unaltered  by  the  lapse  of  time,  the  variation  of 
climate,  and  the  force  of  example.  Their  physiognomy,  and 
their  manners  ai-e  equally  singular  in  every  country.  Their 
swarthy  complexion  is  the  same  in  Africa,  and  in  Europe.  They 
acquire  no  additional  laziness  in  Spain  ;  and  no  new  industry  in 
England.  Religion,  powerful  in  its  influence  over  most  ignorant 
tribes,  is  here  impotent  ;  and  the  cross  and  the  crescent  are  be- 
held with  equal  indiftcrence.  In  the  neighborhood  of  civilized 
life,  they  continue  barbarous ;  and  in  the  midst  of  cities  and  vil- 
lages, they  live  in  tents  and  holes  of  the  earth,  and  wander  from 
place  to  place  as  fugitives  and  vagabonds. 

They  are  passionately  fond  of  ornaments  and  of  plate.  Their 
principal  occupations  are  smith's  work,  or  tinker's,  or  wooden 
ware,  and  horse-dealing.  In  Hungary  and  Transylvania  tliey  are 
executioners,  flayers  of  dead  beasts,  and  washers  of  gold.  The 
women,  many  of  whom  are  addicted  to  prostitution,  deal  in  old 
clothes,  and  fortune-telling.  The  majority  of  both  sexes  arc 
lazy  beggars,  and  thieves.  They  are  fond  of  their  children. 
Their  diseases  are  the  measles,  smallpox,  and  weak  eyes,  occa- 
sioned by  smoke.  They  live  to  an  advanced  age.  Their  reme- 
dies in  sickness  are  saffron  in  their  soups,  and  bleeding.  The 
Austrian  gypsies  are  particularly  fond  of  cattle  that  die  of  any  dis- 
temper ;  acting  on  the  principle,  "  that  the  Jlesh  of  a  bcasty  'which 
God  killsf  must  be  better  than  that  of  one  killed  by  man" 

In  Transylvania,  they  have  a  sort  of  regular  government.  Their 
chiefs  are  styled  Waytvodes,  and  are  elected  .^rom  the  children  of 
former  chiefs.  They  have  no  sense  of  religion.  They  speak 
every  where  the  language  of  the  country  ;  but  have  all  one  pecu- 
liar language,  which  is  every  where  the  same.  Music  is  the  only 
science  of  which  they  are  fond. 

Their  train  of  thinking  is  childish  ;  and  the  little  reason,  which 
they  possess,  is  wholly  devoted  to  the  gratification  of  appetite. 
They  are  lively,  loquacious,  and  chattering  ;  fickle  and  inconstant ; 
faithless  and  ungrateful  ;  timid  and  servile  ;  cruel  and  revenge- 
ful. They  arc  excessively  addicted  to  ardent  spirits  ;  and,  what 
would  hardly  be  expected,  are  universally  vain.  While  they  con- 
tinue insensible  of  religion,  all  attempts  to  civilize  will  probably 
be  ineffectual. 

Language.']  The  languages  spoken  in  these  aggregated  do- 
minions are  numerous  and  discrepant.  They  belong  chiefly  to 
three  grand  divisions,  the  Gothic  or  German  of  the  rliling;  nation  ; 

VOL.   II.  41 


322  AUSTRIA. 

the  Slavonic  of  the  Poles,*  part  of  the  Hungarians,  and  also  the 
ancient  speech  used  in  Bohemia  and  Moravia :  and  lastly  the 
Hungarian,  which  is  a  hranch  of  the  Finnic.  Among  people  of 
rank  at  Vienna,  the  French  was  formerly  prevalent. 

Literaiure.'^l  The  literary  history  of  the  Austrian  dominions 
cannot  ascend  to  a  i-emote  period.  That  of  Austria  proper  in  par- 
ticular, is  little  interesting,  and  even  the  chronicles  and  lives  of 
saints  are  comparatively  recent.  If  the  emperor  Maximilian, 
grandfather  of  Charles  V.  be  the  author  of  an  eccentric  poem  al- 
kvding  to  the  events  of  his  own  life,  and  usually  ascribed  to  him, 
though  many  assign  it  to  his  chaplain,  he  may  be  considered  as 
the  father  of  Austrian  literature,  as  well  as  of  Austrian  greatness. 
But  the  succession  of  authoi's  is  interrupted  ;  and  many  of  those 
who  flourished  at  Vienna  were  aliens.  In  the  medical  branch. 
Van  Swieten,  Storck,  and  others  have  acquired  deserved  celebrity. 

Bohemia  and  Hungary  have  no  ancient  claims  to  literature. 
Cosmas  of  Prague,  a  venerable  historian,  flourished  about  the  year 
130;  and  Hungary  has  a  contemporary  father  of  history  in  the 
aiionymovis  notary  of  king  Bela.f  The  encouragement  given  to 
writers  by  the  celebrated  Mathias  Corvinus  little  stimulated  na- 
tive literature.  There  js  no  Hungarian  writer  particularly  cele- 
brated among  the  modern  Latin  classics ;  nor  is  the  native  lan- 
guage yet  known  by  any  work  commanding  celebrity.  Baron  du 
Born,  a  native  of  Transylvania,  has  written  many  able  works  in 
natural  history  ;  but  he  used  the  Latin  and  French  languages. 
The  causes  which  have  retai'ded  the  progress  of  letters  and  phi- 
losophy in  the  Austrian  dominions  are  the  coarseness  of  the  Ger- 
iTian  dialect,  and  the  absence  of  the  Slavonic  and  Hungarian  from 
the  learned  languages  of  Europe  ;  the  military  education  of  the 
nobility,  and  that  metaphysical  bigotry,  which  perverts  their  ra- 
tional powers,  and  blights  every  bud  of  genius  and  solid  knowl- 
edge. 

Educaiio7i.~\  The  empress  Theresa  instituted  schools  for  the 
education  of  children,  but  none  for  the  education  of  teachers. 
Hence  the  children  are  taught  metaphysics  before  they  know 
Latin  ;  and  a  blind  veneration  for  the  monks  forms  one  of  the  first 
exertions  of  nascent  reason.  Yet  the  example  is  highly  laudable, 
and  Avith  all  its  disadvantages  may  lead  to  important  consequences. 

Univeraities.^  The  universities,  like  those  in  other  catholic 
countries,  little  promote  the  progress  of  solid  knowledge.  The 
sciences  taught  with  the  greatest  care  are  precisely  those  which 
are  of  the  smallest  utility.  The  university  of  Vienna  has,  since 
the  year  1752,  been  somev/hat  improved.  It  was  founded  in  1237, 
and  that  of  Prague  in  1347;  that  of  Inspruck  only  dates  from 
1677,  and  Gratz  from  1585.  Hungary  chiefly  boasts  of  Buda, 
though  the  Jesuits  instituted  academies  at  Raab  and  Caschau.  A 
late  traveller!  informs  us  that  that  the  university  of  Buda,  by  the 
Germans  called  Offen,  possesses  an  income  of  about  twenty  thou- 

*  Nor  is  it  disused  in  Bohemia,  wl.ich  may  be  regarded  as  the  extreme  western. 
Smit  of"  the  Sljivonic  tongite  ;  for  ihe  people  extend  to  the  mouth  of  the  Elbe, 
t  Katoiia,  Hist.  Cpit.  Hung.  Prolcg.  ^  Townson,  p.  79. 


AUSTRIA.  335 

sand  pounds  sterlinc^,  only  four  thousand  of  which  ai-e  applica  to 
pay  the  salaries  of  the  professors.  "  Besides  the  visual  cliairs 
which  exist  in  every  university,  there  are  those  of  natural  history, 
botany,  and  economy.  The  collection  of  instruments  for  natural 
philosophy,  and  the  models  of  machines,  are  good ;  and  the  mu- 
seum of  natural  history,  which  contains  the  collection  of  the  late 
professor  Filler,  besides  that  of  the  university  may  be  ranked 
among  the  fine  collections  of  Europe."  There  is  a  calvinist  col- 
lege or  university  at  Debretzin  :  and  the  bishop  of  Erlau  has  re- 
cently established  a  splendid  university  at  that  city. 

Cities  and  Towns.']  Vienna,  the  chief  city  of  the  Austrian  do- 
minions, lies  on  the  S.  or  rather  W.  side  of  the  Danube,  in  a  fer- 
tile plain  watered  by  a  branch  of  that  river,  (beyond  Avhich  stands 
the  suburb  of  Leopoldstadt,)  and  by  the  little  river  Wien.  The 
Danube  is  here  very  wide,  and  contains  several  woody  isles  :  the 
country  towards  the  N.  and  E.  is  level,  but  on  the  S.  and  W.  hilly, 
and  variegated  with  trees.  It  is  founded  on  the  site  of  the  ancient 
Vindobona ;  but  was  of  little  note  till  the  12th  century,  when  it  be- 
came the  residence  of  the  dukes  of  Austria,  and  Avas  fortified  in  the 
manner  of  that  age.  The  manufactures  are  little  remarkable, 
though  some  inland  commerce  be  transacted  on  the  noble  stream 
of  the  Danube.  The  number  of  inhabitants  was  in  1 801 ,  232,049, 
and  of  houses,  6,649.  The  suburbs  are  far  more  extensive  than 
the  city,  standing  at  a  considerable  distance  from  the  walls.  The 
houses  are  generally  of  brick  covered  with  stucco,  in  a  more  dura- 
ble manner  than  commonly  practised  in  England ;  the  finest  sand 
being  chosen,  and  the  lime,  after  having  been  slacked,  remain- 
ing for  a  twelvemonth,  covered  with  sand  and  boards,  before  it  is 
applied  to  the  intended  use.  The  chief  edifices  are  the  metropo- 
litan church  of  St.  Stephen,  the  imperial  palace,  library,  and  arse- 
nal, the  house  of  assembly  for  the  states  of  lower  Austria,  the 
council  house,  the  university,  and  some  monasteries.  The  impe- 
rial park,  is  an  island  on  the  Danube  well  planted  with  wood  ;  and 
to  the  S.  is  the  chap^  of  Herenhartz,  which  during  Lent  is  much 
frequented  for  the  sake  of  amusement,  as  well  as  of  devotion. 
Provisions  of  all  kinds  abound  in  Vienna,  particularly  wild  boars, 
venison,  and  game.  The  people  delight  in  the  combats  of  wild 
beasts,  and  of  bulls.  In  one  of  the  suburbs  is  the  palace  of  Belvi- 
dere,  which  formerly  belonged  to  prince  Eugene  ;  and  at  the  dis- 
tance of  a  few  miles  stands  Schonbrun,  another  imperial  palace. 
Though  Vienna  be  much  exposed  to  the  northern  and  eastern 
winds,  yet  the  southern  hills  serve  as  a  fence  against  the  rain,  and 
the  traveller  rather 'complains  of  dust  than  of  moisture.  The 
pleasantness  of  the  environs  in  general  is  improved  by  the  happy 
aspect  of  the  Austrian  peasantry. 

The  honor  of  the  second  city  in  the  Austrian  dominions  must 
be  claimed  by  Prague,  the  population  being  80,317,  and  the  houses 
3,237.  This  metropolis  of  Bohemia  stands  on  both  sides  of  the 
river  Mulda,  over  which  there  is  a  noble  bridge  of  stone,  founded 
in  1357.  The  fortifications  are  of  small  moment ;  but  the  houses 
arc  of  stone,  and  commonly  three  stories  in  height.     This  city  has 


S24  AUSTRIA. 

had  the  fatality  of  being  exposed  to  IVequeiit  sieges,  commonly 
fortunate  to  the  aggressors.  About  a  sixth  part  of  the  population 
consists  of  Jews. 

The  third  city  is  Lemberg,  or  Leopold,  in  Gallicia.  Its  situa- 
tion is  low  on  the  banks  of  the  Peltew  just  above  its  entrance  into 
the  Bug,  being  surrounded  with  hills  and  mountains,  which  com- 
mand the  town.  It  was  made  an  archbishopric's  see,  in  1561- 
The  fortifications  ai'e  in  the  Polish  manner,  merely  of  timber. 
The  houses  are  2850  in  number  ;  and  the  inhabitants  in  1808,  were 
estimated  at  50,000,  being  a  mixture  of  several  nations. 

Next  stands  Gratz,  the  capital  of  Stiria,  supposed  to  contain 
40,000  souls,  and  4600  houses.  This  city  stands  on  the  west  side 
of  the  river  Muehr,  joined  by  abi'idge  to  an  extensive  suburb  on 
the  opposite  bank.  There  are  regular  fortifications  ;  and  on  a 
bold  rock  near  the  river  is  placed  a  strong  citadel. 

Pest  is  a  royal  and  free  town  of  Hungary  on  t)ie  east  side  of  the 
Danube,  opposite  Buda,  103  miles  S.  £.  of  Vienna,  It  has  suffer- 
ed much  in  the  wars  with  the  Turks.  The  supreme  court  of  ap- 
peal is  held  here.  The  town  contains  a  large  military  hospital,  6 
convents,  several  churches,  and  in  1807,  2909  houses,  and  36,000 
inhabitants. 

Debretzin,  also  in  Hungary,  stands  on  a  branch  of  the  Thcis  in 
47  30  N-  Its  houses  in  1806  amounted  to  3600  and  its  inhabi- 
tants to  35,000. 

Presburg,  the  capital  of  Hungary,  only  contains  32,000  inhabi- 
tants, its  precedence  being  of  modern  date,  after  Bvida  the  ancient 
capital  had  been  repeatedly  taken  by  the  Turks.  Presburg  is 
beautifully  situated  on  the  Danube,  towards  the  western  extremity 
of  Hungary,  being  only  about  35  British  miles  to  the  east  of  Vien- 
na ;  but  the  position  is  still  more  uncentrical  than  that  of  Buda. 
The  Danube  is  here  very  rapid,  and  about  250  yards  in  breadth. 
About  one  quarter  of  the  inhabitants  are  Lutherans,  who  are  so 
opulent  as  to  pay  about  one  half  the  taxes.  A  good  theatre,  and 
convenient  coffee-houses  contribute  to  the  pleasure  of  the  inhabi- 
tants.    Jews  also  abound  in  this  city. 

Thcresienstadtin  lat.  46  6  N.  stands  near  a  branch  of  the  Theis, 
and  contains  about  2380  houses,  and  28,000  inhabitants. 

Szegedin  is  built  ncEvr  the  confluence  of  the  Maros  and  the 
Theis,  and  is  well  fortified.  Its  trade  is  chiefly  in  cattle.  In 
1808  it  contained  25,347  inhabitants. 

Cracow,  in  Gallicia,  the  ancient  capital  of  Poland,  stands  on  the 
Vistula,  near  it  source.  It  has  a  castle,  but  is  weakly  fortified. 
In  1808,  its  houses  amounted  to  1,992,  and  the  inhabitants  to  about 
25,000. 

Buda,  by  the  Germans  called  Offen,  the  ancient  metropolis  of 
Hungary,  contained,  in  1787,  1,640  houses,  and  24,872  inhabitants. 
Here  are  hot-springs  of  some  celebrity.  The  people,  like  those 
of  Vienna,  delight  in  bull-fights  and  exhibitions  of  wild  beasts. 
In  1784  the  seat  of  the  provincial  government  was  transferred 
from  Presburg  to  this  place. 

Brurnij  the  capital  of  Moravia,  is  built  at  the  conflux  of  the 


AUSTRIA.  52  5 

Schwarsaw  and  the  Surtawa,  tributaries  of  the  Danube.  It  has 
considerable  manufactures  of  cloth,  velvets  and  plush.  The  diets 
are  held  alternately  at  Brunn  and  at  Olmutz.  It  is  defended  by  a. 
strong  fortress,  has  6  cloisters,  a  collegiate  church,  and  a  college 
of  Jesuits,  and  in  1801  contained  1,621  houses,  and  23,598  inhab- 
itants. 

Trieste  lies  on  the  N.  E.  part  of  the  Adriatic,  called  the  gulf  of 
Trieste.  The  harbor  is  well  fortified,  and  the  trade  considerable. 
It  contained,  in  1801,  23,633  inhabitants,  and  only  1,210  houses. 

Schemnitz,  the  largest  of  the  mine-tovv^ns  in  Hungary,  lies  be- 
tween hills,  in  a  long  valley.  The  houses,  1692  in  number,  stand 
scattered  a  considerable  way  up  the  acclivities  on  both  sides. 
The  inhabitants  are  22,241  in  number,  of  whom  two  thirds  are 
Protestants. 

Brody,  on  the  confines  of  Russian  Poland,  was  estimated  to  con- 
tain, in  1808,  21,000  inhabitants. 

Laybach,  in  Carniola,  on  the  Laybach,  a  branch  of  the  Save,  in 
1808,  contained,  1,394  houses,  and  20,000  inhabitants. 

Linz,  or  Lintz,  lies  on  the  Danube,  in  14  E.  and  is  a  handsome, 
well  built  town.  It  is  the  capital  of  the  province,  west  of  the  Ens, 
sometimes  called  Upper  Austria,  and  in  1808  contained  998 
houses,  and  18,754  inhabitants. 

Cronstadt  is  in  the  S.  E.  part  of  Transylvania  near  the  borders 
of  Walachia,  from  which  it  is  separated  by  lofty  mountains.  It 
contains  2010  houses,  and  18,1 18  inhabitants,  consisting  of  Bulga- 
rians, Hungarians  and  Saxons. 

Erlau,  in  Hungary,  ia  lat.  47  53  N.  Ion.  20  30  E.  contained,  in 
1808,  15,942  inhabitants, 

Salzburg,  on  the  borders  of  Bavaria,  contained,  in  1805,  15,508 
inhabitants. 

Zomber,  a  little  east  of  the  Danube,  in  Hungary,  near  the  con- 
fines of  Turkey,  contained,  in  1808,  14,956  inhabitants. 

Clausenburg,  or  Colosvar,  in  Transylvania,  on  the  Samos,  a  trib- 
utary of  the  Theis,  contains  1060  houses,  and  14,522  inhabitants. 
This  is  the  Zeugma  of  the  ancients,  and  in  Latin  Ciaudiopolis.  It 
is  surrounded  by  an  ancient  thick  wall,  and  is  the  principal  seat  of 
the  Unitarians  in  Transylvania. 

Miskolez,in  Hungary,  near  the  confines  of  Silesia,  colains  2400 
houses,  and  13,500  inhabitants. 

Hermanstadt  in  Transylvania,  on  the  river  Szebcn,  is  fortified 
with  a  double  wall,  and  a  deep  moat.  It  contained,  in  1785,1 3,3 1 3 
inhabithnts. 

Neusatz,  on  the  Danube,  in  Hungary,  opposite  the  \illagc  of 
Peterwardein,  in  Slavonia,  is  a  bishop's  see,  and  well  foitified. 
The  inhabitants,  who  are  Rascians,  amounted,  in  1808,  to  13,262, 
and  the  houses  to  2000. 

Raab,  or  Gyor,  is  a  strong  fortress  of  Hungary,  28  miles  from 
Presburg,  in  a  pleasant  country,  at  the  conflux  of  the  Danube,  the 
Raab,  and  the  Rabnitz.  Its  houses,  1,610  in  number,  are  all  of 
stone.     The  population,  in  1810,  was  13,071. 

Of  the  remaining  towns  none  are  so  large  as  to  demand  a  minute 


«26  AUSTRIA. 

descnption.  In  Bohemia,  Reichenberg  contains  10,500  inhabi- 
tants  :  in  Moravia,  Iglau,  10,948,  Olmutz  8,595,  Troppau  8000, 
Nickolsburg  7,520  :  in  the  archduchy,  Neustadt  10,680,  Hallstadt 
8000:  in  Croatia,  Agram,  8,900,  Bukari  7,805,  Fiume  11,000: 
in  Carinthia,  St.  Andre,  8,900,  Klagenfurt,  on  the  Drave,  11,000  : 
in  Carniola,  Goritz,  12,000:  in  Slavonia,  Semlin,  7,089  :  in  Gal - 
licia,  Jaroslaw,  12,000,  Jaszbereny  12,000,  Lublin  7,400  :  in  Hun- 
gary, Csaba  12,000,  Eger  7,544,  Eszeg  7,656,  Furfkirchen  8,925, 
Cavdszag,  9,000,  Carlsburg  11,279,  Kaschau  12,000,  Comorn 
12,067,  Kremnitz  10,200,  Fasarhely  8,500,  Nagykoros  12,000, 
Oedenburg  12,319,  Smolnitz  9,000,  Stulweissenberg  12,248  :  and 
in  Transylvania  Temeswar,  10,097. 

Edifices.~\  The  chief  public  edifices  are  at  Vienna,  Buda,  and 
Pest,  but  there  are  many  splendid  churches  and  monasteries  in 
the  several  regions  of  the  Austrian  dominions.  JMany  of  the 
Hungarian  nobility,  who  liave  vast  estates,  possess  castles  of  cor- 
responding magnificence.  Amongst  the  chief  are  the  Palesy,  Scha- 
ki,  Erdoby,  Sichy,Forgathese,  Kohari,  Karoly  ;  but  above  all  Ester- 
hazy,  whose  castle,  about  a  day's  journey  from  Presburg,  is  said 
to  rival  Versailles  in  pomp  ;  and  seems  also  to  rival  that  palacci 
in  the  surrounding  desolation,  being  in  a  morassy  country  near 
tlie  Ncusidler  lake.* 

Manufactures  a7id  Commcrc€.~\  Manufactures  do  not  seem  to 
be  cultivated  to  a  great  extent  in  any  part  of  the  Austrian  domin- 
ions. Vienna  perhaps  equals  any  other  of  the  cities  in  manufac- 
tures, which  ai*e  chiefly  of  silk,  gold  and  silver  lace,  cloths,  stuffs, 
stockings,  linen,  mirrors,  porcelain  ;  with  silver  plate,  and  sev- 
eral articles  in  brass. f  Bohemia  is  celebrated  for  beautiful  glass 
and  paper.  The  linen  manufactures  of  Bohemia  amount  annual- 
ly, according  to  Hoeck,  to  16,000,000  florins,  beside  some  in  wool 
and  in  cotton.  The  woollen  manufacture  at  Lintz,  employs 
30,000  persons  ;  and  in  the  whole  archduchy  there  are  7  great 
manufactures  of  cotton  cloth,  which  employ  140,000  persons.  But 
the  commerce  of  the  Austrian  dominions  chiefly  depends  upon 
their  native  opulence  ;  Austria  proper  and  the  southern  provinces 
producing  abundance  of  horses  and  cattle,  corn,  flax,  saffron,  and 
various  wines,  with  several  metals,  particularly  quicksilver  from 
the  mines  of  Idria.  Bohemia  and  Moravia  are  also  rich  in  oxen 
and  sheep,  corn,  flax,  and  hemp  ;  in  which  they  are  rivalled  by 
the  dismembered  provinces  of  Poland.  The  wide  and  marshy 
plains  of  Hungary  often  present  excellent  pasturage  for  numer- 
ous herds  of  cattle  ;  and  the  more  favored  parts  of  that  country 
produce  corn,  rice,  the  rich  wines  of  Tokay,  and  tobacco  of  an  ex- 
quisite flavor,  with  great  and  celebrated  mines  of  various  metals 
and  minerals.  The  Austrian  territories  in  general  are  so  abun- 
dant in  the  various  necessaries  and  luxuries  of  life,  to  be  found 
either  in  the  north  or  south  of  Europe,  that  the  imports  seem  to 
be  few  and  inconsiderable.  The  chief  exports  are  froin  the  port 
of  Trieste,  consisting  of  quicksilver  and  other  metals,  with  wines 

•  Eiesbeck,  ii.  49, 6C.  f  Busching,  ^i.  540.    See  Hoeck, 


AUSTRIA.  327 

and  various  native  products.  Dr.  Townson  gives  a  table  of  the 
exports  of  Hungary  for  one  year,  from  which  it  appears  that  they 
consisted  chiefly  of  cattle,  hogs,  sheep,  flour,  wheat,  rye,  wool, 
and  wine,  carried  to  other  Austrian  provinces  ;  and  only  about 
one-seventh  part  sent  to  foreign  countries. 


CHAPTER  H. 


NATURAL  GEOGRAPHY. 

CLIMATE  AND  SEASONS,  FACE  OF  THE  COUNTRY,  SOIL  AND  AGRI- 
CULTURE, RIVERS,  LAKES,  MOUNTAINS,  FORESTS,  BOTANY,  ZOO- 
LOGY, MINERALOGY,  MINERAL  WATERS,  NATURAL  CURIOSITIES- 

Climate  and  Seasons.']  THE  climate  of  Austria  proper  is 
commonly  mild  and  salubrious,  though  sometimes  exposed  to  vi- 
olent winds,  and  the  southern  provinces  in  general  enjoy  delight- 
ful temperature,  if  the  mountainous  parts  be  excepted.  The 
more  northern  regions  of  Bohemia  and  Moravia,  with  the  late  ac- 
quisitions in  Poland,  can  likewise  boast  the  maturity  of  the  grape, 
and  of  gentle  and  favorable  weather.  The  numerous  lakes  and 
morasses  of  Hungary,  and  the  prodigious  plains,  are  supposed  to 
render  the  air  damp  and  unwholesome,  the  cold  of  the  night  ri- 
valling the  heat  of  the  day  ;  but  tlie  blasts  from  the  Carpathian 
mountains  seem  in  some  measure  to  remedy  these  evils,  the  in- 
habitants being  rather  remarkable  for  health  and  vigor. 

Face  of  the  Country.]  The  appearance  of  the  various  regions 
subject  to  Austria  is  rather  mountainous  than  level,  presenting  a 
striking  contrast  in  this  respect  to  those  of  Russia  and  Prussia. 
Tlie  Tyrolese  Alps  branch  out  on  the  S.  and  N.  of  Carinthia  and 
Carniola.  Stiria  displays  chains  of  considerable  elevation.  The 
southern  lintit  of  Austria  proper  is  marked  by  other  heights  ;  and 
Bohemia  and  Moravia  are  almost  encircled  by  various  mountains, 
which  on  the  cast  join  the  vast  Carpatliian  chain,  that  winds  along 
the  north  and  east  of  Hungary  and  Transylvania,  divided  from 
each  other  by  another  elevated  ridge  :  the  dismembered  provinces 
of  Poland,  though  in  the  south  they  partake  of  the  Carpatluan 
heights,  yet  afford  the  widest  plains  to  be  found  within  the  limits 
of  the  Austrian  power. 

The  general  face  of  the  Austrian  dominions  may  be  pronounced 
to  be  highly  variegated  and  interesting  ;  and  the  vegetable  pro- 
ducts of  both  the  north  and  south  of  Europe  unite  to  please  the 
eye  of  the  travi  licr. 

Soil  and  jigrindture.]  The  soil  is  upon  the  whole  extremely 
fertile  and  productive,  in  spite  of  the  neglect  of  industry,  which 
has  permitted  many  parts  of  Hungary,  and  of  the  Polish  provinces, 
to  pass  into  wide  forests  and  marshes.  The  latter  country,  par- 
ticularly in  many  places,  exhibits  few  symptoms  of  an  inhabited 
and  still  less  of  a  civilized  region.  Were  skill  and  labor  to  as- 
sume the  axe  and  spade,  those  very  parts  might  display  the  great- 


328  AUSTRIA. 

est  exuberance  of  fertility.     The  state  of  agriculture  in  Moravia 
is  superior  to  the  rest,  beins^  improved  by  Flemish  farmers. 

The  following  is  the  estimate  furnished  by  Hassel  of  the  distri- 
bution of  the  Austrian  territories. 

Square  Jochs. 

Ploughland         -         -  19,500,000 

Pasture         -         -         -        9,200,000 

Meadows  -         -  12,500,000 

Gardens       -  .  -         2,501,000 

Wine-mountains      -  1,250,000 

Water  .         .         -         1,500,000 

Forests  -  -  28,407,500 


78,858,500 

The  square  joch  appears  to  be  a  very  little  more  than  two  acres. 

RiversJ]  After  the  Danube,  which  has  already  been  described, 
the  river  next  in  consequence  is  the  Teis,  which  rising  from  the 
Carpathian  mountains,  towards  Buckovina,  and  bending  towards 
the  west,  receives  many  tributary  streams  from  that  Alpine  chain  ; 
and  afterwards  turning  to  the  S.  falls  into  the  Danube  not  far  to 
the  W.  of  Belgrade,  after  a  course  of  about  420  miles.  At  Bel- 
grade the  Danube  receives  the  Sau,  or  Save,  which  forms  a 
boundary  between  Austria  and  Turkey,  rising  not  far  from  Idria 
in  the  mountains  of  Carniola,  and  pursuing  a  course  nearly  equal 
in  length  to  that  of  the  Tiess.  That  of  the  Drau,  or  Drave,  ex- 
tends to  about  350  miles,  from  its  source  in  the  eastern  mountains 
of  Tyrol,  till  it  joins  thb  Danube  below  Esseg. 

The  Inn  rises  in  the  E.  of  Swisserland,  from  the  mountain  of 
Maloggia  in  the  Grisons,  being  a  point  of  partition  dividing  the 
waters  which  run  towards  the  Black  Sea,  from  those  which  flow 
into  the  Adriatic*  This  powerful  river  is  more  gentle  near  its 
source,  than  the  other  Alpine  streams,  but  soon  becomes  more 
precipitous  ;  and  joins  the  Danube  at  Passau  with  a  weight  of  wa- 
ter nearly  equal  to  that  stream,  after  a  course  of  about  250  miles. 
It  is  now  only  a  frontier  of  Austria,  and  that  but  for  a  small  dis- 
tance. 

The  Raab,  and  the  Leytha,  intermediate  streams  between  the 
Drave  and  the  Inn,  only  deserve  a  brief  mention.  The  Mulda  is 
a  considerable  river  which  rises  in  the  southern  mountains  of  Bo- 
hemia, and  after  running  about  50  miles  S.  E.  bends  due  N.  and 
joins  the  Elbe  near  Melnick,  after  passing  through  Prague.  The 
Elbe  itself  rises  in  the  Sudetic  mountains  between  Bohemia  and 
Silesia,  and  waters  a  great  part  of  the  former  kingdom  before  it 
enters  Saxony,  bending  its  course  N.  W.  towards  the  German 
ocean.  The  Morau,  whence  Moravia  derives  its  name,  also  rises 
in  the  Sudetic  mountains  ;  and  passing  by  Olmutz  joins  the  Dan- 
ube not  far  to  the  W.  of  Presburg. 

Lakes.^  The  lakes  in  the  Austrian  dominions  are  numerous, 
and  some  of  them  of  considerable   size.     Bohemia  presents  a  few 

*  Coxe's  Swiss,  iii.  £8. 


AUSTRIA.  32? 

Sthall  pieces  of  water  towards  its  southern  boundary  ;  but  on  en- 
tering Austria  proper,  the  lake  of  Traun,  the  Ebernsee,  and  oth- 
ers, are  of  greater  extent.  Carinthia  contains  a  large  central 
lake  not  far  from  Clagenfurt  ;  and  Carniola  another,  the  Cirknitz 
See.  Hungary  contains  many  morasses,  and  lakes  ;  the  most  im- 
portant of  the  latter  being  that  of  Platte,  or  the  Flatten  See,  ex- 
tending about  forty-five  British  miles  in  length,  by  eight  in 
breadth,  and  abounding  Avith  fish.  The  Neusidler  lake,  about 
thirty  miles  S.  E.  of  Vienna,  is  about  thirteen  miles  in  length  by 
four  in  breadth.  It  is  almost  surrounded  by  fens  ;  and  is  chiefly 
remarkable  for  being  in  the  vicinity  of  Eisenstadt,  the  princely 
residence  of  the  family  of  Esterhazy.  On  the  E.  of  the  Tiess  is 
the  lake  of  Palitzer,  about  eight  miles  in  length.  In  Transylva- 
nia is  the  Tsege  To  :  and  many  small  lakes  are  situated  amidst 
the  Carpathian  mountains. 

Mountains.^  The  provinces  of  Carinthia  and  Carniola  present 
many  considerable  chains  of  mountains;  as  that  of  Lobel  which 
separates  these  countries  ;  and  the  Julian,  or  Carnic  Alps,  (now 
called  Birnbaumber  Wald)  which  divide  Carinthia  from  Italy. 

Upper  Austria,  or  the  western  part  of  this  province,  contains 
many  considerable  mountains,  the  highest  of  which  is  in  the  maps 
called  Priel,  but  the  proper  name  is  Grcssenberg.  Towards  the 
N.  Austria  is  divided  from  Bohemia  by  a  ridge  of  considerable  el- 
evation, which  passes  to  the  N.  E.  of  Bavaria.  On  the  N.  W. 
Bohemia  is  pai'ted  from  Saxony  by  a  chain  of  metallic  mountains, 
called  the  Ertzgeberg,  a  word  that  implies  hills  contaising  mines. 
On  the  W.  of  the  I'iver  Eger,  near  its  junction  with  the  Elbe, 
stands  the  mountainous  group  of  Milessou,  supposed  to  be  the 
liighest  in  the  province.  On  the  N.  E.  the  Sudetic  chain,  which 
branches  from  the  Carpathian,  divides  Bohemia  and  Moravia  from 
Silesia,  and  the  Prussian  dominions. 

The  Carpathian  mountains,  that  grand  and  extensive  chain, 
which  bounds  Hungary  on  the  N.  and  E.  have  been  celebrated 
■from  all  antiquity.  By  the  Gei*mans  they  are  styled  the  mountains 
of  Krapak,  probably  the  original  name,  which  was  softened  by  the 
Roman  enunciation  :  the  Hungarians,  a  modern  people,  call  them 
Tatra.  This  enormous  ridge  extends  in  a  semicircular  form 
from  the  mountain  of  Javornik  S.  of  Silesia  towards  the  N.  W. 
But  at  the  mountain  of  Trojaska,  the  most  northern  summit,  it 
bends  to  the  S.  E.  to  the  confines  of  the  Buckovina,  where  it  sends 
forth  two  branches,  one  to  the  E.  another  to  the  W.  of  Transyl- 
vania ;  which  is  also  divided  from  Walachia  by  a  branch  running 
S.  W.  and  N.  E.  The  whole  circuit  may  be  about  500  miles. 
The  highest  summits  of  these  mountains,  according  to  Dr.  Town- 
son,  do  not  exceed  8  or  9000  feet,  and  they  are  for  the  most  part 
composed  of  granite  and  primitive  limestone. 

I'orests.']  To  enumerate  the  forests  in  the  Austrian  dominions 
would  be  a  task  at  once  laborious  and  fruitless.  Suffice  it  to  ob- 
serve, that  numerous  and  extensive  forests  arise  in  every  direc- 
tion, particularly  along  the  Carpathian  mountains,  and  in  the 
provinces  acquired  from  Poland.     Even  Bohemia  was   formerly 

VOL  li.  43 


aao  AUSTRIA. 

remai'kable  for  a  forest  of  great  extent,  a  remain  of  the  Hcr- 
cynia  Sylva  of  antiquit^y,  which  extended  from  the  Rhine  to  Sar- 
matia,  from  Cologne  to  Poland.  The  Gabrata  Sylva  was  on  the 
S.  W  of  the  same  country,  Avhere  a  chain  of  hills  now  divides  it 
from  Bavaria. 

Botany.'\  The  botany  of  Austria  proper  has  been  carefully  il- 
lustrated by  Jacquin  ;  and  that  of  Carniola  by  Scopoli  and  Hac- 
quet,  but  that  of  Hungary  is  still  very  imperfect ;  and  the  acqui- 
sitions in  Poland  by  the  last  and  former  partitions  are  as  yet  in  a 
manner  unknown  to  natural  history.  The  general  mild  tempera- 
ture of  the  Austrian  states,  their  variety  of  soil  and  situation,  from 
the  lakes  and  rich  levels  of  Hungary,  to  the  snowy  summits  of 
Istria  and  Carinthia,  are  a  sufficient  evidence  of  the  richness  of 
their  flora  ;  each  year  it  is  augmented  by  the  discovery  of  new 
species,  and  will  doubtless  long  continue  to  be  increased  by  the 
investigations  of  future  botanists. 

Of  the  bulbous-rooted  plants,the  principal  are  the  tufted  and  clus- 
tered hyacinth  ;  alium  victoi'iale,  one  of  the  most  stately  and  orna- 
mental species  of  the  large  genus  garlic ;  the  orange  lily  ;  iTiartagon, 
and  turncap  lily  ;  dog's  tooth  violet,  one  of  the  earliest  beauties 
of  the  spring  ;  yellow  and  tawny  day  lily  ;  and  lastly,  though 
perhaps  superior  in  beauty  to  any  of  the  preceding,  veratrum  al- 
bum and  nigrum,  ivliite  and  black  hellebore. 

Of  the  class  decandria,  are  the  alpine  and  maiden  pink  ;  fraxi- 
nella  i  and  two  species  of  rhododendron,--the  hairy  and  ferrugi- 
nous. The  sides  of  the  mountains  from  the  Carpathian  chain  to 
the  heights  of  Istria  are  adorned  by  the  soldanella  alpina  and  are- 
tia  alpina,  the  former  with  purple,  the  latter  with  white  and  flesh- 
colored  blossoms.  Among  the  numerous  species  of  flax,  the  fol- 
lowing very  elegant  ones  are  natives  of  Austria  :  hairy  flax  ;  yel- 
low flowei'ed  f.  ;  and  Austrian  f.  ;  with  large  deep-blue  blossoms  ; 
the  stcmless  gentian,  and  the  Pannonian  gentian,  bearing  large 
purple  blossoms. 

Among  the  native  plants  of  the  Austrian  dominions,  may  be  dis- 
tinguished two  species  of  Adonis  or  pheasant's  eye  ;  the  alpine 
poppy,  with  snow-white  flowers  j  mountain  anemone  ,  the  Christ- 
mas rose  ;  and  potentilla  nitida  :  the  sacred  lotus  of  Egypt  and 
India  has  also  of  late  been  found  in  some  lakes  in  Hungary. 

The  flowering  shrubs  are,  tjiie  laburnum,  the  flesh-colored  heath, 
lilac,  and  German  tamarisk.  The  common  fruit-trees  of  Europe 
are  largely  cultivated  in  the  provinces  of  Austria,  but  their  list  of 
native  fruits  is  very  scanty.  The  forest  trees  are,  the  elm  ;  the 
wych  elm  ',  lime-tree  :  birch  and  alder  ;  common  and  prickly- 
cupped  oak  ;  sumach  ;  walnut  ;  chesnut  and  beech  ;  hornbeam  ; 
black  and  white  poplar  and  aspen  ;  sycamore  and  maple  j  the 
ash,  the  pine,  the  fir,  the  yew-leaved  fir,  and  the  larch. 

Zoology.']  The  domestic  animals  in  the  Austrian  dominions  are 
commonly  excellent,  particularly  the  cattle.  Many  of  the  native 
horses  run  wild,  and  are  sold  in  great  numbers  at  the  fairs,  before 
they  have  suffered  any  subjection.  The  breed  of  cattle  is  mostly 
6f  a  singular  color,  a  slaty  blue  ;  and  the  Hungarian   sheep   re- 


AUSTRIA.  331 

scmble  the  Walachian  in  their  long  spiral  horns,  and   pendant 
hairy  fleece. 

The  Urus  or  Bison,  is  said  to  be  found  in  the  Carpathian  for- 
ests, as  well  as  in  those  of  Lithuania  and  Caucasus.  Among  the 
■wild  quadrupeds,  may  also  be  named  the  bear,  the  boar,  the  wolf, 
the  chamois,  the  marmot,  and  the  beaver.  The  Danube  boasts  of 
some  fishes  seldom  found  in  other  rivers,  among  which  is  a  small 
and  delicate  sort  of  salmon. 

There  is  scarcely  a  province  of  this  extensive  territory,  from 
the  frontiers  of  Bavaria  to  those  of  Turkey,  which  cannot  boast  of 
advantages  in  the  mineral  kingdom  ;  and  as  it  were  by  a  destiny 
attached  to  the  house  of  Austria,  even  the  acquisitions  in  Poland 
contain  one  of  the  most  remarkable  mines  in  Europe,  the  saline 
excavations  of  Wielitska.  The  mines  of  Boiiemia  have  been  cel- 
ebrated from  ancient  times.*  Silver  is  found  at  Kuttenberg,  and 
at  Joachinsthal,  on  the  western  frontier  towards  Saxony,  probably 
a  continuation  of  the  veins  of  that  country  :  and  gold  has  been 
discovered  at  Keonstock.  One  of  the  most  singular  products  of 
this  province  is  tin,  which  is  found  at  Zinwald  (that  is  the  tin  for- 
est,) and  other  western  districts  of  Bohemia  ;  where  is  also  found, 
at  Dreyhacken,  a  mine  of  very  pure  copper.  Lead  occurs  at 
Bleystadt,  in  the  same  quarter.  The  garnets  of  Bohemia  are 
among  the  most  beautiful  of  the  kind.  They  arc  chiefly  found  in 
clay,  mingled  with  mica,  at  Meronitz  in  the  mountain  of  Stiefel- 
berg,  whence  they  are  carried  to  Bilen.f  The  women  wash  the 
clay  in  which  the  garnets  are  found  ;  after  which  they  are  sifted 
and  arranged  according  to  size  ;  and  sold  by  the  pound  weight 
from  about  tliree  to  ten  shillings.  Many  workmen  are  occupied 
in  cutting  and  piercing  them,  for  necklaces,  and  other  ornaments; 
they  are  polished  in  facets,  with  emery  on  a  piece  of  freestone, 
and  pierced  with  a  small  diamond.  This  branch  of  commerce  is 
of  great  antiquity  at  Carlsbad,  and  at  Walkirk  in  Suabia,  where 
twenty-eight  mills  are  occupied  in  this  article  only. 

The  fertile  archduchy  of  Austria  displays  few  minerals,  though 
there  be  mines  of  gold  near  the  abbey  Goectwig,  and  of  alum  near 
Krems  :  saltpetre  is  however  prepared  in  abundance  ;  and  at  a 
little  distance  from  St.  Annaberg,  near  the  frontiers  of  Stiria,  a 
rich  mine  of  silver  was  opened  in  1754.  The  southern  provinces 
of  Stiria,  Carinthia,  and  Carniola,  afford  many  important  minerals. 
The  iron  of  Stiria  supplies  the  finest  steel,  and  great  quantities  are 
imported  into  lingland  :  there  are  coJisiderable  lead  mines  near 
Pegau  on  the  river  Mohr,  yielding  about  500  tons  yearly.  Stiria 
also  affords  coal  at  difierent  places  ;  not  to  mention  minerals  of 
mere  beauty  or  curiosity,  among  which  may  perhaps  be  named 
the  singular  blue  granite,  which  is  found  near  Villach,  in  Carin- 
thia. 

On  the  E.  of  Stiria  extends  the  duchy  of  Carinthia,  also  yield- 
ing excellent  iron,  the  mines  of  Friesach  on  the  N.  being  particu- 
larly famous.     In  tne  neighborhood  of  Villach,  at  Bleybtrg,  arc 

•  Busching,  vol.  vi.  liiG.    Frencji  cilit.  Svo..        f  Jo.irn.  des  Min.  No.  ir.  3G. 


S32  AUSTRIA. 

found  rich  lead  mines ;  and  the  same  place  supplies  what  is  called 
fire-marbie  or  lumachelli. 

Carniola,  or  Krain,  abounds  with  immense  caves,  and  other  nat- 
ural curiosities :  but  except  a  few  iron  works,  the  mineralogy  is 
little  remarkable.  On  the  west,  towards  the  county  of  Gorz, 
which  produces  excellent  wines,  lies  the  Ban  of  Idi'ia,  a  district 
immediately  subject  to  the  chamber  of  inner  Austria  at  Gratz. 
The  quicksilver  mines  of  Idria  are  celebrated  in  natural  history, 
poetry,  and  romance.  They  were  discovered  in  the  year  1499  ; 
and  the  hill  of  Vogelberg  has  annually  yielded  more  than  300,000 
pound  weight  of  mercury.  The  common  ore  is  cinabar  ;  but 
sometimes  pure  quicksilver  runs  through  the  crevices. 

But  the  principal  mines  in  the  Austrian  dominions  are  situated 
in  the  eastern  provinces  of  Hungary  and  Transylvania.  About 
40  miles  to  the  S.  of  the  Carpathian  hills  are  the  gold  mines  of 
Cremnitz  ;  and  20  English  miles  further  to  the  S.  the  silver  mines 
ofShcmnitz:  cities  which  have  arisen  solely  froni  these  labors, 
and  thence  called  mining  towns.  Shemnitz  is  esteemed  the  prin- 
cipal. The  academy  hei'e  instituted  for  the  study  of  mineralogy 
is  highly  respectable,  and  only  rivalled  by  thatof  Freyberg  in  Sax- 
ony. Hungary  contains  mines  of  copper  at  Schmelnitz  and  Her- 
rengrund,  of  very  rich  antimony  at  Rosenau  ;  and  in  different 
parts,  of  coal,  salt,  and  alum.  Saltpetre  is  also  produced  in  con- 
siderable quantities  :  and  natron  or  soda  is  found  in  a  lake  near 
Kismaria,  towards  the  frontier  of  Transylvania.*  But  a  mineral 
peculiar  to  Hungary,  and  as  yet  discovered  in  no  other  region  of 
the  globe,  is  the  opal,  a  gem  preferred  to  all  others  by  the  orien- 
tal nations.  The  opal  mines  are  situated  at  Czerweniza,  a  short 
day's  journey  to  the  N.  of  Kaschaw,  and  nearly  imder  the  same 
latitude  with  Cremnitz.  The  hill  in  which  they  are  found  con- 
sists of  decomposed  porphyry  ;  and  they  only  occur  at  the  dis- 
tance of  a  few  fathoms  from  the  surface,  of  various  qualities,  from 
the  opake  white,  or  semi-opal,  which  is  also  discovered  in  Corn- 
veall,  to  that  utmost  effulgence  of  iridescent  colovs  which  distin- 
guishes this  noble  gem. 

The  mines  of  Transylvania  and  the  Bannat  are  also  numerous 
and  valuable.  Those  of  Najiag,  twelve  British  miles  to  the  N.  E. 
of  Deva,  produce  the  grey  gold  ore.  They  are  the  richest  in 
Transylvania.  At  Ofenbanya,  about  25  British  miles  to  the  N.  of 
Karlsburg  is  found  the  white  gold  ore,  which  also  occurs  in  the 
hills  of  Fatzebay,  in  the  same  quartei'.  The  country  towards  the 
W.  of  Karlsburg  presents  numerous  gold  mines  near  Zalathna  : 
and  in  the  N.  of  this  province  are  those  of  Kapnick,  Felsobanya, 
and  others.  The  chief  mining  town  pf  the  Bannat  is  Orawiza,  to- 
wards the  S.  of  which  are  found  mines  of  copper  ;  and  gold  and 
silver  at  Dognaska  to  the  N. 

The  salt  mines  acquired  from  Poland  alone  remain  to  be  de- 
scribed. They  are  situated,  as  already  mentioned,  at  Wielitskaj 
eight  miles  to  the  S.  of  Cracow,  being  excavated  at  the  northern 

*  Journ.  dcs  Min.  No.  2. 


SWITZERLAND.  S33 

extremity  of  a  branch  of  the  Carpathian  mountains.  The  descent 
is  by  pits  of  great  depths  ;  and  the  galleries  and  chambers  are  of 
immense  size,  commonly  supported  by  timber,  or  by  vast  pillars 
of  salt,  out  of  which  material  even  subterraneous  chapels  are  form- 
ed ;  but  travellers  have  idly  exaggerated  the  splendor  and  extent 
of  the  saline  apartments.*  The  salt  is  of  an  iron  grey  color, 
sometimes  intermingled  with  white  cubes  ;  and  sometimes  large 
blocks  of  salt  appear  imbedded  in  marl.f  The  purest  sort  is 
found  at  the  bottom  of  the  mine,  and  is  sparry.  The  length  of 
the  mine  is  6,697  feet,  the  breadth  1,115,  and  the  depth  743.  It 
has  been  worked  above  600  years,  and  is  apparently  inexhaustible. 
Before  the  partition  it  yielded  annually  jC97,222  sterling.  But  it 
has  been  less  productive  since. 

Mineral  Waters.^  The  mineral  waters  in  the  Austrian  domin- 
ions are  very  numerous,  as  is  to  be  expected  in  a  country  so 
mountainous,  with  the  exception  of  the  great  plain  in  the  west  of 
Himgary,  extending  more  than  250  miles  in  every  direction.  The 
chief  are  those  of  Baden,  in  Austria  ;  those  of  Carlsbad,  Toplitz, 
Agra,  and  Desny,  in  Bohemia  ;  and  those  of  Rank,  Bestfeld, 
Gran,  Buda,  and  Groswardin,  in  Hungary,  These  last  are  fre- 
quented for  the  hot-baths  by  the  neighboring  Walachians. 

A'atural  Curiosities.^  The  glaciers  and  peaks  of  the  Brenner, 
tlie  calcareous  hills  of  Carinthia  and  Carnioia,  may  be  ranked 
among  the  most  prominent  cui'iosities.  Near  Trautenau,  in  Bohe- 
mia, is  what  may  be  called  a  forest  of  stones,  from  60  to  150  feet 
high  ;  they  are  by  some  thought  to  be  the  skeleton  of  a  hill. 

The  lake  Cirkutz,  or  the  Zirchrictzer  See,  8  miles  long  and  4 
broad,  in  the  month  of  June,  descends  through  many  apertures 
into  the  ground  ;  in  September  it  rises  again,  after  yielding  rich 
pasturage  through  the  summer.  In  the  winter  it  abounds  with 
lish.  The  Lesero,  in  the  isle  of  Cherso,  diifuses  its  waters  only 
every  fifth  year. 


SWITZERLAND. 

CHAPTER  I. 

HISTORICAL  GEOGRAPHY. 

NAMES,  EXTENT,  BOUNDARIES,  DIVISIONS,  ORIGINAL  POPULATION, 
HISTORICAL  EPOCHS,  ANTIQUITIES,  RELIGION,  GOVERNMENT, 
POPULATION,  ARMY,  REVENUE,  MANNERS  AND  CUSTOMS,  LAN- 
GUAGE, LITERATURE,  EDUCATION,  CITIES  AND  TOWNS. 

Mtmes."]  WE  have  already  remarked,  that  this  country 
was  a  part  of  Gallia  Belgica.  The  principal  tribe,  which  possess- 
ed it  in  the  time  of  the  Romans,  was  the  Helvetii,  after  whom  it 
was  also  called  Helvetia.     The  name  Switzerland  was  not  giveu 

•  Co;ce'8  Pol.  I  20O.  t  Townson,  388,. 


§S4  SWITZERLAND. 

to  it  till  early  in  the  14th  century.  The  name  is  derived  from  onft- 
of  the  cantons,  called  Schwitz,  from  the  circumstance,  that,  Avithia 
the  limits  of  that  canton,  the  first  league  was  formed  against  the 
tyranny  of  Austria. 

Exte7it.']  The  length  of  Switzerland  from  E.  to  W.  is  about 
200  miles  ;  its  breadth  from  N.  to  S.  about  130.  The  contents,  in 
square  miles,  are,  according  to  Hassel,  15,755. 

Boundaries.']  Bounded  N.  W.  by  France ;  N.  by  the  Rhine 
and  the  lake  of  Constance,  which  separate  it  from  the  grand  duchy 
of  Cleves,  and  the  kingdom  of  Bavaria,  both  in  Germany  ;  E.  by 
the  Tyrol,  which  is  a  part  of  Bavaria,  by  the  kingdom  of  Italy,  and 
by  Piedmont;  S.  W. by  Savoy. 

Divmons.']  Switzerland  formerly  consisted  of  1 3  cantons,  with 
their  allies  and  subjects.  Several  of  the  allied  and  subjected 
states  have  been  annexed  to  France  and  Italy.  The  remainder 
have  been  formed  into  new  cantons.  The  old  13  cantons  retain 
their  former  names  and  extent,  and  are  the  first  in  the  following 
table,  taken  from  Hassel,  and  exhibiting  the  state  of  the  country  in 
1809.  1  he  population  is  partly  from  from  a  census,  and  partly 
from  his  estimate. 


Cutitoiis. 

Inhabitants. 

( 

Cniitons.                        Inhabitants. 

1. 

C  Bern 
l  Aargau* 

222,508 

11. 

Zug                               14,735 

2. 

134,444 

12. 

Switz                          31,400 

3. 

Basil 

42,193 

13. 

Uri                            17,300 

4. 

Schaffhausen 

27,590 

14. 

Undevwald             21,200 

5. 

Zurich 

182,123 

15. 

Orison's  Country  74,000 

6. 

Appenzel 

55,000 

16. 

St.  Gall                 162,000 

7. 

Glarus 

19,280 

17. 

Tessinof               161,000 

8. 

Friburg 

89,610 

18. 

Thurgaul:               74,000 

9. 

Lucern 

110,000 

19. 

Pays'deVaud§     145,215 

10. 

Soieure 

43,610 

The  following  countries  lately  belonged,  or  wei'e  allied,  to  Swit- 
zerland ;  Geneva,  now  a  part  of  France  ;  Neufchatel,  taken  from 
Prussia  by  the  French,  now  a  dependency  of  France  ;  the  Valte- 
line,  annexed  to  the  kingdom  of  Italy  ;  and  the  Valais,  still  a  dis- 
tinct republic. 

The  situation  of  these  various  districts  can  best  be  learned 
from  the  map. 

Origvial  Population.~\  The  Helvetii,  the  first  occupants  of  the 
country  with  whose  name  we  are  acquainted,  were  undoubtedly 
a  Gothic  tribe  ;  and  there  is  little  reason  to  believe  that  the  Celts, 
in  their  progress  westward,  ever  took  Switzerland  in  their  way. 

Historical  Efiochs.~\  The  chief  historical  epochs  may  be  ar- 
ranged in  the  following  order : 

1.  The  wars  with  the  Romans;  the  subjugation  of  the  Helvetii 
and  Rhseti,  and  the  subsequent  events  till  the  decline  of  the  Roman 
empire  in  the  west. 

•  Aargau  is  a  part  of  the  old  canton  of  Berne. 
■j"  Tessiuo,  tonnerly  the  Italiaa  Bailliages. 
t  I'hurgau  or  Turgoria. 
§  Pays  de  Yaud,  or  Waadt. 


SWITZERLAND.  335 

3.  The  inniption  of  the  Alcmanni  in  the  beginning;  of  the  4th 
century,  who  are  by  some  supposed  to  have  extirpated  the  ancient 
Helvetians. 

3.  The  subjugation  of  the  western  part  of  Switzerland  as  far  as 
the  river  Reuss  by  the  Franks,  who  annexed  that  portion  to  Bur- 
gundy. The  Grisons  on  the  e?.st  were  subject  to  Thcodoric,  and 
other  kings  of  Italy. 

4.  The  conversion  of  the  country  to  Christianity  by  the  Irish 
monks,  Columbauus,  Gallus,  and  others,  in  the  beginning  of  the 
7th  century. 

5.  The  invasion  of  Alemannia  by  the  Huns*  in  the  year  909  ; 
and  the  subsequent  contests  with  these  barbarians  till  the  middle 
of  that  century. 

6.  About  the  year  1030  the  provinces  which  now  constitute 
Switzerland  began  to  be  regarded  as  a  part  of  the  empire  of  Ger- 
many ;  and  in  the  course  of  two  centuries  they  gradually  became 
subject  to  the  house  of  Hapsburg. 

7.  The  commencement  of  the  Swiss  emancipation,  A.  D.  1307; 
and  the  subsequent  struggles  with  the  house  of  Austria. 

8.  The  gradual  increase  of  the  confederacy,  the  Burgundiaii 
and  Swabian  wars :  and  the  contests  with  the  French  in  Italy. 

9.  The  history  of  the  reformation  in  Switzerland. 

10.  The  insurrection  of  the  peasants  of  Bern,  in  the  middle  of 
the  17th  century. 

1 1.  The  dissolution  of  the  confederacy  by  the  French  invasion, 
A.  D.  1798. 

Anti(]iiitie8.~\  The  ancient  monuments  of  Switzerland  arc  not 
numerous,  consisting  chiefly  of  a  few  remains  of  the  Romans,  at 
Aventicum  and  Vindernissa.  Some  also  occur  at  Ebrodunum,  ov 
Yverdun,  and  at  Baden,  the  ancient  Thermae  Hclveticae.  Of  the 
middle  ages  are  many  castles,  churches,  and  monasteries  ;  thti 
most  noble  among  the  lattei  being  the  abbey  of  St.  Gal,  the  libra- 
ry of  which  supplied  the  manuscripts  of  three  or  four  classical  au- 
thors, no  where  else  to  be  found.  Some  interesting  monuments 
relate  to  the  emancipation  of  the  country,  and  have  contributed 
to  extend  tlie  spirit  of  freedom  from  generation  to  generation. 

Jicliffion.j  The  inhabitants  compose  but  two  sects,  CalvinistS 
and  Catholics.  The  former  are  the  most  numerous.  The  pro- 
portion is  more  than  9  to  7.  Berne,  including  Aargau,  Basil, 
Schaffhausen,  Zurich,  the  Pays  de  Vaud,  the  country  of  the  Gri- 
sons, three  fourths  of  Glarus,  and  two  thirds  of  Appenzel  and 
Thurgau,  are  Calvinistic  ;  the  remainder  are  Catholic.  The  Cal- 
vinistic  clergy  were  all  absolutely  on  a  level.  The  Catholics 
were  subjected  to  one  archbishop,  and  six  bishops. 

Government.]  Each  canton  was  formerly  an  independent  re- 
public, governed  by  its  own  laws,  and  appointing  its  own  magis- 
trates. The  form  of  government  in  the  cantons  was  various. 
Berne,  Friburg,  Lucerne,  Zurich,  Soleurc,  and  Schaff  haosen  had. 

•  Tiie  U'^\n,  so  called  by  the  writers  of  the  time.     Thtry  were  a  bmndi  o'C  ihft 


C^2&  SWITZERLAND. 

more  of  the  aristocratlcal  form,  wliile  the  others  inclined  rather  te 
a  democracy.  A  general  diet  composed  of  two  members  from 
each  canton,  and  three  from  the  various  dependencies,  superin- 
tended the  common  interests  of  the  country.  In  this  each  canton 
had  one  vote,  and  every  question  was  decided  by  the  majority. 
Under  this  government  the  Swiss  had  enjoyed,  for  a  succession 
of  ages,  more  civil  and  political  liberty,  than  any  nation  in  Europe. 
No  nation  was  as  virtuous ;  none  was  as  happy.  The  French 
■were  led  thither  by  no  provocation  but  innocence,  by  no  motive 
but  plunder ;  and  when  they  came,  the  happiness,  the  virtue,  the 
liberty,  and  the  glory  of  the  Swiss  were  all  buried  in  one  common 
grave. 

A  new  constitution  was  established  for  them  by  the  First  Con- 
sul, in  1802.  The  government  consists  of  two  landammans,  a 
senate,  and  a  diet.  The  diet,  composed  of  representatives  from 
the  cantons,  meets  annually  ;  and,  at  the  proposition  of  the  senate, 
declares  war  and  makes  peace,  ratifies  treaties,  and  adopts,  or 
rejects,  such  laws,  as  less  than  two  thirds  of  the  cantons  have  ap- 
proved. The  senate  consists  of  2  landammans,  2  stadtholders, 
and  26  councillors.  It  names  all  public  functionaries.  A  depu- 
tation of  the  senate  administers  the  government  during  a  recess 
of  that  body. 

This  government  was  forced  upon  the  inhabitants  at  the  point 
of  the  bayonet. 

Pofiulation.~\  The  amount  of  the  various  sums  in  the  table  is 
1,635,408.     Hassel's  general  estimate  is  1,638,000. 

Army.']  The  military  force,  in  1809,  Avas  15,023  men.  There 
■were  then  from  20  to  30,000  Swiss  soldiers  in  foreign  countries. 
France  alone  had  15,000  ;  the  rest  Avere  in  England,  Spain,  and 
Holland. 

Revenue]  The  revenue  in  1809,  was  stated  by  Hassel  at 
1,000,000  German  guilders,  or  555,500  dollars.  Formerly  it  was 
computed  at  more  tlian  a  million  sterling.  Bern  is  still  the  rich- 
est of  the  cantons,  and  is  said  to  have  large  sums  in  foreign  funds. 
Mmincrs  and  Customs.]  The  houses  of  the  Swiss  are  of  wood, 
constructed  in  the  most  simple  form,  with  staircases  on  the  out- 
side. The  dress  of  the  inhabitants  in  most  of  the  cantons,  was 
regulated  by  sumptuary  laws.  In  the  rest,  the  changes  of  fash- 
ions were  little  I'egarded.  The  cleanliness  of  the  houses,  and  of 
the  people,  was  striking.  Even  the  cottages  conveyed  a  lively 
idea  of  neatness  and  simplicity,  and  impressed  a  pleasing  convic- 
tion of  the  peasant's  happhiess.  Each  had  its  little  territory  dis- 
tributee, into  a  garden,  a  field,  a  meadow,  and  a  pasture,  frequently 
skirted  with  trees,  and  Avell  supplied  with  water.  The  diver- 
sions of  the  inhabitants  were  chiefly  of  the  active  and  warlike 
kind,  such  as  running,  wrestling,  and  shooting  with  the  bow  and 
musquet.  The  magisti'ates  were  exemplary  in  the  punishment, 
and  prevention  of  petty  oiTences,  than  which  no  surer  method  caa 
be  taken  to  preserve  the  morals  of  the  community.  The  Swiss 
were  intensely  attached  to  their  native  country.  The  slightest 
circumstances  reminded  the  absent  soldier  of  the  scenes  of  his  in- 


SWITZERLAND.  aar 

fancy,  and  drew  him  back  by  an  irresistible  attraction  to  the 
streams  and  the  vallies,  the  mountains  and  the  forests,  among 
■which  he  passed  the  happiest  season  of  life. 

Language.']  The  French  is  spoken  in  the  Pays  de  Vaud.  The 
language  called  the  Vaudois  appears  to  have  been  confined  to  the 
vallies  of  Piedmont. 

Literature.']  The  early  monuments  of  Swiss  literature  consist, 
as  usual,  of  chronicles  and  lives  of  saints.  Since  the  restoration 
of  letters,  and  the  reformation  of  religion,  Switzerland  boasts  of 
many  eminent  names,  as  the  reformer  Ulric  Zwingli,  born  at 
Wildhausen  ;  Herbsk,  who  called  himself  Oporinus,  the  printer  ; 
Conrad  Gesner,  born  at  Zurich  in  1316,  who  published  an  univer- 
sal library,  and  some  treatises  on  natural  history  ;  and  that  noted 
qUack  Paracelsus.  Among  the  writers  of  the  last  century  may  be 
nained  Bernoulli,  the  mathematician,  a  native  of  Basil ;  Scheuch- 
zer,  the  natural  historian  ;  Haller  ;  John  Gesner,  the  natural  phi- 
losopher ;  Solomon  Gesner,  the  poet ;  Bonnet,  Hirzel,  and  Zim- 
merman, physicians  ;  Rousseau,  and  Necker,  natives  of  Geneva  ; 
Lavater,  the  physiognomist ;  Euler,  the  mathematician  ;  and  ma- 
ny others. 

Education.~\  Switzerland  resembled  Connecticut  in  the  gen- 
eral diffusion  of  knowledge.  The  education  of  the  common  school 
was  universally  shared  by  the  inhabitants.  Religious  instruction 
was  communicated  successfully  every  sabbath,  and  the  inhabitants 
generally  had  an  important  acquaintance  with  the  doctrines  and, 
the  duties  of  Christianity.  There  was  an  university  of  some  rep- 
utation at  Basil,  founded  in  1469,  and  colleges  at  Berne,  Zurich^ 
and  Lucerne. 

Cities  and  Towns.']  Basil,  or  Basle,  formerly  Basilea^  is  built 
on  the  Rhine,  which  is  here  broad,  deep,  and  rapid,  very  near  its 
great  northern  bend.  The  greater  part  of  the  town  lies  south  of  the 
river.  A  bridge  connects  it  with  the  otlier  part.  Its  extent  is 
capable  of  containing  100,000  inhabitants,  and  it  is  said  to  have 
220  streets  and  6  market  places.  The  environs  consist  of  fine 
level  fields  and  meadows.  Here  were  extensive  manufactures  of 
ribbands  and  cottons,  and  the  trade  of  the  place  was  considerable. 
The  number  of  inhabitants  is  15,060.  The  cathedral  is  a  noble 
Gothic  building,  containing  the  marble  tomb  of  Erasmus.  There 
are  6  parochial  churches,  and  various  other  public  buildings. 
Berne  stands  on  a  peninsula  formed  by  the  Aar,  the  neck  of  which 
is  fortified.  The  streets  ai*e  wide,  and  the  houses  mostly  of  stone. 
The  great  church  is  a  most  beautiful  piece  of  architecture.  The 
city  is  of  singular  neatness,  and  beauty,  and  the  environs  are  rich 
and  fei'tile,  presenting  a  prospect  of  hills,  lawns,  wood,  and  water, 
bounded  at  a  distance  by  the  long  chain  of  the  superior  Alps.  In- 
habitants 13,339. 

Zurich,  Tigurum^  stands  at  the  mouth  of  the  Lake  of  Zurich, 
where  its  waters  are  discharged  northwards,  through  the  Lam- 
mat  towards  the  Rhine.  Here  were  manufactui-es  of  linens,  cot- 
tons, muslins  and  silk  handkerchiefs.  Inhabitants,  in  1807, 
10,353. 

VOL.   It.  43 


338  SWITZERLAND. 

Laufianne,  in  the  Pays  de  Vaud,  is  prettily  built  on  thi'ee  small 
Hiills,  about  half  a  league  from  Geneva  Lake.  Houses,  in  1798, 
1,300  ;  inhabitants  9,965. 

Freiburg  has  800  houses,  and  6,094  inhabitants. 

Schaff  hausen,  on  the  north  bank  of  the  Rhine,  near  a  celebrated 
cataract,  has  8 1 1  houses,  and  7000  inhabitants.  It  had  4  church- 
es, and  a  college  with  8  professors. 

St.  Gall,  a  little  S.  W.  of  the  Lake  of  Constance,  has,  according 
to  the  Helvetic  almanac  of  1808,  962  houses,  and  9000  inhabitants. 
Here  were  extensive  linen  manufactures. 

CHAPTER  II. 

NATURAL  GEOGRAPHY. 

CLIMATE,  SACE  OF  THE  COUNTRY,  SOIL  AND  AGRTtCULTURE,  RIV- 
ERS, LAKES,  MOUNTAINS,  BOTANY,  ZOOLOGY,  MINERALOGY,  MIN- 
ERAL WATERS,  NATURAL  CURIOSITIES. 

Climate.']  MANY  of  the  mountains  are  covered  with 
perennial  snows,  and  the  frosts  of  winter  are  often  very  severe. 
But  the  summer  has  sufficient  heat  to  mature  the  grape,  though 
the  vine  harvest  is  rendered  precarious  by  the  occasional  cold 
winds  from  the  Alps-  Even  the  corn  harvest  is  so  often  injured 
by  rains  and  tempests,  that  public  granaries  were  every  where 
erected  to  supply  the  failure  of  crops.  The  vallies  are  generally 
•warm,  and  such  is  the  diversity  of  seasons  in  different  parts,  that 
the  inhabitants  are  often  reaping  on  one  side  of  the  mountains 
•when  they  are  sowing  on  the  other. 

Face  of  the  Country.']  Switzerland  is  generally  mountainous, 
but  less  so  in  the  north,  than  in  the  south.  Basil,  Berne,  Zurich, 
Schaff  hausen,  Soleure,  Friburg,  and  Thurgau,  are  the  most  level ; 
but  even  here  are  eminences  from  2000  to  2500  feet  above  the 
sea.  Some  of  the  mountains  are  barren,  inaccessible  rocks,  often 
overspread  with  immense  fields  of  ice  ;  others  are  crowned  with 
groves  and  forests,  and  ornamented  with  vineyards,  fields,  and 
meadows  ;  while  others  are  every  where  studded  with  cottages 
and  hamlets. 

Soil  and  Agriculture.]  The  vallies  and  plains,  though  generally- 
stony,  are  fertile.  The  sides  of  the  hills,  also,  with  a  vigorous  cul- 
tivation, repay  the  labor  of  the  husbandman,  and  perhaps  in  no 
country,  except  Holland,  does  the  eye  meet  with  more  numer- 
ous proofs  of  persevering  industry.  Sufficient  grain  is  commonly 
raised  for  home  consumption.  Barley  is  cultivated  on  the  moun- 
tain tops  ;  oats,  rye,  and  spelt,  require  successively  a  warmer  sit- 
uation. Flax  and  hemp  are  cultivated  to  a  considerable  extent ; 
and  tobacco  has  lately  been  introduced.  The  vine  is  cultivated 
with  most  success  in  Bei-nc,  Schaff  hausen,  and  the  Pays  dc  Vaud. 
The  attention  of  the  Swiss  farmer  is,  however,  chiefly  devoted  to 
his  cattle,  and  most  of  the  fertile  land  is  used  for  meadow  and 
pasture.     Apples,  pears,  plums,  cherries,  and  nuts,  are  found  ev- 


SWITZERLAND.  «89 

<iiy  where  in  abundance  ;  and,   in  the  warmer  districts,  peaches^ 
almonds,  figs,  and  pomegranates. 

Bivers.']  The  Rhine  and  the  Rhone  have  already  been  de- 
scribed. 

The  Aar  has  its  source  in  Mount  Gi'imsel,  in  the  southern  part 
of  the  canton  of  Berne,  and  pursuing  a  winding  course  towards 
the  N.  W.  passes  through  the  Lake  of  Thun,  to  Aarberg.  Here 
it  turns  to  the  N.  E.  and  receiving  the  w'aters  of  the  Lake  of  Neuf- 
chatel,  and  being  joined  by  the  Reuss  and  the  Limmat,  falls  into 
the  Rhine,  opposite  Waldshut,  after  a  course  of  150  British  miles. 
The  Reuss  issues  from  Mount  St.  Gothard,  and  passing  through 
the  Lake  of  Lucern  runs  N.  to  the  Aar,  a  course  of  80  miles.  The 
Limmat,  running  20  miles,  enters  the  Lake  of  Zurich  ;  from  which 
it  runs  about  the  same  distance,  and  joins  the  Aaar,  a  little  below 
the  Reuss. 

The  Thur  runs  westward,  and  joins  the  Rhine  below  Schaff- 
hausen.     The  Tessino  falls  into  the  Lake  of  Maggiore. 

Lakes']  The  lakes  of  Switzerland  are  numerous  and  interest- 
ing. The  most  considerable  are  those  of  Constance  on  the  N.  E. 
and  Geneva  on  the  S.  W.  The  former  is  about  45  miles  in  lengthy 
and  in  some  places  15  in  breadth.  This  beautiful  expanse  of  wa- 
ter is  by  the  Germans  also  styled  the  Boden  Zee.  Like  all  the 
other  lakes  of  Switzerland,  it  is  deeper  in  the  summer  than  in  the 
winter,  owing  to  the  melting  of  the  snows,  and  is  remarkable  for 
producing  large  red  trout. 

The  lake  of  Geneva  extends  in  the  form  of  a  crescent,  about  40 
miles  in  length,  and  9  at  its  greatest  breadth.  The  beauties  of 
•this  lake  have  been  celebrated  by  Rousseau  ;  but  would  be  con- 
siderably increased  if  it  were  sprinkled  with  islands. 

Only  a  part  of  the  lake  Maggiore,  or  that  of  Locarno,  is  in  Swit- 
zerland ;  but  the  lake  of  Lugano  forms  an  extensive  body  of  water 
in  that  region.  The  lakes  of  Neufchatel  and  Zurich  are  each, 
about  twenty-five  miles  in  length,  by  about  four  in  breadth.  That 
of  Lucerne  is  about  fifteen  in  length,  and  the  breadth  no  where 
above  three.  .  Next  to  these  are  tlic  lakes  of  Thun  and  Brientz  ; 
of  Joux  and  Rouss,  on  the  French  confines  ;  the  lakes  of  Morat, 
and  Bicnne,  of  Sempach,  Zug,  Wallenstadt,  and  others  of  inferior 
note. 

Mountains.]  The  Alps,  the  most  celebrated  of  the  mountains 
of  antiquity,  commencing  near  the  Gulf  of  Genoa,  not^  far  from 
Monaco,  pass  between  Piedmont,  on  the  E.  and  France  and  Sa- 
voy on  the  W.  through  Switzerland,  and  beiv/een  Italy  on  the  S. 
W.  and  Germany  on  the  N.  E.  till  they  ternjinate  at  the  Gulf  of 
Carnero,  on  the  E.  of  Istria.  The  whole  length  of  the  chain  is 
about  550  miles.  Different  parts  of  it  have  received  different 
names,  but  the  common  name  of  Alps  has  been  extended  to  the 
whole.  The  Maritime  Alps,  Jl/tes  MarUimae,  vel  Liitorcaey  reacli 
from  the  Gulf  oi  Genoa  to  Mount  Ccnis,  near  Susa  ;  though  the 
northern  part  of  this  ridge,  from  Mount  Viso  N.  was  anciently 
called  Jljics  Cottiae,  now  Mont  Gcnevre,  in  which  are  tl\C  springs 
of  the  Durance.     Tiic   ^//les  Gratac,  now  Little  St.  Bernard,  iiu 


540  SWITZERLAND. 

elude  Mount  Cenis,  «ind  pass  between  Savoy  and  Piedmont,  to 
Great  St.  Bernard.  The  Pennine  Alps,  Allies  Penninae^  include 
St.  Bernard  and  Mont  Blanc,  and  the  grand  chain  south  of  the 
Rhone,  which  separates  the  Vallais  from  Piedmont,  and  terminate 
at  Mount  St.  Gothard.  The  eastern  part  of  this  ridge  was  for- 
merly called,  from  the  tribe  that  inhabited  it,  the  Lepontine  Alps, 
and  gives  rise  to  the  Rhone  and  the  Tessino.  The  ridge  running 
eastward  from  Mount  St.  Gothard,  to  the  sources  of  the  Piave,  is 
called  the  Rhetian  Alps,  Alpes  Rheticae.  East  of  this  the  ridge 
was  anciently  called  Aljies  J^''oricae^  to  the  sources  of  the  Taglia- 
mento  ;  at  the  eastern  extremity  of  which  the  chain  bends  more 
to  the  S.  and  is  called  the  Cai'nic  Alps,  anciently  Alfies  Venetae., 
Alfies  Pannonicae.,  and  afterwards  Allies  Juliae.  These  are  all 
regular  continuations  of  the  Great  Chain  of  the  Alps.  The  high- 
est eminence  of  this  cjiain  is  Mont  Blanc,  separating  the  N.  W. 
corner  of  Piedmont  from  Savoy.  Its  summit  and  sides,  to  the 
depth  of  4000  feet  perpendiculai*,  are  covered  with  perpetual  ice 
and  snow.  The  first,  who  explored  its  summit,  was  Mr.  De 
Saussure,  of  Geneva,  in  1787.  Sir  George  Shuckburgh  measured 
its  height  with  great  accuracy,  and  found  it  to  be  15,662  feet 
above  the  ocean,  a  greater  elevation  than  that  of  any  measured 
mountain  in  the  old  world.  The  other  high  summits  in  the  chain 
are  St.  Bernard,  Maudit,  Combin,  Cervin,  and  Rosa ;  the  last  of 
■which  is  midway  between  St.  Bernard  and  Lake  Lugano,  and  falls 
only  60  feet  short  of  the  height  of  Mont  Blanc. 

The  Helvetic  Alps  are  a  ridge  north  of  the  Rhone,  and  running 
nearly  parallel  with  the  principal  chain  from  the  bend  of  that 
river  to  Mount  St.  Gothard,  which  seems  to  be  a  bond  of  union 
between  the  ridges,  for  it  is  described  as  belonging  to  both. 
Thence  the  Helvetic  ridge,  however,  continues  its  former  course, 
comprising  Mount  Badui",  and  the  glaciers  to  the  north  of  the 
Farther  Rhine,  while  the  southern  chain  bends  more  to  the  S.  The 
chief  eminences  between  the  Rhone  and  Mount  St.  Gothard,  are 
Gemrai,  Jungfraii,  Sehrcckhorn,  and  Finsteraar,  both  13,218  feet 
high  ;  Grimsel,  Furca,  and  Titlis,  10,818  ;  while  St.  Gothard  is 
estimated  by  Pfeffcr,  at  only  9,075.  Of  all  these  the  Jungfrauis 
Said  to  be  the  highest,  while  the  Schreckhorn  or  Peak  of  Terror^ 
by  its  very  name,  announces  its  peculiar  ruggcdness  and  horror. 

BotanyJ]  The  rocks  of  the  higher  Alps,  are  almost  wholly 
destitute  of  vegetation  ;  the  crustaceous  lichen,  the  Silene  acau- 
lis,  saxifraga  nivalis,  and  stellaris,  comprise  the  whole  of  their 
scanty  flora. 

In  the  alpine  valleys,  are  the  juniperj  the  savine,  the  stonepine, 
alder,  and  the  alpine  rose  ;  in  the  clefts  of  the  rocks  are  tufts  of 
saxifrages,  and  auricula  ;  and  the  hillocks  are  adorned  with  the 
rhododendron,  and  azalea. 

Below  these  commence  the  forests  of  larch,  pine,  and  fir,  inter- 
mixed here  and  there  witli  the  yew,  the  mountain  ash,  and  the 
birch. 

Here  in  the  upper  meadows,  the  richest  of  Switzerland,  we  find 
the  yellow  gentian,  the  white  hellebore,  the  ^teea,  the  alpine  ane- 
mone, and  innumerable  other  mopntain  plants. 


SWITZERLAND.  S4.1 

The  subalpine  regions  are  diversified  with  meadows  and  corn- 
fields, and  forests  of  deciduous  trees.  The  oak,  the  elm,  the 
beech,  the  ash,  the  lime,  and  the  hornbeam  are  the  most  prevalent, 
and  the  borders  of  the  streams  arc  shaded  by  poplars  and  willows. 

In  the  plains  and  broad  vallies  of  Geneva,  of  Basle,  and  of  the 
Pays  de  Vaud,  we  meet  with  numerous  vineyards.  The  walnut, 
the  chestnut,  the  fig,  the  pomegranate,  the  bay,  and  laurel,  and  the 
Cornelian  cherry,  are  among  the  trees  ;  the  lavender,  hyssop, 
fraxinella,  several  kinds  of  cistus,  and  the  peony,  are  the  chief  of 
the  plants  and  shrubs.  The  valleys  that  open  towards  Italy  con- 
tain, the  lilac,  the  caper-bush,  the  almond,  the  Indian  fig,  and 
American  aloe. 

Zoology.']  The  horses  of  Switzerland  are  esteemed  for  vigor 
and  spirit :  and  the  cattle  attain  great  size.  Among  the  animals 
peculiar  to  the  Alps  may  be  first  named  the  ibex,  or  rock  goat. 
This  animal  resembles  the  common  goat ;  but  the  horns  of  the 
male  are  very  long  and  thick.  The  hair  is  long,  and  ash 
colored,  with  a  black  list  along  the  back. 

Anotlier  singular  animal  is  the  chamois,  which  is  commonly 
seen  in  herds  of  20  or  30,  with  a  centinel  who  alarms  them  by  a 
shrill  cry.  The  color  is  yellowish  brown ;  but  they  sometimes 
occur  speckled.  The  marmot  is  common  in  the  Swiss  mountains. 
The  skin  of  this  animal  is  used  for  furs.  The  size  is  between  that 
of  the  rabbit  and  the  hare.  Among  the  birds  may  be  named  the 
vulture,  called  also  the  golden  or  bearded  vulture.  It  inhabits  the 
highest  Alps,  forming  its  nest  in  inaccessible  rocks. 

Mineralogy.]  The  mountains  contain  iron,  sulphur,  and  chrys- 
tal.  This  last  is  found  in  pieces  weighing  from  7  to  800  weight. 
Rock  salt  is  found  in  the  canton  of  Berne.  Granite,  porphyiy,  as- 
bestos, jaspers,  and  agates  are  abundant  in  the  Alps.  Tremolite 
has  its  name  from  mount  Tremola,  near  St.  Gothard. 

Mineral  Waters.]  Of  mineral  waters  the  most  remarkable  are 
tliose  of  Leuk.  To  the  S.  E.  ari  the  baths  of  Alvenew,  which  are 
sulphureous  and  resemble  Harrowgate  water. 

Natural  Curiosities.]  The  glaciers  of  the  Alps  are  immense 
fields  of  ice,  unrivalled  in  their  extent  and  magnificence.  The 
peaks  and  ridges  of  the  higher  summits  are  overspread  with  per- 
petual snows ;  and  the  intermediate  depths  and  spaces  between 
them  are  filled  with  ice.  spread  out  like  a  sea,  and  reaching  often 
a  great  distance  down  the  mountains,  even  to  the  borders  of  the 
cultivated  vallies.  These  immense  masses  resting  on  an  inclined 
plane,  and  often  feebly  supported,  sometimes  slide  down  the  de- 
clivities, pind  in  a  moment  overwhelm  the  villages  and  hamlets  be- 
low. They  are  usually  intersected  by  numerous  deep  fissures, 
and  chasms,  and  present  to  the  eye  a  thousand  fantastic  shapes  of 
walls  and  pyramids,  of  houses  and  temples,  of  cascades  and  tor- 
rents. In  some  places  the  ice  is  of  a  splendid  white  ;  in  others  of 
a  beautiful  azure,  and  every  where  transparent  and  dazzling. 
Mr.  Coxe  compares  the  surface  of  the  glaciers  to  the  appearance 
of  a  lake  frozen  in  the  midst  of  a  tempest. 

The  torrents  frequently  undermine  large  masses  of  rock  and  of 


342  SWITZERLAND. 

earth  on  the  mountains,  till  at  length  they  are  precipitated  into 
the  v-ullies  below.  A  memorable  instance  of  this  kind  occurred  in 
September  1806,  in  the  canton  of  Schweitz.  The  Knipperbuhl 
rock,  the  summit  of  Rosenberg,  and  a  considerable  part  of  the 
mountain  having  been  thus  undermined,  fell  from  an  immense 
height  into  the  valley  and  a  lake  adjacent,  and  in  a  moment  buried 
beneath  them  several  populous  villages,  with  their  churches,  and 
numerous  mills  and  farms.  Upwards  of  1000  persons  perished. 
General  Pfaffer,  from  his  knowledge  of  the  mountain,  had  predict- 
ed such  an  event  20  years  before. 

THE  VALLAIS. 

THIS  republic  was  separated  from  its  connection  with 
Switzerland,  at  the  time  of  the  new  organization  of  the  govern- 
:ment  of  that  country  and  was  annexed  to  France  in  1 8 1 1 .  It  has 
Saxony  on  the  W.  Piedmont  on  the  S.  and  Switzerland  on  the  N. 
and  E.  It  is  about  100  miles  long  from  N.  E.  to  S,  W.  and  about 
25  broad,  containing  2027  square  miles.  This  territory  was  call- 
ed Falesia,  in  the  middle  ages.  In  1475,  the  inhabitants  withstoodl 
the  power  of  Austria,  and  joined  the  cantons.  The  religion  is  the 
Roman  Catholic  ;  the  population  about  100,000;  and  the  revenue 
80,000  guilders.  The  whole  country  is  one  large  valley.  The 
soil  surpasses  that  of  Switzerland.  The  fine  fruits  of  Italy  grow 
in  full  perfection.  The  asthma  is  a  prevalent  disease,  and 
most  of  the  inhabitants  are  afflicted  with  goiters.  The  languages 
spoken  arc  the  German,  French,  and  Italian.  Sion  is  the  capital 
of  the  country.  It  stands  upon  Sion  river  near  its  junction  with 
the  Rhone,  and  contains  a  college,  some  convents,  and  6  churches. 
The  hills  and  vallies  breed  great  numbers  of  cattle,  and  afford 
plenty  of  deers,  hares,  and  other  game.  Here  are  said  to  be 
mines  of  silver,  copper,  lead,  and  coal.  The  hot  baths  of  Brugg, 
and  Leuckj  are  celebrated  mineral  water§. 

GENEVA. 

THIS  little  republic  was  situated  at  the  southern  extremity 
of  Geneva  lake,  where,  contracting,  it  foi^ms  the  Rhone.  The  in- 
habitants became  christians  in  the  3d  century,  and  in  the  middle 
of  the  4th,  was  the  see  of  a  bishop.  After  the  overthrow  of  the 
empire,  it  fell  successively  to  Burgundy,  France,  and  German)% 
In  1526,  it  entered  into  an  alliance  with  the  cantons,  to  resist  the 
encroachments  of  the  dukes  of  Savoy.  In  1535,  the  doctrines  of 
the  i-eformation  were  established,  and  the  celebrated  Calvin  here 
found  a  safe  retreat  from  the  persecution  of  the  Catholics.  The 
territory  belonging  to  the  republic  comprised  about  60  square 
miles  ;  and  the  population  was  30,000.  The  city  of  Geneva  itself, 
contained,  in  1802,  23,309  inhabitants.  The  Rhone  divides  it  into 
two  unequal  parts.  The  town  and  territory  arc  now  an  integral ' 
part  of  France'. 


SPANISH  EMPIRE. 


THE  Spanish,  like  the  British  Empire,  embraces  portions 
of  territory  in  all  the  four  quarters  of  the  globe. 

1.  In  Europe. 
Spain. 
Majorca, 
Minorca,  V  Islands  in  the  Mediterranean. 


Ivica, 


■] 


2.  In  Africa. 

Afi'ican  Presidencies,  Ceuta,  Melilla,  and  a  few  other  cities,  i 

Canary  Islands, 

Isle  of  Fernando  Po,   1    •     .,      .^i     .: 
•o  \  ^^>.  T  1     1         '   >  m  the  Atlantic. 
Prmce  s  Island,  "^ 

Annabon  Island, 

3.  In  Asia. 
Philippine  Islands, 
Calamianes, 

Ladrones,  or  Marian  Islands, 
Carolinas, 

Part  of  Magindanao, 
Bashec  Islands  (south  of  Formosa.) 

4.  In  America. 
Floridas, 
Mexico, 
Cuba,  I. 
Porto  Rico,  I. 

New  Grenada,  or  Western  Terra  Firma, 
Peru, 
Chili, 

Buenos  Ayres,  or  Paraguay. 
Falkland  Islands. 

The  republic  of  Venezuela  was,  till  July  5th,  1811,  a  provinco 
of  Spain,  called  the  Cafitaingeneralshiji  qf  Caraccas.  At  that  time 
the  inhabitants  declared  themselves  free,  and  formed  an  inde- 
pendent government.  Buenos  Ayres,  Chili  and  Peru,  acknowl- 
edge also  but  little  dependance  on  the  mother  country,  and  prob- 
ably, with  the  rest  of  the  Spanish  provinces  in  South  America, 
will  soon  become  independent  states. 


SPAIN. 

CHAPTER  I. 
IIISTORICAL  GEOGRAPHY. 

EX'l'ENT,  BOUNDARIES,  NAMES,  DIVISIONS,  ORIGINAL  POPULATION, 
HISTORICAL  EPOCHS,  PROGRESSIVE  GEOGRAPHY,  ANTIQUITIES, 
RELIGION,  GOVERNMENT,  LAWS,  POPULATION,  ARMY,  NAVY, 
REVENUE,  POLITICAL  RELATIONS,  MANNERS  AND  CUSTOMS,  LAN- 
GUAGE, LITERATURE,  UNIVERSITIES,  CITIES,  EDIFICES,  MANU- 
FACTURES AND  COMMERCE. 

Extent.']  SPAIN  lies  between  Ion.  9  17,  30  W.  and  3  45 
E.  and  between  lat.  36  6  30,  and  43  4630  N.  Its  greatest  length, 
fl'om  Cape  Finisterre  to  Cape  Ortegal,  is  620  miles  :  and  its  great- 
est breadth  is  530.  The  number  of  square  miles,  according  to 
Hassel,  is  195,510,  and  including  the  Balearic  islands,  193,330  ; 
while  Pinkerton  estimates  it  at  only  148,000. 

Bowidaries.]  Spain  is  bounded  N.  by  the  Bay  of  Biscay  and 
France  ;  E.  by  the  Mediterranean  ;  S,  by  the  same  and  the  Atlan- 
tic ;  W.  by  Portugal  and  the  Atlantic. 

J\f'a7nes.']  The  Greeks  knew  this  country  by  the  name  of  Iberia, 
derived  from  the  river  Iberus^  now  the  Ebro.  The  Roman  poets 
called  it  Hesjieriuy  or  the  western  land,  and  Hesficria  Ulterior-,  to 
distinguish  it  from  Hesfieria  Citerior,  or  Italy.  Its  geographical 
name  among  the  Romans  was  Hisfiania,  derived  undoubtedly  from 
S/ianija,  iVin  name  originally  given  it,  according  to  Bochart,  by 
the  Phoenicians,  from  Sfian^  a  rabbit,  because  it  abounded  Avith 
those  animals.  From  Hispania  the  Spaniards  have  derived  £s-' 
fiana  ;  the  Italians  Es^iagna  ;  the  French  Esfiagne  ;  the  English 
S/iain  ;  and  the  Germans,  Sfianien. 

Divisions.]  The  following  we  believe  to  be  an  accurate  ac- 
count of  the  divisions  and  subdivisions  of  Spain,  with  the  extent 
and  the  population  of  each  in  1787  ;  together  with  the  number  of 
cities,  boroughs,  villages,  and  parishes. 


Kingdoms. 

ProTinees. 

Extent. 

Population. 

Cit. 

Bor. 

Villa. 

Par. 

Gallicia, 

14,030  1,343,803 

1 

120 

187 

306 

Asturia, 

CO  vie  do, 
^Santillano, 

X      5260 

347,776 

3 

290 

4757 

1284 

r  Biscay, 

1430 

116,042 

124 

Biscay, 

X  Alava, 

1100 

71,399 

432 

(_Guipuscoa, 

800 

120,716 

76 

Navarre, 

3950 

227,382 

Arragon, 

15,550 

623,308 

11 

Catalonia, 

12,710 

814,412 

- 

Valencia, 

10,740 

932,150 

SPAIN. 


Mallorca, 

Murcia, 
Granada, 

Andalusia, 


Estrcmedura, 


Provinces. 
r  Mallorca, 

<  Minorca, 
(_lTica, 

C  Granada, 
I  Antequera, 
r  Seville, 

<  Cordova, 
(_Jaen, 


Extent.  Population.  Clt    Bor.  Villa.  Par. 


1890 


5480 
12,710 


179,066 


I 


Leon, 


Leon, 
Palencia, 
J  Toro, 
j  Zamora, 
I  Salamanca, 
tValladolid, 
fBurgos, 

01dCasdlIe,<i|j^--' 

^Avila, 
^Madrid, 
Toledo, 
New  Castille,<^  Guadalaxara 


337,686 
661,661 
19,638 
92501754,293 
6490.236,016 
5260:177,136 
14,950;416,922 
250,134 


>.  17,640 


■  16,220 


112,514 
92,404| 
74,669;  17 
1 
5 
6 
1 
4 
1 


210,389 
196,839 
465,410 
174,289 
170,565 
115,172 
216,226 
337,078 
.37,940  114,379 
266,182 
214,078 


230 

133 

81 

3203 

59 

185 

134 

502 

179 

554 

83 

229 

160 

26 

55 

58 

11 

182 

172 

60 

1 

365 

3658 

67 

249 

76ft 

490 

32f> 

219 

63 

74 

397" 

108 
588'1191  1828 


100 
132 
90 
73 
229 
187 
232 
93 


302 
482 
207 

17; 
100,' 
no: 
186J 

93; 


410 

639 

286 

92 

32r 

319 
431 
114 


I  Cuenza, 

I^Mancha, 

Original  Pofiulation.']  The  Celts,  from  Gaul,  constituted  the 
original  population  of  Spain.  Tiiey  were  called  Ccitiber/ansy  as 
they  were  Celts  inhabiting  Iberia,  to  distinguish  them  from  tli© 
Gallic  and  British  Celts  ;  and  appear,  in  very  early  periods,  to 
have  overspread  the  whole  of  the  country.  Spain  was  occupied 
by  them,  when  the  Egyptians,  Phenicians,  and  Tyrians  succes- 
sively established  themselves  on  its  coasts,  and  made  its  ports  the 
seat  of  an  extensive  commerce.  The  Celts  were  compelled  tore- 
lire  before  the  Mauri,  or  Moors,  from  western  Africa,  who  drove 
them  from  the  southern  and  eastern  parts  of  Spain,  and  who  long 
before  the  time  of  Julius  Caesar  had  passed  the  Pyrenees,  and,  un- 
der the  name  of  Aquctani,  had  possessed  themselves  of  the  south- 
western part  of  France.  The  Carthaginians  had  been  called  in 
by  the  Tyrians  to  their  assistance  against  the  Spaniards  at  an  early 
period,  even  a  short  time  after  they  had  built  Gades,  or  Cadiz  ; 
and  had  subdued  the  neighbourig  country.  But  they  were  never 
extensively  dispersed  over  Spain,  till  about  the  time  of  Hamilcar, 
Probably  great  numbers  of  these  colonists  never  left  the  country. 
The  Romans,  even  before  the  fall  of  Carthage,  had  conquered  Spain, 
and  prodigious  numbers  of  them  emigrated  to  the  newly  acquired 
territories.  No  one  of  the  subjugated  countries  appears  to  have  al- 
lured away  so  many  of  the  inhabitants  of  Italy.  A  great  proportion 
of  the  present  population  is  descended  from,  these  colonists.  This 
fact  explains  the  reason  why  the  Spanish  language  so  nearly  resem- 
bles the  Latin.  The  Vandals,  Alans,  and  Sucvi,  destroyed  thcRoman 
VOL.  II.  44 


^46  SPAIN. 

power  in  Spain,  and  were  succeeded  by  the  Visigoths,  whose  em- 
pire extended  over  a  considerable  part  of  the  country  for  130 
years,  and  was  finally  overthrown  by  the  Saracens,  or  Mahome- 
tan Moors,  in  the  early  part  of  the  8th  century.  The  Saracens 
during  their  long  dominion  gave  a  decided  cast  to  the  Spanish 
character  and  language,  and  various  places  in  Spain  still  retain 
their  Arabic  names.  Few  however  of  their  descendants  remain 
in  the  country  ;  and  the  modern  Spaniards  may  be  considered  as 
chiefly  descended  from  the  Romans,  the  Mauri,  the  Celts  or  Cel- 
tiberians,  and  the  Visigoths. 

Historical  E/ioc/is.^  The  following  are  the  chief  epochs  in 
Spanish  history. 

1.  The  original  settlement  by  the  Celts,  and  then  by  the  Mau- 
ri. During  this  period  the  Egyptians,  Phenicians,  Tyrians,  Mi- 
lesians, Carians,  Lesbians  and  Phoceans  are  mentioned  by  Euse- 
bius,  as  having  successively  got  possession  of  a  part  or  the  whole 
of  the  coast,  and  for  a  time  to  have  held  the  dominion  of  the  sea. 

2.  The  Carthiginian  conquest  of  Spain  about  the  time  of  the 
first  Punic  War. 

3.  The  Roman  dominion,  which  lasted  from  B.  C.  196  to 
A.  D.  411. 

4.  The  domination  of  the  northern  barbarians.  The  Suevi, 
Vandals,  and  Alans,  divided  Spain  and  retained  it  till  the  Visi- 
goths, under  Euric,  subdued  all  the  country  except  Gallicia,. 
which  to  this  day  is  peopled  by  descendants  of  the  Suevi. 

5.  The  domination  of  the  Sai'acens.  Their  first  descent  on 
Spain  was  made  in  the  year  712.  In  eight  months  they  overthrew 
Roderic,  the  Spanish  king,  and  his  army,  and  overran  the  whole 
country,  except  Asturias,  Burgos,  and  Biscay.  In  718,  Don  Pela- 
gio,  one  of  the  royal  family,  reestablished  the  Gothic  kingdom 
among  the  mountains  of  the  Asturias.  His  successors  built  Ovie- 
do  in  757,  and  made  it  their  capital.  Afterwards  conquerinj^ 
Leon  from  the  Moors,  they  called  their  kingdom  the  kingdom  of 
Oviedo  and  Leon..  In  758  the  christian  kingdom  of  Navarre  was 
established  under  Don  Garcia  Ximenes.  In  the  same  .year,  Ab- 
delrahman,  the  caliph's  viceroy,  assumed  the  title  of  Caliph  of 
Spain,  and  made  Cordova  the  seat  of  his  government.  This  dy- 
nasty lasted  till  A.  D.  1038,  when  the  Moorish  governors  of  To- 
ledo, Cordova,  Seville,  Valentia,  and  Granada,  usurped  the  royal 
Style,  and  for  some  time  maintained  the  shadow  of  royalty.  The 
christian  kingdoms  of  Castile  and  Arragon,  however,  had  been 
formed  previous  to  this  last  epoch,  for  Don  Sanchez,  king  of  Na- 
varre, had  bestowed  the  former,  in  the  year  1035,  on  his  eldest  son 
Ferdinand ;  and  the  latter,  the  same  year,  on  his  son  Ramira, 

6.  The  union  of  the  crowns  of  Castillc  and  Arragon  by  the 
mai'riage  of  Isabella  and  Ferdinand  in  1474.  The  kingdom  of 
Granada,  the  Inst  of  the  Moorish  possessions,  was  subdued  by 
Ferdinand  in  1490, 

7.  The  reign  of  the  emperor  Charles  V.  king  of  Spain,  and 
emperor  of  Austria,  which  began  in  1517.  The  power  of  Spain 
was  now  at  its  zenith. 

8.  The  conquest  of  Portugal  by  Philip  II.  of  Spain,  and  I.  o|" 


SPAIN.  Sir 

Portugal,  in  1580,  soon  after  the  defeat  of  the  Poi-tuguese,  in 
Africa,  by  Miiley  Moloch.  The  Spaniards  found  their  conquest 
an  unquiet  possession  during  tlie  60  years  of  its  subjugation.  In 
1640,  John  duke  of  Braganza,  put  himself  at  the  head  of  the  Por- 
tuguese, who  unanimously  shook  off  the  Spanish  yoke,  and  bravely 
achieved  their  independence. 

9.  The  termination  of  the  Austrian  dynasty  by  the  death  of 
Charles  II.  November  1,  1700:  and  the  accession  of  the  house  of 
Bourbon,  in  the  person  of  Philip  grandson  of  Louis  XIV. 

10,  The  kidnapping  of  the  Spanish  royal  family  at  Bayonne, 
in  the  spring  of  1808,  by  the  French  emperor,  and  the  subsequent 
attempt  to  impose  his  brother  Joseph  on  the  Spaniards,  in  the 
room  of  Ferdinand  VII.  the  lawful  monarch. 

Progressive  Geografihy.']  Before  the  Carthaginian  conquest 
Spain  was  divided  into  a  multitude  of  petty  states,  of  which  even 
the  names  have  not  reached  us.  Wc  are  equally  unacquainted 
■n'ith  the  Carthaginian  divisions.  The  Romans  at  first  divided  the 
country  into  Hisfiania  Citerior,  and  Ulterior.  The  former  reached 
from  the  Pyrenees  to  the  mouth  of  the  Douro,  on  the  Atlantic, 
and  to  the  eastern  boundary  of  Grenada  on  the  Mediterranean, 
In  the  time  of  Augustus  it  received  the  name  of  Tarraconensis  ; 
while  Hisfiania  Ulterior  was  subdivided.  That  part  between  the 
Douro,  on  the  N.  and  the  gulf  of  Cadiz,  was  called  Lusitania  ;  and 
the  southeastern  division  Baetica.  The  principal  tribes  inhabit- 
ing Spain  were  in  Tarraconensis y  the  Callaeci  in  Gallicia ;  the 
Astures^  in  Asturia  ;  the  Contabri  in  Biscay,  after  whom  the  Bay 
was  called  Sinua  Contabricus,  and  who  were  the  last  that  yielded  to 
the  Romans  ;  the  Concaniy  in  the  eastern  part  of  the  same  province, 
famous  for  drinking  the  blood  of  horses  ;  the  Vascones  in  Navari'e  ; 
and  the  Celtideri^  an  extensive  and  powerful  nation,  in  the  country 
of  the  Ebro  ;  in  Baetica  the  Turdetaniy  who  occupied  most  of  An- 
dalusia ;  and  the  BasttUi  and  Bastitani  in  Grenada  :  in  Lusitania 
the  Lusitani  in  the  S.  and  the  Veltones  in  the  N.  The  origin  of 
the  modern  divisions  has  already  been  found  in  the  petty  states 
and  kingdoms  of  the  Moors  and  Christians. 

Antiquities. ~\  No  remains  of  the  Celtae  or  Mauri  have  yet  been 
discovered,  nor  any  of  the  Carthaginians,  except  coins  wliich  have 
been  found  in  considerable  numbers. 

Some  of  the  finest  reliques  of  Roman  art  are  found  in  Spain. 
The  aqueduct  of  Segovia  was  built  in  the  time  of  Trajan,  and  has 
braved  with  impunity  the  corrosion  of  1 6  centuries.  It  rests  on 
161  arches,  threeof  which,  in  some  places,  stand  one  upon  another. 
Its  greatest  height,  in  the  valley  which  it  crosses,  is  102  feet,  and  its 
length  2220.  It  is  composed  of  square  stones,  placed  one  upon 
another  without  any  appearance  of  cement.  In  Murviedro,  the  an- 
cient Saguntum,  is  a  large  theatre  capable  of  holding  9000  persons. 
Here  also  are  the  remains  of  an  ancient  circus,  and  a  temple  of 
Bacchus.  In  Tarragona  and  Toledo,  also  are  various  remains  of 
a  similar  nature. 

The  Visigoths  have  left  few  relics,  except  their  coins,  which  are 
pf  gold,  a  metal  then  unknown  to  the  other  European  mints.     The 


S48  SPAIN. 

Alcazar,  the  ancient  habitation  of  the  Gothic  kings,  at  Toledo,  was 
repaired  by  Charles  V.     It  is  now  in  ruins. 

The  Moorish  antiquities  are  numerous  and  splendid.  Of  these 
the  palace  of  the  Alhambra^  at  Granada,  is  far  the  most  magnificent. 
The  court  to  which  you  are  first  admitted  is  called  the  Communa^ 
a  large  room  1 50  feet  by  90,  with  a  deep  bason  of  clear  water  in  the 
midst,  100  feet  in  length,  into  which  is  a  descent  by  two  flights  of 
marble  steps,  and  on  each  side  a  parterre  of  flowers  and  a  row  of 
orange  trees.  At  each  end  is  a  colonnade.  From  hence  you  pass 
into  the  court  of  the  lions,  an  oblong  room  100  feet  long,  and  50 
broad,  adorned  with  a  colonnade  of  140  marble  pillars.  In  the 
centre  arc  twelve  ill-formed  lions,  muzzled,  bearing  on  their 
backs  an  enormous  bason,  out  of  which  rises  another  of 
smaller  size.  The  I'oyal  bedchamber  has  two  alcoves,  adorned  Avith 
columns,  and  a  fountain  between  them.  The  great  hall  is  40  feet 
square,  and  60  high,  with  eight  windows,  and  two  doors,  all  in  deep 
recesses.  Between  this  and  the  Comviuna  is  a  gallery,  90  feet  by 
16.  The  dressing  room  of  the  Sultana  is  a  littte  tower,  in  one 
corner  of  which  is  a  large  marble  flag,  penetrated  with  holes, 
tlirough  which  the  smoke  of  perfumes  ascended  from  furnaces  be- 
low. A  long  passage  leads  hencfi  to  the  hall  of  the  ambassadors, 
which  opens  into  the  great  audience  hall,  36  feet  square,  36  feet 
high,  to  the  cornice,  and  18  thence  to  the  centre  of  the  cupola. 
On  the  south  side  of  the  court  of  the  lions  is  a  circular  drinking 
room,  in  which  the  Abencarrages  were  put  to  death  by  Abouab- 
dallah.  The  exquisite  manner  in  which  the  stucco  is  designed, 
painted  and  finished  exceeds  all  power  of  description.  This  palace 
was  completed  in  1336.  TheGeneralif,  or  house  of  pleasure,  built 
by  Omar,  stands  upon  a  high  mountain  at  a  small  distance,  and  is 
surpassed  in  magnificence  only  by  the  Alhambra.  The  beauty 
of  its  situation  is  vmrivalled. 

Other  superb  monuments  of  Moorish  art  are  found  at  Toledo, 
Seville,  and  Cordova'. 

The  only  christian  antiquities  worthy  of  notice,  are  the  cathe- 
drals and  castles.  The  cathedral  of  Cordova  is  474  feet  by  414, 
adorned  by  600  columns  of  marble.  That  of  Grenada,  is  425  eet 
long  and  249  broad,  with  a  dome  160  feet  high,  and  80  in  diameter. 
Those  of  Burgos  and  Segovia  are  also  large  and  magnificent. 

Religionr^  The  Catholic  is  almost  the  only  religion  known  or 
tolerated  in  Spain,  and  is  here  exercised  in  all  its  ceremonial  or- 
thodoxy. Only  at  Madrid,  and  the  most  important  sea-port  towns, 
are  persons  of  difierent  persuasion  suffered  to  reside,  though  in 
most  parts  of  the  country  there  are  secretly  great  numbers  of  Jews 
and  Mahometans.  The  Court  of  Inquisitiow,  instituted  in  1478, 
by  Ferdinand  the  catholic,  was  long  invested  Avith  exorbitant  power, 
a  power  exercised  with  a  degree  of  intolei-ance  and  cruelty  known 
in  no  other  country  but  Portugal.  The  high  court  is  at  Madrid, 
and  8  subordinate  courts  arc  scattered  over  the  kingdom.  For 
some  time  previous  to  the  late  revolution,  it  was  nearly  stript  of 
its  terrors,  and  since  that  event,  an  edict  of  king  Joseph,  has  or- 
dered it  to  be  abolished.     There  are  in  Spain  8   archbishoprics, 


SPAIN.  349 

48  bishoprics,  1 17  cathedrals,  18,537  parishes,  2,146  monasteries, 
and  1023  nunneries.  The  revenues  of  the  archbishoprics  are  very- 
great.  That  ofToIedo  is  about  £90,000  sterling:.  The  whole  number 
of  clergy,  in  1787,  was  188,625,of  whom  22,460  were  parish  priests, 
and  their  assistants ;  61,617  monks;  32,500  nuns;  and  2,705  in- 
quisitors. The  clergy  have  tliree  spiritual  orders  of  knighthood, 
those  of  Santiaa;o,  Calatrava,  and  Alcantara,  all  possessed  of  very- 
large  estates.  The  Spaniards  arc  bigotted  Catholics.  They  often 
unite  a  ceremonial  piety  with  the  practice  of  every  vice. 

Governmfjit.']  The  fundamental  laws  of  the  monarchy  are  the 
indivisibility  of  the  monarchy,  the  right  of  primogeniture,  and  the 
exclusion  of  females  from  the  throne,  till  after  the  whole  male  line 
is  extinct.  The  government  is  now  a  despotic  monarchy,  balanced 
however  by  the  power  of  the  church,  and  tempered  by  many  coun- 
cils, who  are  responsible  for  the  success  of  their  own  measures. 
Formerly  the  Cortes,  or  states  of  the  kingdom,  met  annually, 
and  for  a  long  time  limited  the  sovereign  pov/er.  These  consisted 
of  deputies  of  four  classes,  two  from  the  nobility,  one  from  the 
clergy,  and  one  from  the  cities.  This  body  met  but  twice  during 
the  last  century. 

The  chief  councils  are,  1.  The  Cabinet  Council  composed  of  the 
king  and  the  ministers  of  foreign  affairs,  of  war,  of  the  marine,  of 
finances,  of  the  Indies,  and  of  favor  and  justice.  2.  The  Council 
of  State.  3.  The  Council  of  Finances.  4.  The  Council  of  War. 
5.  The  Council  of  Castile.  6.  The  Council  of  Arragon,  7.  The 
Council  of  the  Inquisition.  8.  The  Council  of  the  orders  of 
Knighthood.  9.  The  Council  of  the  Indies.  10.  That  of  the 
Crusada,  which  determines  the  subsidies  to  be  granted  by  the. 
clergy.  There  are  12  tribunals  in  the  diff'erent  provinces,  called 
Audiencias.  The  judges  of  the  inferior  courts  of  justice  in  the 
smaller  towns,  are  called  Alcaides  ;  those  in  the  large  cities,  Cor- 
regidores. 

The  Spanish  grandees  are  extremely  numerous.  All  the  Bis- 
cayans  and  Asturians  are  reputed  noble. 

L,aws.~\  The  only  authentic  laws  by  which  justice  is  adminis- 
tered are  registered  in  the  codes  published  by  the  ancient  kings. 
The  principal  code,  and  that  which  is  in  constant  use,  is  called 
Recofiilacion.  It  is  a  collection  of  edicts  from  the  earliest  ages,  to 
the  present  time.  A  new  edition  is  occasionally  published,  in 
which  the  late  laws  are  inserted.  The  Roman  civil  law  is  fre- 
quently consulted  in  practice.  The  canon  law  is  the  received  code 
in  all  ecclesiastical  affairs.  Torture  is  not  wholly  disused.  Law- 
suits are  exceedingly  expensive,  and  of  long  duration. 

Po/iulationr\  The  census  of  1787  gave  a  population  of  10,268,150. 
Ilassel  estimated  it  in  1809,  at  10,396,000.  Since  that  time  it 
must  have  been  seriously  diminished  by  the  indiscriminate  carnage 
occasioned  by  the  armies  of  France.  Spain  has  for  a  long  timft 
been  one  of  the  least  populous  countries  in  Europe.  This  defi- 
ciency is  imputed,  by  Townsend,  to  the  expulsion  of  the  Jews  and 
Moors,  to  the  contagious  fevers  in  the  south,  to  the  intestine  wars 
with  the  Moors,  carried  on  incessantly  for  7  centuries,  to  the  emi- 


S50  SPAIN. 

grations  to  America,  and  to  the  vast  number  of  the  clergy  who 
never  marry.     A  more  operative  cause  than  either,  and  perhaps 
than  all  of  these,  mav  be  found  in  the  extreme  indolence,  which 
has  so  long  characterized  the  great  body  of  the  Spaniards. 
The  population,  in  1787,  was  thus  divided. 
Unmarried  Males  2,926,229 

Married         do.  1,947,165 

Widowers  235,778       5,109,172 

Unmarried  females  2,753,224 

Married        do.  1,943,496 

Widows    '  462,258        5,158,978 


10,268,150 


The  numbers  of  each  rank  were  as  follows. 

Male  Clergy  156,125 

Knights  480,589 

Lawyers  5,917 

Scriveners,  notaries,  and  clerks  9,611 

Scholars  50,994 

Husbandmen  917,197 

Day  laborers  964,57 1 

Merchants  34,339 

Manufacturers  39,750 

Mechanics  270,989 

Servants  280,092 

Persons  in  the  king's  pay  36,465 

Persons  with  military  privileges  77,884 

Of  the  Knights,  401,040  were  in  the  provinces  of  Asturias,  Bis- 
cay, Burgos,  Gallicia,  and  Leon. 

The  census  of  1787  exceeded  that  of  1768-9,  by  960,346  souls. 
jirmy.']  In  1806,  the  army  amounted  to  153,840  men,  consisting 
of  infantiy,  99,240  ;  cavalry,  8,894  ;  guards,  8,070  ;  artillery, 
6,000;  engineers,  1,396;  provincial  troops,  50,240;  under  the 
command  of  a  generalissimo,  5  captain-generals,  92  lieutenant- 
generals,  136  major-generals,  and  225  brigadiers.  Since  the 
revolution  almost  every  man  has  become  a  soldier,  and  the  Spanish 
recruits  have  in  many  instances  exhibited  the  valour  and  intrepid- 
ity of  veteran  troops.  The  want  of  talents  in  the  Spanish  gener- 
als, and  of  vigor  and  unanimity  in  the  Junta,  will  be  the  chief 
causes  of  the  ruin  of  the  patriots,  if  they  are  ultimately  unsuc- 
cessful. 

JVavij.']  In  1808,  the  navy  amounted  to  218  sail;  whereof  42 
were  of  the  line,  30  frigates,  20  corvettes,  4  zebecks,  40  brigan- 
tines,  15  bomb- vessels,  and  67  smaller  vessels.  These  were 
manned  by  2,379  marines,  3,320  artillery,  and  36,000  sailors. 

Revenue.^  Llerena  states  the  Spanish  revenue  at  6 1 6,295,675  Rials 
de  vellon,  or  about  32,575,000  dollars.  Others  state  it  at  50  mill- 
ions of  piasters,  or  40  millions  of  dollars.  The  first  nearly  agrees  with 
the  estimate  of  Hassel,  and  is  probably  correct.  Of  this  revenue 
America  furnishes  about  2,100,000  dollars.  The  expenditure  usu- 
ally somewhat  exceeded  the  revenue;     The  national  debt,  in  1  §09, 


SPAIN.  351 

T/as  estimated  by  Hassel  at  about  3 1 1,000,000  dollars.  In  1 783,  it 
was  81,364,000;  in  1790,  123,200,000;  and  in  1800,  203,000,000. 
Spain  is  the  poorest  country  in  Europe,  although  it  annually  re- 
eeives  more  specie,  than  any  other.  About  40,000,000  dollars  are 
annually  brought  hither,  of  which  about  32,000,000  come  from 
America.  The  whole  amount  imported  in  the  registered  ships 
alone,  from  the  discovery  of  the  mines  to  the  year  1725,  was  5,185 
millions  in  gold  and  silver.  But  it  merely  passes  through  Spain, 
to  the  residences  of  industry  and  enterprize. 

Political  Relations.']  The  power  and  proximity  of  France  had 
long  rendered  Spain  in  a  measure  dependent ;  and  till  the  late 
revolution  they  had  for  many  years  been  closely  united.  Nothing 
but  the  American  colonies  gave  the  mother  country  any  influence 
©n  the  politics  of  Europe.  The  late  rude  attack  upon  her  independ- 
ence, has  opened  the  eyes  of  her  own  citizens  to  the  real  designs 
of  the  French  government.  The  supineness  of  the  Spanish  char- 
acter has,  to  a  good  degree,  been  shaken  off,  and  many  of  the  sol- 
diers have  exhibited  as  great  valor,  as  the  pen  of  history  ever 
described.  The  scenes  at  Saragossa  and  Gerona,  were  never 
surpassed,  and  the  name  of  Palafox  can  find  few  competitors. 
Hitherto  the  loss  of  men  has  been  the  greatest  on  the  side  of  the 
invaders.  If  Spain  is  svibdued,  she  will  prove  an  unquiet  con- 
quest ;  and  the  natives  of  France  will  find  no  safety  but  in  the  neigh- 
borhood of  their  forts  and  armies.  The  invasion  of  this  unhappy 
country  was  like  an  invasion  from  the  infernal  pit ;  the  invaders 
have  proved  themselves  the  mere  enemies  of  peace,  of  innocence, 
and  of  happiness  ;  and  the  naine  of  Frenchman,  for  a  succession 
©f  ages,  will  probably  here  be  felt  to  denote  all  that  is  wanton  in 
lust,  all  that  is  fiend-like  in  cruelty. 

Manners  and  Customs.]  The  houses  of  the  nobility  and  gentry 
are  capacious  and  often  elegant ;  but  tlie  others,  both  in  cities  and 
in  the  country,  are  small  and  miserably  built.  The  Spanish  inns 
are  not  very  numerous,  but  they  are  every  where  dirty  and  desti- 
tute of  conveniences.  In  many,  the  traveller  is  obliged  to  provide 
and  cook  his  own  victuals.  The  wealthy  Spaniards  are  extremely 
averse  to  living  in  the  country,  and  this  is  the  reason  why  tliere 
are  so  few  cheerful  villas,  handsome  farmhouses,  and  fertile  thrifty 
iarms. 

The  dress  of  the  Spaniards  is  subject  to  little  variation.  The 
cloak,  the  long  sword,  and  the  large  round  hat,  are  national  fash- 
ions, which  even  an  arbitrary  monarch  could  not  alter  for  the  more 
elegant  modes  of  France.  Black  is  the  favorite  color.  Those 
who  adopt  the  French  dress  make  choice  of  the  most  lively  col- 
ors, and  it  is  not  uncommon  to  see  men  of  50  dressed  in  red,  or 
sky-blue  silk. 

The  Spaniards  are  often  indelicate  and  gross  in  their  conversa- 
tion. In  their  language  and  their  topics  they  use  a  degree  of  free- 
dom unknown  in  most  other  countries.  Loose  innuendoes,  volup- 
tuous descriptions,  equivoque  and  obscenity  arc  not  only  pardon- 
ed, but  uctered  by  ladies  of  distinction  in  mixed  companies.  Both 
se.xes  are  extremely  fond  of  dancing,  and  possess  the  greatest 


352  SPAIN. 

aptitude  to  excel  in  the  art.  The  favorite  dances  are  the  fan- 
^Smngo,  and  the  seg-uidilla.,  both  decidedly  of  Cyprian  origin,  and 
wholly  offensive  to  the  eye,  even  of  decency.  They  are  also  de- 
voted to  music,  and  balls,  and  concerts,  and  conversation  parties, 
are  their  chief  social  amusement.  They  rarely  assemble  to  eat  at 
each  others  houses.  Few  of  them  are  fond  of  the  chace.  Throw- 
ing the  bar  is  the  most  customary  sport  of  the  common  people. 
But  the  bull-fights  are  the  favorite  national  amusement.  These 
take  place  in  amphitheatres,  prepared  for  the  purpose,  and  usually 
in  the  summer.  The  animal  is  first  attacked  by  horsemen,  armed 
with  lances  ;  then  by  men  on  foot,  who  carry  a  kind  of  arrow,  ter- 
minated like  a  fish-hook.  These  give  the  animal  exquisite  pain, 
and  redouble  his  fury.  When  the  buJl  is  almost  exhausted,  a  man, 
called  the  matador,  advances  alone  with  a  long  knife,  and  usually 
with  a  single  blow  terminates  his  sufferings.  If  the  animal  ap- 
pears deficient  in  spirit,  a  pack  of  dogs  is  let  in;  several  of  which 
are  commonly  killed  before  their  purpose  is  accomplished.  Fre- 
quently six  or  eight  of  the  horses  are  killed  in  a  single  fight,  and 
sometimes,  though  rarely,  one  or  more  of  the  human  combatants. 
In  spite  of  the  wanton  cruelty  of  this  amusement,  both  sexes,  of 
every  age  and  rank,  crowd  to  a  bull-fight  day  after  day  with  en- 
thusiasm, and  ge^itry  and  nobles  do  not  disdain  to  appear  as  com- 
batants. 

The  Spaniards  are  generally  short,  thin,  and  well-proportioned. 
Their  complexion  is  olive.  Their  manneis  are  grave  and  slow, 
but  graceful.  They  are  distinguished  for  their  national  and  per- 
sonal pride.  These  prevent  them  from  stooping  to  the  more 
grovelling  vices.  They  are  credulous,  superstitious,  and  bigot- 
ted  ;  but  at  present  not  intolerant.  They  are  revengeful ;  but  as- 
sasinations  are  less  frequent  than  formerly,  and  are  not  common 
except  in  Andalusia  and  Gx'anada.  Jealousy  was  formerly  a  com- 
m.on  characteristic  of  the  nation,  but  it  has  been  succeeded  by  a 
more  criminal  indifference.  One  of  the  most  striking  of  the 
present  national  manners  and  customs  is  the  common  practice  of 
adultery,  under  the  mask  of  religion.  The  cicisbei  first  appeared 
as  a  distinct  class  of  men  in  Italy  several  centuries  since,  and  were 
soon  found  in  Austria,  Spain,  and  Portugal.  In  France  they  were 
unnecessary.  In  Italy  theyai-e  usually  gentlemen.  In  Spain  they 
are  often  monks  and  ecclesiastics.  They  are  called  cortejos,  and 
often  discover  a  singular  degree  of  fidelity  and  constancy  in  their 
criminal  attachment. 

In  general  the  Spaniards  are  patient,  cautious,  distinguished  for 
their  sobriety  and  temperance,  charitable,  friendly,  faithful,  and 
strictly  honest  in  their  dealings.  They  are  obedient  to  the  laws, 
and  willing  to  undergo  any  sacrifice  for  the  honor  of  their  country. 

The  manners  of  the  different  Provinces,  have  each  also  their 
particular  character.  The  Catalans  are  the  most  industrious,  ac- 
tive and  ingenious.  They  are  fond  of  property.  Their  manner.s 
are  rude  and  vulgar.  The  Valencian  is  mild  and  supple  in  his 
manners,  idle,  subtle,  and  false.  All  the  mountebanks  and  tum- 
blers come  from  Valencia.     The  Andalusian  is  well  made,nirable, 


SPAIN.  .  555 

lively,  idle,  vain,  extravagant,  and  licentious.  The  Gastilian  is 
haughty,  grave,  distant,  dignified,  mistrustful,  and  usually  well 
informed  and  intelligent.  The  Gallicians  leave  their  own  coun- 
try, and  are  employed  in  the  rest  of  Spain,  in  the  lowest  occupa- 
tions, as  in  sweeping  chimneys,  and  cleaning  shoes.  Most  of  the 
servants  are  Asturiaiis  :  they  are  faithful,  not  very  intelligent,  but 
exact  in  the  performance  of  their  duty. 

Language.']  The  Spanish  is  chiefly  derived  from  the  Latin, 
and  resembles  it  more  than  the  French  or  Italian.  Many  of  the 
Avords  however  are  of  Arabic,  and  some  of  Gothic  origin.  The 
Moors  resided  so  long  in  Spain,  as  not  only  tocommuuicate  to  the 
language  many  of  their  Avords  and  expressions,  but  also  gave  it 
much  of  the  slow  formal  manner  of  the  orientals.  The  speech  is 
grave,  sonorous,  of  superior  dignity,  and  of  exquisite  melody. 
The  dialect  of  Castile  is  by  far  the  purest.  The  Biscayans  speak 
an  entirely  different  language  from  the  Castilian.  It  is  of  Gothic 
derivation.  The  Asturian  dialect  is  said  to  resemble  it,  and,  in  a 
smaller  degree,  the  Gallician.  There  are  serious  varieties  in, 
those  of  the  other  provinces. 

Literature]  During  the  long  Roman  domination  Spain  re- 
ceived so  many  colonists  from  Italy,  that  she  became  at  length 
scarcely  inferior  to  it  in  civilization  and  learning.  Some  of  the 
best  Latin  writers  were  natives  of  Spain.  Among  these  may  be 
mentioned  Quinctilian,  Lucan,  Martial,  Pomponius  Mela,  Silius 
Italicus,  and  Seneca.  The  Spaniards  had  translations  of  the  best 
Greek  and  Latin  classics  before  the  close  of  the  15th  century, 
■which  was  long  before  they  were  translated  in  France  or  England. 
Isidore  of  Seville  may  be  mentioned  among  the  fathers  of  litera- 
ture in  this  country.  He  flourished  in  the  7th  century,  and  wrote 
in  Greek;  and  is  inferior  in  merit  to  few  of  his  cotemporaries. 
Under  the  Caliphs  of  Cordova  flourished  many  celebrated  writers. 
Among  these  maybe  mentioned  Averroes,  Aben  Zoarand  Rhazes. 
The  History  of  Spain  by  Father  Mariana,  to  the  reign  of  Ferdinand 
the  Catholic  is  written  in  an  admirable  style,  and  generally  with 
accuracy.  The  chronicles  of  Ferreras  de  Saavedra  are  in  great 
estimation.  The  History  of  Catalonia,  by  a  bishop  of  Lerida,  is 
no  contemptible  imitation  of  Livy.  The  best  memoirs  are  those 
of  the  Marquis  of  Saint  Philip,  on  the  war  of  the  succession. 
The  History  of  Mexico  by  Antonio  Sulis  is  translated  into  every 
European  language.  The  Conquest  of  Peru,  by  Garcilasso  de 
la  Vega,  is  exact,  but  dry  and  uninteresting.  Hermondez's  His- 
tory of  the  Indies  ought  also  to  be  mentioned  for  its  admirable 
;iimplicity.  Francisco  Perez  Bayer,  author  of  a  dissertatioi^  on 
the  Phenician  language,  stands  in  the  first  list  of  Spanish  literati. 
The  Spaniards  have  been  distinguished  for  their  success  in  com- 
positions of  gallantry,  in  fables,  and  ingenious  fictions.  For  nar- 
rative invention  they  are  not  rivalled  by  any  European  nation. 
The  plots  of  their  jTubles,  their  comedies,  farces,  novel^s,  and  ro- 
mances, are  original  ;  and  have  been  borrowed  by  the  Italians, 
French,  English,  and  Germans.  Cervantes  will  always  oe  tho 
Ijrst  model  of  satirical  and  humorous  narrative.     Their  best  comic 

VOL  II.  45 


354  SPAIN. 

poets  are  Lopez  de  Vega,  Roxas,  Solis,  Moreto,  Arellano  and  the 
immortal  Cakleron.  Ercilla  was  a  soldier  in  Chili,  whenhe  wrote 
his  Jraucana.  The  other  distinguished  poets  are  Luis  de  Leon, 
Quevedo,  and  Villegas. 

The  best  English  and  French  works  on  morality,  history,  and 
philosophy  are  translated  into  Spanish.  In  philosophy  the  na- 
tive authors  have  not  excelled.  For  some  time  past  the  nation  has 
not  been  distinguished  by  its  progress  in  learning  or  science. 

Universities.^  The  Spanish  imiversities  are  22  in  number. 
Six  of  these  were  devoted  to  the  education  of  young  men  of  fam- 
ily. The  privileges  they  enjoyed  became  a  source  of  abuse,  and 
in  1777,  they  underwent  a  thorough  reform.  The  University  of 
Salamanca  has  a  library  of  more  than  20,000  volumes,  and  in  1785 
contained  1909  students.  The  Logic  of  Aristotle,  and  the  Theol- 
ogy of  Thomas  Aquinas  are  still  taught  in  all  the  universities. 
There  are  academies  for  the  laws  of  Spain,  for  the  canon  law,  and 
for  medicine  at  Madrid  ;  for  the  belles  lettres  and  for  medicine  at 
Seville  ;  and  academy  of  the  arts  at  Valencia  and  Saragossa;  one 
of  geography  at  Valladolid ;  one  of  mathematics  and  drawing  at 
Granada  ;  and  one  of  belles  lettres  at  Barcelona. 

Cities.~\  According  to  Hassel  there  are  in  Spain  145  cities, 
4,364  borough  towns,  and  9,293  villages. 

Madrid.)  the  capital  of  Spain,  is  built  on  a  small  stream  call- 
ed the  Manzanares,  which  empties  into  the  Xarama,  a  ti'ibutary  of 
the  Tagus,  in  lat.  40  23  N.  and  3  12  W.  It  continued  an  obscure 
town  in  Castile,  till  Charles  V.  made  it  the  royal  residence.  It 
has  no  fortifications  nor  ditches,  being  only  surrounded  by  a  bad 
wall  with  15  gates.  The  streets  are  not  at  right  angles,  but  they 
are  almost  all  straight,  wide,  clean,  and  well  paved.  It  has  also 
several  squares,  or  areas,  not  very  spacious  or  regular ;  but  the 
Plaza  Mayor  is  distinguished  for  its  beauty  and  regularity.  It  is 
1536  feet  in  circuit,  and  inclosed  by  136  houses,  of  five  stories,  or- 
namented by  balconies  which  are  supported  by  pillars.  This  is 
the  scene  of  the  bull-fights,  and  public  executions,  and  was  for- 
merly of  auto-da-fes.  The  streets  and  squai-es  are  adorned  with 
fountains,  the  water  of  which  is  excellent,  and  the  air  of  the  town 
is  very  pure  and  healthy.  Madrid  contains  18  parishes,  35  con- 
vents of  monks,  31  of  nuns,  39  colleges  and  hospitals,  14,100 
houses,  and  156,672  inhabitants.  The  houses  are  chiefly  of  brick, 
and  several  are  large  and  handsome.  The  Manzanares,  which 
runs  W.  of  the  town,  a  small  distance  from  its  walls,  in  winter  is 
a  torrent,  but  dry  in  summer.  There  are  two  bridges  over  it,  one 
leading  to  Segovia,  the  other  to  Toledo.  Among  the  edifices  the 
Palace  of  Madrid,  on  the  west  side  of  the  town,  near  the  river,  de- 
serves the  first  mention.  It  is  new,  and  presents  four  fronts  of 
470  feet  each,  and  100  in  height,  enriched  with  numerous  pillars 
and  pilasters.  In  the  middle  is  a  spacious  court,  around  which 
arc  large  piazzas.  The  audience  chamber  is  a  double  cube  of  90 
feet,  hung  with  crimson  velvet,  and  adorned  with  sumptuous  can- 
opy, and  painted  ceiling.  In  almost  every  room  are  suspended 
ijumerous  portraits,   and   other  paintings,  the  works  of  tlxe  first 


SPAIN.  C5;5 

masters.  The  |)alace  of  Buen  Retire,  on  the  east  side  of  the  town, 
is  very  large,  but  destitute  of  beauty  and  magnificence.  It  fronts 
upon  the  Prado,  a  public  walk,  a  mile  and  a  half  in  length,  which 
has  long  been  famous  in  Spanish  comedy  and  romance.  It  is 
planted  with  trees,  and  adorned  with  statues  and  fountains.  Se- 
veral of  the  principal  streets  terminate  on  it.  That  of  Alcala,  the 
widest  in  Europe,  crosses  it,  and  runs  by  the  side  of  the  gardens 
of  the  palace.  The  churches  of  Madrid  are  not  distinguished  for 
their  architecture.  Those  of  St.  Pasqual,  St.  Isabella,  and  the 
Carmelites,  contain  collections  of  pictures,  which  cannot  be  seen 
without  admiration.  Madrid  has  little  trade,  and  prospers  chiefly 
by  the  presence  of  the  court.  The  royal  manufactures  of  china 
and  salt-petre  are  established  here.  The  environs  of  Madrid  are 
far  from  being  handsome,  and  entirely  unadorned  with  palaces 
and  villas. 

Barcelona^  a  sea-port  of  Catalonia,  was  built  by  Amilcar  BarcaS) 
father  of  Annibal  250  B.  C.  and  was  called  by  him  Barcino.  It 
stands  on  a  plain  open  to  the  S.  E.  but  protected  by  hills  on  the  N. 
^nd  W.  It  is  surrounded  by  a  double  brick  wall  with  14  bastions, 
hoi'nworks,  ramparts,  and  ditches.  The  old  and  new  town  are  se- 
parated from  each  other  by  a  wall  and  ditch.  The  streets  are  nar- 
row and  ci'ooked,  and  the  churches  are  rather  rich  than  beautiful. 
The  arsenal  is  of  large  extent,  and  a  prodigious  gallery,  containing 
28  forges,  has  been  erected  in  it  within  a  few  years.  The  other 
chief  edifices  are  the  cathedral,  the  church  of  Notre  Dame,  the 
exchange,  and  the  palaces  of  the  bishop,  the  governor,  that  for  the 
deputation  of  the  nobles,  and  that  of  the  inquisition.  The  hospi- 
tal contains  1,400  industrious  poor.  The  town  contains  8  parisl\es, 
10,183  houses,  and  111,410  inhabitants.  The  inhabitants  are  in- 
dustrious and  hospitable.  The  women  are  distinguished  for  their 
beauty,  their  vivacity,  and  their  freedom  from  restraint.  The  har- 
bor is  spacious,  deep,  and  secure.  A  mountain  called  Montjoui 
rises  near  the  city,  in  the  middle  of  the  plain,  runs  into  the  sea  in 
the  form  of  a  promontory,  is  covered  with  vineyards,  gardens,  and 
groves,  and  a  strong  fort,  and  furnishes  a  quarry  of  fine  hard  free 
stone.  On  the  other  side  of  the  entrance  is  a  large  mole,  with  a 
light-house  and  fort  at  the  extremity.  This  is  the  second  com- 
mercial town  in  Spain.  It  has  extensive  manufactures  of  silk,  cot- 
ton, wool,  glass,  cutlery  and  fire  arms,  and  a  noble  foundery  of  can- 
non. The  imports  are  corn,  codfish,  woollens,  silks  and  stockings ; 
the  exports  wine,  brandy,  cloth,  and  leather. 

Valencia^  called  Julia  Colonia,  and  afterwards  Valentiay  was  built 
by  Junius  Brutus,  a  Roman  consul  about  A.  U.  C.  677.  It  stands 
on  the  Guadalaviar,  about  half  a  league  from  its  mouth.  The 
streets  are  narrow,  but  every  where  clean,  and  the  appearance  of 
the  town  is  pleasing.  Here  arc  a  military  school,  a  public  libra- 
ry, and  45  convents.  Fine  edifices  are  not  numerous.  The  chief 
are  a  large  cathedral,  and  the  church  of  the  Patriarch,  both  richly- 
ornamented  with  paintings,  and  the  temple,  a  church  entirely  mod-» 
crn,  and  built  in  a  simple  and  noble  taste.  The  silk-manufactures 
of  this  city  are  some  of  the  most  extensive  in  Europe.     About  4000 


356     '  SPAIK. 

silk  looms  give  employment  to  more  than  20,000  of  the  inhabi- 
tants, and  consume  yearly  627,000  lbs.  of  raw  silk.  Here  also  are 
manufactured  soap,  tiles,  mats,  and  cordage.  A  fine  walk  along 
the  river  passes  five  handsome  stone  bridges,  and  leads  to  Grao,  a 
little  village  at  its  mouth.  It  has  less  a  harbor,  than  a  bad  road 
without  anchorage  or  shelter.  Vessels  seldom  approach  nearer 
than  half  a  league.  The  cargoes  are  there  usually  put  into  barks, 
which  are  rowed  almost  to  the  shore,  and  afterwards  towed  by 
oxen,  till  they  are  out  of  the  water.  The  trade  of  the  city  is,  how- 
ever, extensive  in  wine,  brandy,  salt,  fruits,  oil,  wool,  silk,  rice, 
potash,  soda  and  barilla.  From  the  mouth  of  the  Ebro,  to  Car- 
thagena  the  roads  of  Alicant  and  Santa  Pola,  are  the  only  places 
where  anchoring  is  saie.  The  rest  of  the  coast  of  Valencia  is  low, 
dangerous,  and  exposed  to  violent  east  winds.  The  environs  of 
the  city  are  every  where  crowded  with  villages  and  orchards  in  the 
midst  of  a  fertile  and  beautiful  country,  and  ihe  top  of  a  very  lofty 
tower  in  the  city  gives  one  of  the  most  beautiful  prospects  in  Eu- 
rope.    Population,  105,000. 

Si"uille,  the  HL-/ialis  of  the  Romans,  the  Hisfialia  of  the  Goths, 
and  the  Ixbilla^  of  the  Moors,  was  built  long  before  the  Romans 
ventured  into  Spain,  but  when,  or  by  whom,  is  uncertain.  It 
stands  in  the  midst  of  a  large  circular  plain,  on  the  south  side  of 
the  Guadalquiver,  54  miles  from  its  mouth,  in  the  midst  of  a  coun- 
try well  cultivated  and  adorned  with  orchards  and  villas.  It  is 
surrounded  with  walls,  flanked  with  towers.  It  is  the  most  exten- 
sive city  in  Spain,  and  contains  30  churches,  90  convents,  a  uni- 
versity, several  hospitals  and  free  schools,  an  exchange,  and  a 
mint,  13,500  dwelling  houses,  and  80,268  inhabitants.  When  Fer- 
dinand took  Seville  from  the  Moors,  it  is  said  to  have  had  a  popu- 
lation ot  400,000  souls.  The  streets  are  irregular,  and  many  of 
them  very  narrow.  The  houses  are  frequently  built  upon  poles, 
and  are  generally  of  a  mean  appearance.  Seville  is  the  see  of  an 
archbishop,  the  seat  of  an  audienza  real,  and  of  a  tribunal  of  inqui- 
sition. Here  are  considerable  manufactories  of  salt-petre,  verdi- 
grise,  leather,  silks,  cloth  and  gold  lace,  and  a  foundery  of  can- 
non. Ferdinand  IV.  in  1757,  established  in  this  town  a  royal  to- 
bacco manufactory,  at  an  expense  of  30,000,000  rials.  The  chief 
building  is  a  square  of  750  feet,  two  stories  high  constructed  of 
a  white  stone.  From  1500  to  2000  persons  are  here  daily  employ- 
ed, and  80  mills  arc  worked  by  100  horses  or  mules.  All  the  to- 
bacco of  Spain  is  prepared  here.  The  Guadalquiver  is  navigable 
by  ships  of  burthen  to  this  place  ;  but  thence  to  Cordova  only  by 
small  craft.  It  was  the  seat  of  the  American  commerce,  till  1717, 
when  it  passed  to  Cadiz.  The  exports  are  tobacco,  wool,  oil,  saf- 
fron, wine  and  lemons. 

Cadiz,  the  Gadir  of  the  Tyrians,  and  the  Gades  of  the  Romans, 
was  built  by  the  former  nation,  about  40  years  after  the  founding 
of  Rome,  and  was  soon  transferred  to  the  Carthaginians,  who  held 
it  several  centui'ies  before  their  conquest  of  Spain.  It  is  built  on  the 
N.  W.  extremity  of  a  long  sandy  peninsula,  which  is  connected  by  a 
very  narrow  isthmus  with  the  isle  of  Leon.     This  island  is  \0  miles 


SPAIN.  5^7 

in  length,  and  is  separated  from  the  continent  by  a  winding  narrow 
strait,  which  at  its  N.  E.  end  opens  into  the  harbor  of  Cadiz.  The 
harbor  stretches  from  E.  to  W.  and  opens  northwards  between 
Forts  Matagordo  and  Lorenzo,  or  the  Puntaicn^  into  the  Bay  of 
Cadiz.  Both  the  Bay  and  harbor  are  secure  and  spacious.  The 
Rota,  and  Fort  St.  Sebastian  defend  the  entrance  of  the  bay.  Fort 
St.  Catherine  is  farther  in,  and  Cantera  and  St.  Banez  are  inside 
of  the  harbor.  On  the  S.  side  a  high  and  steep  shore,  on  the  N. 
rocks  and  sand  banks,  and  on  the  west  a  ridge  of  rocks  render  it 
inaccessible  from  the  Ocean.  Very  strong  fortifications  secure  it 
from  an  attack  by  the  isthmus.  The  city  is  nearly  a  square. 
The  streets  are  narrow,  yet  well  paved  and  clean.  Two 
large  open  squares  contribute  to  ornament  and  health,  and  the 
rampart  affords  an  aii'y  and  delightful  promenade.  The  houses 
are  well  built,  and  very  lofty,  and  have  flat  roofs,  which  are 
covered  with  a  white  cement.  The  population  in  1802  was  only 
57,387.  Thirty  years  before,  it  was  estimated  at  80,000,  and  ux 
1787  it  was  67,987.  Many  of  the  inhabitants  are  foreigners. 
Of  these  the  Irish,  Flemings,  Genoese,  and  Germans  are  most 
numerous.  There  are  also  a  few  French,  English,  and  Dutch. 
This  town  for  90  years  has  been  the  emporium  of  the  American 
trade,  and  is  the  most  commercial  in  Spain.  Its  commerce  em- 
ploys about  1000  vessels,  of  which  nearly  one  tenth  are  Spanish. 
The  exports  to*rAmerica  in  1784,  amounted  to  ,G3,62 1,443,  ster- 
ling ;  the  imports  in  money  and  jewels,  to  j(;8,297,164  ;  and  in 
merchandize,  to  /;2,990,757.  This  last  consisted  of  cochineal, 
indigo,  cocao,  sugar,  hides,  vicugna  wool,  cotton,  copper,  tin,  to- 
bacco, and  various  kinds  of  wood.  Ribbons  and  linen  are  man- 
ufactured here  extensively,  and  wax  is  refined.  Salt  also  is  made 
in  vast  quantities  on  die  other  side  of  the  bay,  with  little  labor  and 
expense.  The  chief  edifices  arc  the  two  cathedrals,  the  custom- 
house and  the  theatre.  All  the  necessaries  and  luxuries  ot  life 
abound  here,  and  are  very  cheap,  except  fresh  water,  which  is 
brought  from  across  the  Bay.  Considerable  inconvenience  has 
been  experienced  from  this  source  during  the  present  siege  of 
Cadiz  by  the  French. 

Granada^  anciently  Iliberia^  a  municipal  town  of  the  Romans, 
and  a  city  of  very  early  date,  stands  at  tlie  foot  of  the  snow-topped 
Sierra  Nevada.  It  is  built  on  two  hills,  wliich  are  separated  by 
the  Darro,  and  its  walls  are  washed  by  the  Xenil,  a  tributary  of  the 
Guadalquiver.  The  two  streams  unite'in  the  lower  part  of  the  town. 
To  the  S.  and  W.  lies  a  very  extensive  plain,  covered  with  fertile 
farms  and  thrifty  orchards,  and  interspersed  Avith  pleasant  towns 
and  villages.  It  had  formerly  20  gates,  of  which  only  12  remain. 
The  streets  are  narrow,  irregular,  and  badly  paved.  Few  of  the 
houses  are  splendid.  They  are  about  12,000  in  number,  and  the 
population  in  1787,  was  52,345,  There  are  here  24  churches,  4 
convents,  13  hospitals,  and  a  university.  Among  all  their  lossea 
in  Spain  the  Moors  are  said  to  lament  nothing  but  Granada,  and 
in  their  evening  prayers  they  supplicate  Heaven  to  restore  it  to 
their  possession. 

Miircla  was  a  small  Carthaginian  village,  till  the  time  of  Scipio. 


358  SPAIN. 

The  Romans  dedicated  it  to  Venus  on  account  of  its  myrtles  and 

fountains.  It  stands  on  the  N.  side  of  the  river  Segura,  about  20 
miles  from  the  Mediterranean,  in  a  delightful  valley,  25  leagues 
long  from  E.  to  W.  and  a  league  and  a  half  broad.  The  environs 
are  adorned  with  gardens  and  orchards  of  mulberries,  and  Venus 
might  still  own  it  for  its  myrtles.  The  tovrn  contains  6  parish 
churches,  a  cathedral,  16  convents,  and  a  large  library,  but  not 
a  single  inn.  The  population  is  44,000.  The  river  is  decorated 
with  a  fine  stone  bridge,  and  a  magnificent  quay.  This  city  be- 
longed to  the  Romans  616  years,  to  the  Goths  310,  to  the  Moors 
527.     They  lost  it  in  1241. 

Saragassa,  the  ancient  Caesa7ia  Augusta,  and  the  present  capital 
of  Arragon,  stands  in  a  fertile  plain,  on  the  southern  bank  of  the 
Ebro,  which  by  its  windings  renders  the  neighborhood  extremely 
rich  and  delightful.  The  streets  are  long  and  broad,  but  dirty  and 
ill-paved.  Here  are  two  cathedrals,  15  parish  churches  and  10 
convents  ;  also  some  distilleries,  and  manufactories  of  silks,  cot" 
tons,  and  hats.  The  university  has  been  mentioned.  Population 
42,000. 

Malaga,  in  the  W.  part  of  Grenada,  was  built  by  the  Phenicians, 
■who  called  it  Malacha,  from  the  quantities  of  salt-fish  sold  there. 
The  harbor  is  safe  and  commodious,  being  protected  by  an  ex- 
pensive mound  running  1200  feet  into  the  sea.  The  town  stands 
at  the  foot  of  a  high  mountain,  and  is  small,  but  handsome.  It 
contains  5000  houses,  and  in  1808,  41,982  inhabitants.*  The 
neighboring  country  is  pecviliarly  fertile  in  vines  and  fruits.  The 
exports  arc  wines,  brandy,  raisins,  oil,  lemons,  figs,  almonds, 
sweetmeats,  and  black  sarsnet,  to  the  amount  of  ,5400,000.  The 
imports  are  wheat,  barley,  linens,  stockings,  woollens,  cheese,  but- 
ter and  fish  to  the  amount  of  ;e200,000.  The  cathedral  is  elegant 
and  noble. 

Ferrol  is  a  strong  fortress  and  seaport  on  the  Bay  of  Corunna, 
or  the  "  Groyne,"  with  one  of  the  best  and  safest  harbors  in  Eu- 
rope. It  is  one  of  the  stations  of  the  navy,  has  a  large  sea-arsenal, 
the  most  important  dockyards  and  sail-cloth  manufactories  in  the 
kingdom,  and  a  large  marine  hospital,  capable  of  receiving  5000 
patients.  It  had  in  ITQS,  30,0w0  inhabitants,  and  as  late  as  1752, 
was  merely  a  collection  of  fisherman's  huts. 

Carthagena,  in  Murcia,  anciently  No~ua  Carthago,  was  built  by 
Asdrubal  the  brother  of  Annibal,  B.  C.  229,  The  environs  for 
some  distance  are  crowded  with  villages,  farms,  and  country  scats. 
High  mountains  and  barren  rocks  protect  the  town  on  the  S.  and 
W.  On  the  N.  and  E.  it  is  open.  The  harbor  is  the  best  in 
Spain,  deep,  well  sheltered  and  well  dtfcndcd ;  and  affords  a  fine 
fishery.  The  streets  are  wide,  and  the  houses  commodious.  They 
have  flat  roofs,  affording  an  agreeable  retreat  after  sunset.  In  the 
middle  of  the  city  is  a  high  hill,  with  a  fort.  The  trade  is  in  silks 
and  barilla.  Esparto  ropes  and  cables  are  manufactured  here. 
Population  29,000.     This  is  a  station  of  the  royal  navy. 

•  Hassel. 


SPAIN.  159 

Etija-f  in  Andalusia,  is  delightfully  situated  on  the  banks  of  the 
Xenil.  It  has  6  parish  churches,  9  chapels,  20  convents,  6  hos- 
pitals, 6000  dwelling  houses,  and  28,176  inhabitants.  The  town 
plat  is  large,  the  houses  are  well  built,  and  the  environs  abound  in 
villas  and  plantations  of  olive-trees. 

Jaen^  in  the  same  province,  on  a  small  tributary  of  the  Guadal- 
quivir, is  built  in  a  country  fertile  in  corn,  wine,  oil,  silk,  and  ex- 
cellent fruits.  It  is  surrounded  with  walls,  and  has  several  beau- 
tiful churches  and  convents.     Population  27,500. 

Toledo^  in  New  Castile,  anciently  Toletum^  42  miles  from  Madrid, 
is  built  on  a  rock  of  granite  that  is  almost  surrounded  by  the  Tagus. 
The  town  is  large,  but  the  streets  are  solitary,  and  many  houses 
are  in  ruins.  Toledo  was  formerly  the  capital,  and  contained 
200,000  inhabitants.  It  has  now  but  25,000.  The  Toledo  rapiers 
were  once  celebrated  for  their  temper,  and  the  secret  of  hardening 
them  is  said  to  have  been  lately  recovered. 

Valladolidy  in  Leon,  is  an  ancient  handsome  town,  on  the  Pisu- 
erga,  containing  15  churches,  16  convents,  and  24,000  inhabitants. 
An  annual  fair  is  held  here,  and  the  streets  are  lively  and  full  ol' 
business. 

Lorca,  in  Murcia,  stands  on  a  hill  round  which  flows  the  Guada- 
lentin.  It  is  a  large,  but  decayed  city,  containing  2000  houses,  and 
21,866  inhabitants. 

St.  Jago  di  Comfiostella.,  the  capital  of  Gallicia,  stands  in  a  beau- 
tiful valley  on  all  sides  surrounded  with  hills,  between  the  Tambra 
and  Ulla.  The  public  squares  and  churches  are  magnificent,  and 
the  dwelling  houses  well-built.  It  contains  a  cathedral,  1 1  parish 
churches,  12  convents,  about  2000  houses,  and  21,334  inhabitants. 
The  belief  that  the  body  of  the  apostle  James  was  buried  here,  for- 
merly drew  hither  multitudes  of  pilgrims  from  all  parts  of  Chris- 
tendom, and  still  draws  a  few  zealous  catholics  from  Spain. 

Ori/iuela,  on  the  Segura,  in  Valencia,  stands  in  a  delightful  plain, 
environed  with  mountains,  and  fertile  to  a  proverb.  Its  manufac- 
tures of  silk  and  salt-petrc  are  considerable.     Population  21,000. 

Cordova,  in  Andalusia,  the  ancient  Corduba,  and  the  birth  place 
of  both  the  Senecas,  and  of  Lucan,  is  built  in  a  semicircular  am- 
phitheatre, inclosed  by  a  branch  of  the  Sierra  Morena,  on  the  north 
bank  of  the  Guadalquiver.  On  the  opposite  side  lies  an  extensive 
and  fertile  plain.  The  bridge  is  of  stone,  a  Moorish  structure. 
It  contains  26  churches,  and  40  convents,  many  of  the  houses  are 
deserted,  and  many  in  ruins.  The  streets  arc  long,  narrow,  and 
ill  paved.  Population  20,274.  There  are  many  vineyards  and 
gardens  in  the  town,  and  the  country  around  abounds  in  orange  and 
lemon  groves. 

Micant,  in  Valencia,  is  built  between  a  mountain  and  tlie  sea, 
and  is  well  defended  by  strong  bastions  ;  it  has  a  good  harboi ,  and  an 
extensive  commerce.  Population  17,435.  Elche,  a  few  miles 
south,  contains  1 7,403  inhabitants. 

Of  the  most  noted  smaller  to^vns,  Bilboa  has  13,000,  Burgos, 
10,000,  Badajos  10,000,  Lerida  16,818,  Pampeluna  14,054,  Sala- 
manca 15,000,  and  St.  Sebastian  12,000. 


"360  SPAIN. 

£di/icesi]  The  palace  and  monasteiy  of  the  Escuiial  have  been 
described  at  great  length  by  many  travellers.  It  is  seated  in  a 
deep  recess,  at  the  foot  of  high  mountains ;  and  was  built  by  that 
bigot  Philip  II.  in  the  strange  form  of  a  gridiron,  the  instrument 
of  the  martyrdom  of  St.  Lawrence,  upon  whose  anniversary  the 
Spaniards  gained  the  victory  of  St.  Quintin.  The  convent  is  740 
feet  by  580  ;  and  the  palace  forms  the  handle  of  this  imaginary 
gridiron.  The  paintings  are  excellent  and  numerous ;  and  the 
vault  containing  the  royal  tombs  is  grand  and  impressive.  But  the 
palaces  of  Aranjuez  and  St.  Ildefonso  are  greater  favourites  with 
the  court.  The  gardens  of  the  former,  watered  by  the  Tajo,  are 
laid  out  in  a  just  and  natural  taste.  St.  Ildefonso  is  a  summer  resi- 
dence exposed  to  the  north. 

Manufactures  and  Commerce.^  The  most  flourishing  period  of 
Spanish  manufactures  was  the  reign  of  Charles  I.  At  that  time 
Segovia  and  Seville  were  the  greatest  manufacturing  towns  in  Eu- 
rope, and  Spanish  silks  went  every  where,  even  to  the  Levant. 
There  are  now  respectable  woollen  manufactures  at  Segovia,  Se- 
ville, Guadalaxara,  and  several  other  places,  that  produce  broad- 
cloths, blankets,  flannels,  and  other  articles  of  a  good  quality. 
Cotton  manufactures  are  also  found,  especially  in  Catalonia.  The 
silk  manufactures  are  the  most  important  and  flourish  most  in 
Catalonia  and  Valencia.  Great  quantities  of  silk  however  are 
smuggled  in  from  France.  At  Carthagena,  Ferrol,  and  other 
places  are  considerable  linen  and  sail  cloth  manufactories  ;  but 
the  greater  part  of  these  articles  is  supplied  from  abroad.  Manu- 
factures of  leather  are  found  in  every  considerable  town,  and  most 
of  the  small  ones.  There  are  about  200  paper  mills  in  Spain, 
the  most  and  best  in  Valencia ;  where  china  is  also  manufactured, 
which  rivals  that  of  Saxony.  The  salt-petre  works,  powder-mills, 
■and  tar  ovens,  yield  nearly  a  sufficient  supply.  Soap  manufacto- 
ries are  found  every  where.  The  Tobacco  manufactory  of  Seville 
is  the  largest  in  the  world.  The  best  dockyards  are  at  Seville, 
Malaga,  Alicant,  Barcelona,  and  St.  Sebastian  ;  and  ship-building 
is  reviving.  Salt  is  made  in  immense  quantities  in  Valencia,  and 
Andalusia.  Manufactures  in  metals  are  almost  wholly  neglected. 
All  sorts  of  hardware,  and  most  of  the  furniture  and  tools  that  are 
used,  are  imported  from  France  and  England. 

The  inland  trade  has  been  latterly  much  facilitated  by  the  in- 
troduction of  a  unity  of  measures,  weights,  and  coins,  throughout 
the  kingdom,  by  the  removal  of  various  burthens,  by  the  improve- 
anent  of  the  roads,  and  by  the  construction  of  canals.  Still  it  is 
chiefly  in  the  hands  of  the  rich.  The  poverty  of  the  husbandman 
often  compels  him  to  sell  his  harvest  before  it  is  sown,  at  an  enox'- 
mous  discount.  The  foreign  trade  is  mostly  carried  on  by  other 
nations.  Spanish  ships  sail  to  the  ports  of  the  Mediterranean,  and 
to  the  colonies  of  Spain.  The  chief  imports  are  hardware,  corn, 
butter,  cheese,  fish,  (upwards  of  ,&  1,000,000  sterling  annually,)  fur- 
niture, quicksilver,  guns  and  other  arms,  timber,  linen,  sail-cloth, 
cordage,  flax,  hemp,  wax,  paper,  millinery,  sugar  and  spices. 
The  chief  exports  are  wool,  (nearly  /;  1 ,000,000  sterling  annually,) 


SPAIN.  5«| 

»aw  and  manufactured  silks,  wine,  raisins,  brandy,  figs,  lemons, 
salt,  iron,  saffron,  horses,  tobacco,  cork,  soda,  barilla,  ( 1 50,000  quin- 
tals,) rice,  (j(;2 50,000  sterling,)  saltpetre,  and  various  American 
goods.  The  balance  of  trade  is  greatly  in  favor  of  Spain.  In, 
1784  the  imports  from  America  amounted,  in  money  and  jewels, 
to  )G9,29 1,237,  in  merchandize,  to  /;3,343,936,  the  exports  to 
£4,348,078.  In  1796  the  exports  to  Great  Britain,  were  /J809>881  ; 
the  imports  /:546,126. 

It  will  readily  be  seen,  that  almost  all  we  have  already  said 
vespecting  Spain,  is  predicated  on  a  period  of  quiet  and  order,  and 
that  few  things  capable  of  change,  can  remain  unaltered  in  the 
present  season  of  uproar  and  misrule. 

CHAPTER  II. 

NATURAL  GEOGRAPHY. 

CLIMATE,  FACfi  OF  THE    COUNTRY,  SOIL    AND  AGRICULTURE,  RIY-^ 
ERS,  MOUJITAINS,  BOTANY,    ZOOLOGY,  MINERALS. 

Climate.']  MANY  of  the  highest  mountains  are  covered 
with  perennial  snow.  The  winter  is  very  mild  in  the  low  and 
southern  districts,  where  it  seldom  freezes ;  but  in  the  higher 
tracts,  the  winter  is  often  as  severe  as  in  England  or  Germany. 
In  the  south,  the  air  is  hot  and  damp  during  tho  summer  ;  in  the 
north  it  is  cooler  and  drier  ;  but  every  where  liable  to  sudden 
changes.  On  the  whole,  the  climate  is  less  salubrious  and  less 
favorable  to  longevity,  than  that  of  the  more  northern  countries 
of  Europe.  Infectious  and  malignant  fevers  originate  and  prevail 
in  the  south,  and  sometimes  sweep  off  great  numbers.  On  the 
Mediterranean  the  sea-breeze  blows  eveiy  day  from  9  till  S 
o'clock  ;  and  pleasantly  tempers  the  warmth  of  summer.  The 
south  wind  from  Africa,  called  the  Salano,  is  oppressive  and  un- 
wholesome ;  but  the  Galleffo,  a  N.  W.  wind,  from  the  mountains 
of  Gailicia,  is  cool  and  refreshing.  In  many  parts  the  trees  re- 
tain their  verdure  all  the  year,  and  where  the  leaf  falls  it  buds 
again  in  Januaiy. 

J'ace  of  the  Country.']  Spain  is  probably  the  most  mountainous 
country  in  Europe.  The  western  part  of  New  Castille  is  open 
and  plain.  The  centre  of  Arragon  is  level  and  sandy.  Valencia 
and  the  northern  half  of  Murcia,  consist  chiefly  of  extensive  plains 
and  vallies,  every  where  fertile  and  well  cultivated.  The  rest  of 
Ihe  country  is  rough  and  broken.  The  highest  mountains  are 
chiefly  destitute  of  vegetation,  and  their  tops  are  always  white  with 
snow.  The  lower  eminences  are,  still,  almost  universally  forest- 
ed, and  in  this  re«pcct  resemble  the  mountains  of  New-Kngland. 
The  rivers  and  streams  are  numerous,  and,  with  the  exception  of 
Now  Castille,- the  country  is  well  watered. 

.S'oiV  and  jigriculture.]  The  soil  is  generally  light  and  rests  on 
beds  of  Plaister  of  Paris,  which  is  itself  an  excellent  manure. 
3Jf  ear  the  shore,  and  along  the  banks  of  the  rivers,  it  is  generally 

VOL.  II,  46 


362  SPAIN". 

more  fertile  than  in  the  central  districts.  The  two  Casiilles,  Bis- 
cay, Navarre,  Arragon,  and  especially  Gallicia,  and  Leon,  have  an 
indifferent  soil ;  yet  susceptible  of  high  fertility  under  skilful  and 
vigorous  husbandry.  Asturia,  Estremadura,  and  the  Mediterra- 
nean provinces  ;  especially  Andalusia  and  Valencia,  have  natively 
an  exuberant  fertility,  and,  with  moderate  cultivation,  yield  many 
of  the  luxuries  of  life.  In  the  vale  of  Valencia  wheat  yields  from 
20  to  40  for  one  ;  barley  from  18  to  24  ;  oats  from  2u  to  30; 
maize  100;  and  rice  40.  The  Provinces  on  the  Mediterranean, 
except  Andalusia,  especially  Valencia  and  Granada,  are  under 
high  cultivation,  as  are  also  Gallicia,  Asturia,  Biscay  and  Navarre. 
The  agriculture  of  the  other  provinces  is  much  neglected.  Leon 
is  merely  a  sheep-pasture.  And  large  uncultivated  tracts  are 
spread  over  New  Castille,  and  the  other  provinces.  In  this  part 
of  Spain  the  villages  are  large  and  at  a  distance  from  each  other, 
and  the  country  between  them,  except  about  a  league  round  each, 
is  merely  a  forest  or  a  barren.  Frequently  there  is  not  a  single 
habitation  in  the  space  of  four,  five,  or  six  leagues.  The  vine,  the 
olive,  maize,  wheat,  rye,  barley,  hemp,  flax,  and  saffron,  are  culti- 
vated in  every  province.  The  best  wine  districts  are  New  Cas- 
tillo, La  Mancha,  in  particular ;  Malaga,  Seville,  Cadiz,  Valencia, 
Arragon  and  Navarre.  Of  the  three  sorts  of  Malaga  wine.  Mala" 
ga,  Mountain.^  and  Tent^  about  30,000  ankers  are  yearly  export- 
ed ;  and  of  the  Xeres  or  Sherry  wine,  about  20,000  pipes.  This  is 
made  at  Xeres  de  la  Frontera,  10  miles  N-  E.  of  Cadiz.  A  great 
part  of  the  wines  made  in  Spain  is  distilled  into  brandy  ;  of  a  qual- 
ity, however,  much  inferior  to  the  French.  The  best  raisins  are 
made  of  the  grapes  of  Malaga,  Alicant,  Valencia,  and  Grana- 
da. Biscay  and  Asturia  abound  in  orchards,  and  make  the  best  of 
cyder  in  great  quantities.  The  northern  provinces  raise  great 
quantities  of  cattle.  The  sheep  are  of  two  kinds,  the  travelling  or 
Merinos.)  estimated  at  5,000,000  in  number,  and  the  stationary  at 
8,000,000.  The  first  winter  in  the  Sierra  Morena,and  in  the  month 
of  May  travel  northward  in  flocks  of  10,000  to  the  mountains  of 
Old  Castille.  They  yield  the  finest  fleeces,  which  in  1792  amount- 
ed to  11, 250,000  lbs.  of  clear  wool.  The  stationary  abound  in  va- 
rious provinces,  particularly  Leon  and  Estremadura.  The  mule 
is. the  usual  beast  of  burden  in  Spain.  Goat's  milk  is  generally 
used  instead  of  cow's  milk,  and  oil  instead  of  butter.  Rice  is  cul- 
tivated chiefly  in  Catalonia  and  Valencia  ;  sugar  in  Granada,  hon- 
ey there  and  in  Andalusia;  cotton  and  the  best  olives  and  oil  in 
the  south.  The  salicornia,  or  shrubby  glasswort,  is  raised  exten- 
sively in  the  S.  E.  coast.  It  is  sown  in  plowed  or  well-manured 
fields,  near  the  sea  or  salt-lakes  ;  it  is  reaped  in  the  same  manner 
as  hay,  tied  up  in  bundles  and  burned  in  covered  holes  in  the 
ground.  Under  the  ashes  the  barilla  is  found  in  firm  lumps.  The 
Spanish  potatoes,  artichokes,  asparagus  and  other  products,  of  the 
garden  are  excellent;  but  horticulture  is  much  neglected. 

Bivers.^  The  only  large  river  that  falls  into  the  Mediterranean 
in  Spain,  is  the  Ebro,  the  ancient  Iberus.  It  rises  in  the  Asturian 
mountains,  and  pursuesa.   S.  W.  course  through  Old  Castille,  Na- 


SPAIN.  363 

Tarre,  Arragon,  and  Catalonia.  Its  length  is  about  440  miles. 
It  begins  to  be  navigable  at  Tudela  ;  and  its  water  is  remarkable 
for  its  salubrity.  The  chief  branches  are  Arga  from  Navarre,  the 
Xiloca  from  Arragon,  and  the  Sagre  from  Catalonia.  The  small- 
er rivers  that  fall  into  the  Mediterranean  are  the  Guadalaviar, 
(Turias,)  at  Valencia;  the  Xucar,  (Sucro,J  below  Alzira;  and 
the  Segura,  (Terebus)  below  Orihuela, 

The  Guadalquivir,  the  ancient  Baetisj  rises  in  New  Castille 
from  the  Sierra  Morena,  and  runs  S.  W.  through  a  corner  of  Gra- 
nada, and  through  Andalusia,  to  the  Atlantic,  at  St.  Lucar  de  Bar- 
zameda,  about  20  miles  N.  W.  of  Cadiz.  Its  length  is  about  340 
miles.  Anciently  it  is  said  to  have  had  a  southern  arm  which  emp- 
tied at  Cadiz.  The  Xenil  f  Singulis  J  its  principal  branch  runs  by 
Granada,  and  falls  in  about  a  league  below  Ecija. 

The  Gaudiana,  the  ancient  Anas^  rises  in  the  mountains  of  To- 
ledo, and  runs  S.  W.  through  New  Castille  and  Estremadura,  to  Ba- 
dajos,  where  it  enters  the  province  of  Alentejo  in  Portugal.  Thence 
its  course  is  S.  W.  and  then  S.  E.  till  at  length  it  becomes  a  boun- 
dary of  the  two  kingdoms,  separating  Algarve  from  Andalusia,  and 
falling  into  the  Atlantic,  after  a  course  nearly  equal  to  that  of  the 
Ebro.     It  is  navigable  to  Mertola,  about  45  miles. 

The  Tagus,  or  Tajo,  rises  in  the  mountains  of  Molina,  the  wes- 
tern boundary  of  Arragon,  near  Albarracin,  and  I'uns  W.  S.  W. 
through  New  Castille  and  Estremadura,  to  Alcantara.  Here  for 
20  miles,  to  Errera,  it  separates  Estremadura  from  Beira,  in  Por- 
tugal, where  entering  that  kingdom  it  flows  through  Estremadura 
to  the  Atlantic  by  a  mouth  4  miles  broad  forming  the  harbor  of 
Lisbon.  Its  course  is  rapid  and  the  upper  part  impeded  by  cata- 
racts. Its  length  is  about  520  miles,  and  it  is  much  the  largest 
river  of  Spain.  The  tide  flows  up  to  Santarem,  and  tlie  river  is 
navigable  for  flat  vessels  about  ?  20  miles. 

The  Douro,  or  Duero,  the  ancient  Duriusy  rises  in  the  Molina, 
and  runs  westward  through  Old  Castille  and  Leon,  to  Miranda. 
Thence  it  runs  S.  W.  between  the  two  kingdoms,  about  80  miles, 
separating  Leon  from  Tras-os-Montes.  Here  it  enters  Portugal, 
and  runs  westward  to  the  Atlantic,  into  which  it  falls  a  little  be- 
low Oporto.     Its  whole  course  is  about  400  miles. 

The  Minho,  the  ancient  Miniusy  rising  near  Mondonedo  in  Gal- 
licia,  runs  S.  W.  180  miles  to  the  Atlantic,  into  which  it  falls  15 
miles  below  Tuy.  For  about  40  miles  it  constitutes  the  northern 
J^ndary  of  Portugal.  Its  waters  abound  with  excellent  salmon 
aBlL«turgeon.  Its  current  is  gentle,  and  it  is  navigable  about  25 
miles.     A  bar  at  the  mouth  prevents  the  entrance  of  large  vessels. 

The  Tinto  is  a  little  river  falling  into  the  Atlantic  about  25  miles 
N.  W.  of  the  Guadalquivir.  Its  water  is  said  to  be  of  a  deep  yel- 
low color,  and  to  have  very  singular  petrifying  powers.  It  withers 
all  verdure  on  its  banks,  and  no  kind  of  fish  live  in  its  stream. 

Mountai72aJ]  The  Pyrenees  between  France  and  Spain  have  al- 
ready been  described. 

The  Northern,  or  Cantabrian  chain,  commencing  near  Cape  Fi- 
nisterre,  runs  through  Gallicia,  souUi  of  Asturias  and  Biscay,  and 


364  SfAlN. 

thtovlgli  Navai't-e,  tUl  it  joins  the  Pyrenean  chain,  of  which  it  l;* 
merely  a  continuation.  It  is  called  in  different  parts,  the  Moun- 
tains of  Mondonedo,  Asturias,  and  Biscay,  and  no  where  contains 
very  lofty  sumiriits. 

The  *Sierra  de  Molina  is  a  i^ange  branching  from  the  Canta- 
brian  in  Old  Castille,  and  running  S.  E.  through  that  province, 
and  between  New  Castille  and  Arragon,  and  advances  towards  the 
Mediterranean  in  the  N.  of  Valencia. 

The  mountains  of  Guadarama  break  from  the  last  mentioned 
chain  in  a  W.  S.  W.  direction,  separate  the  two  Castille'^,  and 
crossing  the  northern  part  of  Estremadura  enter  Portugal,  across 
which  they  run  in  a  S.  W.  direction  nearly  to  Cape  Roca.  In  Por- 
tugal the  chain  is  called  *Serra  d'  Estrella. 

The  mountains  of  Toledo,  farther  south,  run  nearly  parallel 
xvith  these  between  the  Tagus  and  Guadiana,  across  Estremadura 
and  New  Castille,  and  unite  also  with  the  range  of  Molina. 

The  Sierra  Morena,  a  third  parallel  range  between  the  waters 
of  the  Guadiana  and  the  Guadalquivii',  separates  New  Castillo 
and  Estremadura  from  Andalusia,  and  after  being  pierced  by  the 
Guadiana  enters  Portugal  and  serves  as  the  northern  boundary  of 
the  province  Algarve.  The  chain  in  Portugal  runs  from  E.  to  W. 
the  whole  width  of  the  kingdom,  and  is  called  Serra  de  Mon- 
chique. 

The  Sierra  Nivada,  or  Snowy  Mountains,  run  between  the 
Guadalquivir  and  the  Mediterranean,  nearly  parallel  with  the  lat- 
ter, through  Andalusia  and  Granada ;  and,  at  length  turn  north- 
ward, bounding  Murcia  on  the  W. 

Montserrat,  or  the  Sawed  Mountain,  so  called,  on  account  of  its 
jagged  pyramidal  summits,  lies  about  30  miles  N.  W.  of  Barcelona. 
It  is  a  detached  solitary  rock  more  than  11,000  feet  high,  and 
about  10^  miles  in  circumference,  from  the  top  of  which  Majorca 
and  Minorca  are  distinctly  visible,  at  the  distance  of  50  leagues. 
It  is  composed  of  limestone  and  gravel  united  by  a  calcareous  ce- 
ment. A  large  convent  of  Benedictines  has  been  built  upon  it,  to 
which  a  miraculous  image  of  the  Virgin  Mary,  discovered  by  some 
shepherds  in  880,  attracts  an  immense  number  of  pilgrims.  All 
the  poor  who  come  here,  are  fed  gratis  for  three  days  ;  and  all  the 
sick  are  received  into  the  hospital.  In  the  convent  are  60  monks, 
who  live  in  a  recluse  manner,  a;nd  adhere  to  very  rigid  rules  of 
abstinence.  Higher  up  the  mountain  are  thirteen  hermitages, 
each  having  a  small  chapel,  a  cell,  a  well  in  the  rock,  and  a  little 
garden.  The  hermits  are  chiefly  persons  of  family  and  fortune, 
who  have  retired  thither  from  the  worJd  to  devote  them.selves  to 
meditation  and  silence.  A  mule  is  sent  weekly  from  the  convent 
with  thirteen  baskets  of  provisions,  one  for  each  of  the  hermits. 
One  of  the  hermitages  is  very  curiously  and  awfully  constructed 
between  two  narrow  projections  of  the  rock  ;  and  though  it  is 
3500  paces  distant  from  the  convent,  it  impends  so  much  over  it, 

*  Sierra  in  Spanish,  and  Serra  ia  I'ortiiguese,  are  general  denominations  of  chains 
of  mountains^  the  successive  peaks  of  which  present  the  resembiauce  of  a  saw. 


SPAIN.  365 

that  the  music  in  the  church  below  can  be  heard  very  distinctly. 
This  church  contains  immense  treasures  of  gold  and  silver,  the 
voluntary  spoils  of  numberless  pilgrims  ;  among  other  things  640 
massy  silver  lamps,  a  great  number  of  golden  candlesticks,  whole 
rooms  filled  with  busts  and  statues,  and  n^inisterial  vessels  also  of 
gold.  The  traveller  is  surprised  to  meet  with  delightful  valleys 
in  the  midst  of  these  threatening  rocks,  to  find  shade  and  verdure 
surrounded  by  sterility,  and  to  see  natural  cascades  rushing  from 
the  steepest  points  of  the  mountain  to  fertilize  the  scattered  gar- 
dens, and  by  their  unvarying  murmurs,  to  give  a  deeper  gloom  to 
the  surix>unding  silence. 

The  mountain  of  Cardona,  a  few  miles  N.  W.  of  Montserrat,  is 
an  immense  mass  of  rock  salt,  rising  to  the  height  of  nearly  500 
feet  above  the  surface  of  the  ground,  and  nearly  5  miles  in  cir- 
cumference. The  salt  is  of  almost  every  color,  and  the  various  em- 
inences when  illuminated  by  the  sun  remind  one  of  the  mountains 
of  emeralds,  rubies,  and  diamonds  in  Fairy-land.  Vases,  urns, 
and  various  other  utensils  are  made  of  this  mineral,  some  of  ele- 
gant orange,  others  of  violet,  green  and  blue,  ail  beautifully 
wrought  and  fearing  no  enemy  but  water.  Part  of  the  mountain 
is  covered  with  shrubs,  and  the  top  is  shaded  by  a  forest  of  pines. 

Botany.']  The  forest  trees  of  Spain  ai'e  the  pine,  the  white  oak ; 
the  evergreen,  sweet  oak  ;  the  ker7nes  oak,  under  the  prickly  leaves 
of  which  is  found  the  gall-insect ;  the  suber  or  oak  which  produces 
cork  ;  the  Enciria  or  Spanish  oak  ;  the  beech  ;  the  walnut ;  the 
lime  ;  the  ash  ;  the  yew  ;  the  larch  ;  the  holly  ;  the  juniper ;  the 
fir ;  the  carob  tree  ;  the  wild  olive  ;  the  wild  almond  ;  the  sumach  ; 
the  laurel ;  the  bay  ;  the  laurus  tinus  and  Portugal  laurel  ;  the 
great  palm-tree,  abounding  in  Valencia,  and  bearing  dates  of  from 
15  to  25  lbs.  weight;  the  In'dian  fig  tree;  the  cornicabra  or  tur- 
pentine tree,  susceptible  of  a  fine  polish,  and  manufactured  into 
snuff-boxes  ;  the  box,  and  the  chestnut. 

The  fruit  trees  are  the  apple,  pear,  cherry,  peach,  apricot,  mul-«^ 
berry,  olive,  lemon,  palm,   fig,  orange  lemon,  and  pomegranate. 
"Whole  forests  are  seen  of  these,  and  the  fruit  possesses  a  richness 
of  juice  and  flavor  not  surpassed  by  that  of  Italy. 

In  the  heaths  are  found  the  thyme,  the  lavender,  sage  and  rose- 
mary ;  the  dwarf  myrtle  and  the  cistus :  in  the  dry  thickets  the 
fan-palmetto,  yellow  laurel,  Spanish  broom  and  white  broom  :  and 
in  the  moister  grounds,  the  asphodel,  yellow  amaryllis  jonquil, 
violet,  orange  and  martagon  lily,  white  tulip,  oleander,  tamarisk 
and  myrtle.  Samphire,  tree-violet,  tragacanth,  vetch  and  caper- 
bush  overspread  the  rocks  on  the  shore  ;  and  on  the  sands  arc 
found  the  sea-daff'odil,  the  salicarnia,  or  shrubby  glasswart ;  and 
the  esparto-grass,  out  of  which  is  made  the  most  durable  kind  of 
mats  and  cordage. 

Zoology.]  The  Spanish  horses  are  famous  for  their  beauty  and 
elegance  of  shape,  in  which  they  surpass  even  the  African  horse. 
The  Andalusian  are  the  finest.  Those  of  Asturia  arc  highly 
esteemed  for  strength  and  swiftness.  The  whole  cavaliy  is 
mounted  on  stallions ;  mares  are  not  much  valued,  being  gcnci'aliy 


366  SPAIN. 

employed  for  breeding,  and  threshing  corn.  The  best  mules  are 
found  in  La  Mancha.  The  ass  of  La  Mancha  is  a  very  large  race 
peculiar  to  that  province.  The  breeding  of  horned  cattle  meets 
with  little  attention.  Those  of  Estremadura  are  the  best,  i'he 
wild  bulls  of  Andalusia  are  employed  in  the  bull-fights  at  Madrid. 
The  Spanish  sheep  have  been  mentioned.  Since  the  French  inva- 
sion great  numbers  of  t  lie  merinos  have  been  transported  to  England 
and  the  United  States.  Goats  are  found  every  where  :  immense 
flocks  of  them  browse  in  the  neighbourhoods  of  the  large  towns. 
Hogs  are  very  generally  bred  ;  they  are  usually  black,  with  curled 
bristles,  and  go  all  the  year  in  the  woods.  Rabbits,  and  every  kind 
of  poultry,  are  raised  in  the  greatest  abundance.  Wolves  are  found 
in  immense  numbers  on  the  Pyrenees  ;  and  deer  and  almost  every 
species  of  game  abound  in  the  forests. 

Minerals.^  Spain  was  anciently  celebrated  for  its  mines  of  gold 
and  silver,  which  were  long  wrought  by  the  Carthaginians,  and 
proved  the  sinews  of  their  wars.  But  since  the  discovery  of  simi- 
lar mines  in  America,  those  of  Spain  have  not  been  worth  working, 
and  now  lie  neglected.  The  iron,  copper,  tin,  lead,  and  quicksil- 
ver mines,  on  the  contrary,  are  worked  with  great  advantage, 
though  mostly  by  English,  French,  and  German  miners.  The 
Spanish  iro?i  is  esteemed  for  its  elasticity  and  softness  ;  Biscay  in 
particular  is  rich  in  this  metal,  where  the  ore  yields  from  30  to  40 
per  cent,  pure  iron.  Most  of  this  metal  was  formerly  sent  abroad 
to  be  manufactured,  but  latterly  the  Spanish  cannon  have  been 
east  at  Lierganes  and  Cavada,  the  fire-arms  have  been  made  in 
Guipuscoa  and  Placentia  ;  and  cast-iron  from  the  forges  of  Eugui 
and  Muga.  In  Navarre  and  Catalonia  are  the  best  copper  mines. 
A  great  part  of  the  cofiper  is  manufactured  into  verdigris.  At 
Linarez,  in  Jaen,  there  are  lead  mines  so  uncommonly  rich,  that 
the  ore  yields  from  60  to  70  per  cent :  they  are  worked  for  the 
government,  and  contain  immense  quantities  of  this  metal.  In 
Catalonia  and  Arragon,  tin  is  found  in  the  greatest  quantities.  It  is 
equal  to  the  English.  The  richest  quicksilver  mines  are  at  Al- 
mada,  in  La  Mancha.  They  are  worked  by  German  miners,  and 
yield  annually  1 8,000  cwt.  of  mercury.  All  this,  with  that  obtained 
from  Andalusia,  is  transmitted  to  America.  Calamine  appears 
near  Alcavas,  cobalt  in  the  Pyrenees,  antimony  in  La  Mancha, 
arsenic  in  various  places.  Coal  is  met  with  in  Asturia  and  Catalo- 
nia, sulphur  in  Murcia,  amber,  jet,  lapis-lazuli  and  asbestos,  in 
Asturia,  turkois  stones  in  Leon,  garnets  and  hyacinths  in  Granada, 
fine  marble  tiiere,  and  in  Arragon.  Alabaster,  free-stone,  pipe- 
clay, and  fuller's  earth  are  also  common,  and  gypsum  is  as  abund- 
ant as  chalk  in  England.  The  salt-works,  and  rock  salt  of  Spain, 
have  already  been  mentioned.  Salt-petre  also  is  made  of  the  best 
quality,  and  in  immense  quantities,  in  La  Mancha,  Arragon,  and 
near  Madrid.  The  works  at  Madrid  furnish  about  30,000  quin- 
tals annually. 


SPAJN.  36T 

SPANISH  ISLES. 

Majorca,  Minorca,  and  Ivica,  the  ancient  Ealearea,  are  the 
chief  Spanish  isles  in  Europe. 

Majorca,  the  largest,  lies  between  the  other  two,  23  miles  S.  W. 
of  Minorca,  46  N.  E.  of  Ivica,  92  from  Barcelona,  and  120  from 
Valencia.  It  is  55  miles  long,  and  46  broad,  containing  about 
1200  square  miles,  with  a  population  of  135,900.  The  N.  W. 
part  is  hilly,  but  has  many  rich  and  fertile  tracts.  The  S.  and 
E.  parts  are  laid  out  in  arable  lands,  pastures,  vineyards,  and 
orchards.  The  chief  productions  are  corn,  wine,  oil,  honey,  fruits, 
capers,  almonds,  figs,  saffron,  fish,  and  game.  In  these  articles, 
and  in  silk,  wool,  soap,  and  salt,  a  considerable  trade  is  usually 
carried  on  with  France  and  Italy.  The  inhabitants  resemble  the 
Catalonians  in  their  manners.  The  higher  order  speak  Spanish  ; 
the  lower,  the  Lingua  Franca,  a  medley  of  Latin,  Greek,  Spanish, 
French,  and  Arabic,  and  generally  spoken  on  the  Mediterranean 
coasts.  The  capital,  Majorca,  not  long  since  called  Palma,  is  a 
large  and  elegant  town,  on  a  handsome  bay,  on  the  S.  W.  coast. 
It  has  a  good  harbor,  defended  by  three  citadels.  The  streets  are 
broad,  and  the  squares  spacious,  and  the  houses  are  well  built 
of  stone.  It  contains  a  university,  a  magnificent  cathedral,  and  22 
other  churches,  6  hospitals,  an  exchange,  a  palace,  several  silk 
and  woollen  manufactories,  and  29,259  inhabitants.  The  governor, 
the  audience,  and  the  bishop  of  tlie  province  reside  here.  Alcudia, 
32  miles  N.  W.  of  Palma,  has  1000  houses,  and  7000  inhabitants, 
and  lies  on  a  narrow  neck  between  two  harbors.  Porto  Pedro  is 
a  town  on  the  S.  E.  having  a  safe  and  spacious  harbor,  defended  by 
a  fort.  The  climate  of  the  island  is  warm,  but  healthy.  There  are 
no  rivers,  but  excellent  and  numerous  wells  and  springs.  The 
little  island  Cabrera,  or  Goat-island,  S.  of  Cape  Salinas,  is  all  over 
mountainous,  has  one  excellent  harbor,  guarded  by  a  castle,  and  is 
a  place  for  exiles. 

Minorca  is  37  miles  by  14,  and  has  about  30,000  inhabitants. 
The  south  shore  is  smooth,  the  north  is  rugged,  with  deep  and 
swampy  vales,  and  many  creeks  and  inlets.  Mount  Toro,  in  the 
centre,  can  be  seen  18  miles  out  at  sea.  The  inhabitants  depend 
on  their  cisterns  for  their  fresh  water.  The  soil  is  moderately 
fertile.  The  annual  value  of  the  growth  of  the  vine  is  estimated 
at  30,0001.  sterling.  The  fishery  on  the  coasts  is  valuable,  and 
the  oysters  are  delicious.  The  minerals  are  iron,  copper,  lead, 
and  marble,  and  great  quantities  of  salt  collected  in  the  cavities. 
The  exports  are  wine,  oil,  wool,  salt,  and  cheese,  and  are  nearly 
balanced  by  the  imports.  The  inhabitants  live  mostly  on  vegeta- 
bles, have  a  turn  for  poetry,  and  are  still  celebrated  as  slingcrs. 
Port-Mahon,  the  capital,  stands  at  the  foot  of  a  mountain  on  an  ex- 
cellent harbor  on  the  S.  E.  side.  Civitadella  on  the  N.  W.  was 
formerly  the  capital.  The  English  owned  Minorca  with  one  short 
interruption  from  1708  to  1781,  since  Spain  has  possessed  it. 

Ivica  is,  about  35  miles  east  of  Cape  St.  Masthi,  15  miles  long 
and  12  wide.     The  soil  is  fertile  and  produces  corn,  grai>es,  figs. 


S6S  SPAII^.. 

and  other  fruits,  the  wild  olive  and  the  pine.  The  inhabitants  are 
occupied  in  making  salr,  highly  esteemed  for  its  whiteness,  of 
\vhich  great  quantities  are  exported.  Iviea,  the  capital,  is  on  the  S. 
E.  side.  It  is  little  more  than  a  garrison.  The  little  isle  of 
Formentesa  lies  south  of  Ivica,  and  has  long  been  deserted  on  ac- 
count of  its  exposure  to  the  African  corsairs.  It  is  noAV  occupied 
by  the  wild  ass,  and  an  immense  multitude  of  snakes. 

THE  FORTRESS  OF  GIBRALTAR. 

This  fortress,  though  a  part  of  Spain,  has  so  long  been  in 
possession  of  England,  that  a  separate  account  of  it  seems  to  be 
proper.  It  lies  at  the  southern  extremity  of  Spain  in  36  6  30  N. 
The  name  is  a  corruption  of  two  Arabic  words  Gabel  Tarck.,  or  the 
mountain  of  Tarek  from  Tarek,  the  Saracen  general,  who  conquer- 
ed Spain  early  in  the  8th  century.  It  is  an  immense  rock  rising 
perpendicularly  about  440  yards,  measuring  two  miles  from  N.  to 
S.  and  one  from  E.  to  W.  On  the  E.  of  the  rock  is  the  Mediter- 
ranean ;  on  the  W.  Gibraltar  Bay,  a  beautiful  sheet  of  water  9  miles 
long  and  5  broad,  receiving  several  small  rivers,  more  than  100 
fathoms  deep  in  the  middle,  and  well  defended  against  every  wind. 
This  bay  makes  a  small  harbor  on  the  N.  W.  side  of  the  rock  com- 
modious for  small  vessels.  The  southern  extremity  of  the  rock  is 
called  Europa  point.  The  town  lies  along  the  bay  on  a  declivity 
of  the  rock,  and  contains  about  500  houses  chiefly  of  stone  and 
brick,  and  in  1806,  8500  inhabitants.  They  are  supplied  with 
fruits,  vegetables,  and  fresh  provisions  from  the  coast  of  Barbary. 
At  the  extremity  of  a  rock,  which  advances  into  the  sea,  is  a  large 
fort  covering  a  mole,  made  to  facilitate  the  anchoring  of  vessels. 
The  garrison  consists  of  about  5000  men  with  upwards  of  300 
pieces  of  cannon.  The  town  of  Algeziras,  or  Old  Gibraltar,  is  5 
miles  W.  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  bay.  A  little  distance  from 
it  is  the  island  of  Algeziras.  The  town  of  St  Roche  stands  a  little 
N.  W.  of  the  fortress  of  Gibraltar,  nearer  than  which  are  the  ruins 
of  the  camp  of  St.  Roche,  between  which  and  the  fortress  lies  a 
deep  marsh  extending  to  the  very  foot  of  the  rock,  and  affording 
only  a  narrow  causeway  commanded  by  100  cannon. 

This  important  fortress  first  attracted  attention  as  a  place  of  con- 
sequence in  7 1 2,  when  it  was  taken  possession  of  by  the  Moors,  who 
kept  it  till  1 462.  In  July  1 704  the  English  under  Sir  Geoi^ge  Rooke 
took  it  from  the  Spaniai'ds  and  have  retained  it  ever  since.  In  Ju* 
ly  1779  commenced  the  celebrated  siege  by  the  combined  forces 
of  Spain  and  France.  The  I'eduction  of  the  fortress  Avas  a  darling 
object  with  the  former  power,  and  every  scheme  which  ingenuity 
could  devise,  which  rashness  could  hazard,  or  force  execute,  was 
^ji-ied  by  the  besiegers  to  no  purpose.  Th«  siege  lasted  till  Feb- 
ruary 1783,  and  General  Elliot  and  his  brave  companions  receiv- 
ed the  applauses  of  Europe.* 

*  For  a  more  full  account  of  this  Celebratgd.fortressj  s£fe  ^/ie  Gazetteer  of  the  Eastt 
urn  Co7i!i7tent,  article  Gibraltar. 


PORTUGUESE  EMPIRE. 

1.    IN    EUROPE. 

Portugal. 

2.    IK    ASIA. 

Goa  and  some  other  settlements  in  Western  Hindostan, 
Timor  Island, 
Macao  Island. 

3.  IN    AFniCA. 

The  Madeiras, 

The  Azores, 

The  Cape  Verd  Islands, 

Territories  in  Congo, 

Territories  on  the  S.  E.  coast. 

4.  IN  AMERICA. 

Srazil,  now  become  the  seat  of  the  empire. 


PORTUGAL. 

CHAPTER  I. 

HISTORICAL  GEOGRAPHY. 

EXJTENT,  BOUNDARIES,  NAMES,  HISTORICAL  EPOCHS,  DIVISIONS, 
RELIGION,  GOVERNMENT,  POPULATION,  ARMY,  NAVY,  REVENUE, 
MANNERS  AND  CUSTOMS,  LANGUAGE,  LITERATURE,  UNIVERSI- 
TIES, CITIES,  EDIFICES,  MANUFACTURES,  COMMERCE. 

£.xtent.'\  PORTUGAL  lies  between  lat.  36  56  34  and 
42  7  30  N.  and  between  Ion.  9  35  30  and  6  W.  Its  length  from 
N.  to  S.  is  360  miles  ;  its  greatest  breadth  in  the  N.  is  150  miles  ; 
its  least,  in  Algarve,  90.  The  area,  according  to  Ebeling,  is 
35,998  square  miles. 

Boundaries. ~\  Gallicia  and  a  part  of  Leon  in  Spain,  lie  on  the 
N.  Leon  and  Estremadura  in  the  same  kingdom,  on  the  E.  the 
gulf  of  Cadiz  on  the  S.  and  the  Atlantic  on  the  W. 

J\rarne8.~\  Portugal  S.  of  the  Douro,  together  with  a  part  of 
Leon,  Estremadura,  and  Andalusia,  constituted  the  ancient  Lusi- 
tania.  The  country  north  of  the  Douro  was  a  part  of  the  Provin- 
cea  Tarraconenais.  After  the  irruption  of  the  "Vandals  the  Romih 
divisions  of  the  country  were  forgotten,  and  the  common  name  of 
Spain  was  given  to  the  whole  peninsula.  The  present  name  is  of 
modern  date,  it  being  first  applied  to  the  whole  kingdom  about  the 
year  1069.     Various  etymologies  have  been   given  of  it.     Some 

VOL.    IT.  IT 


3-0  PORTUGAL. 

insist,  that  the  town  Oporto,  in  the  time  of  the  Romans,  was  called 
Cale  or  Gale^  and  its  harbor  Portus  or  Portu  Cale  ;  and  that,  as  the 
town  became  fiourishinj^  in  the  middle  ages,  the  name  was  given 
to  the  circumjacent  region,  till  at  length,  as  the  coimtry  was  grad- 
ually recovered  from  the  Moors,  it  was  extended  to  the  whole 
liingdom„  Others  assert  that  Oporto  was  called  Portus  Gallorum 
from  a  large  number  of  Gauls  having  landed  and  settled  there,  and 
that  hence  the  present  name  of  the  kingdom  was  derived.  We 
think  the  first  account  the  most  probable. 

Historical  E/iochs.']  Portugal  was  a  part  of  Spain,  and  shared 
the  same  fate  under  the  Carthaginians,  the  Romans,  the  Vandals, 
the  Visigoths,  and  the  Moors.  In  the  1 1th  century  it  began  to  be 
a  separate  state.  Since  that  period  its  chief  historical  epochs  are 
the  following ; 

1.  The  grant  of  Portugal  to  Henry,  a  grandson  of  Robert  first, 
duke  of  Burgundy,  by  Alphonso  VI.  of  Castille,  near  the  close  of 
the  11th  century.  Alphonso  had  invited  several  French  princes  to 
join  his  arms  against  the  Moors.  Among  these  Henry  signalized 
himself  by  his  valor  and  his  many  victories.  To  reward  him  Al- 
phonso gave  him  his  natural  daughter,  Theresa,  created  him 
count  of  Portugal,  and  some  time  after  bequeathed  him  the  coun- 
try as  his  absolute  property.     Henry  died  in  11 1 2. 

2.  The  erection  of  the  country  into  a  kingdom  by  Alphonso  I. 
son  of  Henry,  after  the  battle  of  Ourique  in  1139.  The  number  of 
Portuguese  troops  was  inconsiderable  in  comparison  of  the  Moors, 
and  the  victory  was  so  decisive  and  glorious,  that  the  soldiers  pro- 
claimed Alphonso  king  on  the  field  of  battle,  a  title  which  he  ever 
lifter  retained,  renouncing  all  dependence  on  Spain. 

3.  The  conquest  of  Algarve,  and  the  final  expulsion  of  the 
Moors  by  Alphonso  III.  in  1254-. 

4.  The  discovery  of  the  passage  to  the  East  Indies  by  Vasco  de 
Gama,  in  1498,  in  the  reign  of  Enimanuel.  This  at  once  diverted 
the  trade  of  Asia  from  its  old  channel  across  tiie  isthmus  of  Suez, 
and  down  the  Red  Sea,  and,  at  a  stroke,  destroyed  the  commercial 
preeminence  of  Venice.  By  the  Avise  and  resolute  measures  of 
their  magnanimous  sovereign,  the  Portuguse  in  24  years  erected  a 
commercial  empire  in  the  east,  which,  for  its  extent,  its  opulence, 
and  its  splendor,  had  had  no  rival  in  the  history  of  nations.  In  the 
same  reign  Brazil  was  discovered,  and  taken  possession  of  by  the 
Portuguese. 

5.  The  introduction  of  the  inquisition  into  the  kingdom  with  the 
consent  of  John  III.  A.  D.  1526  ;  after  which  event  the  monarchy 
vapidly  declined  in  wealth,  in  power,  and  commercial  enterprize. 

6.  The  idle  expedition  of  Sebastian  the  son  of  John  III.  into 
Africa,  in  1577,  where  he  and  his  army  were  destroyed  by  Mulcy 
Moloch,  emperor  of  Morocco.  This  event  so  weakened  the  king- 
dom, that,  on  the  death  of  Sebastian's  uncle  and  successor  without 
issue  ;  two  years  after,  Philip  II.  of  Spain  found  little  difficulty  in 
maintaining  his  right  to  the  throne,  and  thus  the  country  in  1580 
again  became  a  part  of  Spain. 

7.  The  revolution  of  1640,  in  which  John,  duke  of  Braeanza, 


PORTUGAL. 


sri 


was  declared  king  by  the  title  of  John  IV.  The  Spaniards  made 
frequent  attempts  to  regain  the  kingdom,  particularly  after  the 
death  of  John  IV.  But  his  queen  acted  witji  great  vigor  and  pru- 
dence, forming  an  alliance  with  Charles  II.  of  England,  from  whom 
she  received  large  reinforcements  of  men  and  money.  At  length 
the  glorious  victory  of  ]Montes-Claros,  in  1665,  terminated  the 
war. 

8.  The  invasion  of  the  country  by  the  French  in  November 
1807,  and  the  consequent  removal  of  the  Portuguese  govenmient, 
and  a  great  multitude  of  the  nation,  to  Urazil,  on  the  20th  of  that 
month.  Since  that  event  the  English,  who,  from  the  marriage  of 
Charles  II.  with  the  princess  Catherine,  had  been  the  steady  allies 
of  Portugal,  have  driven  the  invaders  out  of  the  kingdom  ;  and  the 
Portuguese,  under  the  auspices  of  Wellington  and  licresford,  have 
recovered  the  bravei-y  and  the  skill  Avith  which  their  fathers  fought 
against  the  Spaniards  and  the  Moors. 

JDivisio7isr\  Portugal  is  divided  into  the  six  following  provinces, 
which  are  geographically  arranged  from  N.  to  S.  with  the  extent 
and  population  of  each,  as  given  by  Ebeling,  in  his  geography  of 
Portugal. 


Names. 
Entre  Douero* 

e  Minho, 
Tras-os-Montes, 
Beira, 

Estremadura, 
Alentejo, 
Algarve, 

Total, 


Extent.  Population.    Houses.    Juiisdic-  Cities.  Bor-  Piirishi 


2,389 

3,002 
10,082 

7,803 
10,520 

2,192 

817,167 

308,084 

1,123,245 

876,289 

339,555 

93,472 

181,593 

77,054 

224,649 

175,337 

76,246 

25,523 

35,998 

3,558,713 

760,402 

tions. 
7 

4 
11 
II 

8 


44 


oughs.      es. 


7 
2 
4 
4 

22 


24 

1,327 

59 

711 

230 

1,292 

115 

492 

106 

369 

114 

71 

647 

4,262 

Religion.']  The  national  religion  is  the  Catholic,  and  the  Por- 
tuguese have  been  characterized  for  their  strict  observance  of  its 
ceremonial  duties.  The  church  establishment  comprizes  one  pa- 
triarch, 2  archbishops,  15  bishops,  and  an  immense  number  of  in- 
ferior clergy.  The  Patriarch  is  the  head  of  the  church  under  the 
Pope.  He  resides  at  Lisbon,  and  his  salary  amounts  to  £109,124 
sterling.  He  is  metropolitan  of  the  bishops  of  Castcllo-Branco, 
Guarda,  Lamego,  Leiria  and  Portalcgre,  and  of  all  those  in  the 
colonies.  The  Archbishop  of  Braga,  of  the  bishops  of  Oporto, 
Viscu,  Coimbra,  Braganza,  Miranda,  Avciro,  and  Pinhel.  The 
Archbishop  of  Evora  has  but  three  suffragans,  the  bishops  of  Elvas, 
Bejo  and  Faro.  The  archbishops  have  the  rank  of  a  marquis,  the 
bishops  that  of  a  count.  The  nilmljcr  of  monasteries  is  418, 
that  of  nunneries  108. 

Governme7it.2     The  fundamental  laws  of  the  kingdom  are  thq 

•  Entre  Timiero  e  Minho,  derives  ils  name  IVom  being  situated  between  tlic  rivers 
Douro  aiitl  Miulio;  Tras-oa-JMontea,  is  so  called,  I'rom  its  (tosi lion  witb  ri;si>eci  to 
tlie  |irccc'<liii{!;,  MS  it  lies  bej  oiiU  ilie  mountains  called  Sena  Marioii :  Ksliieiimihira 
is  lucivly  Kwtrema  J)urii,  or  the  exUenic  luovitice  beyond  ilie  Donfo:  .tleiitrh 
oomeK  iVom  tifrmdo  vio  'rfJo,bcuo)id  tUe  'J'as^us  :  .i/srarvr  is  a  MoQiikli  namg 


372  PORTUGAL. 

Statutes  of  Lamego,  issued  by  Alphonso  T.  in  1 145.  By  these  the 
monarchy  is  hereditary,  and  in  case  of  the  king's  demise  without 
male  issue,  his  next  brother  succeeds ;  but  his  sons  have  no  right 
to  the  throne  till  confirmed  by  the  states.  By  these  statutes  the 
monarchy  is  not  arbitrary,  for  the  consent  of  the  states  is  necessary 
to  the  imposition  of  new  taxes,  to  the  settlement  of  the  succession, 
and  other  important  concerns.  The  States  were  called  the  Cortes^ 
and  consisted  of  the  clergy,  the  high  nobility,  and  the  commons. 
But  as  this  assembly  has  not  met  since  1697,  the  power  of  the  king 
was  in  fact  absolute.  The  royal  children  are  styled  infants  and 
infantas  ;  but  the  heir  apparent  is  entitled  the  Prince  of  Brazil. 
In  1805,  there  were  65  noble  families,  2  dukes,  21  marquises,  29 
counts,  7  viscounts,  and  6  barons.  Since  the  removal  of  the  royal 
family,  the  government  has  been  administered  by  a  regency. 

Pofiulatioii.']  The  population  stated  in  the  table,  is  the  result 
of  the  last  census,  taken  in  1780.  This  gave  3,558,712,  as  the 
whole  number  of  inhabitants,  amounting  to  almost  99  on  a  square 
mile.  The  most  populous  province,  Entre  Douero  e  Minho,  had 
342  on  the  square  mile;  the  least  populous,  Alentejo,  had  only 
32.  The  population  must  now  be  considerably  diminished  by  the 
late  removal  of  great  numbers  to  Brazil,  and  by  the  battles  and 
massacres  of  the  French  armies. 

.irjnyr\     In  1803,  the  army  consisted  of  the  following  troops : 

Men. 

24  Regiments  infantry  38,400 


12         do.         cavalry 

15,520 

4         do.         artillery 

4,944 

1   Legion  light  hussars 

1,323 

1  Corps  engineers 

128 

9  Independent  companies 

1,312 

8  Companies  royal  guards 

800 

52,427 

43  Regiments  of  militia 

33,600 

86,027 

A  much  larger  army  has  been  assembled  and  organized  since 
the  late  invasion,  and  the  troops  have  evinced  the  most  generous 
valor,  and  the  most  ardent  love  of  country. 

JVavy.'\  The  ships  of  war  consisted  in  1804,  of  13  ships  of  the 
line,  of  from  60  to  80  guns,  15  frigates  of  from  24  to  48  guns,  and 
about  30  smaller  vessels,  of  various  sizes,  manned  by  12,000  ma- 
rines. The  greater  part  of  these  vessels  are  now  in  Brazil,  and  a 
part  are  still  in  Portugal. 

Revenue.']  Ths  income  of  the  state  from  Portugal  and  the 
colonics  is  estimated  at  16,000,000  dollars,  and  the  debt  is  stated 
to  be  20,000,000,  Great  quantities  of  specie  wei'C  brought  every 
year  from  Brazil,  but  the  industry  of  the  inhabitants  was  not  suf- 
ficient to  retain  it.  The  whole  of  it  went  immediately  to  England, 
in  exchange  for  her  manufactures. 

Manners  and  Customs.]     The  national  character  of  the  FgrtUr 


PORTUGAL.  573 

gucse  resembles  that  of  the  Spaniards  ;  their  bigotry,  their  ven- 
eration for  the  clergy,  their  propensity  to  reveni^c,  their  aversion 
to  labor,  their  dress,  and  their  love  of  pomp,  music,  dancing,  and 
bull-fights,  are  nearly  the  same.  The  nobility  also  have  similar 
prejudices,  and  there  is  the  same  want  of  that  general  intercourse 
among  the  various  ranks,  which  imparts  knowledge,  and  vigor  to 
society.  The  peasantry  are  miserable  vassals.  In  stature  the 
Portuguese  are  inferior  to  the  Spaniards.  Their  complexion  is 
swarthy,  approaching  to  an  olive.  They  have  generally  graceful 
forms,  regular  features,  and  dark,  brilliant,  expressive  eyes.  The 
ladies  are  very  beautiful  when  young.  They  still  imitate  the  in- 
dustry of  their  ancestors  in  spinning  flax  from  the  distaff.  The 
inhabitants  of  the  northern  provinces  are  more  industrious,  intelli- 
gent, sincere,  and  hospitable  ;  those  of  the  southern  more  polished, 
shrewd,  and  indolent.  The  inciustry  of  the  inhabitants  of  Entre 
Minho  e  Douero  would  not  suffer  on  a  comparison  with  that  of  the 
more  northern  countries  of  Europe,  and  accordingly  they  are  pos- 
sessed of  opulence,  and  enjoy  all  the  comforts  and  luxuries  of  life. 
Those  of  Tras-os-Montes  are  a  hardy  race,  and  industrious  also, 
in  spite  of  their  natively  barren  and  mountainous  region.  In  Alen- 
tejo  are  more  wandering  beggars,  than  in  all  the  rest  of  the  king- 
dom. The  best  mariners  come  from  Algarve,  The  inhabitants 
are  rough  and  coarse,  but  remarked  for  their  wit  and  shrewdness. 

La?iguage.~\  The  Portuguese  language  strongly  resembles  the 
Spanish  ;  both  are  derived  chiefly  from  the  Latin  ;  but  the  latter 
is  more  remote  from  it  and  harsher  to  the  ear  than  the  former. 
They  have  both  about  the  same  proportion  of  Arabic  ;  but  the 
Portuguese  has  borrowed  none  of  the  guttural  sounds  of  that  lan- 
guage, which  are  now  numerous  in  the  Spanish,  though  they  did 
not  exist  in  the  first  ages  of  its  literature.  There  is  nothing  un- 
pleasant in  the  Portuguese,  except  a  nasal  sound,  which  however 
is  far  less  disagreeable  than  that  of  the  French. 

Literature.']  The  poems  of  King  Diniz,  who  lived  in  the  latter 
half  of  the  13th  century,  are  said  to  be  among  the  earliest  efforts 
of  the  Portuguese  muse.  It  is  not  known  whether  they  are  extant. 
Tiie  earliest  accessible  poems  are  the  Cancioneiro  of  Recende,  a 
large  collection,  written  chiefly  in  the  reigns  of  Alphonso  V.  7x.w\ 
his  son,  but  comprising  a  few  of  an  earlier  date,  and  some  by  King 
Pedro,  famous  for  his  unfortunate  amours  with  Ines  de  Castro. 
The  volume  consists  of  complimentary  and  satyrical  verses,  love 
songs,  and  lamentations.  The  popular  ballads  of  the  Portuguese 
have  perished.  The  earliest  fashion  of  the  Spanish  poetry  waa 
derived  fromGallicia  and  Portugal.  The  present  fashion  of  both 
countries  is  of  Italian  origin.  Boscan  effected  the  change  in  Spain, 
and  Sa  de  Miranda  in  Portugal,  both  early  in  the  1 6th  century. 
From  that  time  the  octave  stanza  became  the  heroic,  and  the  tri- 
nal-rhyme,the  moral  and  satirical  measure  of  both  countries,  and 
sonnets  swarmed  as  they  have  done  in  Italy.  The  Ines  de  C'astro 
of  Ferreira  was  the  first  regular  tragedy  of  Portugal,  and  tlic  se- 
cond of  modern  times.  The  Sofonisbu  of  Trissino  was  the  first. 
Ferreira  introdviced  the  epigram,  (he  ode,  and  tl'.e  cniihalamiuui, 


374  PORTUGAL. 

and  imitated  Miranda  in  the  'sontiet,  the  elegy,  and  the  Horation 
epistle.  The  Lusiad  of  Camoens,  settled  the  language  of  Portu- 
gal. He  is  their  first  poet,  and  though  miserably  poor,  while  liv- 
ing, he  is  now  felt  by  the  nation  to  be  its  boast  and  its  pride.  The 
translation  by  Mickle  surpasses  the  original  in  richness  of  de- 
scription, but  not  in  vigor.  The  minor  poems  of  Camoens  are 
totally  destitute  of  the  licentiousness,  every  where  apparent  in  the 
translations  of  Strangford.  Beside  the  Lusiad,  the  Portuguese 
have  epic  poems  commemorative  of  the  founder  of  their  state, 
Count  Henry  ;  of  their  first  king  Don  Alphonso  ;  of  their  deliver- 
ance from  Castillo  by  Jolin  I ;  of  the  chivalrous  valor  of  Nunal- 
varez  Percira ;  of  their  victories  and  defeats  under  Sebastian  in. 
Africa  ;  of  the  discovery  of  India  ;  of  the  conquests  of  Goa  and 
Malacca  J  of  the  two  sieges  of  Diu;  of  the  Braganzan  revolution  ; 
and  of  the  marriage  of  Charles  II  and  Catherine.  In  the  age  of 
fable  also  they  have  found  Ulysses  for  a  national  hero,  and  in  an- 
cient history  the  great  Viriatus.  These  works  contain  many  pas- 
sages of  striking  beauty,  and  many  more  of  whimsical  taste  and 
extraordinary  absurdity.  Gil  Vicente,  their  celebrated  dramitist» 
was  estimated  by  Lope  de  Vega,  and  Quevedo,  and  Erasmus  learn- 
ed Portuguese  to  read  his  works.  Faria  e  Sousa  wrote  in  Span- 
ish, a  man  of  great  learning,  and  considerable  genius,  but  of  mis-^ 
crable  taste.  Antonio  e  Silva  stands  unrivalled  in  the  latter  ages 
of  Portuguese  poetry.  He  is  celebrated  for  his  Pindaric  odes,  his 
dithyrambics,  and  especially  for  his  mock-heroic  called  the  Hys- 
•sopaida. 

Amadis  de  Gaul  is  without  a  rival  among  prose  romances.  The 
Palmerin  of  Francisco  de  Moraes,  is  a  similar  work  of  great  merit. 
The  Portuguese  have  produced  nothing  like  the  modern  novel. 
In  the  Portuguese  sermons,  the  finest  oratory  is  spoiled  by  the 
most  fantastic  conceits.  The  lives  of  the  Saints  are  mere  I'oman- 
ces.  There  ax'e  no  modern  travels  in  the  language.  Their  old 
literature  is  rich  in  this  branch  of  knowledge.  Fernam  Lopez  is 
the  best  chronicler  of  any  age  or  nation.  Gomez  de  Azurera  is 
surpassed  only  by  Lopez.  These  have  been  followed  by  a  reg- 
ular succession  of  historians  of  great  merit.  The  Decadas  de 
Asia  by  Joam  de  Barros,  for  a  histoiy,  display  an  uncommon  ex- 
tent of  learning.  In  Mathematics  Pedro  Nunnez  distinguish- 
ed himself  at  the  beginning  of  the  16th  century.  Of  late  years 
natui'al  history  begins  to  be  a  little  studied  ;  but  books  of  devo- 
tion and  petty  poems  constitute  the  bulk  of  the  yearly  productions 
of  the  Portuguese  press. 

Ufiiversities.^  The  university  of  Coirabra  is  the  most  ancient, 
and  was  founded  in  the  latter  part  of  the  13th  century.  It  lately 
contained  800  students,  and  had  a  good  observatory,  a  fine  botan- 
ical garden,  a  chemical  laboratory,  anatomical  theatre,  and  a  cabi- 
net of  natural  curiosities.  The  university  of  Evora  was  founded  in 
1553,  and  the  college  of  Mafra,  in  1772.  This  last  has  a  philosoph- 
ical apparatus,  and  a  library  of  40,000  volumes.  Education,  ho\yev- 
cr,  is  generally  neglected,  and  no  provision  is  made  !"oT  tlie  instruc- 
lion  of  the  common  pecJpTel 


PORTUGAL.  ^  373 

Citiea.']  Lisbon  the  capital  was  lately  the  scci>nd  city  of  Europe 
in  commercial  importance.  It  was  the  OUdJifio  of  the  ancients, 
and  is  said  to  have  been  built  by  the  Phenicians.  It  stands  on  sev- 
en hilk,  on  the  northern  side  of  the  Tajjus,  not  far  from  its  en- 
trance into  the  sea,  and  is  sheltered  on  the  N.  W.  by  a  ridge  of 
hills.  The  harbor  is  one  of  the  best  in  the  world,  uniting- in  a  very 
unusual  degree,  the  four  qualities  of  size,  depth,  security,  and  con- 
venjcnce.  The  Tagus  is  here  about  four  miles  broad,  and  has  two 
outlets  separated  by  a  sandbank,  and  the  rock  of  Cachopos,  and 
defended  by  forts.  Fort  St.  Julian,  1 1  miles  from  Lisbon  on  a  rock 
in  the  sea,  defends  the  northern.  Opposite  to  it  is  the  Bujio.,  which 
is  built  on  piles  on  a  sandbank.  The  fortof  Bclemis  4milesfrom 
Lisbon  on  the  north  side,  and  entirely  commands  the  entrance  to 
the  city.  On  the  south,  directly  opposite,  is  Fort  Sebastian  on  the 
angle  of  a  mountain,  all  along  which  the  passage  is  defended  by 
a  chain  of  12  forts.  An  old  Moorish  wall,  with  77  towers  and  56 
gates,  incloses  the  eastern  part  of  the  city.  The  western  has  been 
built  since.  The  breadth  of  the  town  is  inconsiderable  ;  but  it  is 
very  long  from  E.  to  \V.  The  vallies  of  the  hills  form  streets  of 
above  three  miles  in  length,  most  of  them  narrow,  ill-paved,  and  dir- 
ty, and  many  of  them  steep'and  troublesome.  On  one  of  the  hills  in 
the  centre  stands  a  citadel,  which  commands  the  whole  city.  There 
are  41  parish  churches,  40  monasteries,  11  colleges  for  noviciats, 
24  nunneries,  99  chape's,  and  19  hospitals.  The  churches  in  gen- 
eral are  elegant  and  rich  ;  but  that  belonging  to  the  patriarchate 
is  of  surpassing  magnificence  j  the  very  ornaments  r.nd  plate  in  it 
containing  the  treasure  of  several  Brazil  fleets.  The  Dominican 
church  is  very  large,  and  the  cathedral  on  one  of  the  hills  is  splen- 
didly ornamented.  One  of  the  hospitals,  St.  Joseph's,  is  an  insti- 
tution honorable  to  the  city.  In  1789,  it  received  1 1,020  patients  ; 
and  the  foundling  hospital  hi  the  same  year  received  1279  childrer.. 
Several  of  the  royal  palaces  are  magnificent,  and  many  belonging 
to  the  nobles  arc  stately.  The  Exchange  and  the  India  house  are 
particularly  deserving  of  notice.  But  the  aqueduct  to  the  north 
of  the  city  is  one  of  the  noblest  works  of  modern  architecture.  It 
was  built  in  the  years  1713 — 1732,  and  remained  unhurt  by  the 
great  earthquake  of  1755,  which  destroyed  the  greatest  and  best 
part  of  the  city.  It  rests  on  a  long  row  of  marble  pillars,  and  on 
75  arches  is  carried  across  the  vale  of  Alcantara  from  one  moun- 
tain to  another.  The  number  of  houses  is  44,057,  and  the  number 
of  inhabitants,  according  to  Uuders,  350,000.  Indolence,  pride,  and 
poverty  too  much  characterize  the  inhabitants.  The  foreigners, 
who  are  settled  here,  are  very  numerous,  and  the  most  industrious 
of  the  inhabitants.  The  number  of  servants  is  disproportionately 
great.  The  police  is  very  indifferent ;  the  streets  swarm  with 
beggars  in  the  day,  and  banditti  are  not  tmfrequent  in  the 'night. 
The  ecclesiastics  are  also  very  numerous,  and  spend  their  time  iti 
the  greatest  luxury  and  idleness.  About  or.c  sixth  of  the  inhabit- 
ants are  negroes  and  mulatoes.  Here  are  two  theatres,  one  for 
Italian  operas,  the  other  for  Portuguese  plays.  There  is  also  u 
large  circus  for  bullfights.      The  inhabitants  have  a  pcculiur  cvis- 


English, 
Portoguese, 
United  States, 
Swedish, 

1774 
348 
104 

45 

Danish, 

41 

Rest  of  Europe, 

lor 

1793 

1797 

1802 

234 

533 

383 

230 

268 

314 

96 

154 

175 

76 

135 

130 

58 

218 

96 

148 

128 

271 

376  PORTUGAL. 

torn  of  throwing  water  on  passengers  in  the  street,  at  certain  sea- 
sons. The  commerce  of  the  city  is  chiefly  in  the  hands  of  for- 
eigners. The  extent  of  it  may  be  estimated  from  the  following 
list  of  the  ships,  which  entered  the  port  in  5  different  years  exclu- 
sive of  coasters. 

1784 

252 

rt  rt  £- 

23 

80 

30 

226 

645  964  864  1586  1369 

The  chief  exports  arc  corks,  drugs,  dyeing  stuffs,  fruit,  oil,  pot- 
ash, raw-silk,  brandy,  vinegar,  occ.  Manufactured  goods,  and  all 
sorts  of  provisions  are  imported. 

O/iorto,  the  capital  of  Entre  Minho  e  Doucro,  and  the  second 
city  in  the  kingdom,  is  built  on  the  north  side  of  the  Douro,  about 
5  miles  from  its  mouth.  The  harbor,  formed  by  the  river,  is  dif- 
ficult to  enter,  but  spacious  and  secure.  A  single  castle  is  a  suf- 
ficient defence.  The  town  plot  is  uneven,  but  the  streets  are  well 
paved,  neat,  and  handsome.  The  number  of  houses  is  15,138,  and 
the  number  of  inhabitants  70,505.  It  contains  10  churches,  12 
convents,  and  9  hospitals.  Here  are  considerable  manufactures  of 
silks,  hats,  pottery,  and  several  ropewalks,  and  dockyards.  The 
trade  of  the  city  is  extensive.  More  than  500  ships  annually  enter. 
The  imports  in  1790  amounted  to  jC600,000  sterling,  and  the  ex- 
ports to  /;S00,000,  of  which  about  80,000  pipes  of  wine  constituted 
the  chief  article.  The  others  were  Brazilian  goods,  vinegar,  and 
brandy. 

Elvas^  the  capital  of  Alentejo,  is  a  fortified  city,  14  miles  W.  by  N. 
of  Badajos.  It  has  a  castle  on  an  eminence,  and  is  commanded  by 
Fort  La  Lippe.  The  city  contains  3  parish  churches,  and  a 
cathedral,  2  hospitals,  7  convents,  3,000  houses,  and  12,500  inhab- 
itants. The  streets  are  narrow  and  dirty,  and  the  houses  badly 
built.  Here  is  a  remarkable  aqueduct,  supported  by  3  arches,  one 
over  the  other,  4  miles  in  length,  which  conducts  the  water  into  a 
very  large  reservoir.  At  some  distance  from  the  town  the  coun- 
try is  bleak  and  barren. 

Brag-a,  in  Entre  Minho  e  Douero,  the  Augusta  Braccara  of  the 
Romans,  is  seated  in  a  pleasant  plain,  cultivated  and  shaded  by 
trees,  near  the  Cavado.  Several  of  the  streets  are  wide  and  open, 
but  the  houses  are  generally  small.  It  contains  6  parishes,  8 
monasteries,  and  one  hospital.  The  number  of  houses  is  3087  ;  of 
inhabitants  12,362.  Here  is  an  extensive  hat  manufactory,  which 
supplies  the  greater  part  of  the  kingdom ;  also  manufactories  of 
linen  and  knives.  Every  part  of  the  town  exhibits  marks  of  in- 
dustry. The  old  gothic  cathedral  and  the  remains  of  a  Roman 
amphitheatre,  and  aqueduct,  are  objects  of  curiosity  to  the  an- 
tiquary. 


PORTUG-\L.  37X 

St.  Ubes,  or  Setuval,  the  ancient  Cedobriffa,  is  situated  on  a  fine 
bay,  into  which  the  river  Sadaon  discharges  itself.  The  harbor  is 
not  large,  but  secure,  and  deep  enough  for  vessels  of  any  burden. 
It  is  defended  by  the  sti'ong  fort  of  St.  Jago.  The  town  is  for- 
tified by  eleven  whole,  and  two  demi-bastions,  and  a  citadel.  It 
,  contains  5  parishes,  9  monasteries,  2  nunneries,  1  almshouse,  I 
hospital,  2090  dwelling  houses,  and  12,000  inhabitants.  About  500 
sea  vessels,  and  as  many  coasters,  enter  here  annually.  Here  are 
very  extensive  salt-ponds,  and  a  considerable  trade  is  carried  oa 
in  salt,  wine,  and  oil.     The  environs  arc  fertile  and  well  cultivated. 

Evovra,  in  Alentejo,  the  ancient  Ebora,  said  to  have  been  built 
by  the  Phenicians,  and  walled  about  by  Sertorius,  stands  in  a  large 
plain  surrounded  on  all  sides  by  mountains.  It  contains  5  churches, 
3162  houses,  and  14,200  inhabitants.  The  aqueduct  built  by  Ser- 
torius, still  in  excellent  preservation,  is  a  beautiful  monument  of 
Roman  architecture. 

Coimbra,  in  Beira,  the  ancient  Conimbrica,  was  built  about  300 
years  before  Christ.  It  stands  in  an  elevated  situation,  on  both 
sides  of  the  Mondego,  and  is  a  large  and  handsome  city.  Its  Ro- 
man walls  are  still  standing,  having  several  towers,  and  6  gates. 
The  town  contains  5  churches,  7  convents,  an  almshouse,  and  ai^ 
hospital,  3063  bouses,  and  11,871  inhabitants.  Here  is  an  exten- 
sive manufactory  of  earthen,  and  some  linen  and  woollen  manufac- 
tures.    A  strong  stone  bridge  connects  the  two  parts  of  the  town. 

Edijices.~\  In  the  town  of  Mafra  is  the  royal  palace,  built  by 
John  V.  in  the  years  1717-1731,  which,' for  its  uncommon  magni- 
ficence, is  called  the  Portuguese  Escurial.  The  whole  composes 
one  immense  building  with  a  vaulted  covering,  866  rooms  lighted 
by  5,200  windows.  The  apartments  of  the  court  are  large  and 
sumptuous.  The  church  is  built  entirely  of  marble,  and  has  in 
its  towers  114  chiming  bells.  Tne  convent  furnishes  habitations, 
and  a  large  income  to  200  capuchins,  besides  splenclid  apartments 
for  the  patriarch,  and  24  canons.  The  college,  also  apart  of  the 
palace,  has  a  library  of  40,000  volumes,  and  a  fine  mathematical 
apparatus.  The  gardens  and  grounds  are  extensive,  and  kept  in 
excellent  order,  and  are  richly  stored  with  exotics.  The  building 
looks  towards  the  sea,  and  serves  as  a  landmark  for  mariners.. 
Portugal,  like  Spain,  exhibits  but  few  splendid  villas. 

Manufactures^]  The  hat  manufactory  at  Braga  is  the  most  inv 
portant  establishment  in  Portugal.  The  same  article  is  manufac- 
tured at  Oporto  and  Lisbon.  Silk  is  extensively  fabricated  at 
Oporto,  and  200  looms  are  employed  in  weaving  the  velvets  of 
Braganza.  Woollens  are  made  at  Elvas,  and  in  great  quantities 
at  Covilhao,  for  the  army  and  the  court.  At  Azcitao  is  a  large 
establishment  for  fine  cottons.  At  Coimbra  and  Esiremos,  earth- 
en ware  is  extensively  manufactured,  and  less  so  at  Oporto.  Linen 
also  is  made  at  Braga,  and  Coimbra,  thread  at  Braganza,  glass  of 
an  excellent  quality  at  Marinha,  salt  in  abundance  at  St.  Ubes,  and 
great  quantities  of  a  peculiarly  while  salt  at  Alcazar-do-Soi.  At 
Braga  there  is  also  a  njanufactory  of  knives. 

Coinnicrce.~\     The  trade  of  Portugal  is  principally  carried  QU. 

VOL.   II.  ■*» 


378  PORTUGAL. 

with  England  and  Brazil.  The  exports  to  England,  in  1799,  were 
/;  1,047,054  sterling,  and  in  1800,  /.916,848;  the  imports  in  1799, 
/Tl , 073,4 1 1,  and  in  1800,  iG  1,01 1,893.  In  1805,  468  vessels  cleared 
out  for  England,  and  332  entered  from  that  country.  England 
transmits  woollens,  hardwares,  cottons,  fin^  linens,  salted  and  dried 
fish,  to  the  amount  of  ,C2G0,000  sterling  ;  and  receives  in  return,  ^ 
bullion,  coin,  precious  stones,  wines,  brandy,  and  fruits.  Portugal  ^ 
sends  to  Brazil  woollens,  linens,  stuffs,  gold  and  silver  lace,  glass, 
dried  fish,  haras,  and  sausages.  The  goods  returned,  are  gold, 
silver,  pearls,  precious  stones,  cotton,  dyes,  indigo,  rice,  coffee^ 
maize,  wheat,  ginger,  sugar,  molasses,  ornamental  wood,  and 
drugs.  The  other  exports  from  Portugal,  are  salt,  coi'k,  sumach, 
sugar,  oil  and  vinegar,  and  the  various  articles  received  from  Bra- 
zil. The  imports  from  the  United  States,  in  1806,  amounted  to 
about  1,925,000  dollars.  The  exports  to  France,  in  1801,  were 
a,bout  1,937,000  dollars;  the  imports  about  734,000. 

Of  port  wine  about  48,000  pipes  are  aiHiually  exported,  valued  at 
84,200,000;  of  Lisbon  10,000  pipes,  valued  at  500,000  ;  of  wool 
1,000,000  pounds  ;  of  oil  1200  pipes;  of  salt  2,400,000  bushels  ; 
aad  of  fruits  95  cargoes. 

CHAPTER  II. 

NATURAL,  GEOGllAPllV. 

CLIMATE,     FACE      OF     THE     COUNTRY,      SOIL    AND    AGRICULTURE, 
RIVERS,    MOUNTAINS,  ZOOLOGY,  BOTANY,    MINERALOGY. 

Climate.']  THE  breezes  from  the  ocean  temper  the  cold  of  Avin- 
ter  and  the  heat  of  summer  so  much  as  to  render  those  seasons 
far  more  similar  here,  than  in  the  other  countries  of  Europe.  The 
winters  of  Portugal  are  more  characterized  by  their  rains,  than 
their  cold.  Both  heat  and  cold  in  Spain  are  more  excessive  than 
in  Portugal.  The  spring  is  uncommonly  delightful.  Lisbon  has 
been  the  gixat  resort  of  consumptive  persons  from  Great  Britain, 
and  the  climate  of  the  whole  country  is  unusually  salubrious.  The 
number  of  clear  days  annually  in  Lisbon,  is  about  200,  and  of  set- 
tled rain  about  80.     The  medial  heat  is  about  60  of  Fahrenheit. 

Face  of  the  country.']  Portugal  is  a  far  more  level  country  than 
Spain.  None  of  the  provinces,  except  Tras-os-Montes,  can  pro- 
perly be  called  Bpountainous.  Alentejo  is  generally  level.  The 
others  are  generally  diversified  by  hill  and  dale. 

Soil  and  Agriculture.]  The  soil,  like  that  of  Spain,  is  generally 
light  and  shallow,  but  capable  of  producing  abundantly  every  thing 
requisite  for  the  sustenance  and  comfort  of  man.  Entre  Douro  e 
Minho,  Estremadura  and  Algarve  are  peculiarly  fertile.  The 
vallies  of  Tras-os-Montes  are  rich  and  delightful,  but  the  province 
on  the  whole  is  wild  and  barren.  Beira  and  most  of  Alentejo,  with 
the  proper  cultivation,  may  be  made  to  produce  abundant  crops. 

The  agriculture  of  Portugal,  generally  is  much  neglected.  The 
northwestern  province,  however,  is  in  a  high  state  of  cultivation, 
as  are  the  vallies  of  the  northeastern.  The  chief  productions  are 
corn,  maize,  wine,  oil,  honey,  fiax,  wool,  silk,  and  fruits.  , 


PORTUGAL.  S79 

Riven:']  The  Minho,  the  Douro,  the  Tagtis,  and  the  Guaclia- 
ua  have  already  been  described. 

The  Lima,  anciently  the  Lethe,  rise's  m  Gallicia,  runs  a  S.  W. 
course,  and  forms  the  harbor  of  Viana.     Its  current  is  gentle,  and 
small  vessels  navigate  it  about  20  miles. 
t0if     The  Cavado  runs  a  parallel  course,  and  is  beatable  about  5  miles. 

The  Mondego  rises  in  the  Serra  d'Estrella,  near  Guarda,  runs 
a  W.  S.  W.  course  of  about  110  miles,  of  which  about  60  are 
navigable  for  boats. 

The  Sadaon  is  a  small  stream  forming  the  harbor  of  St.  Ubes. 

The  Soro  is  the  chief  tributary  of  the  Tagus  in  Poi'tugal,  and 
the  turbulent  Ardala,  of  the  Guadiana. 

Mount ains.~\  The  Serra  Monchique,  the  northern  boundary  of 
Algarve,  is  separated  by  the  Guadiana  from  the  Sierra  Morena. 
Its  course  in  Portugal  is  from  E.  to  W.  about  80  miles.  A  part 
of  this  chain  is  called  the  Serra  de  Caklcirao.  In  Alentejo  is  a 
small  chain,  about  30  miles  long  and  6  broad,  which  terminates  a 
little  N.  W.  of  Evora.  It  is  merely  a  continuation  of  the  mountains 
of  Toledo. 

The  Serra  d'Estrella  is  the  longest  chain  in  Portugal.  It  may 
be  considered  as  commencing  at  the  Rock  of  Lisbon,  and  running 
N.  E.  through  Estremadura  and  Beira,  till  it  joins  that  part  of  the 
mountains  of  Guadarama,  called  Sierra  de  Gata.  The  highest 
summit  of  this  range,  the  Mens  Hermenius  of  the  ancients,  is  call- 
ed Estrella,  and  gives  its  name  to  the  whole  chain.  At  its  foot 
stands  Villa  St.  Romao,  a  village  of  Beira.  On  the  top  the  trav- 
eller finds  verdant  pastures,  and  rivulets  of  clear  water.  But  that 
which  most  arrests  his  attention  is  a  lake,  surrounded  by  high 
rocks.  The  water  is  cle?.r  and  tepid,  and  has  a  tremulous  mo- 
tion in  the  middle,  and  now  and  then  small  vesicles  are  seen  to 
rise  aloft  from  its  surface.  From  the  strong  current  in  it  at  one 
particular  place,  it  is  believed  .that  there  is  an  aperture,  through 
which  it  feeds  another  lake  farther  down  the  mountain. 

The  summits  of  Tras-os-Montes  appear  to  be  an  extensive 
clump  of  hills,  pursuing  no  settled  course,  and  connected  with  no 
regular  chain. 

The  Rock  of  Lisbon,  or  the  Roca-di-Cintra,  consists  of  large 
rocks  of  flint,  some  of  ten  feet  in  diameter,  lying  on  each  other 
without  order  or  connection.  It  is  rich  in  ore,  and  produces  ma- 
ny remarkable  plants.  Near  the  summit  are  seen  the  ruins  of  an 
old  Moorish  town  and  fortress,  with  a  reservoir,  under  an  arch, 
of  very  fine  water.  On  the  top,  whicli  is  3000  foct  above  the 
ocean,  is  a  hermitage  and  a  convent. 

Zoolo^yr]  The  horses  of  Portugal  are  much  inferior  to  those 
of  Spain,  and  great  numbers  of  the  latter  are  annually  imported. 
Asses  and  mu'es  are  numerous.  Horned  cattle  are  too  much 
neglected.  Less  attention  is  paid  to  the  breeding  of  sliccp  than 
in  Spain  ;  but  the  wool  is  in  all  respects  equal.  Hogs  abound. 
They  live  in  the  woods,  on  acorns,  and  the  hams  arc  excellent. 

BotanijT]  The  iitdigcnoys  plants  of  Portugal  are  the  same  as 
those  of  Spain  ;  but  a  number  of  exotics  have  strayed  from  tho 


380  ITALY. 

gardens  and  grcwn  Avild,  particularly  around  the  largo  seaports. 
Among  these  are  the  American  aloe,  the  Indian  fig,  the  magna- 
lia  grandiflora,  the  date  palm,  the  Lusitanian  cypress,  originally 
from  Goa,  the  tea  tree,  the  fragrant  olive,  the  Cape  jasmine,  the 
ice  plant,  and  the  myrica  faya.  Wheat,  barley,  rye,  oats,  maize, 
rice,  Guinea  corn,  millet,  sweet  potatoe,  plantains,  pulse,  lupinsji 
Monk's  beans,  Jerusalem  artichoke,  the  tomato,  gourds,  cucum- 
bers, and  melons,  are  among  the  esculent  plants  of  the  field  and 
garden.     The  fruit  trees  have  been  mentioned. 

Mincralogij .~^  The  mineralogy  of  Portugal  has  been  much 
neglected.  Small  veins  of  gold  have  been  observed  in  the  moun- 
tains of  Goes  and  Estrella  ;  and  it  is  still  found  in  the  sand  of 
some  streams,  as  in  ancient  times  the  Tajo  was  celebrated  for 
this  metal.  Under  the  dominion  of  the  Spaniards,  a  mine  of  sil- 
ver was  worked,  not  far  from  Braganza,  so  late  as  the  year  1628. 
Tin  was  also  found  in  various  pai'ts  of  the  northern  provinces. 
There  are  lead  mines  at  Mursa,  Lamego,  and  Cogo  ;  and  the  ga- 
lena ore's  are  very  productive  of  silver  ;  copper  is  found  near  El- 
vas,  and  in  other  districts.  The  iron  mines  are  neglected,  from  a 
deficiency  of  fuel  ;  though  coal  is  found  in  different  parts  of  the 
kingdom,  and  that  of  Buarcos  supplies  the  royal  foundery  at  Lis- 
bon. Lmery  is  found  near  the  Douro  ;  and  many  beautiful  mar- 
bles abound  in  this  kingdom.  Fullers  earth  occurs  near  Guime- 
rans.  Portugal  also  boasts  of  antimony,  manganese,  bismuth,  and 
arsenic  ;  and  near  Castello-Branco  are  mines  of  quicksilver. 
Rubies  have  been  discovered  in  Algarve  ;  jacinths  in  the  rivers 
Cavado  and  Bellas  ;  beryl  or  aquamarine  in  the  mountain  of  Es- 
trella. In  short,  Portugal  abounds  with  minerals  of  most  de- 
scriptions ;  and  nothing  is  wanting  but  fuel  aind  industry. 


ITALY  IN  GENERAL. 


CHAPTER  I. 

B6UXDARIES,  EXTENT,  DIVISIONS,  NAMES,  ORIGINAL  POPULATION, 
HISTORY,  RELIGION,  GOVERNMENTS,  LANGUAGE,  POPULATION, 
CLIMATE,  FACE  OF  THE  COUNTRY,  SOIL,  AGRICULTURE,  RIVERS, 
LAKES,  MOUNTAINS,  BOTANY,  ZOOLOGY,  MINERALOGY. 

Boundaries.!^  THE  Alps  divide  Italy  from  France,  Swit- 
zerland, and  Germany  on  the  North  ;  the  Adriatic  Sea  bounds  it 
en  the  Northeast  ;  on  the  South  and  West  it  is  washed  by  the 
Mediterranean. 

Extent.']  Italy  lies  between  37  and  46  30,  N.  lat.  and  6  10  and 
18  35,  E.  Ion.  Its  greatest  length  is  740  miles,  and  its  greatest 
breadth  is  400.  The  contents  in  square  miles,  exclusive  of  the 
islands,  is  95,585,  viz.  31,305  in  the  kingdom  of  Naples  ;  32,9213 


ITALY. 


581 


0^^ 


Countries  Names. 

'Piedmont 


To  the  king 


in  all  the  annexations  to  France  ;*  and  31,160  in  that  part  of  the 
kingdom  of  Italy  which  is  in  Italy. 

Divisio7is.']  The  ancients  divided  Italy  into  GalLia  Cisalfiina  on 
the  north,  Italia  Propria  in  the  middle,  and  Magna  Graecia  on  the 
south.  These  divisions  were  recognized  till  the  time  of  Augus- 
tus, who  subdivided  Italy  into  eleven  regions.  The  whole  of  the 
Italian  dominions,  comprehending  Corsica,  Sardinia,  the  Vene- 
tian and  other  islands,  before  the  iate  revolutions,  were  divided  in 
the  manner  exhibited  in  the  following  TABLE. 

Squue  Miles.        Lenglli.        Brcajth.        Cbief  Cities. 

6,619      140       93     Turin 
3,572       87       60     Chambery 
446        40       22     Cassal 
204       27       20     Alexandria 
152       24         7     Oneglia 
6,600      135       57     Cagliari 
22,000     275      200     Naples 
9,400      180        92     Palermo 
5,431      155        70     Milan 
700       47       27     Mantua 
120        19        10     Mirandola 

N.lat.41  54 
Rome 

E.lon.  12  45 
Florence 
Massa 
Parma 
Modena 
Piombino 
Monaco 
Lucca 
St.  Marino 
Genoa 
Bastia 
Venice 
Capo  d'Istria 
Zara 


Savoy 
Montserrat 
of  Sardinia.*^  Alessandrine 
I  Oneglia 
(^Sardinia  Island 
To  the  king  5  Naples 
of  Naples.   I  Sicily  Island 

(,  Mirandola 


peror. 


Pope's  dominions  14,348     235     14: 


To  their  re- 
spectiv6 
princes. 


Republics. 
To  England 


TTuscany 
j  Massa 
J  Parma 
'  Modena 

Piombino 
^Monaco 

Lucca 

St.  Marino 
.Genoa 

Corsica  Island 

{Venice 
Istria  P. 
Dalmatia  P. 
Isles  of  Dalma- 
tia 
Cephalonia 
Corfu,  or  Cor- 

cyria 
Zant,  or  Za- 
<^      cynthus 
St.  Maura 
Little  Cepha- 
lonia, Ithaca 
dim 


Islands    in 
the  Vene- 
tian do- 
minions. 


6,640 

82 

1,225 

1,560 

100 

24 

280 

8 

2,400 

2,520 

8,434 

1,245 

1,400 

1,364 

428 

194 

120 
56 

14 


115 
16 
48 
65 
22 
12 
28 

160 
90 

175 
56 

135 


94 
11 
37 
39 
18 
4 
15 

25 
38 
95 
32 
20 


40 
31 

23 
12 


18 
10 

12 
7 


Cephalonia 
Corfu 

Zant 

St.  Maura 


Total,     7.1,056 
Tfie  present  (Uvisions  of  Italy  unit  be  seen  in  the  tequel. 

*  The  rcav>n  why  the  ntiml)er  of  sqnnre  miles  and  population   annexe*!  to  France 
from  Italy)  as  here  given,  ditt'ei-s  from  that  given  in  the  account  of  Frunce  i^  that  lh« 


Sfi2  ITALY. 

JVames.']  This  celebrated  country  was  known  in  more  ancient 
times  by  the  names  Saturnia,  CEnotria,  Ausonia,  and  Hcsjieria.  It- 
aly, its  present  name,  was  probably  the  Aitolia  of  the  Greeks, 
transferred  to  the  other  side  of  the  Adriatic,  though  some  authors 
derive  it  from  Italusf  a  king  of  Arcadia. 

Original  PofiulationJ]  Ancient  writers  are  extremely  confused 
in  their  account  of  the  first  inhabitants  of  Italy  ;  and  it  is  difficult 
to  come  to  any  satisfactory  conclusion  with  I'cgard  to  their  names, 
numbers,  and  origin.  The  authors  of  the  Universal  History  con- 
sider the  Uinbri  as  the  aborigines  of  northern  and  central  Italy. 
The  Gauls  drove  the  Umbii  southward,  and,  in  the  first  ages  of 
Kome,  were  possessed  of  a  great  part  of  Gallia  Cisalpina.  The 
Tyrrheni,  or  Etruscans  from  Lydia,  in  Asia  Minor,  possessed 
themseltes  very  early  of  the  central  parts  of  Italy,  and  appear  to 
have  become  incorporated  with  the  Umbri.  The  whole  of  Italia 
Propria  was  denominated  Tyrrhenia  by  the  Greeks.  The  south- 
ern parts  of  Italy  were  peopled  by  numerous  small  colonies  of 
Greeks,  who  settled  there  in  different  periods,  and  gave  the  coun- 
try the  name  of  Magna  Graecia.  It  is  doubtful  whether  Eneas 
ever  settled  in  Latium  with  a  colony  of  Trojans  ;  but,  be  this  as 
it  may,  the  Romans  were  chiefly  or  wholly  descended  from  the 
Etruscans.  The  founders  of  their  city  were  a  company  of 
freebooters,  headed  by  Romulus  and  Remus,  the  first  of  whom 
gave  a  name  to  the  city  and  nation. 

History. ~\  Nothing  can  be  said  here  of  the  modern  petty  states  ; 
we  shall  merely  notice  those  great  events,  which  have  in  a  meas- 
ure affected  the  whole  country. 

1.  The  earliest  known  condition  of  Italy  when  the  northern  and 
central  parts  were  in  the  possession  of  the  Umbrians ;  and  the 
southern,  of  various  colonies  of  Pelasgi. 

2.  The  settlement  of  the  Etruscans,  a  colony  frpm  Lydia,  in  the 
middle  of  Italy,  probably  before  the  Trojan  war.  Their  empire 
became  at  length  very  extensive.  The  Gauls  also  got  possession 
of  all  the  continental  part  of  Italy,  driving  before  them  the  Um- 
brians and  Etruscans. 

'3.  The  building  of  Rome  by  Romulus,  the  grandson  of  Numi- 
•  tor,  about  750  years  before  Christ,  and  the  establishment   of  the 
monarchy,  which  lasted  243  years. 

4.  The  buniing  of  the  city  by  the  Gauls  B.  C.  384.  Before  this 
event  the  Sabines,  Veientes,  and  Fideimtes  had  been  vanquished 
and  brought  into  subjection. 

annexation  of  the  States  of  the  Church,  and  %-avious  other  dUtiicts,  vas  not  kno\Yn  to 
the  Author  when  the  description  ofPVance  was  printed. 

Since  tlie  above  was  written,  a  decree  of  the  Fiench  emperor  of  the  5th  of  August, 
1811,  has  been  received,  which  oi-dains,  that  the  "  river  Enza,  frr-in  its  moutli  to  its 
source,  shall  be  the  boundary  between  France  and  the  French  kingdom  of  Italy. 
From  the  source  of  the  Enza  the  boundary  shall  proceed  along  the  sun.mit  of  the  Ap- 
penines,  to  the  present  frontier  of  the  (iarsaguana,  and  of  ancient  Tuscany.  '1  he 
boundary  between  the  kingdom  of  Italy  and  the  lllyrinn  provinces,  shall  follow  the 
course  of  the  Isonzo,  iVom  its  mouth  to  its  source  ;  th'ence  it  shall  skirt  the  territory 
of  >Vessenfels  and  Tarvis,  which  shall  belong  to  the  kingdom  of  Italy  ;  and  thence 
shall  proceed  by  the  summit  of  the  JuHuu  Alps,  east  acd  west,  to  the  honliers  of  the 
Tyrol." 


% 


ITALY.  5.83 

5.  The  commencement  of  the  first  Punic  war,  in  the  year  B. 
C.  263,  which  lasted  24  years,  and  was  the  first  which  the  Romans 
ever  waged  out  of  Italy.  At  this  time  the  whole  of  central  and 
southern  Italy  were  possessed  by  the  Romans,  who  had  subdued 
the  Etruscans,  the  Umbrians,  Latins,  Equi,  Volsci,  and  Samnites, 

nd  all  the  smaller  tribes  in  this  part  of  Italy. 

6.  The  second  Punic  war,  begun  iu  218  B.  C,  during  which 
Hannibal  marched  into  Italy  over  the  Alps,  subdued  every  thing 
except  the  city  ;  but  was  at  length  defeated,  and  obliged  to  leave 
Italy  in  order  to  defend  Carthage.  There  he  was  vanquished, 
and  Carthage  reduced. 

7.  The  termination  of  the  republic,  and  the  assumption  of  the 
imperial  dignity  by  Julius  Csesar,  in  the  year  44  B.  C. 

8.  The  various  invasions  of  Italy  by  Alaric,  king  of  the  Goths, 
in  the  beginning  of  the  5th  century.  In  404,  Honorius  transferred 
the  seat  of  the  empire  from  Milan  to  Ravenna.  The  invasion  of 
ihe  liunns  under  Attila  was  in  452,  and  that  of  the  African  Van- 
dals under  Genseric,  in  455.  In  488,  Thcodoric,  king  of  the  Os- 
trogoths, planted  them  in  the  country,  and  established  a  kingdom 
there,  the  capital  of  which  was  Verona.  It  lasted  64  years,  and 
was  finally  destroyed  by  Narses,  general  of  Justinian. 

9.  Longinus,  under  Justin,  emperor  of  the  east,  io  the  year  568, 
settled  a  governor  in  every  city  of  Italy,  under  the  title  of  Duke, 
z.nd  took  himself  that  of  exarch,  which  form  continued  571  years 
under  the  name  of  exai'chate.  The  same  year,  under  Alboinus» 
the  Lombards  entered  Italy,  from  Germany  directly,  but  original- 
ly from  Scandinavia.  They  conquered  numerous  cities  in  the 
north,  and  made  Pavia  their  capital. 

10.  Pepin,  king  of  France,  A.  D.  756,  invested  the  Pope  with 
the  exarchate  of  Ravenna,  and  various  other  territories  which  had 
been  seized  by  the  king  of  the  Lombards,  and  thus  rendered  him 
a  temporal  prince,  who  governed  the  exarchate  by  an  archbishop. 

11.  Charlemagne,  in  770,  reduced  the  kingdom  of  the  Lom- 
bards, and  sent  their  king,  Desidcrius,  and  his  family  into  France. 
This  kingdom,  at  the  time  of  its  overthrow,  comprized  all  of 
northern  and  central  Italy,  except  the  possessions  of  the  Pope, 
and  the  greater  part  of  the  present  kingdom  of  Naples  ;  the  re- 
mainder of  which  was  still  held  by  the  emperors  of  the  east. 
Charles  himself  was  crowned  king  of  Lombardy.  His  successors 
retained  that  title  till  the  year  890. 

12.  The  distracted  state  of  Italy,  after  the  termination  of  the 
Carlovingian  dynasty.  The  country  became  the  scene  of  number- 
less civil  wars,  was  repeatedly  and  terribly  invaded  by  the  Hun- 
garians and  Saracens,  and  at  length,  in  961,  fell  to  the  possession 
of  Otho  I.  emperor  of  Germany.  Apulia  and  Calabria  were  still 
claimed  by  the  Greeks,  but  all  the  rest  was  subject  to,  or  held  of, 
the  emperor,  as  king  of  Italy.  The  imperial  government  contin- 
ued with  various  oppositions  and  interruptions,  but  on  the  whole 
unshaken  till  the  time  of  Frederic  H.  who  died  in  1250. 

13.  After  the  loss  of  Italy  to  Germany,  various  un3uccessl*il 
jtttempts  were  made  by  the  emperor,  and  the  kings  of  Fra,nce  and 


384  ITALY. 

Spain  to  reduce  it  under  their  dominion.  For  more  than  two  cen- 
turies also  it  continued  the  scene  of  numberless  and  obstinate  wars 
between  the  various  petty  states.  At  length,  in  1809,  the  French 
came  into  possession  of  the  whole  country.  All  the  petty  states 
are  now  abolished.  Naples  has  had  one  of  the  Bonaparte 
family  placed  at  its  head.  One  third  of  the  country  is  annexed  tt> 
France,  and  the  north-east  formed  into  the  kingdom  of  Italy,  of 
which  the  French  emperor  is  sovereign. 

Re[igion.~\  In  all  parts  of  Italy  the  Roman  Catholic  religion  is 
established,  and  in  many  parts  no  other  is  permitted. 

Governments.']  Before  the  late  changes  in  Europe,  Italy  con- 
tained almost  every  species  of  government.  Naples  and  the 
country  of  the  king  of  Sardinia  were  absolute  monarchies;  Ve- 
nice, Genoa,  and  Lucca  were  aristocratical  republics,  and  St.  Ma- 
rino a  democratical  one  ;  that  of  the  State  of  the  Church  was  a  non- 
descript ;  the  petty  princes  had,  each,  different  degrees  of  inde- 
pendence and  power  ;  and  the  three  duchies  of  Milan,  Mantua, 
and  Mirandola,  were  colonies  of  Austria. 

La7ig-uage.]  The  Italian  is  spoken  throughout  the  whole  of 
Italy  ;  but  with  various  degrees  of  purity.  On  the  borders  of 
France  and  Germany  it  is  coiTupted  by  the  languages  of  those 
countries.  The  purest  Italian  is  spoken  in  Tuscany,  and  at 
Rome.  In  the  sea-ports  the  Lingua  Franca  is  generally  under- 
stood. 

Fo/iulation.']  The  whole  population  of  Italy,  comprising  all 
the  territories  described  under  this  head,  according  to  Hassel's 
estimate,  which  is  deemed  the  most  correct,  is  16,11 7,000. 

Climate.']  The  climate  of  the  north  of  Italy  is  temperate  and 
healthy  ;  and  near  the  foot  of  the  Alps  the  winters  are  often  se- 
verely cold.  That  of  the  peninsula  is  extremely  warm.  In  the 
central  parts,  particularly  in  Tuscany,  the  Ferrarese,  and  the 
Campagna  di  Roma,  it  is  rendered  very  unhealthy  by  the  number 
of  stagnant  marshes.  The  heat  of  Naples  would  often  be  intol- 
erable, if  it  were  not  for  the  regular  recurrence  of  sea-breezes. 

Face  of  the  Country.]  Italy  presents  eveiy  variety  of  surface. 
The  French,  Swiss,  and  German  frontiers  are  wholly  mountain- 
ous, and  the  chain  of  the  Appenincs  runs  along  the  Gulf  of  Genoa, 
and  through  the  whole  peninsula.  Between  the  Alps  and  the 
Avestern  Appcnines  are  many  extensive  and  fertile  plains  and  val- 
lies,  watered  by  the  Po  and  its  numerous  branches.  In  the  pen- 
insula, also,  on  both  sides  of  the  mountains,  the  country  is  some- 
times a  succession  of  hills  and  dales,  and  at  others  the  vallies 
widen  into  plains  of  singular  richness  and  beauty.  The  warmth 
of  the  climate,  the  richness  of  the  soil,  the  frequency  of  the  rains, 
and  the  number  of  brooks  and  rivers,  give  a  beauty  to  the  Italian 
landscape,  which  is  not  known  in  the  rest  of  Europe. 

Soil  and  Agriculture.]  Every  part  of  this  country  possesses  a 
fertile  soil,  capable,  with  moderate  cultivation,  of  bearing  in  abun- 
dance all  kinds  of  grain,  vegetables,  and  fruits.  The  agriculture 
of  the  north  is  proverbially  excellent ;  Lombardy  having  been 
styled  for  many  centuries  the  garden  of  Kurojie.  The  middle  and 
southern  regions  are  generally  also  in  a  high  state  of  cultivation. 


in 


ITALV.  fisi 

liMerf.'^  The  Po,  called  Padus  and  Jiridanus,  by  the  ancients>, 
if  the  largest  river  of  Italy.  It  rises  in  Mount  Viso,  the  highest 
of  the  Maritime  Alps,  on  the  western  frontiers  of  Piedmont,  7 
miles  N.  of  Castel  Delfino,  and  18  W.  of  Saluzzo.  Its  course  is 
E.  to  Cliivasso,  and  thence  almost  directly  E.but  on  the  whole 

little  S.  to  the  Adriatic,  which  it  enters  by  several  mouths,  un- 
der the  parallel  of  45.  Probably  no  river  in  the  world  of  the  same 
size,  has  so  large  or  so  numerous  tributaries.  On  the  left  bank 
it  receives  the  Doria,  at  Turin,  the  Grand  Doria  below  Chivasso, 
the  waters  of  Lake  Maggiore  through  the  Tessino,  above  Pavia  ; 
the  Adda  above  Cremona,  and  some  distance  below,  the  Oglio. 
On  the  south  it  is  joined  by  the  Tanaro  below  Alessandria,  the 
Trebia  at  Placenza,  the  Taro,  which  runs  by  Parma,  the  Lecchia 
and  the  Panaro.  The  whole  length  of  the  river  is  about  350 
miles.  Notwithstanding  the  Po  flows  chiefly  through  plains,  yet 
its  course  is  generally  rapid,  and,  when  swelled  by  the  mountain 
snows,  it  becomes  a  torrent  inundating  the  neigboring  countty. 

The  Tiber,  TiberiS',  received  its  name  from  Tiderinus,  a  king  of 
Alba,  who  was  drowned  in  it.  It  rises  among  the  Appennines, 
near  Borgo  di  St.  Sepolcro,  and  pursuing  a  southerly  course,  pass- 
es through  Rome,  and  falls  into  that  part  of  the  Mediterranean 
which  is  called  the  Tuscan  sea,  below  Ostia.  Its  length  is  about 
180  miles. 

The  Adige,  the  ^thesis  of  the  Romans,  and  Etsch  of  the  Ger- 
iTiians,  rises  among  the  Rhaetian  Alps,  near  Sterzing,  in  the  coun- 
ty of  Tyrol,  runs  southward  by  Trent  to  Verona,  and  thence  turns 
eastward  to  the  Adriatic,  into  which  it  falls  about  12  miles  N.  of 
the  Po,  and  24  S.  of  Venice,  after  a  course  of  2 10  miles.  The  Pi- 
ave  and  Tagliamento  fall  into  the  N.  W.  side  of  the  same  sea. 
The  Primaro  runs  about  100  miles,  and  empties  about  12  miles 
N.  of  Ravenna. 

The  Arno,  jlrnus,  rises  among  the  Appennines,  in  Tuscany, 
passes  by  Florence,  and  falls  into  the  sea  12  miles  N.  of  Leghorn, 
and  below  Pisa,  to  which  it  is  navigable  in  small  vessels.  It  re* 
ceives  in  its  course  the  Siera,  the  Pesa,  and  the  Elsa.  Its  length 
is  about  100  miles.  The  Voltorno  falls  into  the  Gulf  of  Gaeta. 
The  famous  Rubicon,  is  a  small  stream,  which  forms  the  southern 
boundary  between  Italy  and  the  ancient  Cisalpine  Gaul. 

Lakes.'\  The  Lago  Maggiore  is  about  27  miles  in  length,  by 
3  of  medial  breadth,  receiving  the  waters  of  lake  Lugano  on  the 
cast.  This  lake  contains  the  Boromcan  isles,  celebrated  by  many 
travellers.  Still  farther  to  the  east  is  the  lake  of  Como,  which  is 
joined  by  tliat  of  Lecco  :  the  lake  of  Como  is  about  32  miles  %\ 
length,  but  the  medial  breadth  not  above  two  and  a  half.  Yet  far- 
ther to  the  east  is  the  small  lake  of  Iseo,  which  is  followed  by  the 
Lago  di  Garda,  an  expanse  of  about  oi)  miles  in  length  by  8  ia 
breadth. 

In  the  central  part  of  Italy  the  largest  lakes  are  those  of  Peru- 
gia and  Bolscna,  that  of  Albano,  shaded  by  trees  and  rocks,  and 
that  of  Ncmi  in  the  same  vicinity,  abwut  1 7  miles  S.  E.  from  Rome. 

VOL.    II.  49 


386  ^TALY. 

In  the  Neapolitan  part  is  the  lake  of  Celano  in   the  north  ;  and 
that  of  Varano,  near  mount  Gargano. 

Mountains.^     The  Alps  have  already  been  minutely  described. 

The  Appennines  branch  from  the  Maritime  Alps  near  Ormea, 
and  run  N.  E.  at  no  great  distance  from  the  coast,  and  parall 
with  it,  to  the  meridian  of  Genoa.  Thence  their  course  is  E,  f( 
about  50  miles,  and  thence  S.  E.  through  the  whole  peninsulaj 
generally  approaching  nearer  to  the  Adriatic,  than  the  Tuscan 
sea.  In  Naples  the  chain  divides,  a  part  of  it  running  eastward 
towards  Otranto,  the  other  southward  to  the  extremity  of  Italy. 
Mount  St.  Angela,  the  ancient  Garganus,  is  a  spur  from  the  Ap- 
pennies,  running  N.  N.  E.  to  Cape  de  La  Teste.  These  mountains 
are  every  where  covered  with  wood.  They  do  not  form  one  un- 
interrupted level,  but  consist  of  distinct  hills,  the  middle  regions 
of  v.'hich  meet  each  other,  while  you  have  an  open  prospect  of  the 
horizon  between  their  summits. 

Mount  Vesuvius,  a  solitary  mountain  6  miles  E.  from  Naples, 
has  2  peaks.  The  north  peak  resembles  an  inverted  cone,  strik- 
ing the  eye  with  the  view  of  an  accumulated  mass  of  stones,  sand, 
and  cinders,  and  is  properly  the  volcano.  It  is  3600  feet  above 
the  sea.  The  south  peak,  called  the  Somma,  does  not  exceed 
8300.  The  south  and  west  sides  of  the  mountain  are  entirely  cov- 
eted with  cinders  and  ashes,  the  north-east  is  well  cultivated  and 
fertile,  producing  great  plenty  of  vines.  Vesuvius  has  been  lia- 
ble to  frequent  eruptions.  The  first  on  record  is  that  of  the  year 
79,  when  Pompeii  and  Herculaneum  were  completely  buried  by 
the  lava.  In  1538,  a  mountain,  3  miles  in  circumference,  and  a 
quarter  of  a  mile  high,  was  thrown  up  in  the  course  of  one  night. 
The  eruption  in  August,  1769,  so  well  described  by  Sir  William 
Hamilton,  was  the  most  remarkable  which  the  mountain  has  ex- 
perienced. The  circumference  of  Vesuvius  is  30  miles.  The 
circumference  of  the  crater  is  half  a  mile. 

JBotany.2  The  forest  trees  in  the  north,  among  the  Alps,  are 
the  pine,  the  larch,  the  f.r,  yew,  mountain  ash,  birch,  juniper,  sa- 
vine,  stone  pine,  and  alder  ;  and  lower  down,  the  oak,  elm,  Under, 
hasle,  service-tree,  lime,  ash,  horn-beam,  apple,  and  walnut ;  and 
farther  south,  the  prickly  oak,  chesnut,  poplai',  cork  tree,  storax, 
bread-tree,  pyracanthus,  carol-tree,  tree  of  Judas,  cypress,  manna- 
tree,  and  ilex.  The  fruit  trees  are  the  apple,  pear,  peach,  plum, 
cherry,  apricot,  nectarine,  pomegranate,  orange,  lemon,  fig,  date, 
palm,  pistachio,  almond,  olive,  and  the  vine.  Of  these  most  grow 
M^d  in  the  woods,  and  of  the  smaller  plants  the  number  is  too 
great  to  admit  of  an  enumei*ation.  Stolberg  gives  a  minute  ac- 
count of  them. 

Zoology,']  The  cattle  of  Italy  are  generally  large  and  excellent. 
Those  in  the  north  are  of  a  clear  brown,  or  of  a  pale  rose  color  ; 
those  in  the  middle  and  south,  are  of  a  light  grey.  The  buffalo  is 
common.  It  was  brought  from  Asia.  Many  of  them  are  tame. 
The  milk  is  thinner  than  that  of  the  cow,  but  sweet  and  healthy. 
The  Italian  horses  are  little  esteemed  ;  but  those  of  Naples, 
{hough  small,  are  beautiful  and  full  of  fire.     Asses  and  mules  are 


ITALY.  -S«7 

extensively  used  in  travelling.  The  goats  of  Savoy  are  numerous 
and  fine,  and  the  sheep  of  Italy  generally.  The  hogs  are  largQ 
and  black.  Wild-boars,  wolves,  and  foxes  are  still  found  in  the 
forests,  as  well  as  plenty  of  game.  Birds  do  not  abound  in  the 
woods,  as  they  do  in  many  other  countries. 

Mineralogy. ~\  The  mountains  contain  marble,  alabaster,  jas- 
per, porphyry,  iron,  lead,  alum,  sulphur,  and  some  gold  and  sil» 
ver. 

Arrangement .~\  We  propose  to  consider  Italy  according  to  its 
present  divisions.  The  western  part  which  is  annexed  to  Franco 
claims  our  first  attention  ;  then  the  kingdom  of  Italy,  in  the  east, 
then  that  of  Naples,  in  the  south,  with  dependant  islands,  and  last- 
ly the  surrounding  islands  of  Sicily,  Sardinia,  Malta,  and  the 
Ionian  Republic. 

CHAPTER  IL 


TERRITORY  OF  FRANCE  IN  ITALY. 
SITUATION,  EXTENT,  DIVISIONS,  POPULATION,  ARMT,    CITIBfi. 

Situation.~\  THE  possessions  of  France  in  Italy  have  the 
Alps  on  the  west.  North  of  the  Po  they  reach  to  the  former  west 
frontier  of  Piedmont,  and  south  of  that  river  to  the  east  frontier  of 
Parma.  The  line  runs  thence  nearly  south  to  the  territory  of 
Massa,  and  thence  nearly  E.  to  the  Adriatic,  passing  a  little  south 
of  St.  Marino.  Their  southern  boundary  is  the  kingdom  of  Na- 
ples, which  has  the  same  limits  as  before  the  French  revolution. 

Extent.']  The  length  of  this  territory,  from  the  river  Secco, 
the  S.  W.  frontier,  to  Geneva  Lake,  is  400  miles.  The  breadth, 
from  the  opposite  boundaries  of  Piedmont  and  Parma,  is  170 
miles  ;  at  Massa  it  is  not  20. 

Divisions.]  We  have  already  mentioned  the  former  divisions 
of  this  territory.  It  is  now  divided  into  departments.  Those  of 
Piedmont  and  Savoy  have  already  been  given  in  the  geography  of 
France.  If  the  other  countries  have  been  thus  divided,  tjie  names 
of  the  divisions  have  not  reached  us. 

Pofiulation.]  We  must  be  indebted  for  our  account  of  the 
population  of  this  territory,  as  of  most  other  countries  of  Europe, 
to  the  excellent  statistical  tables  of  Hasscl,  published  at  Gottin- 
gen,  in  1809.  He  gives  the  population  of  the  various  districts, 
which  now  compose  the  French  possessions  in  Italy,  under  the 
names  they  then  bore,  as  follows.  In  the  departments  made  out 
of  Savoy  and  Piedmont,  in  1808,  2,857,916;  in  the  duchies  of 
Parma  and  Piaccnza,  240,000  ;  in  Lucca  and  Piombino,  172,000  ; 
in  the  kingdom  of  Etruria,  1,100,000  ;  Ecclesiastical  State, 
668,000,  or  about  5,040,000  in  the  whole. 

jirmy.]  This  part  of  Italy  being  thus  brought  imder  the  ii*. 
mediate  dominion  of  the  French  Emperor,  and  portioned  out  into 
departments,  will,  like  France,  be  liable  to  the  conscription.    The 


S88  ITALY. 

same  laws  also  will  regulate  the  fiscal  concerns  of  both  countries. 

Cities.^  Rome,  once  the  mistress  of  tiie  world,  and  the  mother 
of  so  many  kings  and  heroes,  is  now  ihe  chief  town  of  a  French 
department.  It  was  built  by  Romulus,  B.  C.  753,  burnt  by  the 
Gauls  in  384,  B.  C.  by  Nero,  A.  D.  64,  again  by  accident  in  191,  ta- 
ken by  Alaric,  410,  and  since  that  time  by  numerous  invaders.  ItJM|^- 
stands  on  a  bend  of  the  Tiber,  15  miles  from  its  mouth.  Over  the^BI 
river  there  are  6  bridges.  Almost  the  whole  of  the  city  is  on  the 
east  side  of  the  river  ;  a  single  ward  is  on  the  other  side,  and 
fi*omthat  circumstance  called  Transtevere.  The  city  is  13  miles 
in  circumference,  and  is  surrounded  by  a  wall,  only  a  small  part 
of  which  flanks  upon  the  river.  The  walls  have  20  gates.  Some 
of  the  seven  hills  upon  which  it  was  built,  appear  now  but  gentle 
swellings,  the  intervals  having  been  gradually  raised  by  the  rub- 
bish of  ruined  houses.  Several  of  them  are  entirely  laid  out  in 
gardens  and  vineyards  ;  and  itJs  said  that  from  half  to  two  thirds 
oi  the  ground  within  the  walls  is  thus  laid  out,  or  covered  with 
rubbish.  The  streets  are  large  and  handsome,  but  not  kept  in 
good  repair.  The  squares  also  are  numerous  and  beautiful. 
The  number  of  parishes  is  96,  of  churches  300,  of  towers  as 
many,  of  palaces  2200,  of  monasteries  64,  of  nunneries  40, 
and  of  hospitals  30.  By  a  census  taken  in  1709,  the  popula- 
tion was  138,568.  By  that  of  1797,  the  number  of  houses  was 
35,900,  and  of  inhabitants  165,034.  The  churches  are  generally 
elegant  ;  but  the  most  splendid  are  those  of  St.  John  de  Lateran, 
St.  Peter  in  the  Vatican,  St.  Paul,  St.  Mary,  St.  Laurence,  the 
Holy  Crpss,  and  St.  Sebastian.  The  church  of  St.  Peter  is  the 
most  superb  edifice  of  modern  times.  A  magnificent  portico  ad- 
vances on  each  side  from  the  front,  by  which  means  a  large  square 
is  formed,  open  on  one  side.  At  the  end  of  each  porvico  a  colo- 
iiade  commences,  of  four  columns  deep,  and  above  300  in  the 
whole,  forming  three  separate  walks  that  lead  to  the  advanced 
portico,  and  from  that  to  the  church.  The  colonades  are  crown- 
ed with  balustrades,  ornamented  by  numerous  statues  ;  and  run- 
ning in  an  oval  direction,  embrace  a  much  larger  space  than  the 
square.  Their  two  outer  extremities  are  just  the  width  of  the 
square  apart.  In  the  middle  of  this  immense  area  stands  an 
Egyptian  obelisk,  of  granite,  and  to  the  right  and  left  of  this  two 
very  beautiful  fountains  are  constantly  playing.  The  length  of 
the  front  is  730  feet,  and  the  breadth  of  the  church  520,  the  height 
td  the  top  of  the  cross,  which  crowns  the  cupola,  450.  The  length 
of  each  portico  216  feet,  and  the  breadth  40.  The  streets  and 
squares  are  every  where  ornamented  with  fountains  and  statues. 

Milan,  anciently  Mediolanum,  stands  in  a  fruitful  and  pleasaut 
plain,  near  the  Adda.  It  is  ten  miles  in  circumference,  and  half 
of  the  incjosed  groimd  is  occupied  by  gardens.  It  is  surrounded 
by  a  wall,  with  22  gates,  and  a  rampart.  The  citadel  is  a  large 
hexagon,  and  is  one  of  the  strongest  fortresses  in  Italy.  The 
istreets  are  broad  and  neat,  the  squares  spacious  and  handsome, 
and  the  houses  lofty.  There  are  here  250  churches,  40  monas- 
-teriesj  50  nunneries,  numerous  hospitals  and  religious  fraicriiitics.. 


W'ai 


ITALY.  389 

ftTi^  in  1803,  128,862  inhabitants.  The  cathedral  is 'a  vast  struc- 
ture, 500  feet  long  and  300  broad,  built  wholly  of  white  marble. 
This  city  was  built  by  the  Gauls,  358  years  B.  C.  A  short  canal 
connects  it  with  the  Adda,  and  a  much  longer  one  with  the  T'es- 
ino.  About  2  miles  from  the  city  is  an  artificial  echo,  which 
ill  repeat  the  report  of  a  pistol  above  60  tim^s.  The  environs 
are  embellished  with  beautiful  villas,  gardens,  and  orchards. 

Genoa  stands  at  the  head  of  the  Gulf  of  Genoa,  and  is  about  10 
miles  in  circuit.  A  double  wall  defends  it  on  the  land  side,  and 
several  bastions  are  erected  along  the  shore,  on  rocks,  which  rise 
above  the  water.  About  500  cannon  are  mounted  on  all  the  works. 
The  streets  are  well  paved  and  neat,  but  too  narrow  to  admit  ot* 
coaches.  Two,  called  the  Strada  JVuova,  and  Sci'ada  Balbi,  are 
filled  with  magnificent  palaces,  fronted  with  marble.  The  houses 
are  handsome  and  very  lofty.  The  number  of  inhabitants  in  1789, 
was  80,156.  The  harbor  is  large,  but  not  safe.  The  light-house 
is  on  a  high  rock,  at  the  west  side,  and  is  one  of  the  loftiest  known* 

Florence,  formerly  Flureniia,  in  Tuscany,  was  built  by  Sylla, 
and  rebuilt  by  Charlemagne.  It  stands  at  the  foot  of  the  Appen- 
nines,  on  both  sides  of  the  Arno.  Four  stone  bridges  connect  the 
two  parts  of  the  city.  The  walls  are  6  miles  in  circuit.  The 
streets  are  remarkably  clean,  the  houses  handsome,  and  some  of 
the  churches  magnificent.  This  city  is  decorated  with  150 
churches,  89  convents,  18  halls  for  merchants,  72  courts  of  jus- 
tice, 22  hospitals,  6  obelisks,  2  pyramids,  7  fountains,  17  squares, 
and  160  public  statues.  The  cathedrftl  is  a  noble  edifice,  with  au 
outside  of  polished  marble.  Near  it  stands  a  tower  288  feet  high. 
In  the  environs  are  near  2,000  villas.  The  nobles  of  Florence  are 
engaged  in  merchandise.  The  principal  trade  is  in  wine,  oil, 
fruits,  raw  silk,  and  gold  and  silver  stuffs. 

Ti.irin,  in  Piedmont,  anciently  ylugusta  Taurinorum,  stands  7 
miles  from  the  foot  of  the  Cottian  Alps,  on  a  plain,  at  the  conflu- 
ence of  the  Poand  the  Doria.  The  environs  are  beautiful.  The 
walls  are  strong,  and  are  6  miles  in  circuit.  The  four  gates  arc 
highly  onnamental.  The  fortifications  are  regular,  and  the  cita- 
<iel  is  one  of  the  strongest  in  Europe.  The  streets  are  wide, 
straight,  and  clean,  having  plenty  of  water  running  through  them. 
The  houses  are  handsome,  and  are  chiefly  of  brick,  stuccoed. 
There  are  130  churches  and  chapels  in  the  town,  and  17  in  the 
suburbs.     The  population  in  1802  was  73,716. 

Leghorn,  in  Tuscany,  comparatively  a  modern  city,  stands  on  thi- 
Tuscan  sea,  12  miles  S.  of  the  Arno.  It  is  walled,  and  has  two  forts 
towards  the  sea,  and  a  citadel  towards  the  land  side.  The  inner  har- 
bor Avill  admit  but  a  few  vessels,  the  outer  is  formed  by  a  mole,  600 
paces  long,  but  is  too  shallow  for  large  ships.  Leghorn  is  not  distin- 
guished by  its  edifices,  but  is  wholly  singular  among  the  cities  of  It- 
aly for  the  industry  and  commercial  enterprise  of  its  inhabitants. 
The  streets  arc  perfectly  straight,  and  the  houses  handsome.  The 
town  is  intersected  by  several  canals,  whicli  have  drau»ed  the 
noxious  marshes  in  the  neighborhood.  Fresh  water  is  procured 
from  Pisa.     The   number  of  inhabitants   is  58,000.     The  trade 


Sso  iTALV. 

consists  in  silks,  coffee,  cotton,  aniseed,  alum,  essences,  \nnc,  oH^ 
fine  wax,  and  straw  hats.  The  coffee-houses  are  the  finest  in 
Europe. 

Parnia  is  unequally  divided  by  the  river  Parma,  which  falls  in- 
to the  Po,  12  miles  below  the  city.  It  is  4  miles  in  circuit,  and 
defended  by  a  citadel  and  regular  fbrtifications.  The  streets  area^ 
broad  and  straight,  the  houses  are  well  built  and  regular.  Here^^ 
are  35  churches.  The  theatre  is  famed  throughout  Europe.  It 
will  receive  12,000  auditors,  and  the  lowest  sound  may  be  heard 
distinctly  by  all.  The  cathedral  also  is  large  and  beautiful,  and 
surrounded  with  several  rows  of  pillars.  Its  dome  was  painted 
by  Corregio,  who  passed  most  of  his  life  at  Parma.  Inhabitants 
35,000. 

Alessandria  is  situated  in  a  marshy  country,  on  the  Tenaro. 
The  citadel  is  strong  ;  but  the  fortifications  are  mean.  Inhabi- 
tants, in  1802,  32,225. 

Lucca  is  delightfully  situated  in  a  beautiful  plain,  adorned  with 
villas,  villages,  and  vineyards.  It  is  regularly  fortified  with  elev- 
en bastions,  and  is  3  miles  in  circuit.  The  houses  are  handsome, 
the  streets  broad  and  well  paved,  but  irregular.  Inhabitants 
22,000. 

Pisa,  in  Tuscany,  stands  on  both  sides  of  the  Arno,  4  miles 
from  its  mouth.  Three  bridges  are  thrown  over  the  river.  The 
streets  are  regular,  broad,  and  Avell  paved,  and  the  houses  well 
built.  The  circumference  of  the  city  is  as  great  as  when  the 
population  was  1 50,000.  Many  of  the  streets  are  now  overgrown 
with  grass,  and  many  of  the  houses  are  uninhabited.  Inhabitants 
22,000. 

Asti,  in  Piedmont,  the  capital  of  the  department  Marengo, 
stands  near  the  Tenaro,  in  the  midst  of  pleasant  and  fertile  en- 
virons. It  contains  3 1  churches  and  convents,  and  is  generally- 
well  built.     Population  21,225. 

Mondori,  in  Piedmont,  is  built  on  the  top  of  a  small  mountain, 
near  the  Appennines,  and  in  1809,  had  21,577  inhabitants. 


CHAPTER  IIL 


KINGDOM  OF  ITALY. 

BlTUATION,  DIVISIONS,  HISTORY,  GOVERNMENT,  POPULATION,  AR. 
MY  AND  NAVY,  REVENUE,  CITIES,  ISLANDS. 

Sitjiatio?!.']  THE  western  and  southern  frontiers  have  already 
been  mentioned  ;  on  the  N.  it  has  Bavaria  ;  on  the  E.  it  has  the 
Illyrian  Provinces,  from  which  it  is  separated  by  the  Isonzo  river, 
from  its  mouth  to  its  source.  The  duchies  of  Milan,  Mantua, 
Mirandola,  and  Modena,  the  possessions  of  Venice,  the  republic 
of  St.  Marino,  the  Ferrarese,  Bolognese,  and  Romagna,  lately  a 
part  of  the  ccclesiaBti«;aI  stale,  and  tlie  peninsula  of  Istria,  aiid 


ITALY.  zn 

territory  of  Dalmatia,  as  far  south  as  lat.  42,  on  the  coast  of  Tur- 
key, are  the  districts  out  of  which  this  kingdom  is  composed. 

Divisiona.']     I.  West  Lombardy,  10,275  square  miles,  2,5 19,194 
inhabitants. 


Departments. 

Populatioa. 

1,  Agogna 

329,245 

3,  Adda 

81,615 

, 

3,  Olona 

515,718 

4,  Lario 

312,978 

5,  Upper  Po 

32fi,483 

6,  Serio 

288,333 

7,  Mella 

297,840 

8,  Mincio 

,217,463 

9,  Adige 

140,519 

II.  South  Lombardy,  1 1,485  square  miles. 

1,922,554  inhabitants. 

10,  Crostolo,        ? 
withGuastalla5 

162,071 

11,  Panaro 

189,216 

* 

12,  Lower  Po 

257,534 

13,  Reno 

379,010 

, 

14,  Rubicon 

254,723 

15,  Metaurol 

16,  Musone   V  680,000 

17,  Tronto    J 

ill.  East  Lombardy,  9,350  square  miles,  1,630,179  inhabitants* 

18,  Adriatic  216,500 

19,  Bachiglione  243,162 

20,  Brenta  284,066 

21,  Istria  89,634 

22,  Passeriano  383,305 

23,  Piave  105,902 

24,  Tagliamento  307,610 

LV.  Dalmatia,  7,228  square  miles,  296,415  inhabitants. 

S(juare  Miles.        Inhabitants. 

1,  Dalmatia  Proper  4,480  100,491 

2,  Islands  of  Quarnaro  297  36,000 

3,  Dalmatian  Islands  1,547  59,000 

4,  District  of  Ragusa  657  60,000 

5,  District  of  Cattaro  247  40,924 

V.  Territory  of  St.  Marino,  30  square  miles,  and  7000  inhabi- 
tants. 

History. ~\  Venice  is  the  most  extensive  of  the  component  parts 
of  this  kingdom.  The  city  was  founded  in  the  5th  century,  by  the 
Veneti  from  the  opposite  shore,  on  the  islands  where  it  now  stands. 
At  first  each  isle  was  governed  by  a  consul,  and  afterwards  by  a 
tribune,  till  the  year  697  ;  when  the  first  Doge  was  elected,  and 
unlimited  power  conferred  on  him.  In  1171,  the  power  of  the 
Doge  was  curtailed,  and  the  sovereignty  vested  in  the  nobles.  The 
Venetians  having  already  extended  their  dominions  over  Istria, 
Dalmatia,  Syria,  and  Lombardy,  in  1 204,  possessed  themselves  of 
Candia,  the  principal  islands  in   the    Aixhipelago,  and  several 


392  ITALY. 

Greek  provinces.  After  the  war  with  Genoa,  which  lasted  ISO- 
years,  and  terminated  in  1381,  they  were  the  first  commercial 
power  in  the  world,  and  continued  to  be  so  till  the  discovery  of 
the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  by  Varco  de  Gama.  Since  that  time 
they  have  sunk  into  insignificance. 

The  Duchy  of  Milan,  the  territory  of  the  ancient  Insudres,  was  ^hk 
a  part  of  the  kingdom  of  Lombardy.  Charlemagne  appointed 
governors  in  it.  It  next  fell  to  Germany,  and  affecting  independ- 
ence, was  severely  punished  by  the  emperor  Barbarossa,  in  1 153. 
Otho  Visconti  was  proclaimed  lord  of  Milan,  in  1277,  and  the 
family  possessed  this  opulent  principality,  till  1450.  The  first  of 
them  who  took  the  title  of  duke,  was  John  Galeazzo,  in  1395. 
They  were  succeeded  by  the  Sforza  family,  and  on  its  failure,  in 
1536,  Charle's  V.  declared  Milan  a  fief  of  the  empire,  and  gave  it 
to  his  son  Philip  II.  of  Spain,  whose  successors  held  it  till  1706, 
when  it  reverted  to  Austria. 

The  Duchy  of  Mantua  was  taken  possession  of  by  Louis  de  Gonza- 
ga,  a  German,  in  1328,  with  the  title  of  Tyfcar.  In  1432,  it  was  made  a 
marquisate,  and  a  dukedom  by  Charles  V.  when  Montserrat  was 
annexed.  In  1707,  the  last  of  the  Gonz  family  was  put  under  the 
ban  of  the  empire,  and  the  duchy  overrun  by  the  troops  of  Austria. 
Mirandolawas  made  a  duchy  from  a  county  in  1619.  Its  ducal 
house  was  the  family  of  Pico.  The  last  duke,  siding  with  Spain 
jn  the  war  of  the  succession,  was  put  under  the  ban,  and  the  duchy 
sold  by  the  emperor,  in  171 1,  to  the  duke  of  Modena. 

Ferrara  and  Modena  belonged  to  the  family  of  Este,  a  small 
city  in  Padua,  of  which  Azo  was  marquis.  His  descendants  ac- 
quired Ferrara,  Modena,  Reggio,  and  Rovigo.  Borsus,  in  1452, 
was  created  duke  of  Modena  and  Reggio,  and  count  of  Rovigo, 
and  in  1472,  duke  of  Ferrara.  Rovigo  fell  to  Venice  in  1500.  The 
Este  family  failing  of  lawful  heirs,  in  1557,  the  Pope  seized  Fer- 
rara. The  emperor  confirmed  Modena  and  Reggio  to  the  ille- 
gitimate heirs.  In  the  war  of  the  succession,  the  duke  lost  his 
possessions,  but  had  them  restored  in  1748. 

The  Bolognese,  the  ancient  seat  of  the  Boii,  became  a  republic 
under  the  emperors.  Divided  by  two  factions,  one  of  them  had 
recourse  to  Pope  Nicholas  II.  He  assumed  despotic  authority. 
The  people  revolted,  and  chose  Thaddeus  Pepoli  their  first  ma- 
gistrate. His  sons  sold  the  country  to  the  duke  of  Milan.  The 
people  shook  off  this  yoke,  and  in  1513  became  subject  to  the 
Pope.  In  1 802  this  territory  was  annexed  to  the  Cisalpine  Re- 
public, and  in  1805  to  the  French  kingdom  of  Italy. 

St.  Marino  was  founded  by  a  mason,  c^  the  name  of  Marino,  in 
the  6th  century.  Turning  hermit,  he  retired  to  this  mountain. 
His  sanctity  drawing  numbers  to  the  spot,  in  time  it  became  a 
state.     The  Pope  took  possession  of  it  in  1739,  but  immediately  , 

gave  it  up.     Exclusive  of  thai  instance,  it  always  retained  its  free- 
dom. 

Istria  was  a  part  of  the  ancient  Illyricum.  After  the  first  Pu- 
nic war,  the  Romans  annex  ed  it  to  Italy.  In  the  middle  ages  it 
belonged  to  the  marquisate  of  Aquileia.  In  1 190  it  was  conquer- 
ed bv  Venire. 


ITALY.  39^ 

Dalmatia  was  conquered  by  the  Romans  about  240  years  B.  0. 
subdued  by  the  Goths,  and  recqnquered  by  Justinian.  The  Slavi 
subdued  it  about  A.  D.  650.  It  then  fell  to  Hungaiy,  and  in  the 
l5th  century  the  maritime  parts  to  Venice.  The  people  are  still 
Slavonians,  use  their  language  and  customs,  and  profess  the  Cath* 
olic  religion. 

Government. '\  The  French  emperor  has  been  king  of  this 
inonarchy,  since  its  formation  in  1805.  His  infant  son  also  has 
this  title,  and  if  he  and  the  family  last,  will  probably  some  time 
hence  enjoy  the  reality. 

Population.']  The  population  of  Lombardy,  contained  in  the 
table,  is  the  result  of  the  census  in  1808  ;  that  of  Dalmatia,  of  an 
enumeration  in  1804.  That  of  St.  Marino  is  merely  calculated. 
The  amount  of  the  respective  numbers  is  6,375,342.  Hassel  esti- 
mated the  population,  in  1809,  to  be  6,389,000. 

jlrmy  and  J^avy  ]  The  army  consists  of  8  regiments  of  infant- 
ry, 10  of  cavalry,  3  of  artillery,  1  of  invalids,  and  4  battalions  of 
guards  ;  amounting  to  40,000  men.  The  navy  consists  of  3  ships 
of  the  line,  5  frigates,  and  16  smaller  vessels. 

Revenue7\  The  revenue  of  1807  amounted  to  1 19,000,000  livrea, 
or  14,690,000  dollars.  The  debt  in  1809,  exceeded  20,000,000 
dollars. 

Cities.']  Venice  is  built  on  a  multitude  of  islands,  in  a  marshy- 
bay  of  the  Adriatic.  The  town  stands  5  miles  from  the  continent. 
The  bay  is  too  shallow  for  large  vessels  to  pass  between.  This 
marsh  is  separated  from  the  Adriatic  by  some  islands,  a  few  miles 
from  the  town,  which  break  the  force  of  the  high  winds,  and  ren- 
der the  bay  safe  and  quiet.  The  town  is  6  miles  in  circuit.  The 
streets  are  narrow,  and  the  freestone  pavements  are  slippery  in 
Avet  weather.  It  contains  70  parish  churches,  40  chapels,  18  ora- 
tories, 54  monasteries,  26  convents,  17  hospitals,  53  squares,  188 
public  statues,  and  150  palaces.  The  houses,  15,000  in  number, 
are  built  with  little  taste,  and  generally  make  a  mean  appearance. 
The  population  is  137,240.  Numerous  natural  and  artificial  ca- 
nals intersect  the  city.  Over  these  there  are  about  500  bridges, 
the  largest  of  which  is  the  Rialto,  over  the  middle  of  the  great 
oanal.  Scarlet  cloths,  silks,  looking-glasses,  and  gold  and  silver 
stuffs  are  extensively  manufactured. 

Milan,  the  ancient  Mediolanum^  stands  in  a  fruitful  and  pleasant 
plain,  near  the  Adda.  Its  wall  has  22  gates,  and  is  10  miles  in 
circuit,  but  half  the  inclosed  ground  is  occupied  by  gardens.  The 
citadel  is  a  large  hexagon,  and  is  one  of  the  strongest  fortresses 
in  Italy.  The  streets  arc  broad  and  neat,  the  squares  spacious 
and  handsome,  and  the  houses  lofty.  There  are  here  230  church- 
es, 40  monasteries,  50  nunneries,  and  in  1805,  128,862  inhabitants. 
The  cathedral  is  a  vast  structure,  500  feet  long  and  30o  broad, 
built  wholly  of  white  marble.  Milan  was  built  by  the  Gauls,  B. 
C.  358.  A  short  canal  connects  it  with  the  Adda,  and  a  much 
longer  one  with  the  Tessino.  About  2  miles  from  the  city  is  an 
ariiticial  echo,  which  v/ill  repeat  the  report  of  a  pistol  «')  vimes. 

VOT..    II.  50 


394  ITALY. 

The  environs  are  enxbellishcd  with  beautiful  villas,  gardens  and 
orchards. 

Bologna,  the  ancient  Felcina^  is  situated  in  a  beautiful  plain,  at 
the  foot  of  the  Appennines.  The  river  Savona  washes  its  walls, 
and  the  rivulet  Reno  passes  through  it.  A  solid  and  lofty  brick 
wall,  5  miles  in  circuit,  surrounds  the  city.  The  streets  are  too 
narrov/.  The  public  buildings  are  magnificent.  Here  are  near 
200  churches,  35  monasteries,  and  38  convents.  The  cathedral  is 
noble.  The  theatre  also  is  very  large  and  beautiful.  Many  of 
the  houses  are  splendid,  and  have  lofty  porticoes.  The  popula- 
tion, in  1805,  Avas  63,420.  The  manufactures  are  silks,  velvets, 
laces,  crapes,  paper,  glass,  leather,  bottles,  playing  cards,  toys, 
perfumes,  and  confectionary.  The  Bologna  hams,  sausages,  and 
dried  tongues,  are  celebrated.  This  is  one  of  the  most  agreeable 
cities  in  Italy. 

Verona  lies  in  a  plain  on  both  sides  of  the  Adige,  over  which 
there  are  4  stone  bridges,  the  longest  348  feet.  The  foi'tifiications 
are  some  of  the  strongest,  in  Italy.  The  streets  are  narrow, 
crooked,  and  dirty,  and  the  houses  mean.  The  population,  in 
1805,  was  55,887.  The  environs  are  remarkably  pleasant  and 
fertile.  Olives,  oil,  wine,  linen,  woollens,  and  sewing-silk  arc 
exported. 

Padua,  the  ancient  Pttavium^  is  situated  on  a  tributary  of  the 
Bi'cnta.  The  walls  are  very  extensive,  but  much  of  the  inclosed 
space  is  without  buildings,  and  many  of  the  houses  are  unoccu- 
pied. The  houses  are  generally  well  built.  Population,  34,000. 
Here  are  26  churches,  23  monasteries,  18  nvmneries,  and  4  hos- 
pitals. The  church  of  St.  Antonio  is  singularly  magnificent.  The 
streets,  however,  are  narroAV,  dark,  dirty,  and  ill-paved,  and  many 
of  them  are  grass-grown.  The  first  of  historians*  was  a  native 
of  Padua,  and  a  cenotaph  is  erected  to  his  memory. 

Brescia,  the  Brixia  of  the  Romans,  was  built  by  Brenus.  It 
stands  on  a  beautiful  plain,  on  the  Garza,  is  a  league  in  circuit, 
well  fortified,  having  a  strong  castle  on  a  hill,  and  surrounded  by 
walls,  which  have  5  gates.  The  streets  are  handsome,  and  the 
buildings  good.  The  number  of  inhabitants,  in  1805,  was  41,972. 
It  has  20  churches,  and  30  convents.  Here  are  extensive  manu- 
factures of  linen,  and  the  fire-arms,  swords,  and  cutlery  of  Bres- 
cia, are  celebrated.  This  was  the  birth-place  of  Tartaglia,  the 
mathematician,  and  of  Gambaa'a,  the  poet. 

Modena,  the  ancient  Mutlna^  is  built  between  the  Sccchio  and 
Panaro,  and  surrounded  by  fortifications.  The  streets  are  broad 
and  straight,  and  the  houses  ornamented  by  porticoes.  In  1805, 
the  population  was  26,884.  Tasso  and  Corregio  were  born  at 
Modena. 

Bergamo,  anciently  Bcrgomum.^  stands  at  the  foot  of  a  mountain, 
and  is  strongly  fortified  with  walls,  bastions,  and  ditches.  The 
inhabitants,  in  1805,  amounted  to  24,459,  and  are  noted  for  their 
industry.     Their  silks,  woollens,  and  serges  are  celebrated. 

*  Livv. 


ITALY.  $95 

Ferrava  stands  ou  -a  branch  of  the  Po,  and  is  4  miles  in  circum- 
ference. The  streets  are  very  broad  and  regular,  and  the  houses 
uniform.  There  ai*e  many  magnificent  palaces,  and  beautiful 
churches.  The  number  of  churches  is  100,  and  of  convents  38. 
The  population  in  1805,  was  24,444.  Ariosto  lies  buried  here, 
and  Tasso  here  wrote  his  "  Jerusalem  Delivered." 

Pavia,  the  ancient  Ticinum,  stands  in  a  beautiful  plain,  on  the 
Tesino.  It  was  founded  by  the  Gauls.  The  streets  are  broad 
and  straight,  but  the  houses  are  indifferent,  and  it  has  little  the 
appearance  of  having  been  the  capital  of  the  kingdom  of  Lombar- 
dy.  The  fortifications  are  decayed,  and  the  citadel  in  ruins.  It 
contains  2S,237  inhabitants,  19  churches,  and  38  convents.  Fran- 
cis I.  was  taken  prisoner,  while  besieging  this  town,  in  1525. 

Ravenna  stands  on  the  Montone,  3  miles  from  its  mouth,  and 
was  founded  by  the  Thessalians.  When  the  capital  of  the  exar- 
chate, it  stood  on  a  bay  of  the  Adriatic,  but  the  sea  has  gradually 
retired.  The  iron  rings  are  still  in  die  wall,  to  which  ships  were 
anciently  fastened.  It  contains  several  churches,  and  24  convents. 
Here  are  some  remains  of  the  palace  of  Theodoric,  king  of  the 
Ostrogoths,  and  in  a  wall  of  tlie  front,  is  his  coffin  of  porphyry. 
The  tomb  of  Dante  is  in  a  Franciscan  convent.  He  died  here  in 
1321.     The  citadel  and  fortifications  are  in  a  ruinous  state. 

Cremona  was  built  39 1  years  B.  C.  It  stands  on  a  delightful 
plain,  on  the  Oglio  and  the  Po,  and  is  5  miles  in  circumference. 
A  canal  passes  through  the  town,  connecting  the  two  rivers.  The 
streets  are  wide  and  straight,  but  the  houses  are  not  well  built. 
Here  are  40  parish  churches,  43  convents,  and  21,039  inhabitants. 

Mantua,  the  birth-place  of  Virgil,  was  founded  many  years  be- 
fore Rome.  It  stands  on  a  lake,  formed  by  the  Mincio,  which  is 
10  miles  long  and  2  broad.  The  walls  have  8  gates,  and  are  4 
miles  in  circuit.  The  water  divides  the  city  into  two  equal  parts, 
connected  by  6  bridges.  The  streets  are  long,  broad,  and  straight, 
with  handsome  stone  houses,  fine  squares,  and  stately  churches. 
There  are  39  churches,  1 1  oratories,  and  40  convents  within  the 
walls  ;  and  5  churches  and  7  convents  in  the  suburbs.  The  pop- 
ulation is  20,343. 

IstandsJ]  The  isles  of  Quarnaro  lie  in  and  near  the  Gul/of 
Fiume,  S.  E.  of  Istria.  The  chief  are  Chcrso,  Veglia,  Arbo,  Pa- 
go, and  Melada.  Cherso,  the  largest,  is  1 50  miles  in  circumfe- 
rence. They  arc  all  stony  and  mountahious,  but  yield  a  great 
deal  of  wood,  cattle,  wine,  oil,  honey,  and  some  salt.  The 
town  of  Chcrso  contains  3000  inhabitants,  and  is  in  the  centre  of 
the  island.  The  town  of  Veglia,  is  in  the  VV.  part  of  that  island, 
has  a  harbor  and  castle,  is  the  sec  of  a  bishop,  and  contains  3000 
Inhabitants.     The  town  of  Pago  contains  2000. 

The  chief  Dalmatian  isles  arc  Grossa,  Urazza,  I^esina,  Curzo- 
la,  Meleda,  Lagosta,  Cazzola,  Cazza,  and  Lissa.  The  high  parts 
of  these  islands  are  barren  and  rocky  j  the  plains  are  fertile. 
The  chief  productions  are  wine,  oil,  figs,  almonds,  saffron,  honey, 
aloes,  oranges,  wool,  cheese,  salt,  and  wood.     S:\lt  fish  is  the 


396  ITALt. 

chief  export.  The  town,  Lesina,  has  a  large,  sti'ong,  and  safe 
harbor,  is  surrounded  with  walls,  and  is  the  see  of  a  bishop. 
Curzola  also  has  a  good  harbor,  and  is  well  fortified. 


CHAPTER  IV. 


KINGDOM  OF  NAPLES. 

EXTENT,  DIVISIONS,  HISTORY,  RELIGION,  GOVERNMENT,  POrCLA-- 
TION,  ARMY  AND  NAVY,  REVENUE,  CITIES,  BAYS,  SOIL  AND  PRO- 
DUCTIONS; ISLANDS. 

Extent.']  THIS  kingdom  lies  in  the  southern  extremity  of 
Italy.  The  iate  possessions  of  the  Pope  lie  on  the  N.  W.  The 
Straits  of  Messina  separate  it  from  Sicily,  and  those  of  Otranto 
from  Turkey.  On  the  Adriatic  it  reaches  to  lat.  42  50,  N.  on  the 
]Mediterranean,  to  41  15.  The  greatest  length  is  about  320 
miles  ;  the  breadth  varies  from  100  to  30.  The  number  of  square 
miles  is  31,505. 

JDiviaions.']  Naples  is  divided  into  12  provinces,  which,  with 
their  population  in  1789,  as  given  by  Galanti,  are  as  follows. 

Adriatic  Provinces.  Mediterranean  Province?. 

Farther  Abruzzo  258,000  Farther  Calabria     408,000 

Hither  Abruzzo  227,000  Hither  Calabria      345,000 

Molise  159,000  Basilicata                 477,000 

Capitanata  364,000  Terra  di  Salerno    481,000 

Terra  di  Bari  289,000  Terra  di  Lavora  1,245,000 

Terra  d'Otranto  293,000  Central. 

Principato  Ultra     335,000 

History.']  The  early  history  of  this  country  has  already  been 
given.  The  chief  epo&hs  of  its  modern  history  are  the  following. 
Arechis,  son-in-law  of  the  last  king  of  the  Lombards,  when  their 
kingdom  was  destroyed  by  Charlemagne,  was  duke  of  Benevento, 
a  dukedom  which  then  comprized  the  greater  part  of  Naples. 
The  city  of  Naples  still  belonged  to  the  Greeks.  Compelled  by 
Charlemagne  to  acknowledge  him  as  king  of  Italy,  Arechis  soon 
renounced  his  allegiance,  and  assumed  the  title  of  king.  The 
Saracens  first  repeatedly  invaded  the  country  from  836  to  896, 
when  they  were  driven  out,  during  which  period  the  Greeks  got 
possession  of  the  south.  In  1015  numerous  Normans  came  into 
the  country,  and  in  1056,  under  Robert  Guiscard,  became  the 
ruling  nation  in  Naples,  and,  in  1071,  in  Sicily.  In  1 195,  the  em- 
peror got  possession  of  both  countries,  and  in  1266  they  were 
f^ranted  by  the  Pope  to  Charles,  duke  of  Anjou.  After  the  Sicil- 
ian vespers,  1282,  Sicily  was  seized  by  a  fleet  sent  by  the  kings 
of  Arragon,  but  Naples  continued  to  acknowledge  the  line  of  An- 
jou, which  expired  in  the  infamons  Jean,  1383.  In  1303,  the  two 
kingdoms  were   formally  disjoined,   Sicily  falling  to  Frederic  of 


ITALY.  397 

Arragon,  Naples  belonged  to  Charles'  successors,  till  the  begin- 
ning of  the  1 6th  century,  Avhen  king  Frederic  resigned  it  to  Louis 
XIL  on  being  created  count  of  Anjou  ;  but  the  French,  in  1504, 
■were  compelled  by  the  Spaniards,  to  evacuate  the  country.  From 
that  time  till  1 707  they  retained  it,  when  the  emperor  took  it,  and 
kept  it  till  1734.  Then  the  Spaniards  recovered  it,  and  kept  it 
till  the  year  1806,  when  the  king  withdrew  to  Sicily,  which  he  still 
retains,  and  Joseph  Bonaparte  took  possession  of  Naples,  who  has 
since  resigned  it  for  another  kingdom. 

Religion.^  The  inquisition  was  never  established  in  Naples. 
The  catholic  religion  was  established  ;  but  protestants  had  con- 
siderable privileges.  Before  the  late  revolution,  one  third  of  the 
whole  property  of  the  kingdom  was  estimated  to  belong  to  the  ec- 
clesiastics. Naples  then  had  21  archbishops,  and  110  biskops. 
The  whole  number  of  the  clergy  in  1803,  was  72,000. 

Government.^  The  late  king  was  nearly  despotic.  The  states 
consisted  of  nobility  and  commons,  and  met  once  in  two  years. 
The  chief  business  was  to  deliberate  on  the  customary  free  gift 
to  the  crown.  The  high  colleges  were  the  council  of  state,  privy - 
council,  treasury,  Sicily  council,  and  council  of  war. .  The  nobili- 
ty were  extremely  numerous,  and  generally  poor. 

Pofiulation.~\  The  royal  calendar  for  1803,  gives  the  popula- 
tion of  Naples  at  4,963,502, 

Army  a7id  jVavy.'^  In  1 809,  the  number  of  troops  was  21,60Q 
national  troops,  and  30,000  French  auxiliaries.  At  that  time  only 
3  frigates,  and  a  few  galleys  and  gun-boats,  amounting  in  all  to  » 
sail,  remained  of  a  navy,  which,  in  1790,  had  4  sail  of  the  line,  8 
frigates,  and  27  smaller  vessels,  and  was  manned  by  2,874  ma- 
rines. 

Revenue.'^  The  revenue,  in  1808,  amounted  to  about  9,880,000 
dollars  ;  the  expenditure  nearly  equalled  it ;  and  the  debt  amount- 
ed to  about  26,000,000  dollars. 

Citi€s.'\  Naples,  the  ancient  Parthenofie^  and  the  sepulchre  of 
Virgil,  was  built  by  a  Greek  colony  from  Chalcis.  It  stands  at 
the  head  of  a  large  harbor  of  the  Tuscan  sea,  of  a  nearly  circulai- 
shape,  and  12  miles  in  diameter  ;  all  the  borders  of  which  are  or- 
namented by  mulberry,  olive,  and  orange  groves,  by  extensive 
vineyards,  by  hills,  dales,  and  downs,  covered  with  verdure,  and 
by  many  delightful  villas  and  flourishing  villages.  It  is  built  in 
the  form  of  a  vast  amphitheatre,  sloping  from  the  hills  towards 
the  br.y.  On  the  east  lie  the  rich  plains  leading  to  Vesuvius, 
which  is  in  full  view  beyond  them.  On  the  west  are  the  grotto 
of  Pausilippo  and  the  hill  of  Virgil's  tomb.  On  tlic  north  fer- 
tile hills  gradually  rise  from  the  shore  ;  and  on  t!ie  south  is  the 
bay,  confined  by  two  promontories  of  Misenum  and  Minerva,  and 
apparently  separated  from  the  Mediterranean,  by  the  islands  Pro- 
cida,  Ischia,  and  Caprea.  The  walls  are  only  9  miles  in  circuit, 
but  the  circumference  of  the  whole  town  is  1 8.  The  streets  are 
generally  broad  and  well  paved.  The  Strada  di  Toledo  is  one  of 
the  handsomest  in  Europe.  Few  towns  are  better  buill  than  Na- 
ples.    Most  of  the  houses  are  five  and  six  stories  highi  witl 


a98  ITALY. 

roofs,  on  which  arc  placed  numbers  of  flower  vases,  or  fruit  tveesj 
in  boxes  of  earth.  The  town  contains  149  convents,  45  hospitals, 
106  churches,  ISO  oratories,  and  5  seminaries  for  ecclesiastics. 
The  exterior  of  the  churches,  their  paintings  and  marble  orna- 
ments are  inferior  to  those  of  Rome  ;  but  every  thing  else  about 
them,  in  beauty  and  richness  surpasses  all  of  the  kind  in  Italy. 
There  are  five  piazzas,  or  large  covered  walks,  for  the  nobility, 
and  one  for  the  commonalty.  The  population  of  the  city,  in  1789, 
was  412,489.  Few  of  these  are  employed  in  any  useful  labor,  and 
the  streets  are  constantly  so  much  thronged  with  idlers  and  saun- 
terers,  that  the  noise  of  carriages  is  completely  drowned  in  the  ag- 
gregate clack  of  human  voices.  The  number  of  priests,  monks, 
fidlers,  nobility,  footmen,  and  lazaronis,  surpasses  belief.  These 
last  are  persons  not  regularly  brought  up  to  any  trade,  but  ready 
to  be  hired  for  any  kind  of  labor.  They  constitute  a  distinct  class 
of  people,  have  their  chief  or  captain,  live  in  the  open  air  day  and 
night,  and  are  miserably  destitute  of  clothing  and  comfort.  Their 
number  is  about  40,000.  Numerous  banditti  also  make  it  their 
steady  residence,  and  the  number  of  castrati  is  so  great,  that  many 
of  them  cannot  procure  employment  in  their  professional  busi- 
ness, and  have  therefore  been  admitted  among  the  secular  clergy. 
Mobs  and  riots  however  are  very  unfrequent  in  the  streets,  and 
the  common  people  are  rarely  inflamed  by  ardent  spirits.  The 
lawyers  are  among  the  most  respectable  citizens  ;  their  numbers 
are  very  great,  and  the  inhabitants  are  extremely  litigious.  Pro- 
visions are  plentiful  and  cheap  ;  poultry,  fish,  and  game,  arc 
abundant,  and  the  fiiicst  fruits  are  to  be  had  throughout  the  year. 
Peas,  asparagus,  and  other  vegetables,  are  ripe  in  January.  Ice 
is  always  abundant,  and  ice  punch  and  creams  are  constantly 
hawked  about  the  streets.  The  trade  of  Naples  is  not  extensive. 
The  chief  articles  manufactured  are  silk  stockings,  soap,  snuff"- 
boxes  of  tortoise  shell  and  lava,  marble  furniture,  and  ornaments. 
Their  pastes,  confections,  and  liqueurs  are  excellent.  Beside 
these  articles  they  export  silk,  oil,  sulphur,  manna,  rosemary,  re- 
sin, tartar,  figs,  and  other  fruits.  The  harbor  has  a  canal,  and  a 
mole  500  paces  long,  for  its  greater  security.  A  block  house  and 
batteries  defend  the  mouth.  A  lofty  pharos  points  out  its  en- 
trance. The  dock-yard  and  magazines  are  spacious.  Castcllo 
Nuovo  is  on  the  east  side  of  the  harbor,  and  several  batteries  on 
the  points  of  land  below  have  a  point  blank  shot.  Castello  del 
Uovo  is  on  an  island  on  the  west  side,  which  is  connected  with  the 
town  by  a  bridge.  St.  Elmo  is  a  castle,  on  a  mountain  west  of  the 
town,  and  resembles  a  star  of  six  rays,  which  are  hewn  out  of  a 
rock.  Its  subterranean  works  are  wide,  lofty,  and  bomb-proof.  It 
entirely  commands  the  city.  Water  is  conveyed  to  the  town  by 
an  aqueduct,  a  noble  monument  of  i  itiquity,  fpom  the  foot  of 
Mount  Vesuvius. 

Taranto,  the  Oeballa  of  the  aborigines,  the  Taras  of  the  Greeks, 
and  the  Tarentum  of  the  Romans,  was  taken  and  repaired  by  a 
colony  of  Spartans,  under  Phalanthus,  707  years  B.  C.  It  is  built 
on  a  small  peninsula,  at  the  Iread  of  the  Gulf  of  TarantO.     The 


ITALY.  ^99 

harbor  was  once  excellent ;  it  is  now  too  shallow  to  admit  any 
thing  but  fishing  boats.  I'he  sireets  are  narrow  and  dirty,  and 
the  houses  indifferent.     Population  in  1789,  18,457. 

Bari  is  built  on  a  rocky  peninsula,  on  the  Adriatic,  and  is  de^ 
fended  by  a  double  wall  of  an  old  castle.  The  houses  are  gen- 
erally built  on  the  ruins  of  former  edifices.  The  trade  is  exten- 
sive.    The  population  in  1789,  was  18,191. 

Rcggio  is  in  farther  Calabria,  nearly  opposite  Messina.  Here 
are  manufactures  of  stockings  and  gloves,  and  the  exports  arc 
chiefly  olive-oil,  silk,  and  fruits.     Population  16,439. 

Bays.']  These  are  the  Gulf  of  Manfredonia,  on  the  Adriatic, 
the  Gulf  of  Taranto,  in  the  south,  and  the  bays  of  Policastro,  Sa- 
lerno, Naples,  and  Gaieta,  on  the  Mediterranean.  The  Straits  of 
Messina  separate  Calabria  from  Sicily,  and  the  Straits  of  Otranto 
lie  between  Otranto  and  Albania.  The  peninsula  on  the  east  side 
of  the  Gulf  of  Taranto,  is  the  province  called  Terra  d'OtrantOj 
and  contains  261 1  square  miles  ;  that  on  the  west  side  includes, 
the  two  Calabrias,  and  contains  6714  square  miles. 

Soil  and  Productions.']  The  soil  of  Naples  is  every  where  of  un- 
rivalled fertility,  being  productive  to  an  exuberance,  of  wheat  of  ma- 
ny species,  barley,maize,  rice,  flax,  manna,  and  saffron,  olives,  figs, 
oranges,  pomegranates,  lemons,  grapes,  and  many  other  kinds  of 
fruit,  and  of  every  species  of  vegetable  in  the  greatest  perfection. 
Silk  is  raised  in  great  abundance.  Alum,  vitriol,  sulphur,  rock 
erystal,  and  marble,  are  abundant.  There  are  specimens,  also, 
of  gold,  silver,  lead,  and  copper.  Their  chief  manufacture '^are  of 
iron,  silk,  woollen,  and  glass.  A  species  of  shell-fish,  at  Taranio, 
ealled/22>2«a,  about  an  ell  long,  affords  a  tuft  of  fine  hair  or  threads 
of  polished  green  color.  Out  of  this  the  women  knit  gloves, 
stockings,  and  other  articles  of  dress.  Various  sorts  of  lizards, 
black  snakes,  and  the  tarantula,  are  very  common  tliroughout  the 
country. 

M-afiolitan  Isles.]  In  the  Adriatic,  in  lat.  42,  and  close  on  the 
Goast,  are  the  small  isles  of  Tremiti^  St.  Domino^  Ca/iraria,  and  St. 
JVicolo.  This  last  is  8  miles  in  circumference,  and  contains  a  few 
little  hamlets,  a  convent,  a.castle,  and  25  soldiers.  Capriy  the  an- 
cient Ca/irea,  and  the  seat  of  Tiberius'  debaucheries,  lies  at  tlic 
mouth  of  the  bay  of  Naples.  It  is  8  miles  in  circumference, 
mountainous,  fertile,  and  abundant  in  game.  Itchia^  on  the  other 
side  of  the  same  bay,  is  10  miles  rjound,  and  is  believed  to  be  the 
offspring  of  a  volcano.  It  is  also  mountainous,  and  abounds  in 
fruits  and  game.  Its  white  wine  is  noted.  The  air  is  fine  and 
healthy.  Ischia,  its  capital,  is  a  bishop's  see,  and  contains  3,130 
inhabitants.  JVisida,  farther  in  the  bay,  is  smaller,  and  is  merely 
a  large  garden,  laid  out  in  slopes  and  terraces.  Frocida,  N.  of 
Ischia,  produces  abundance  of  fruit,  and  excellent  wine,  and  also 
of  pheasants  and  partridges.  It  is  6  miles  in  circuit,  and  contains 
4000  inhabitants.  The  Ponzian  Isles,  Ponza,  Palmaria,  and  Za- 
nona,  lie  off  the  Bay  of  Gaieta.  Ponza,  the  largest,  contains  a 
town,  a  harbor,  and  considerable  salt-works. 


*00.  ^  ITALY. 

CHAPTER  V. 
KINGDOM  OF  SICILY.' 

SITUATION,  EXTENT,  NAMES,  DIVISIONS,  ORIGINAL  POPULATION, 
HISTOaV,  HELIGION,  GOVERNMENT,  POPULATION,  ARMY  AND  NA- 
VY, REVENUE,  MANNERS  AND  CUSTOMS,  LITERATURE,  CITIES, 
MANUFACTURES  AND  COMMERCE,  CLIMATE,  SOIL  AND  AGRICUL- 
TURE, RIVERS,  MOUNTAINS,  BOTANY,  ANIMALS,  MINERALS. 

Situation.']  WE  have  already  had  occasion  to  speak  of  Sicily 
as  an  island  in  the  Mediterranean,  separated  from  Naples  by  the 
Straits  of  Messina,  which,  in  the  narrowest  pai't,  are  only  3  miles 
across. 

Extent.']  TIte  length  of  the  island,  from  Cape  Passaro  to  Cape 
Boco,  is  170  miles.  Its  breadth  varies  from  120  to  50,  and  will 
average  about  80.  The  number  of  square  miles,  according  to 
Templeman,  is  12,880. 

JK'ames.]  The  ancients  called  the  island  Trinacria,  and  Triff' 
netra,  from  its  triangular  shape  ;  Sicania,  from  the  Sicani^  a  peo- 
ple of  Spain,  and  Sicilia,  from  the  Siculi,  a  people  of  Italy,  who 
successively  possessed  it. 

Divisions.]  The  provinces  are  three  in  number,  and  are  called 
vallies.r  The  following  is  a  list  of  the  Sicilian  territories,  with 
their  f  opulation,  as  given  in  the  royal  calendar  of  1 803. 


Val  di  Mazzara 

643,000 

Val  di  Demona 

521,000 

Val  di  Noto 

459,000 

Lipari  Islands 

18,000 

Aegatian  Islands 

12,000 

Pantallarea  I. 

3,000 

1,656,000 
Hassel  estimates  them  in  I8Q9,  at  1,056,000. 

Original  Pofiulation.]  Leaving  the  Cyclopes  and  Lacstrigones, 
where  we  find  them,  in  fable ;  the  first  occupants  of  the  island 
were  the  Sicani,  a  Spanish  colony.  Some  Trojans  landing  in  the 
island,  after  the  destruction  of  their  city,  bviilt  Eryx  and  Egesta, 
and  became  one  people  with  the  Sicani.  The  Siculi,  scvei-al  cen- 
turies after,  went  over  from  Italy,  and  got  possession  of  the  great- 
er part  of  the  island.  About  300  years  after,  the  Greeks  planted 
numerous  colonies  here.  One  of  these,  luidcr  Archias  of  Corinth, 
one  of  the  Heraclidae,  laid  the  foundation  of  Syi'acuse,  B.  C.  732, 
Av^hich  after  a  time  became  the  mistress  of  the  island. 

History.]  The  following  are  the  chief  epochs  of  Sicilian  his- 
tory. 

1 .  The  situation  of  the  island  under  the  Sicanij  Siculi  and  Gree/ca, 
who  successively  obtained  the  dominion  of  the  whole  island. 


ITALY.  401 

2.  The  invasion  of  the  island  by  an  immense  army  and  fleet  of 
Carthaginians,  under  Hamilcar,  the  sonof  Hanno,  B.  C.  481.  Ge- 
lon,  king  of  Syracuse,  kills  or  captures  every  man  of  them,  and 
sets  fire  to  their  fleet. 

3.  The  Athenian  invasion,  under  Nicias  and  Demosthenes,  B. 
C.  416,  in  which,  after  a  three  year's  war,  they  were  entirely  cut  off. 

4.  The  Carthaginians  invade  the  island  a  second  time,  in  404 
B.  C.  and  again  in  the  time  of  Hannibal,  but  at  length  the  whole 
is  subdued  by  the  Romans,  B.  C.  198. 

5.  The  overthrow  of  the  Roman  domination  by  Genseric,  king 
of  the  Vandals,  A.  D.  439,  who  yielded  it  to  Odoacer,  kingf  of  Ita- 
ly. But  in  535  it  was  recovered  by  Belisarius,  and  made  a  part 
of  the  eastern  empire,  till  828. 

6.  The  Saracens,  who  had  before  repeatedly  disturbed  the  tran- 
quillity of  Sicily,  in  828,  completely  subdued  it,  and  for  more  than 
200  years  the  Mahometan  standard  waved  upon  the  walls  of  Sy- 
racuse. 

7.  The  Normans,  under  Roger,  brother  of  Robert  Guiscard  sub- 
due the  Saracens,  and  get  possession  of  the  island,  A.  D.  1071. 
Roger  is  made  count  of  Sicily,  in  subordination,  however  to  his 
brother,  the  king  of  Naples.  The  succeeding  great  events  of  Si- 
cilian history  are  enumerated  in  that  of  Naples. 

Religion.'^  The  Roman  Catholic  is  established,  but  Jews  are 
tolerated.  There  are  2  archbishoprics  and  7  bishoprics,  A  sove- 
reign ecclesiastical  tribunal  judges  of  all  matters  and  disputes  in 
which  the  clergy  are  concerned.  The  number  of  churches,  con- 
vents, and  religious  foundations,  is  considerable  j  the  buildings  of 
which  are  handsome,  and  the  revenues  great. 

Government.!^  The  monarchy  is  hereditary,  but  is  not  absolute. 
The  Parliament  consists  of  clergy,  nobles,  and  deputies  from 
some  of  the  towns.  The  archbishops,  bishops,  abbots,  and  priors, 
to  the  number  of  66,  constitute  the  spiritual  arm,  229  nobles,  the 
military  arm,  and  43  representatives  of  free  towns,  the  demaniale 
arm.  Out  of  each  arm  four  deputies  are  chosen  to  transact  busi- 
ness. No  tax  can  be  imposed  without  the  consent  of  the  Parlia- 
ment ;  but  the  most  powerful  of  the  members  are  always  made 
dependent  on  the  court.  The  whole  number  of  nobles  of  every 
class,  is  616. 

Population.']  By  the  table,  taken  from  the  royal  calendar  of 
1803,  the  whole  population  of  the  island  of  Sicily  is  1,623,000,  and 
of  the  dependencies  33,000  :  in  all,  1,656,000.  This  however  ap- 
pears to  be  derived  from  the  census  of  1797,  which  gave  the  num- 
ber of  inhabitants  1,655,536,  of  cities  and  market  towns,  340,  and 
of  houses  268,000. 

^rmy  and  JVavy.]  In  1809,  the  number  of  regular  troops  was 
10,000  men,  country  militia  8000,  and  a  body  of  British  auxilia- 
ries. The  navy  at  that  time  consisted  of  1  ship  of  the  line,  2  frig- 
ates, and  5  smaller  vessels. 

Reve?iue.]  The  revenue  amounts  to  about  2,670,000  dollars, 
of  which  about  1 ,080,000  arise  from  the  royal  domains,  and  the 
land-tax.     Hassel  also   gives  an  estimate  of  the  whole  value  of 

VOL.   II.  51 


4.(&  ITALY. 

moveable  and  immoveable  property  in  the  island,  amounting  tc> 
111,612,400  dollars. 

Manners  and  Customs.']  The  Sicilians  are  described  as  big- 
otted  Catholics.  They  have  always  discovered  an  ardent  love  of 
liberty.  They  are  animated  in  conversation,  and  in  the  art  of  ges- 
ticulation excel  even  the  French.  Their  women  have  remarkably 
beautiful  hair,  they  marry  very  young,  and  early  lose  their  beau- 
ty. Both  sexes  have  very  dark  complexions.  Both  sexes  are 
amorous,  and  there  is  perhaps  less  chastity  here  than  in  Italy.  Ci- 
cisbeos  also  are  nearly  as  common.  The  whole  nation  are  poets, 
even  the  peasants.  These  last  are  much  oppressed  by  the  nobil- 
ity. Selfishness,  revenge,  and  a  want  of  good  faith,  are  too  com- 
mon characteristics  of  tlie  people.  Their  climate  and  soil  also 
have  contributed  to  render  them  extremely  indolent. 

Literature.]  There  is  a  university  at  Catania,  the  only  one  ia 
the  island.  It  has  professors  of  languages,  mathematics,  philos- 
ophy, law,  physic,  natural  history,  botany,  horsemanship,  fencing, 
and  dancing.  There  is  also  a  college  in  the  same  town  for  the 
education  of  nobles.  The  students  in  physic  and  law  often  enter 
themselves  at  Palermo  with  practitioners  ;  but  if  they  wish  for 
employment,  they  must  complete  their  education  at  Catania.  The' 
common  people  here,  as  in  all  Catholic  countries,  are  extremely 
ignoraftt. 

Cities.]  Palermo,  in  the  Val  di  Mazzara,  the  ancient  Panor- 
mus,  is  the  capital  of  the  island,  and  is  situated  at  the  bottom  of 
the  Gulf  of  Palermo,  on  the  north  coast.  The  harbor  is  large  and 
dangeix)usly  open  to  the  swell  of  the  sea,  and  its  entrance  is  de- 
fended by  two  strong  citadels.  The  wall  is  nearly  circular.  The 
best  houses  stand  chiefly  on  two  wide,  uniform,  and  well  built 
streets,  of  about  a  mile  in  length,  that  divide  the  city  into  four 
parts,  and  cross  each  other  at  rig4it  angles,  where  there  is  an  oc- 
tagon space,  adorned  with  fountains  and  statues.  In  these  streets 
each  window  has  its  balcony  with  an  iron  railing.  The  other 
streets  are  narrow,  crooked,  wretchedly  paved,  and  dirty.  The 
streets  are  lighted  with  reverberating  lamps.  The  kennels  on 
each  side  of  them,  become  torrents  in  wet  weather,  and  moveable 
bridges  are  provided  for  crossing  them.  It  contains  numerous 
churches,  8  royal  abbies,  5  seminaries,  71  convents,  and  several 
hospitals.  The  pctlace  is  a  magnificent  structure,  and  is  flanked 
with  lofty  towers.  The  cathedral  is  a  Gothic  building,  very  large, 
with  4  lofty  towers,  and  supported  within  by  80  pillars  of  oriental 
granite,  in  which  are  the  tombs  of  some  of  the  Norman  kings, 
and  of  the  emperors  Henry  V.  and  Frederic  II.  of  most  beautiful 
porphyry.  The  population,  about  50  years  since,  was  102,106. 
Stolberg  says  it  had  increased  in  1792,  and  was  then  probably 
120,000.  The  principal  amusements  are  the  Conversaziones. 
There  is  one  public  one,  which  is  open  every  evening,  from  sun- 
set till  midnight,  when  the  party  breaks  up,  and  resorts  to  the 
Marina,  a  handsome  quay,  to  enjoy  the  fanning  breeze,  take 
refreshments,  and  listen  to  the  serenades,  Avhich  enliven  the  still 
IroUr.     The  commerce  of  Palermo  is  extensive,  and  it  has  impor- 


ITALY.  49,3 

taiit  manufactures  of  silk  and  woollen.  'Ihe  Sirocco  winds  are 
here  intensely  distressing  in  tlic  morning.  The  sea  breeze  cools 
the  air  about  neon.  The  environs  abound  in  fruit  trees,  particu- 
larly oranges,  lemons,  and  Indian  figs.  Great  numbers  of  the 
nobility  have  villas  in  the  neighborhood. 

Messina,  the  Zancle  of  the  Greeks,  and  the  Measana  of  the  Ro- 
mans, stands  on  the  east  side  of  the  island,  a  little  south  of  the 
Straits,  and  6  miles  from  the  opposite  coast.  It  has  a  spacious 
harbor,  in  the  form  of  a  crescent,  esteemed  one  of  the  best  in  the 
Mediterranean,  being  5  mries  in  circumference,  and  very  deep, 
and  the  quay  belonging  to  it  extends  a  mile  in  length.  It  is  de- 
fended by  a  strong  castle,  and  other  fortifications,  and  has  an  arse- 
nal in  good  order  and  well  supplied.  Mountains,  at  a  little  dis- 
tance, completely  cover  the  town,  and  part  of  the  city  is  built  on 
the  declivity  of  the  intervening  hills.  The  streets  are  narrow, 
and  the  houses  generally  gloomy.  The  Palazzetta  is  a  regular 
ornamental  range  of  lofty  houses,  following  the  semicircular  bend 
of  the  port  for  one  mile  and  five  rods.  Had  the  design  been  com- 
pleted, it  would  have  been  the  handsomest  street  in  Europe.  The 
population,  according  to  Stolberg,  is  36,000,  and  the  number  of 
houses,  according  to  Hassel,  12,196.  Vast  numbers  of  them  have 
no  occupants.  Provisions  are  very  plenty,  and  rents  are  almost 
gratuitous.  The  chief  manufacture  is  that  of  silks.  Fishing,  cul- 
tivating vines,  and  mulberry  trees,  and  breeding  silk-worms,  em- 
ploy many  of  the  inhabitants.     1  he  commerce  is  extensive. 

Catania,  the  ancient  Catana^  was  built  by  the  early  Greek  set- 
tlers, about  918  years  B.  C.  It  is  50  miles  S.  of  Messina,  and 
stands  not  far  from  Mount  Etna,  near  the  mouth  of  the  Indiccllo, 
which  flows  into  the  Gulf  of  Catania.  It  is  built,  walled,  and 
paved  with  lava,  by  which  the  city  has  been  repeatedly  overwhelm- 
ed. J  he  principal  streets  arc  long,  broad,  and  straight.  It  con- 
tains 4160  houses,  and  about  40,000  inhabitants.  The  number  of 
convents,  churches,  and  palaces,  is  very  great.  The  eruption  of 
Etna,  in  1693,  attended  by  an  earthquake,  entirely  destroyed  the 
city,  when  1 1,000  persons,  who  had  fled  to  the  cathedral  for  shel- 
ter, perished  by  the  fall  of  the  church.  In  1669,  also  a  torrent  of 
lava  burst  from  the  side  of  Etna,  inundated  a  space  14  miles  in 
length,  and  nearly  4  in  breadth,  rose  over  the  walls,  and  burying  a 
part  of  the  city,  at  length  rolled  into  the  sea. 

Modica,  near  the  S.  E.  Cape,  contains  23,500  inhabitants. 

Siragoza,  or  Syracuse,  is  on  the  east  side  of  the  island,  about 
35  miles  S.  S.  E.  of  Catania.  It  h?s  a  noble  harbor,  whicli  is 
strongly  fortified.  Ortigia,  the  smallest  of  the  four  grand  quar- 
ters of  which  the  city  was  once  composed,  alone  remains.  It  is 
2  miles  in  circuit  The  other  three,  arc  nearly  22  milts  round, 
but  the  whole  of  this  is  covered  with  ruins,  intermixed  wiih  vine- 
yards, orchards,  and  corn  fields,  the  fences  of  which  are  made  of 
broken  columns  and  walls  of  marble.  The  houses  are  not  well 
built,  ihe  fountain  Arethusa,  supplies  the  town  with  water.  The 
number  of  houses  is  4261,  and  of  inhabitants  17,044.  '1  he  cathe- 
dral is  an  anpient  temple  of  Minerva.     Syracuse  was  the  s(icne  of 


404  ITALY. 

tKe  exertions  ef  Archimedes.  His  mirrors  here  set  fire  to  the 
Roman  fleet,  and  his  engines  lifted  their  vessels  out  of  the  water, 
and  dashed  them  against  the  rocks. 

Of  the  remaining  towns,  Augusta  has  15,000  inhabitants,  Ali- 
cate  12,000,  Calascibetta  10,000,  Caltagironc  16,500,  Castel  Ve- 
trano  1 1,000,  Castrogiovanne  1 1,000,  Girgenti  1 1,376,  Noto  Nuo- 
vo  1 1,500,  Piazza  1  3,500,  Ranuzzo  14,000,  and  Trapani  17,000. 

Manufactures  and  Commerce.^  Silk  is  the  most  important 
manufacture.  Palermo  employs  900  looms,  Messina  1200,  and 
Catania  still  more.  Wines  are  made  in  every  part  of  the  country. 
The  salt-pans  of  I  rapani  are  the  most  nroductive.  Corn  is  the 
Staple  of  the  island,  and  immense  quantities  are  exported.  Silk  is 
the  second  source  of  riches.  The  annual  value  sent  out  of  the  isl- 
and is  about  ^^200, 000  sterling.  Girgenti  exports  the  most  al- 
?iionds.  Two  thousand  chests  of  oranges  arc  annually  sent  from 
Messina,  and  6000  of  pickled  lemons,  and  as  many  more  from  the 
rest  of  the  island.  Two  hundred  and  eighty  barrels  of  lemon 
juice,  and  27  cwt.  of  bergamot  juice,  are  exported.  Pistachio 
nuts  and  carob  beans  are  also  an  article  of  trade.  The  Sicilian 
commerce  has  always  been  shackled  by  a  duty  on  exports. 

Climate.^  The  weather  is  so  warm,  even  in  January,  that  the 
shade  is  found  refreshing.  No  chilling  winds  are  felt,  except  a 
fcAv  days  in  March.  The  summit  of  iEtna  presents  the  only  ap- 
pearance of  winter.  The  air,  however,  is  wholesome,  and  the  sea 
breezes  of  summer  are  highly  refreshing,  i  he  Sirocco  or  warm 
wind  from  Africa,  is  very  common  in  the  early  part  of  the  day. 
Though  attended  with  a  slight  current  of  air,  yet,  when  it  pre- 
vails, the  waves  of  the  sea  foam  and  roar  unceasingly.  It  brings 
humidity  :  the  clothes  adhere  to  the  body,  at  it'i  touch,  the  limbs 
lose  their  strength,  and  the  mind  its  energy. 

Soil  and  jigriculturc.'^  In  fertility  of  soil  probably  Sicily  is  not 
surpassed  by  any  country  on  the  globe.  Under  its  ancient  culti- 
vation the  Romans  called  it  Romani  Imperii  Horreum,  and  Diodo- 
ims,  who  wrote  on  the  spot,  assures  us  that  it  produced  wheat  and 
other  grain  spontaneously.  Its  plains  at  present,  without  inclo- 
sures,  without  manure,  and  almost  without  culture,  rival  in  their 
fertility  the  rich  fields  of  the  Netherlands  and  of  Lombardy.  The 
principal  kinds  of  wheat,  the  cicireilo,  which  produces  60  fold,  the 
■ventina  and  trcntina^  20  and  30,  the  triminia^  which  is  reaped  in  3 
months,  the  barbamcra^  and  the  winter  ivheat,.  Maize  is  exten- 
sively cultivated.  Flax  is  abundant.  Rye  is  seldom  seen,  and 
few  oats  are  grown,  the  horses  being  chiefly  fed  on  barley.  '1  he 
culture  of  the  vine,  the  mulberry,  and  the  olive  are  universal,  and 
the  red  and  white  muscadel  of  Syracuse,  improperly  called  Ca- 
labrian  wines,  Castelvctrano^  and  the  Amur enaf arte .^  are  among  the 
best  wines  that  are  made.  Sugar,  honey,  wax,  and  saftVon,  are 
among  the  objects  of  the  husbandman's  attention. 

iv'ix'era.J  Ihese  must  of  course  be  small.  The  Salso,  the  an- 
cient ///m(?rc,  rises  out  of  the  high  mountains  of  Madonia,  in  the 
north  part  of  the  island,  and  flows  S.  about  70  miles,  to  the  Afri- 
c'4n  sea,  as  it  is  called,  near  Alicata.     Its  waters  are  rendered  salt 


ITALY.  "  405 

by  the  salt  springs  of  Castro  Giovanni.  The  Giaretta,  the  ancient 
Symetus,  rises  on  the  N.  side  of  vEtna,  and  passing  the  west  skirts 
of  the  mountain,  falls  into  the  sea,  S.  of  Cat?nia.  The  Belici,  in 
the  W.  part  of  the  island,  runs  S.  W.  The  Termini  runs  north- 
ward, and  empties  at  Termini.  Lake  Biveri,  in  the  E.  near  Au- 
gusta, is  the  only  piece  of  water  entitled  to  that  name. 

Motmiains.^  The  sources  of  the  rivers  indicate  a  series  of  el- 
evated land,  reaching  from  the  western  extremity  of  the  island  to 
the  promontory  of  Pelorus,  ov  Faro,  in  the  N.  E.  nearly  parallel 
with  the  northern  coast,  and  at  no  great  distance  from  it.  The 
ancients  called  the  eastern  half  of  the  chain  the  mountains  of -ff^ere, 
or  Juno.  The  whole  chain  is  now  called  Peloris.  In  this  range 
the  mountains  of  Madonia,  near  the  centre,  probably  present  the 
highest  summits.     Pelorus  is  not  remarkable  for  its  elevation. 

Mount  jEtna  is  in  the  eastern  part  of  the  island,  called  Val  di 
Demone,  from  a  notion  that  the  numerous  caverns  of  ^tna  are 
inhabited  by  demons,  and  other  wicked  and  miserable  beings. 
The  figure  of  the  mountain  is  that  of  an  obtuse  truncated  cone, 
extended  at  the  base,  and  terminating  in  two  eminences,  at  a  con- 
siderable distance  from  each  other.  The  circumference  of  the 
mountain  is  180  miles  ;  its  height,  according  to  Sir  George 
Shuckburgh,  is  10,954  feet,  and  the  circumference  of  the  visible 
horizon  on  the  top  of  ^Etna,  1093  miles.  Over  its  sides  are  scat- 
tered 77  cities,  towns,  and  villages.  From  Catania,  which  stands 
at  the  foot,  to  the  summit,  is  30  miles,  and  the  traveller  passes 
through  three  distinct  climates,  or  zones,  the  cultivated,  the  woody, 
and  the  desert.  The  lowest,  or  cultivated  zone,  extends  through 
an  interval  of  ascent  of  16  miles.  Its  circumference  is  estimated 
at  180  miles,  and  its  area  at  220  square  leagues.  It  is  bounded  by 
the  sea  to  the  S.  and  S.  E.  and  elsewhere  by  the  rivers  Symetus 
and  Alcantara,  which  almost  surround  it.  The  fertility  of  this 
region  is  wonderful,  and  its  fruits  are  the  finest  in  the  island.  Its 
lava  flows  from  numerous  small  mountains,  dispersed  over  the 
immense  declivity  of  JEtna,  of  a  conical  form,  about  2  or  3  miles 
in  circuit,  and  300  or  400  feet  high.  The  woody  region  forms  a 
zone  of  the  brightest  green  all  round  the  mountain.  It  reaches 
about  8  miles  up  the  mountain,  is  80  in  circumference,  and  com- 
prehends a  surface  of  45  square  leagues.  The  trees  are  unusu- 
ally verdant  and  stately,  and  consist  of  various  fruit  trees,  the 
hawthorn,  chesnut,  oak,  beech,  and  pine.  The  desert  region  is 
marked  by  a  circle  of  snow  and  ice,  and  extends  6  miles  from  its 
border  to  the  summit.  It  is  generally  flat  and  even.  The  sum- 
mit itself  is  a  plain  covered  with  scoriae,  ashes  and  sand,  and 
with  snow  and  ice.  The  cold  here  is  benumbing,  and  the  wind 
often  tempestuous.  The  upper  edges  of  the  crater  of  the  south- 
ern summit,  when  visited  by  Spallanzani,  were  broken  and  in- 
dented, and  formed  an  oval  a  mile  and  a  half  in  circuit,  the  longest 
diameter  of  which  was  from  E.  to  VV.  Its  internal  sides  formed 
an  irregular  funnel,  and  abounded  with  concretions  of  muriate  of 
ammonia.  The  bottom  of  the  crater  was  nearly  an  horizontal 
plainj  about  two  thirds  of  a  mile  in  circviii,  io  which  there  was  aji 


406  ITALY. 

aperture  about  5  rods  in  diameter.  Within  this  was  a  litjuid  i«^- 
nited  matter,  undulating  and  boiling,  and  through  it  a  column  of 
dense  white  smoke  ascended  perpendicularly  about  20  feet  in  di- 
ameter. The  northern  eminence  is  a  quarter  of  a  mile  higher, 
and  has  a  crater  about  half  as  large  as  the  other. 

Botamj.']  The  fruits  of  Sicily  are  oranges,  lemons,  grapes,  rai- 
sin grapes,  citrons,  figs,  olives,  almonds,  pomegranates,  Berga- 
mot  oranges,  mulberries,  dates,  apricots,  nectarines,  peaches, 
plums,  and  currants.  Most  of  these  grow  wild,  and  often  form 
extensive  forests.     They  are  all  in  high  perfection. 

Animals.']  The  horses  of  Sicily  are  celebrated  by  Sophocles, 
Pindar,  and  Virgil.  They  far  surpass  those  of  Italy  generally, 
and  are  strong,  handsome,  animated  and  active.  The  mules  are 
large  and  strong,  and  are  chiefly  used  in  the  country  among  the 
mountains.  The  cattle  pasture  the  whole  year.  They  are  all, 
without  exception,  red,  and  have  prodigious  horns.  They  arc 
short,  strong,  and  numerous.  The  sheep  and  goats  are  of  a  good 
kind.  The  hogs  are  universally  black.  The  wild  boar,  the  roe- 
back,  the  wild  goat,  the  chamois,  and  many  species  of  smaller 
game  are  found  in  the  mountains.  The  race  of  bears  and  stags 
is  thought  to  be  extinct.  Lizards  of  various  kinds  abound. 
Snakes  of  a  prodigious  size  are  occasionally  met  with  in  the  for- 
ests. The  aspic  and  the  scorpion,  both  poisonous,  many  smaller 
kinds  of  snakes,  and  the  harmless  scorpion,  are  not  unfrequcnt. 
Wasps,  ox-flies,  and  gnats,  are  peculiarly  venomous. 

Minerals.']  The  mountains  produce  emeralds,  jasper,  agate, 
porphyry,  lapis-lazuli,  and  catochite.  Between  Taormina  and 
Messina,  are  mines  of  gold  and  silver  ;  they  are  not  worked. 
Valuable  mines  of  antimony  are  found  near  Fiume  di  Nisi.  Abun- 
dance of  coral  is  found  on  the  coast. 


SICILIAN  ISLES. 


Lifiari  Islands.]  These  were  the  Hcfihaestiades  of  the  GreckS; 
and  the  Moliae  and  Vulcaniae.  o?  the  Romans.  They  produce  al- 
um, sulphur,  cinnabar  and  nitre,  corn,  almonds,  currants,  figs  and 
raisins,  wines,  and  contain  18,000  inhabitants.  Lipari,  the  largest, 
is  of  an  irregular  shape,  about  18  miles  in  circumference.  It  is 
healthy  and  fertile,  and  exports  corn,  wine,  almonds,  figs,  raisins, 
sulphur,  alum  and  bitumen.  Here  are  some  noted  hot-springs.. 
Lipari,  the  capital,  is  a  bishop's  sec,  and  strongly  fortified  by  na- 
ture and  art.  This  and  all  the  other  islands  arc  high,  and  their 
shores  are  steep.  They  have  all  vast  caverns.  Here,  say  the  po- 
ets, dwelt  yEolus,  and  in  these  caverns  he  confined  the  winds. 
When  he  disappeai'ed,  his  turbulent  prisoners  broke  loose,  and 
have  never  ceased  to  raise  frequent  storms  and  tempests  around 
their  gloomy  prison. 

Volcano,  the  ancient  ///ere,  is  6  miles  S.  of  Lipari.  It  has  twe 
volcanoes.     Vulcan  here  made  the  armor  of  iEneasi 


ITALY.  ilOir 

La  Salina,  3  miles  N.  of  Lipari,  and  8  in  compass,  is  uninhab- 
ited. It  contains  a  chapel  dedicated  to  the  Virgin  Mary,  and  a 
few  vineyards. 

Euonymos  is  inconsiderable. 

Panarja,  20  miles  E.  N.  E.  of  Lipari,  and  7  in  circuit,  is  uncul- 
tivated, but  uninhabited. 

Strombolo,  30  miles  N.  E.  of  Lipari,  and  10  in  circuit,  is  a  burn- 
ing mountain,  of  extraordinary  height,  pouring  forth  incessant 
fire  and  smoke.     It  has  no  inhabitants. 

Felicudi,  30  miles  W.  of  Lipari,  and  10  in  circuit,  is  uninhab- 
ited, and  dangerous  to  approach,  on  account  of  rocks  and  shoals. 

Alicuda,  15  miles  W.  of  Felicuda,  is  inhabited  by  a  few  fisher- 
men, and  produces  heath  and  weeds. 

Ustica,  80  miles  E.  N.  E.  of  Lipari,  is  desert  and  uninhabited. 

Aegatian  Islands.  1  These  lie  at  the  western  end  of  Siciiy,  near 
Trapani.  They  are  three  in  number,  Lavenzo,  Maretamo,  and 
Favignana,  the  ancient  Phorbantia,  JE§-u«a,and  Hicra.  They  are 
all  lofty.  They  produce  corn,  cheese,  good  wine  and  figs,  and 
pomegranates,  and  breed  rabbits  and  the  chamois.  Population 
12,000. 

Fantalaria,  the  ancient  Cosyra^  is  half  way  between  Sicily  and 
Cape  Bon,  and  about  60  miles  from  each.  It  is  25  miles  in  cir- 
cuit, abounds  in  hills,  woods,  corn  fields,  wines,  oil,  fruits,  vegeta- 
bles, and  particularly  in  cotton.  The  inhabitants,  4000  in  number, 
breed  many  cattle  and  goats.  They  are  industrious,  and  are  ex- 
cellent seamen. 


KINGDOM  OF  SARDINIA, 


The  island  is  160  miles  long,  and  70  broad,  and  contains,  ac- 
cording to  Azuni,  9420  square  miles.  Its  Greek  names  were  Ich- 
musa,  Sandaliotis,  a.x\d  Sardo. 

It  is  divided  into  four  provinces,  which,  with  their  population, 
in  1780,  follow. 


Names. 

Situsition. 

Populatior, 

Towns, 

Cagliari 

S.  E. 

115,541 

Cagliari 

Arborea 

S.  W. 

130,974 

Oristano 

Gallura 

N.  E. 

71,428 

Terra  Nuova 

Logodori 

N.  W, 

133,544 

Sassari. 

The  Phenicians  and  Greeks  colonized  the  island.  The  Car- 
thaginians dispossessed  them,  and  yielded  it  to  the  Romans,  who 
were  driven  out  by  the  Saracens,  in  the  8th  century.  The  Geno- 
ese next  took  it,  and  next  tlie  Spaniards,  who  Avere  expelled  by 
the  emperor  in  1708.  The  Spaniards  recovered  it  in  1713,  but 
lost  it  two  years  after,  when  it  fell  to  the  duke  of  Savoy,  who 
then  took  tlic  title  of  king  of  Sardinia.  When  the  king,  in  1792, 
lost  his   continental   domiirions,  ho  removed   to   Sardinia.     The 


408  ITALY. 

nearness  of  Corsica  renders  him  little  more  than  a  tributary  ©f 
France. 

The  religion  is  the  Roman  Catholic.  There  are  3  archbishop- 
rics and  4  bishoprics,  and  the  clergy  enjoy  great  immunities  and 
•emoluments. 

The  government  is  an  absolute  monarchy.  The  number  of  in- 
habitants in  1780  was,  according  to  Azruni,  451,487  ;  the  number 
in  1788,  was  456,990.  Many  of  the  nobility  and  others  removed 
with  the  government  from  the  continent  ;  and  Hassel  estimates 
the  population  in  18'^9  at  520,000.  The  number  of  regular  troops 
was  then  4000,  besides  a  considerable  number  of  country  militia. 
The  revenue  also  was  then  644,750  dollars.  The  Sardinians  are 
represented  as  proud,  brutish,  ignorant,  and  indolent.  The  nobil- 
ity are  exempt  from  taxes,  and  for  all  offences,  except  treason, 
are  tried  by  seven  of  their  peers.  While  they  riot  in  wealth  and 
luxury,  the  lower  classes  are  plunged  in  indigence  and  slavery. 
The  language  is  the  Spanish. 

Cagliari,  anciently  Calaris,  is  the  capital.  It  stands  in  the  S. 
at  the  head  of  the  bay  of  Cagliari,  and  is  built  on  the  declivity  of  a 
hill.  That  part  of  the  town  near  the  shore  has  a  mean  appear- 
ance ;  the  rest  is  Avell  built  and  handsome.  It  contains  6  church- 
es and  23  convents.  The  cathedral  is  magnificent.  The  popu- 
lation is  about  50,000,  and  the  commerce  is  considerable.  The  har- 
bor is  large,  deep,  and  safe,  sheltered  by  an  island,  and  defended 
by  a  castle  and  battery. 

Sassari  is  in  the  N.  W-  on  the  river  Tarres,  7  miles  from  the 
sea.  It  contains  several  churches,  16  convents,  and  30,000  in- 
habitants.    In  the  neighborhood  are  mines  of  gold  and  silver. 

Oristano,  or  Oristagni,  stands  on  the  gulf  of  Oristano,  on  the 
west  coast,  among  marshy  grounds  and  stagnant  waters.  The 
harbor  is  shallow.     Population  5000. 

Alghieri  is  on  the  west  coast,  north  of  Oristano,  and  contains 
6000  people.     It  has  a  coral  fishery. 

The  air  of  the  island  is  unwholesome,  and  the  Romans  there- 
fore fixed  upon  it  as  their  place  of  banishment.  The  soil  when 
cultivated  is  fruitful,  yielding  corn,  wine  and  oil,  plenteously,  with 
citrons,  oranges,  plums,  pears,  and  chesnuts.  The  north  part  of 
the  island  is  mountainous,  and  a  chain  of  mountains  runs  along 
the  eastern  coast.  Sardinia  produces  cattle,  buffaloes,  foxes,  deer, 
and  other  game.  The  only  venomous  animal  is  the  maff)-one,  a 
species  of  spider  resembling  a  frog. 

The  minerals  are  gold,  silver,  lead,  iron,  alum,  and  sulphur. 

The  islands  around  Sardinia,  are  Tara  and  Serpentara,  on  the 
S.  St.  Pietro,  St.  Antiocho  and  Vacca  on  the  S.  W.  Asianara,  Ros- 
sa,  Magdalena,  and  Tazzo,  on  the  N.  and  Tavolara,  Posata,  and 
Ogliastro  on  the  E.  Asinaria,  the  largest,  is  28  miles  in  circum- 
ference. 


ITALY.  409 


MALTA. 


Malta,  the  Iberia,  Ogygia,  and  Melite  of  the  Greeks,  from  which 
last  the  Saracens  formed  Malta,  is  an  island  in  the  Mediterranean, 
50  miles  S.  from  the  coast  of  Sicily.  The  island  is  a  rock  of  fine 
free  stone,  of  an  oval  figure,  20  miles  by  12,  and  60  in  compass, 
and  contains  134  square  miles.  It  has  been  successively  subject 
to  the  Phoeacians,  Phenicians,  Greeks,  Carthaginians,  Romans, 
Goths,  Saracens,  Normans,  Knights  of  Malta,  and  English.  These 
knights  were  hospitalers  of  St.  John,  in  Jerusalem,  in  the  middle 
of  the  11th  century.  They  assisted  Godfrey  in  his  crusades,  and 
maintained  themselves  in  the  Holy  Land,  till  1191,  when  they  re- 
tired to  Cyprus,  and  then  to  Rhodes,  which  they  defended  for  two 
centuries,  and  were  called  Knights  of  Rhodes.  Thence  they  with- 
drew to  Candia,  and  thence  to  Italy,  where  they  remained  till 
Charles  V.  gave  them  Malta. 

The  religion  is  the  Catholic.  The  island  is  now  a  colony  of 
England.  The  population  of  Malta,  as  given  by  Hassel,  is  74,705  ; 
©f  Gozzo,  a  neighboring  island,  12,464  ;  and  of  Comino,  603.  To- 
tal, 87,772.  The  three  islands  contain  8  cities,  6  towns,  33  villa- 
ges, and  10,966  houijes.  There  arc  on  these  islands  numerous 
country  seats. 

Valette,  the  capital,  is  surrounded  with  a  strong  wall.  It  stands 
upon  a  very  large,  safe,  and  commodious  harbor,  having  several 
Ixiys,  and  defended  by  Fort  Ricasoli,  and  the  celebrated  castle  of 
St.  Elmo.  This  last  stands  on  the  point  of  a  peninsula,  separating 
the  harbor  of  Valette  from  another  on  the  right,  and  commands 
them  both.  It  contains  several  churches  and  convents,  a  large 
hospital,  and,  in  1798,  23,680  inhabitants.  The  palace  and  St. 
John's  church  would  ornament  any  city  in  Europe. 

Civita  Vccchia,the  only  other  town  of  any  size,  stands  on  a  hill 
in  the  middle  of  the  island,  and  is  strongly  fortified.  It  is  a  bish- 
op's see,  contains  several  churches  and  convents,  and  5000  in- 
habitants. Every  village  has  an  elegant  church,  adorned  with 
statues,  tapestry,  and  plate.  The  soil  is  only  about  8  or  10  inches 
deep,  and  lies  on  the  rock.  The  industry  of  the  Maltese  is  incon- 
ceivable. Much  of  the  soil  was  brought  from  Sicily  in  boats. 
Every  inch  of  ground  is  improved,  and  the  crops  of  cotton,  indigo, 
grapes,  olives,  figs,  lemons,  oranges,  and  other  fruit,  pulse,  roots, 
herbs,  and  culinary  vegetables  of  every  kind,  are  abundant.  About 
half  of  the  corn  is  raised  which  is  necessary  for  the  support  of  the 
inhabitants.  Wine  is  also  imported.  Here  is  plenty  of  pasture. 
Cotton  is. the  staple.  The  sugarcane  is  cultivated.  The  oranges 
are  among  the  finest  in  the  world.  Many  of  them  are  red.  The 
heat  is  excessive,  and  the  inhabitants  are  much  incommoded  by 
gnats.  One  side  of  the  island  is  of  a  great  height,  and  perpendic- 
ular. The  fortifications  of  the  other  sides  arc  a  most  stupendous 
work.  The  ditches,  of  a  vast  size,  arc  all  cut  out  of  the  solid 
rock)  and  extend  many  miles  in  length, 

VOL.    II.  52 


410 


ITALY. 


Gozza  lies  to  the  N.  W.  of  Malta,  contains  40  square  miles, 
several  good  harbors,  and  strong  forts,  and  is  fruitful.  Comingo 
lies  between  thcni,  has  a  fort,  and  covers  3  square  miles. 


IONIAN  REPUBLIC. 


This  little  cluster  of  islands  received  this  name  from  the  French 
government.  It  is  sometimes  called  the  Republic  of  the  Seven 
Islafids,  and  sometimes  the  Ionian  Islands.  They  have  been  captur- 
ed the  present  year,  18 1 1,  by  the  British,  having  till  then  enjoyed  a 
nominal  independence,  under  the  protection  of  France,  to  which 
they  were  ceded  by  Russia  in  1807.  Russia  took  them  from 
France  in  1799,  and  France  from  Venice  in  1797.  Venice  had 
then  had  possession  of  them  from  the  year  1224,  except  that  the 
Turks  took  them  in  1479,  and  kept  them  20  years.  These  islands 
He  in  the  Ionian  Sea,  S.  E.  of  the  Straits  of  Otranto,  and  near  the 
coast  of  Turkey.  Their  number  is  very  great,  but  seven  more 
particularly  deserve  our  notice.  These  ai'e  arranged  in  the  fol- 
lowing table,  geographically,  beginning  with  that  farthest  north. 


Xames. 

Ancient  Names. 

Sq.  Miles. 

Popalation. 

Towns. 

Corfu 

Corcyra 

219 

65,000 

Corfu 

Paxo 

Paxos 

34 

6,000 

Sta  Maura 

Leucadia 

110 

1  6,000 

Amaxichi 

Cephalonia 

Cephalonia 

350 

55,000 

Argostoll 

Theaki 

Ithaca 

66 

7,000 

Theaki 

Zante 

Zacynthus 

88 

30,000 

Zante 

Cerigo* 

Cythera 

98 

8,000 

Cerigo. 

965 


187,000 


The  climate  of  these  islands  is  warm,  but  healthy  ;  the  land 
generally  fertile  and  productive.  The  trees  blossom  in  the  win- 
ter, and  bear  fruit  in  April  and  November.  The  last  are  the  small- 
est. Corn  is  sown  in  the  winter  and  reaped  in  June.  Oranges, 
citrons,  the  most  delicious  grapes,  olives,  f.gs,  melons,  peaches, 
honey,  wax,  and  oil,  are  very  abvmdant.  The  chief  exports  are 
oil,  muscadine  wine,  currants,  and  salt. 

Corfu,  the  largest  town  in  these  islands,  is  fortified  and  defended 
by  two  forts,  contains  12,000  inhabitants,  several  Greek  and  Ro- 
man churches  and  convents,  has  a  good  harbor,  and  caiTies  on  a 
considerable  trade.  Zante  is  situated  on  the  east  coast  of  the  isl- 
and Zante,  and  contains  12,000  inhabitants.  Argostoli,  in  Ceph- 
alonia, has  a  large,  but  insecure  harbor,  and  contains  6000  inhab- 
itants. Amaxichi,  in  Sta  Maura,  has  an  equal  population.  Lixu- 
ri,  in  Cephalonia,  has  5000.  The  religions  of  these  islands  are  the 
Greek  and  Roman  Catholic.  The  first  is  far  the  most  predomi- 
nant, and  alone  prevails  in  Cerigo.     In  Zante  the  Greeks  have  40 

*  Cerigo  lies  directly  S.  of  the  Morea,  at  a  small  distance  from  its  coast 


TURKISH  EMPIRE. 


#11 


churches,  numerous  convents,  and  a  bishop  ;  the  Catholics  3  con- 
vents and  a  bishop.  In  Corfu,  the  Greeks  have  numerous  church- 
es and  convents,  and  an  archbishop.  Their  clergy  are  proverbial 
for  their  ig-norance.    The  inhabitants  of  Cerigo  are  chiefly  pirates. 


TURKISH  EMPIRE. 


THE  Turkish  Empire  is  central  to  the  Eastern  Continent, 
embracuig  a  portion  of  Europe,  Asia,  and  Africa  ;  and  having 
been  the  scene  of  most  of  the  transactions  recoi-ded  in  the  Bible, 
is  doubtless  the  most  interesting  portion  of  the  ^vorld.  Its  divisions-, 
according  to  Hassel,  follow. 


Square  Miles, 

Inliabitants, 

I.  In  Europe,                       ' 

217,758 

9,882,000 

1,  Moldavia 

19,178 

420,500 

2,  Bessarabia,  or  Bud- > 
ziac  Tai'tary          3 

8,923 

200,000 

3,  Wallachia 

24,658 

950,000 

4,  Servia 

20,165 

960,000 

5,  Bosnia 

1 6,060 

850,000 

1,  Bosnia  Proper 

9,863 

2,  Herzegovina,  or  ^ 

4,383 

Dalmatia           ^ 

3,  Bielogrod 

1,754 

6,  Bulgaria 

38,1 37 

1,800,000 

7,  Rumelia,  or  Romania 

35,990 

2,200,000 

S,  Albania 

48,526 

1,920,000 

1,  Macedonia 

15,780 

700,000 

2,  Albania  Proper 

15,210 

207,000 

3,  Janna,  or  Thessaly 

3,618 

300,000 

4,  Livadia 

6,028 

249,000 

5,  Morea 

7,890 

464,000 

9,  Province  of  the  Cap-  > 
tain  Pacha               \ 

1,863 

240,000 

1,  Province  of  Gallipoli 

I       833 

100,000 

2,  Negropont 

482 

40,000 

3,  Tino 

66 

24,800 

[40,000  to  4o,()0(). 

Langdoii. 

4,  Santorini 

12,000 

[80,<J0(). 

Lajiffdon. 

5,  Andros 

12,000 

fi,  Naxid 

8,000 

7,  Lemnos 

8,000 

8,  Thermia 

6,000 

[3000. 

Lan/fdoH. 

9,  Siphnos 

5,000 

ii2 


TURKEY  IN  EUROPE. 


Square  Miles. 


II 


10,  Nio,  or  Dios 
10,  Candia,  or  Crete 
.  In  Asia, 

1 ,  Anatolia,  or  Asia  > 

Minor  > 

2,  Scham,  or  Syria 

3,  AIgezira,or  the  upper 

part  of  Mesopotamia 

4,  Satabago,  or  Caucasus 

5,  Irak  Arabi,  or  the"] 
lower  part  of  Mes-  I 
opotamia,  and  the  ^ 
country  around  the  I 


in. 


Persian  Gulf 

6,  Curdistan 

7,  Armenia 
In  Africa. 

Egypt 

1,  Zaid,  or  Upper  > 

Egypt  S 

2,  Vostani,  or  Middle 

Egypt 
5,  Bahira,  or  Lower  > 
Egypt  5 


J 


4,318 
531,775* 

279,213 

50,105 

37,808 

28,100 

69,040 

32,572 

34,937 

192,770 

15,780 


ItihaKtanta; 

3,700 

281,000 

11,090,000 

6,000,000 

1,500,000 

800,00(y 

300,000 

1,040,000 


500,000 

^50,000 

3,500,000 


TURKEY  IN  EUROPE. 


CHAPTER  L 


HISTORICAL  GEOGRAPHY. 

NAMES,  EXTENT,  BOUNDARIES,  ORIGINAL  POPULATION,  HISTORI- 
CAL EPOCHS,  ANTIQUITIES,  RELIGION,  GOVERNMENT,  POPULA- 
TION, ARMY,  NAVY,  REVENUE,  MANNERS  AND  CUSTOMS,  LAN- 
GUAGE, LITERATURE,  CITIES  AND  TOWNS,  TRAVELLING,  MAN- 
UFACTURES AND  COMMERCE. 

Mtmes.']  THIS  country  had  anciently  no  one  name,  which 
comprehended  the  whole  of  it,  but  was  composed  of  many  distinct 
countries,  inhabited  by  different  nations.  Moldavia  and  Walla- 
chia  were  a  part  of  Dacia,  and  Bessarabia  of  Sarmatia.  Servia  and 
Bulgaria  were  Maesia  Sufierior  and  Inferior.     Bosnia  belonged  to 

•  The  correctness  of  the  number  of  sr(«are  miles  in  the  Turkish  dominionsj  in 
Asia  and  Africa  is  doubled. 


\ 


TURKEY  IN  EUROPE.  413 

Jilyricum;  Ramelia,  or  Romania,  constituted  Thracia  ;  and  the 
province  of  Albania,  the  whole  of  ancient  Graecia.  Of  the  subdi- 
visions of  Albania,  Macedonia  retains  its  ancient  name  ;  Albania 
Proper,  is  Efiirus  ;  Janna,  Tkessalia  ;  Livadia,  Graecia  Propria  ; 
and  the  Morea,  Pelo/ionnesus.  On  the  separation  of  the  Roman 
Empire  into  Eastern  and  Western,  Turkey  became  an  important 
part  of  the  Eastern  ;  but  it  did  not  assume  its  present  name,  till 
some  time  after  the  capture  of  Constantinople,  by  the  Turks,  in 
1453.  The  empire  is  often  called  the  Ottoman  Empire  ;  and  the 
Turkish,  less  frequently,  Ottomans,  after  their  Caliph  Othman, 
who  reigned  in  the  beginning  of  the  14th  century. 

Extent.']  The  length  of  Turkey,  from  Cape  Matapan  to  the 
northern  limit  of  Moldavia,  is  about  870  miles..  The  greatest 
breadth,  from  the  western  boundary  of  Bosnia,  to  the  Black  Sea, 
is  about  600.  The  extent  of  continental  Turkey  is  stated  in  the 
table,  taken  from  Hassel,  at  212,410  square  miles  ;  while  the  Eu- 
ropean Turkish  islands  are  estimated  at  5348. 

Boundaries.]  Bounded  N.  by  Austria  and  Russia  ;  E.  by  Rus- 
sia, the  Black  Sea,  the  Straits  of  Constantinople,  the  Sea  of  Mar- 
mora, the  Dardanelles,  and  the  Archipelago  ;  S.  by  the  Mediter- 
ranean ;  W.  by  the  same,  the  Adriatic,  Venetian  Dalmatia,  and  a 
part  of  Austrian  Croatia. 

Original  Fo/iulation.]  Herodotus  speaks  of  the  inhabitants  of 
all  the  northern  provinces,  under  the  general  name  of  Scythiansy 
now  generally  supposed  to  be  the  same  with  the  Goths.  These 
Were  the  successors  of  the  Celtae,  and  their  descendants  now  con- 
stitute the  chief  population  of  Europe.  The  earliest  Greeks  were 
called  lonesy  and  are  generally  considered  of  Scythian  origiti. 
The  Sausomatae^  or  Slavi,  at  length  encroached  upon  the  Scythi- 
ans, from  the  north,  and  the  greater  part  of  the  present  inhabitants 
of  Moldavia,fl^Vallachia,  Servia,  Bosnia,  and  Bulgaria,  are  sup- 
posed to  be  their  descendants.  Many  of  the  Wallachians  also  are 
thought  to  be  descended  from  the  Roman  colonists  in  Dacia.  The 
present  ruling  nation,  the  Turks,  are  more  recently  from  Asia. 
This  name  is  given  by  the  eastern  historians  to  the  numerous 
tribes,  which,  in  Europe,  are  called  Tartars.  The  ancient  Huns 
are  a  kindred  race  with  the  Turks.  The  date  of  tlieir  first  empire 
in  Asia,  is  the  year  1200  before  Christ.  It  included  the  whole  of 
Asiatic  Tartary,  and  was  at  length  dissolved  by  the  dissensions  of 
the  reigning  family,  and  the  victories  of  the  Chinese.  The  dis- 
persed Huns  emigrated  to  different  countries.  Part  of  them  in- 
vaded Europe,  in  the  reign  of  the  emperor  Valens,  and  founded 
an  empire,  which  lasted  till  A.  D.  468.  The  Turks,  a  branch  of 
this  anoient  nation,  were  first  heard  of  among  the  Altaian  moun- 
tains, where,  for  450  years,  they  were  subject  to  the  Georgian 
Tartars.  In  A.  D.  552  they  revolted,  and  wrested  the  empire 
from  their  master. 

The  Turkish  empire  thus  established,  extended  over  the  whole 
of  Tartary.  Its  western  limit  was  the  Palus  Maeotis.  Its  dura- 
ration  was  2 1 1  years.  The  immediate  ancestors  of  the  European 
Turks>  lived  originally  in  the  neighborhood  of  Mount  Cauca^s. 


4U  TURKEY  IN  EUROPi:. 

Leaving  their  ancient  habitations,  and  passing  the  Caspian  Straits, 
they  settled  in  Armenia  about  the  year  844.  There  they  contin- 
ued, an  unknown,  despicable  nation,  till  the  civil  wars  of  the  Sar- 
acens raised  thcni  into  notice.  In  1289  they  first  invaded  Eu* 
rope.  In  1453  they  took  Constantinople,  and  soon  after  possessed 
themselves  of  the  whole  of  European  Turkey. 

Historical  Mfioch.i.']  So  many  ancient  states  are  comprized 
■within  thc'limits  of  Turkey,  that  it  would  be  useless  to  recite  the 
various  epochs  of  their  history.  This  article  will  therefore  be 
confined  to  those  of  the  principal  nation. 

1.  The  establishment  of  an  extensive  empire  in  central  Asia, 
A.  D.  552,  among  the  Altaian  mountains,  and  its  subsequent  dis- 
solution, followed  by  the  dispersion  of  the  Turks,  about  the  year 
763. 

2.  The  cmigi-ation  of  the  Turks  into  Armenia,  in  the  year  844. 

3.  Mohammed,  Sultan  of  Persia,  calls  to  hi^  assistance  Tangro- 
lipix,  and  3000  Turks,  who  enabled  him  to  overcome  the  Sultan 
of  Babylon,  A.  t).  1030.  After  this  victory,  Mohammed,  refus- 
ing to  let  the  Turks  return,  Tangrolipix  fought  with  the  Persians, 
and  soon  made  himself  master  of  Persia  and  Babylon.  The  year 
1041  was  the  commencement  of  their  attacks  on  the  eastern  Ro- 
man Empire. 

4.  Their  permanent  settlement  in  Europe,  in  1357,  after  the 
whole  of  Asia  Minor  had  been  subdued.  In  three  years  they  took 
Adrianople. 

5.  The  capture  of  Constantinople,  and  the  complete  subversion 
of  the  Roman  Empire,  in  1453.  Athens  and  Corinth  were  taken 
in  1458,  and  the  whole  of  the  Morea  by  the  end  of  the  following 
year.     Albania  submitted  in  1467'. 

6.  The  conquest  of  Egypt,  in  1517,  and  that  of  Hungary,  in 
1540.  Before  this,  however,  the  northern  provinces  had  all  been 
subdued. 

7.  The  destruction  of  the  Turkish  maritime  power,  in  1571,  by 
the  Venetians,  at  the  battle  of  Lepanto. 

8.  The  loss  of  Hungary,  Transylvania,  Moldavia,  and  Walla- 
ohia,  in  1594. 

9.  The  peace  of  Carlowitz,  in  1698,  by  which  the  Morea  was 
given  to  Venice,  Transylvania  finally  ceded  to  Austria,  and  A- 
zof  to  Russia. 

10.  The  late  wars  with  Russia.  By  that  of  1769,  the  bounda- 
ry of  the  two  empires  was  transferred  from  the  Bog  to  the  Dnie- 
per, and  the  Crimea  finally  lost.  The  Russians  have  since  taken 
the  w^hole  of  the  country  between  the  Dnieper  and  the  Dniester, 
while  Moldavia,  Wallachia,  and  Bessarabia  have,  within  the  last 
two  years,  been  occupied  by  Russian  armies,  and  the  seat  of  war 
is  transferred  across  the  Danube. 

Antiquities.']  These  are  more  numerous,  and  more  interesting 
in  Turkey,  than  in  any  other  country  in  Europe.  They  consist 
principally  of  the  remains  of  Grecian  refinement,  the  ruins  of  an- 
cient temples,  aqueducts,  theatres,  columns,  and  arches  ;  the  bare 
enumeration  of  which  would  carry  us  beyond  our  limits.     The 


TURKEY  IN  EUROPE.  415 

cathedral  of  Sancta  Sophia,  a  rencrable  monument  of  antiquity, 
is  still  standing  within  the  city  of  Constantinople.  It  Avas  built  by 
Justinian,  in  the  6th  century,  and  serves  the  Turks  as  a  model  of 
architecture.  All  their  principal  mosques  are  built  in  close  imi- 
tation of  it. 

Religion.']  The  Mahometan  is  the  established  religion  of  Tur- 
key ;  but  at  least  two  thirds  of  the  inhabitants  are  Greek  Chris- 
tians. The  Mahometans  divide  their  religion  into  two  general 
parts,  faith  and  practice.  The  articles  of  faith  are  the  existence 
and  unity  of  God  ;  the  existence  of  angels,  devils,  and  good  and 
evil  genii  ;  the  inspiration  of  the  pentateuch,  the  Psalms,  the  Gos- 
pel, and  the  Koran  ;  the  mission  of  the  prophets,  six  of  whom, 
Adam,  Noah,  Abraham,  Moses,  Jesus,  and  Mahomet,  brought 
new  dispensations,  which  successively  abrogated  the  preceding  ; 
a  general  resurrection,  Avith  a  consequent  judgment  and  retribu- 
tion ;  and  the  absolute  predestination  both  of  good  and  evil.  The 
articles  c.f  practice  are  circumcision  ;  prayer,  at  5  stated  seasons 
of  the  day,  with  the  face  turned  towards  ISIecca  ;  alms,  legal  and 
voluntary  ;  ablutions,  fasting  throughout  the  month  Ramadan  ;  a 
pilgrimage  to  the  temple  of  Mecca.  The  Mahometan  religion 
prohibits  the  use  of  wine,  the  flesh  of  hogs,  and  the  blood  of  ani- 
mals ;  also  the  slaughter  of  dogs  and  other  domestic  animals,  ex- 
cept such  as  are  fit  for  food.  Private  revenge  is  tolerated  by  the 
express  declaration,  and  by  the  example  of  Mahomet.  Polygamy 
and  diverge  are  both  authorized  by  the  precepts  of  the  Koran. 

The  Mufti^  or  Sheik-Islam,  is  the  head  of  the  Mahometan  re- 
ligion. He  is  appointed  and  may  be  deposed  by  the  Sultan,  and 
is  tlie  second  subject  in  the  empire.  He  is  chosen  from  those 
who  have  been  Radislekers,  or  military  judges  for  Europe.  He 
resides  at  Constantinople,  and  is  the  head  of  the  Ulema,  a  body 
higlily  respected  and  powerful,  the  guardians  of  the  religion  and 
interpreters  of  the  laws.  These  possess  the  most  lucrative  em- 
ployments, are  secure  from  the  extortions  of  office,  and  cannot  be 
put  to  death  without  the  consent  of  the  Mufti  :  Avhile  their  prop- 
erty, at  their  decease,  passes  as  a  right  to  their  heirs.  The  three 
classes  of  the  Ulema  ai'e  the  muftis,  or  doctors  of  the  law  ;  the 
cadis,  or  ministers  of  justice  ;  and  the  imams,  or  ministers  of  re- 
ligion. In  the  larger  mosques  there  are  preachers  ;  readers,  whs> 
recite  the  prayers  ;  persons  who  summon  the  people  together, 
and  sextons.  In  small  parishes,  the  imam  performs  all  these  du- 
ties, and  is  sometimes  the  viUage  schoolmaster. 

The  Dervises  are  an  entirely  distinct  order  from  the  imams,  or 
priests.  There  are  two  classes  of  them.  The  Mcvelavis,  or  fol- 
lowers of  one  Mevelava,  live  in  convents,  and  are  very  numerous. 
Their  chief  monastery  is  near  Cogna,  in  Anatolia,  where  the 
chief  of  the  order  resides,  and  where  its  asscnililies  are  held.  All 
the  others  are  dependant  on  this.  They  aficct  great  modesty,  pa- 
tience, humility,  and  chastity  ;  go  bare-legged  and  open-breasted  ; 
submit  to  frequent  penances,  and  fast  every  Wednesday.  Their 
chief  religious  solemnity  is  turning  violently  round  to  the  soimd. 
of  a  flute,  till  thev  Ixccome  delirious.     Thcv  leave  their  convents 


\ 


416  TURKEY  IN  EUROPE. 

Avhcn  they  pleaac,  and  then  arc  ot  liberty  to  marry.  The  Bektw 
c/iis  have  no  fixed  habitations,  but  stroll  about  the  country.  They 
are  generally  mountebanks,  and  lay  claim  to  skill  in  mapric,  sor- 
cery, and  a  knowledge  of  future  events.  Some  attach  themselves 
to  the  pashas,  others  to  the  companies  of  janizaries. 

The  Patriarch  of  Constantinople  is  the  head  of  the  Greek 
church,  enjoys  an  ample  revenue,  and  claims  precedency  of  the 
patriarchs  of  Antioch,  Jerusalem,  and  Alexandria.  He  is  chosen 
by  the  archbishops.  The  office  is  uniformly  set  to  sale,  and  be- 
stowed on  the  highest  bidder.  The  inferior  clergy  are  bishops, 
archimandrites,  abbots,  arch-priests,  priests,  and  deacons.  The. 
Greeks  have  few  nunneries,  but  numerous  convents. 

Gove?-n7}ie7tt.']  Mahomet  himself,  like  Moses  and  Joshua,  sus- 
tained the  double  character  of  a  military  chief  and  an  inspired  le- 
gislator. His  orders  and  regulations  were  professedly  the  dic- 
tates of  inspiration.  His  successors,  the  Saracen  califs,  claimed  a 
high  sanctity  of  character,  as  descendants  of  the  Prophet,  and  as 
guardians  and  expositors  of  the  law.  The  Ottoman  emperors,  at 
the  suppression  of  the  califat,  separated  the  temporal  and  spiritu- 
al authorities.  Eager  for  military  glory,  they  resigned  into  the 
hands  of  the  theological  lawyers  the  spiritual  supremacy.  The 
power  of  this  body  of  men  was  scarcely  perceptible  under  the 
warlike  monarchs  ;  but  since  the  decline  of  the  military  spirit  of 
the  Sultans,  it  has  been  great  and  formidable,  often  in  direct  op- 
position to  the  will  of  the  sovereign,  always  in  balance  against  it. 
This,  with  the  mutinies  of  the  janizaries,  and  the  insurrections  of 
the  provincial  pachas,  is  the  only  barrier  against  despotic  power. 

The  empire  is  governed  by  a  code  of  laws,  called  7nultekat 
founded  on  the  precepts  of  the  Koran,  the  oral  laws,  usages  and 
opinions  of  the  Prophet,  and  the  sentences  and  decisions  of  the 
early  califs  and  doctor*;.  This  code  regulates  alike  religious,  civ- 
il, criminal,  political  and  military  aff'airs.  On  matters  unprovided 
for,  the  Sultan  pronoimces  as  the  good  of  the  state  demands.  The 
Sultan  is  the  sole  fountain  of  honor  and  of  office,  and  claims  to  be 
the  proprietor  of  all  the  immoveable  wealth  of  the  empire.  He 
has  the  absolute  power  of  life  and  death,  and  exercises  it  over  his 
ministers  and  governors,  with  military  severity  and  promptitude. 
The  eldest  surviving  male  of  the  imperial  family  is  always  the 
heir  to  the  crown.  The  succession  is  limited  to  the  family  of  the 
Othmanidae,  or  descendants  of  Osman  ;  and  in  case  of  failure,  to 
the  late  sovereign  family  of  Crim  Tartary,  which  is  descended 
from.  Jenghis  Khan.  The  presumptive  heirs  of  the  cix)wn  are 
kept  in  honorable  confinement,  in  a  state  of  the  most  deplorable 
ignorance,  devoted  only  to  sensual  gratifications. 

The  Sultan  usually  has  little  to  do  with  the  administration  of 
the  governments.  His  substitute,  the  Grand  Vizir,  or  Fizir  azemy 
has,  under  the  Grand  Scignor,  absolute  authority.  In  time  of 
peace,  he  regv;lates  the  internal  affairs  of  the  country  ;  in  time  of 
war  he  commands  the  armies,  and  a  lieutenant  is  appointed  fop 
the  home  administration.  lie  is  president  of  the  Divan,  or  su- 
preme council,  composed  of  the  7}mfti  ;  the  kiaya-bey,  or  lieuten- 


TURKEY  IN  EUROPE.  417 

ant  of  the  vizir  ;  the  reis-eff'endi,  or  chancellor  of  the  empire,  and 
minister  for  foreign  affairs  ;  the  teftcrdar  cffendi,  or  minister  of 
the  finances  ;  the  tchele-bi  effendi^  or  receiver  of  the  tax  on  mex-- 
chandise  ;  the  tersand-emmi^  or  minister  of  the  marine  ;  the  tchi- 
aoux-bachh  or  secretary  of  state  ;  two  ex-rns-cffvndi,  and  two  ex- 
teftcrdarsi-ffcndi.  The  captain-pacha,  or  high  admiral,  and  the 
kiaya  of  the  sultana-mother,  are  called  to  the  extraordinary  sittings 
of  the  divan.  The  oilier  officers  are  the  two  radile&ki^rs,  or  supreme 
military  judges  for  Europe  and  Asia  ;  the  istambol-cffendi^  or  judge 
of  Constantinople  ;  the  moulahp^  or  judges  of  the  large  towns  ; 
the  cadisn,  or  judges  of  the  small  towns,  and  their  substitutes,  the 
naiba. 

The  governors  of  the  provinces  are  styled  pachas.  The  Pachas 
with  three  tails  possess  absolute  power,  subordinate  only  to  that 
of  the  Sultan,  and  command  the  troops  of  their  provinces.  Those 
of  Romelia,  Anatolia,  and  Damascus,  have  the  title  oi  bexjlerbcys. 

Pofiulation.'\  Pinkerton  calculates  the  population  of  Turkey 
in  Europe  at  8,000,000  ;  while  Hassel's  estimate  is  9,822,000. 
This  last  is  derived  chiefly  from  Beaufort,  Pougneville,  and  Oli- 
vier. 

Army.']  The  Political  Journal  for  1804,  quoted  by  Hassel, 
gives  the  following  estimate  of  the  Turkish  forces. 

1,  Infantry. 

Janizaries  40,000 

Artillery  20,000 

Provincial  do.  80,000 

Frontier  troops  50,000 — 190,000 

2.  Cavalry. 

Spahis  20,000 

Provincial  cavalry   75,000 
Frontier  do.  12,000 — 107,000 


Total,         297,000 

The  Janizaries  are  a  corps  of  infantry  instituted  by  Amurat  I. 
At  first  they  were  prisoners  and  christians  ;  now  they  arc  only 
mussulmans.  They  are  scattered  and  organized  in  all  the  towns. 
The  Spahis  arc  a  more  ancient  corps,  and  constituted  at  first  the 
chief  strength  of  the  Ottoman  armies.  The  Turks  at  present  are 
indifferent  soldiers.  They  have  little  skill,  discipline,  or  subor- 
dination. 

Aat/r/.]  The  navy,  in  1806,  comprized  20  ships  of  the  line,  15 
frigates,  and  32  smaller  vessels,  carrying  2156  guns,  and  4000 
marines.  Formerly  the  gallies  of  Tripoli,  Tunis,  and  Algiers, 
would  have  been  added  to  this  list ;  but  oyer  these  the  Grand 
Seignor  has  now  no  control. 

Revenuc.~\  The  Turkish  revenue  is  divided  into  two  parts,  the 
Miri  and  the  Hame.  The  miri,  or  public  revenue,  is  raised  from 
a  land-tax,  a  tax  on  moveables,  tolls,poll-tax,  monopolies,thc  mines, 
the  mint,  a  tribute  from  the  waiwodc-s  of  Moldavia  and  Waliachia, 
and   a   provincial   tax.     Hassel   estimates   t-he  amount  of   it  ut 

VOL.    II.  «).", 


418  TURKEY  IN  EUROPE. 

30,000,000  guilders,  or  15,555,000  dollars.  The  has7iey  or  revenue 
of  the  Sultan,  arises  from  the  royal  domains,  escheats,  presents, 
and  extortions  from  the  rich  christians,  and  from  public  officers. 
It  is  impossible  to  ascertain  its  exact  amount  ;  but  it  is  known 
greatly  to  exceed  the  iniri.  The  expenses  of  the  seraglio  fall  far 
short  of  its  amount ;  and  the  excess  is  religiously  preserved  by 
the  Sultans.  The  quantity  of  treasure  thus  accumulated  is  sup- 
posed to  be  very  great. 

The  national  debt,  in  1803,  is  stated  by  the  same  author,  jat 
106,700,000  guilders,  and  the  debts  then  due  the  government,  at 
17,066,480  piasters,  or  about  15,300,000  dollars. 

The  revenue  system  in  Turkey  is  bad  in  all  its  parts.  It  is  a 
monopoly  in  the  hands  of  the  rich,  to  whose  benefit  the  produce  of 
all  the  taxation  is  appropriated.  The  destruction  of  commerce 
and  manufactures,  consequent  upon  this,  has  reduced  the  Turkish 
subjects  to  poverty.* 

Maimers  and  Customs.']  The  Turkish  houses  are  generally  of 
wood.  The  wall  is  generally  covered  with  painted  planks  and 
rather  ill  joined.  The  roofs,  in  most  parts  of  the  empire,  arc 
flat,  and  covered  with  hollow  tiles.  In  most  houses  there  are  no 
chimnies,  except  in  the  kitchen.  The  apartments  of  the  women 
are  separate  from  the  rest  of  the  house,  and  are  never  entered  by 
any  male,  except  the  master  of  the  family.  Every  room  in  a 
Turkish  house  serves  for  every  purpose,  and  the  furniture  in 
each  differs  only  in  its  quality.  The  sopha  extends  round  three  sides 
of  the  chamber,  on  a  frame  raised  a  few  inches  from  the  floor.  On 
these  are  placed  mattresses  covered  with  wool,  and  sometimes  with 
cotton.  These  are  the  only  beds  ;  and  the  bed  furniture  consists 
merely  of  a  quilted  coverlet,  a  sheet  and  a  pillow.  The  floor,  in 
winter,  is  covered  with  a  rich  carpet ;  in  summer,  with  Egyptian 
matting.  The  dinner  is  served  on  a  large  circular  tray,  of  tinned 
copper,  placed  on  a  low  stool,  at  a  corner  of  the  sofa  ;  the  chil- 
dren sitting  on  cushions  spread  upon  the  floor.  The  dishes  arc 
brought  singly,  and  succeed  each  other  very  rapidly.  A  long  nap- 
kin is  spread  over  the  knees,  instead  of  a  table-cloth.  The  fingers 
perform  their  original  office,  and  wholly  supersede  the  use  of 
knives  and  forks  ;  even  plates  are  considered  as  prohibited.  The 
turban  of  the  men  is  of  white  muslin,  and  is  heavy,  thick,  and  un- 
healthy. The  women  instead  of  it,  wear  a  bonnet,  like  an  invert- 
ed basket,  formed  of  pasteboard,  and  covered  with  cloth  of  gold. 
In  other  respects  the  dress  of  both  sexes  is  nearly  similar.  The 
shirt  is  of  calico.  The  robe  is  of  fine  broadcloth,  and  generally 
embroidered.  A  muslin  or  silk  sash  is  always  worn  round  the 
waist.  The  breeches  are  large  and  full,  fastened  at  the  knee,  and 
hanging  down  in  a  fold  nearly  to  the  middle  of  the  leg.  The 
shoes  are  slight  and  unfit  for  service.  Marriage  in  Turkey  is 
merely  a  civil  contract.  The  parties  rarely  see  each  other  before 
its  celebration.  Every  mussulman  is  permitted  by  law  to  have 
four  wives,  and  as  many  concubines  as  he  pleases.     Divorces  sel- 

*  Laftwlon.. 


TURKEY  IN  EUROPE.  in 

dom  occur,  except  for  sterility  ;  adultery  being  usually  followed 
by  the  death  of  both  offenders,  inflicted  by  the  husband.  The  con- 
cubines are  usually  slaves,  purchased  in  the  market.  The  mor- 
als of  the  Turks  ai-e  loose  in  the  extreme,  and  lewdness,  in  its 
■worst  forms,  is  common  throughout  Turkey.  Both  sexes  are  dis- 
tinguished for  cleanliness,  and  bathing  is  one  of  their  stated 
amusements.  The  public  baths  are  elegant  and  noble.  The 
Turks  are  fond  of  conversation,  story-telling,  dramatic  exhibi- 
tions, dancing  and  gladiatorial  shows.  Most  of  their  time,  how- 
ever, is  spent  in  smoking  and  chewing  opium,  and  in  the  indul- 
gence of  the  revei'ie  which  they  occasion.  The  miserable  ten- 
ants of  the  haram  resort  also  to  these,  as  anmscments,  Avhen  tired 
of  their  embroidery,  iheir  singing,  dancing,  and  music.  Games 
of  chance  are  forbidden  by  the  Koran,  but  chess  and  draughts  are 
universally  played.  The  period  of  mourning  is  very  short,  and 
the  corpse  is  buried  on  the  day  of  decease.  The  burying  grounds 
are  without  the  cities,  usually  by  the  road  side.  Slalis  of  marble, 
or  coarse  stone,  are  placed  at  the  extremities  of  the  grave,  with 
an  inscription  and  a  turban,  carved  in  stone,  on  the  tombs  of  the 
males.     Over  every  new  grave  a  cypress  is  planted. 

The  Turks  have  confidence  in  amulets  and  charms,  and  arc  su- 
perstitious observers  of  omens  and  dreams,  though  they  are  not 
countenanced  in  these  delusions  by  the  Koran.  They  believe  it 
unlawful  to  paint  or  carve  any  parts  of  the  human  body,  except 
the  hands  and  feet  of  Mahomet,  and  they  firmly  believe  that  an- 
gels can  enter  no  house  where  there  are  pictures  of  men.  Paint- 
ing and  sculpture  are  of  course  in  a  great  measure  neglected. 
The  mussulmans  are  courteous  and  humane  in  their  conduct  to 
each  other,  but  they  refuse  to  unbelievers  the  salutation  cf  peace. 
The  external  modes  of  good  breeding  among  the  Turks  differ  en- 
tirely from  those  established  in  the  other  countries  of  Europe. 
The  uncovering  of  the  head,  with  us  an  act  of  reverence,  is  not 
only  ridiculed  by  them,  but  considered  as  indecent  and  impropei-. 
Their  usual  form  of  salutation  is  natural  and  graceful.  In  greet- 
ing an  equal,  they  put  the  hand  on  the  heart  ;  in  addressing  a  su- 
perior, they  apply  the  I'ight  hand  first  to  the  mouth,  and  then  to 
the  forehead.  In  many  I'espccts  the  Turkish  customs  are  a  strik- 
ing contrast  to  our  own.  Their  robes  are  large  and  loose,  en- 
tirely concealing  the  form  of  the  body.  They  reverence  the  beard, 
and  permit  it  to  grow  to  an  extravagant  length.  In  performing  their 
devotions,  or  on  entering  a  dwelling,  they  take  off'  their  shoes.  In 
inviting  a  person  to  approach  them,  they  use  what  with  us  is  con- 
-sidered  as  a  repulsive  motion  of  the  hand.  In  writing,  they  trace 
their  lines  from  right  to  left.  The  master  of  a  house  does  the 
honors  of  his  table  by  serving  himself  first  from  the  dish  ;  he 
drinks  without  noticing  the  company,  and  they  wish  him  health 
when  he  has  finished  his  draught.  They  lie  down  in  their  clothes. 
The  Turks  exhibit  but  few  marks  of  taste  in  their  buildings. 
Their  cities  are  not  adorned  with  public  monuments.  Their  tem- 
ples, baths,  fountains,   sepulchral   monunicuts.,   and  other  works 


42*  TURKEY  IN  EUROPE. 

connected  with  their  religion,  are  their  only  ornamented  structures. 
Upon  bridges  arid  aqueducts  they  bestow  no  ornament. 

The  Greeks  arc  gay,  witty,  and  cunning.  Those  on  the  coast 
carry  on  almost  all  the  navigation  of  the  empire.  Those  in  the 
interior  pursue  agriculture  with  a  degree  of  spirit  and  intelligence. 
The  rich  are  well  informed,  supple  and  intriguing.  They  are 
generallv  superstitious,  timid,  and  exact  observers  of  holidays. 
Their  priests  are  numerous.  The  superior  clergy  arc  well  edu- 
cated and  rich  ;  the  inferior  are  poor  and  ignorant. 

The  Armenians  arc  all  tradesmen,  and  arc  the  most  intelligent 
of  the  profession  in  Turkey.  They  travel  into  the  interior  of  Asia 
and  India,  and  are  patient,  economical,  and  indefatigable.  They 
are  at  the  same  time  ignorant  and  superstitious. 

Language.']  The  Turkish  language  originally  was  far  from 
being  copious,  and  a  great  proportion  of  its  words  is  derived  from 
other  oriental  dialects.  The  arrangement  of  the  words  is  re- 
markably inverted.  Their  expression  is  soft  and  musical,  and  the 
language  is  well  fitted  for  colloquial  purposes  ;  but  it  is  not  char- 
acterized by  elegance  or  force.  It  is  defective  in  terms  of  art, 
and  expresses  philosophical  ideas  imperfectly.  The  characters 
are  fundamentally  the  same  with  the  Arabic  and  Persic.  They 
are  28  in  number  ;  but  the  number  of  distinct  sounds  is  36.  A 
distinguished  critic,  comparing  the  three  western  languages  of 
Asia,  speaks  of  the  Persian  as  excelling  in  sweetness  and  melo- 
dy ;  the  Arabic  in  copiousness  and  strength,  and  the  Turkish  in 
gravity  and  dignity.  The  first  is  the  language  of  love,  the  sec- 
ond of  eloquence  and  heroism,  the  last  of  narration  and  instruc- 
tion. 

Literature.']  The  Turkish  poetry  is  entirely  oriental  in  its 
character,  and  has  the  same  boldness  of  personification,  the  same 
extravagance  of  hyperbole,  the  same  minuteness  of  allegory,  and 
generally  the  same  luxuriance  of  imagery,  with  the  Arabic  and 
the  Persian.  t  he  Turks  have  many  historians,  but  the  ignorance 
they  discover  of  geography  and  chronology,  renders  their  works 
of  little  value.  Astrology  is  still  cultivated  with  the  utmost  assi- 
duity. The  chief  of  the  astrologers  is  an  officer  of  the  seraglio, 
and  is  consulted  on  every  subject  which  relates  to  the  health  or 
safety  of  the  Suitan  ;  and  it  is  even  considered  essential  to  the 
public  warfare  that  he  should  determine  the  precise  instant  when 
any  important  public  business  is  to  be  undertaken,  such  as  the 
march  of  an  army,  the  sailing  of  a  fleet,  the  launching  of  a  ship  of 
Avar,  and  especially  the  appointment  of  a  grand  vizir. 

The  mode  of  education  among  the  Turks  is  completely  in  the 
ancient  style.  They  study  the  logic,  philosophy,  and  metaphys- 
ics of  the  dark  ages.  They  are  ignorant  of  the  modern  improve- 
ments in  chemistry,  agriculture,  and  natural  philosophy.  The 
telescope,  microscope,  and  electrical  machine  are  unknown,  as 
to  their  real  uses,  and  even  the  compass  is  not  universally  em- 
ployed. They  have  no  principles  or  theory,  and  their  practice  is 
a  servile  imitation.  Their  knowledge  of  geography  is  limited  to 
their  empire.     Men  in  high  ofixce  are  frequently  ignorant  of  the 


TURKEY  IN  EUROPE.  ^21 

relative  situation  of  their  neighbors.  In  astronomy,  they  barely 
know  how  to  calculate  eclipses,  with  a  moderate  degree  of  accu- 
racy. Medicine  is  still  considered  as  a  species  of  sorccrv.  Their 
surgery  is  rude  from  want  of  science,  of  skill,  and  of  instruments. 
In  the  management  of  their  small  coasting  vessels,  they  are  by  no 
means  inexpert.  This  however  is  done  chiefly  by  the  Greeks. 
They  have  no  idea  of  physics  or  natural  history.  Few  of  the 
I'urks  can  read  or  write.  Those  who  study,  apply  themselves 
chit-fly  to  poetry,  and  the  Arabic  and  Persian  languages,  while 
the  doctors  of  the  law  are  well  read  in  the  Koran,  and  the  imperi- 
al constitutions.  They  reckon  time  by  lunar  revolutions,  and  the 
hours  of  prayer  are  regulated  by  the  rising  and  setting  of  the  sun. 
The  civil  day  begins  at  sunset.  Sculpture  in  wood  and  in  stucco, 
and  the  e-igraving  of  inscriptions  on  monuments  and  seals,  are  per- 
formed with  neatness  and  precision.  Their  paintings  have  little 
merit  in  design  or  execution. 

Cities  and  Towns.^  Constantino/ile,  called  by  the  Turks  Stam- 
Sol,  or  Istambol^  was  built  on  the  ruins  of  the  ancient  Byzantium, 
by  Constantine  the  Great.  Eusebius  says  this  latter  city  was 
founded  in  the  third  year  of  the  30th  Olympiad,  during  the  reign 
of  Tullus  Hostilius  ;  while  Diodorus  Siculus  asserts  th?.t  its 
fofindations  were  laid  by  one  Byzas,  about  1263  years  before 
Christ.  In  330,  it  received  its  present  name  from  Constantine, 
who,  at  the  same  time,  made  it  the  seat  of  the  Roman  empire,  and 
in  1453  was  taken  by  the  Turks,  under  Mahomet  II.  after  a  siege 
of  53  days.  It  stands  at  the  mouth  of  the  Thracian  Bosphorus. 
The  Sea  of  Marmora  lies  on  the  S.  \V.  the  Bosphorus  on  the  S. 
E.  the  Harbor,  anciently  the  Gulf  of  Ccras,  on  the  E.  and  a  wall 
separating  it  from  the  adjoining  country  on  the  N.  W.  The 
southeastern  side  is  so  short  as  scarcely  to  prevent  the  town-plat 
from  presenting  the  appearance  of  a  triangle.  The  houses  rise 
gradually  from  the  shore,  like  the  seats  of  an  amphitheatre.  Most 
«f  them  are  meanly  built  of  earth  and  wood,  and  none  exceed  two 
stories  in  height.  The  streets  are  long,  narrow,  dirty,  and  badly- 
paved.  Many  of  the  public  buildings,  as  the  palaces,  the  mosques, 
bagnios,  bazars,  and  caravanseras,  are  magnificent.  The  seraglio 
occupies  the  S.  E.  part  of  the  city,  and  is  supposed  to  cover  the 
whole  of  the  site  of  the  ancient  Byzantium,  and  to  contain  10,000 
inhabitants.  A  wall,  36  feet  high,  separates  it  from  the  rest  of 
the  city,  with  which  it  has  communication  by  9  gates.  It  is  above 
€r  miles  in  circumference,  including  the  gardens,  and  is  an  assem- 
blage of  palaces  and  apartments,  placed  by  the  side  of  each  other, 
without  symmetry  or  order.  The  Harem  is  that  part  of  the  se- 
raglio appropriated  to  the  females  of  the  imperial  family.  The 
Mosque  of  St.  Sophia  fronts  the  great  gate  of  the  seraglio,  and, 
in  some  respects,  exceeds  the  church  of  St.  Peter,  at  Rome,  in 
grandeur  and  in  beauty  of  architecture.  This  and  the  six  other 
imperial  mosques  have  religious,  literary  and  charitable  founda- 
tions annexed  to  them.  The  Greeks  have  22  churches,  bcsidcjj 
the  patriarchal  church  ;  the  Armenians  have  an  archbishop  and 
3.chui-ches  ;  the  Roman  Catholics  have  6  Qonvcnts,  and  the  Jcv.5 


422  TURKEY  IN  EUROPE. 

several  synagogues.  There  ia  also  a  Swedish  Lutheran  church. 
There  are  in  Constantinople  518  seminaries  of  learning,  1250 
schools,  and  35  public  libraries,  some  of  Avbich  contain  15,000 
volumes.  Hassel  states  the  number  of  houses  to  be  88,185  ;  and, 
following  Eaton,  estimates  the  number  of  inhabitants  at  300,000. 
Olivier  says  the  population  exceeds  500,000.  Probably  the  cal- 
culation of  Dalloway  is  more  correct  than  these.  He  says  that 
there  are  200,000  Turks,  100,000  Greeks,  and  100,000  Jews,  Ar- 
menians, and  Europeans.  The  city  has  suffered  often  and  se- 
verely by  the  plague  and  by  fires.  The  trade  of  the  city  is  chieily 
in  the  hands  of  the  Jews,  Armenians,  and  Greeks  ;  and  the  navi- 
gation is  carried  on  by  Europeans,  who  are  all  confounded  under 
the  general  name  of  Franks.  Besides  silk,  cotton,  wool,  flax, 
drugs,  coifee,  sugar,  wax,  honey,  fruits,  hides,  and  tobacco,  Con- 
stantinople exports  its  own  printed  muslins,  the  satins,  silk  stuffs 
and  velvets  of  Brusa  and  Aleppo,  the  serges  and  camelots  of  An- 
gora, the  crapes  and  gauzes  of  Salonica,  the  sword-blades  of  Da- 
mascus, and  the  carpets  of  Smyrna.  The  harbor  is  capable  of 
holding  1200  ships.  Its  length  is  upwards  of  3^  miles  ;  its 
breadth  varies  from  2000  to  3000  feet  ;  and  its  depth  is  every 
■where  sufficient  for  the  largest  ships.  On  the  east  side  cf  the 
mouth  of  the  harbor  is  Galita,  a  suburb,  inhabited  by  merchants  ; 
and  east  of  this  lies  Pera,  where  the  foreign  ambassadors  reside. 
Scutari  is  another  very  large  suburb,  opposite  the  seraglio,  on  the 
coast  of  Asia. 

P/nVzyz/n',  orPhilippopoli,  on  the  river  Maritz,  was  founded  by 
Philip  of  Macedon.  This  city  is  famous  for  two  battles  fought  in 
its  neighborhood,  between  Augustus  and  Brutus.  To  the  inhab- 
itants of  this  city,  and  of  Philippi,  St.  Paul  addressed  one  of  his 
epistles.  The  town  is  meanly  built,  without  fortifications,  or  one 
good  street  ;  the  situation  being  so  low  and  moist  that  the  mud  is 
sometimes  two  feet  deep,  and  stones,  like  posts,  are  set  up  to  fa- 
cilitate the  progress  of  foot  passengers.  The  number  of  houses 
in  1790  was,  according  to  Hassel,  26,000  ;  and  the  number  of  in- 
habitants 120,000.     Lat.  42  22,  N. 

jidrianople^  called  Edrene  by  the  Turks,  stands  also  on  the  Ma- 
ritz, at  the  confluence  of  the  Tunsa  and  the  Harda,  and  rises  gently 
on  the  side  of  a  small  hill.  It  is  of  a  circular  form,  and  is  sur- 
rounded by  decayed  walls  and  towers,  which  do  not  deserve  the 
name  of  a  fortification.  Some  of  the  houses  are  of  brick  ;  gen- 
erally they  are  of  mud  and  clay,  'ihe  streets  are  dirty  and  nar- 
row. 'I'he  bazar,  or  market-place,  is  an  arched  building,  about 
half  a  mile  long,  with  six  gates,  and  a  great  number  of  sltops. 
There  are  four  mosques.  The  imperial  seraglio  stands  upon  a 
plain,  near  the  Tunsa.  The  number  of  inhabitants  is  about 
100,000,  and  the  commerce  is  very  extensive.  It  is  the  see  of  the 
Greek  archbisl^op,  and  often  the  residence  of  the  Grand  Siguier 
during  the  plague.     N.  lat.  41  41,  E.  Ion.  26  27. 

Salonika  at  first  called  Therma.  and  afterwards  Thessalonka,  by 
Cassander,  son-in-law  of  Philip  of  Macedon,  stands  at  the  head  of 
an  extensive  gulf,  called  the  Gulf  of  Salonica,  in  Macedonia,  in 


TtlRKEY  IN  EUROPE.  42S 

the  N.  W.  comer  of  the  Archipelago.  Here  are  churches,  pillars, 
and  triumphal  arches,  and  many  other  splendid  remains  of  ancient 
architecture.  St.  Paul  addressed  two  of  his  epistles  to  the  ancient 
Thessalonians.  The  number  of  inhabitants  is  62,000.  This  town 
has  always  been  distinguished  for  its  commerce. 

Serai,  Serajo,  or  Bosna ;  Serajo,  the  capital  of  Bosnia,  is  built 
on  the  river  Bosna,  a  tributary  of  tlie  Save.  It  is  large,  rich,  and 
commercial,  and  contains  12,000  houses,  and  4-8,000  inhabitants, 

So/i/iia,  the  capital  of  Bulgaria,  was  built  by  the  emperor  Jus- 
tinian, on  the  ruins  of  the  ancient  Sardica.  It  is  the  see  of  a 
Greek  archbishop.  The  town  is  commercial,  and  well  built,  but 
without  walls,  and  the  streets  are  narrow,  uneven,  and  dirty. 
Houses  8000  ;  inhabitants  46,000. 

Bucfmrestf  the  capital  of  Wallachia,  stands  upon  the  Dembro- 
vitz,  a  tributary  of  the  Danube.  The  streets  are  paved  transverse- 
ly, with  planks  of  y/ood,  badly  fastened,  and  much  decayed.  Here 
is  a  singular  number  of  churches  and  convents.  Population, 
42,000. 

jBe/grade,  jilba  Graccorum,  the  capital  of  Servia,  stands  on  a 
side  hill,  at  the  conflux  of  the  Save  with  the  Danube.  The  sub- 
urbs are  extensive,  and  it  is  a  great  resort  of  merchants  from 
many  different  nations.  The  chief  trading  streets  are  covered 
with  "wood,  as  a  shelter  from  tho  rain  and  sun.  The  Armenians 
and  Jews  are  employed  as  factors.  The  adjoining  country  affoi'ds 
fine  timber  for  ship-building.  Population  30,000.  The  fortifica- 
tions of  Belgrade,  formerly  very  strong,  were  demolished  in  1739. 

Janna,  or  Yanina,  in  Thessaly,  is  situated  on  a  lake  which  com- 
municates with  the  river  Pencus.  It  is  a  considerable  town,  and 
the  see  of  a  Greek  bishop.     Population  30,000. 

Ibmil,  in  Wallachia,  stands  upon  the  Danube,  a  little  above  the 
mouth  of  the  Sereth,and  contains  30,000  inhabitants. 

Seres,  or  Serrae,  in  Macedonia,  36  miles  E.  N.  E.  of  Salonica, 
is  the  see  of  a  Greek  archbishop,  and  contains  30,000  inhabitants. 

Sistove,  in  Bulgaria,  on  the  Danube,  contains  4000  houses  and 
21,000  inhabitants. 

Widdin,  also  in  Bulgaria,  is  the  see  of  a  Greek  archbishop,  and 
contains  20,000  inhabitants. 

Larism,  in  Thessaly,  a  city  of  veiy  remote  antiquity,  stands  up- 
on the  river  Peneus,  at  no  great  distance  from  the  celebrated 
Olympus.     Its  present  population  is  20,000. 

Scutari,  or  Iscodar,  in  Albania,  stands  on  a  small  lake,  which  i{5 
conducted  to  the  Adriatic.  It  is  the  residence  of  a  Greek  arch- 
bishop, and  contains  20,000  inhabitants. 

Mcofioli,  in  Bulgaria,  on  the  Danube,  is  the  see  of  a  Greek 
bishop,  and  contains  a  populaticn  of  20,000. 

Bender,  in  Bessarabia,  on  the  Dniester,  is  the  celebrated  re- 
treat of  Charles  XII.  of  Sweden,  when  he  put  hiaiself  under  the 
protection  of  the  Turks.     Population  20,000. 

jikerman,  in  Bessarabia,  at  the  mouth  of  the  Dniester,  has  an 
equal  population. 

Choctim,  or  Choczim,  in  Moldavia,  on  the  Dniester,  at  the  nor- 


^ 


424  TURKEY  IN  EUROPE. 

thcrn  extremity  of  the  empire,  is  noted  for  two  victories  gained 
by  the  Poles  over  the  Turks,  in  the  17th  century.  Population, 
20,000. 

Of  the  remaining  towns,  little  more  can  be  mentioned  than  their 
names  and  population.  In  Wallachia,  Giurgewo,  or  Georgetown, 
contains  18,000;  in  RumeIia,Gallipoli,  1 7,000,  and  Irajanople  15, 
000  ;  in  Macedonia,  Achrida,  16,000,  and  Vodina,  12,000  ;  in  Bos- 
nia, Banjaluka,  15,000,  Mostar,  18,000,  Trawnik,  12,000,  and  Zwor- 
nik,  14,000;  in  Moldavia,  Jassy,  15,000;  in  Bessarabia,  Ismail, 
10,000;  in  the  Morea,  Tripolizza,  12,000;  in  Albania,  Paramith- 
ia,  15,000;  in  Bulgaria,  Ruschiuk,  30,000,  Schumla,  12,000  ;  and 
■  Warna,  16,000;  and  in  Servia,  Semendria,  10,000, 

Jlthinia,  or  Setines,  the  ancient  Athenae^  is  the  see  of  a  Greek 
archbishop,  with  a  revenue  of  jC  1,000  sterling,  and  is  inhabited  al- 
most exclusively  by  Greeks.  It  stands  on  the  N.  E,  coast  of  the 
gulf  of  Engia,  with  a  safe  and  large  harbor,  narrow  at  the  en- 
trance, and  commanded  by  the  citadel.  Silk,  wax,  wool,  and  oil, 
are  the  chief  exports.  The  Athnians  arc  still  distinguished  by 
the  subtlety  and  acuteness  of  their  understandings,  and  are  more 
polished  in  their  manners  and  conversation  than  their  neighbors. 
The  population  is  12,000  souis.  The  houses  are  mostly  mean  and 
straggling,  Avith  many  large  areas,  or  courts,  before  them.  I'he 
Greeks  have  numerous  convents  and  churches.  The  monuments 
of  ancient  art  remaining  in  this  city,  are  probably  unrivalled  in 
their  magnificence. 

IMistria,  the  ancient  Sparta,  stands  upon  the  Eurotas,  and  is  de- 
fended by  a  strong  castle. 

The  Greeks  have  numerous  churches,  one  called  the  Perileptos, 
distinguished  for  its  beauty.  The  Jews  have  their  synagogue^ 
and  the  Turks  a  superb  mosque.  It  is  the  residence  of  a  Greek 
archbishop.     Population,  12,000. 

£/2/iesusy  called  by  the  Turks  Aij  as  aluke^  was  anciently  the 
chief  metropolis  of  Lydian  Asia,  and  the  seat  of  a  Roman  Procon- 
sul. It  is  distant  from  Smyrna  to  the  S.  E.  about  46  miles,  and  is 
situated  on  a  plain  south  of  the  river  Caystre.  The  plain  is  en- 
compassed by  a  zone  of  hills,  leaving  a  communication  between 
the  city  aiid  the  sea.  Ephesus  was  once  a  very  considerable  and 
•wealthy  place,  and  has  been  the  scene  of  mvich  I'obbery  and  blood- 
shed. In  the  3d  century,  it  Avas  plundered  by  the  Persians,  and 
the  Scythians  ravaged  it  sometime  afterwards.  The  temple  of 
Diana  was  plundered  and  destroyed  by  Constantine,  in  conse- 
quence of  his  edict  to  destroy  all  the  heathen  temples.  Its  con- 
sideration and  wealth  exposed  it  to  the  ravages  of  the  Mahometan 
princes,  and  Tamerlane,  after  the  battle  of  Angora,  spent  a  month 
in  plundering  the  city  and  its  neighborhood,  carrying  aAvay  its  gold, 
silver,  and  jewels,  and  even  the  clothes  of  the  inhabitants.  It  con- 
tinued to  be  ravaged  and  destroyed  until  Manomct  I.  obtained  pos- 
session of  it.  Since  this  event,  it  has  been  under  the  quiet  domin- 
ion of  tlie  Turks.  It  is  now  known  neither  as  a  place  for  trade, 
nor  as  a  magnificent  city,  but  is  distinguished  only  by  its  ruins. 
The  temple,  which  on  account  of  its  magnificence  and  gigantic 


TURKEY  IN  EUROPE.  4.25 

size,  ^vas  formerly  ranked  among  the  wonders  of  the  world,  was 
erected  at  the  expense  of  several  of  the  wealthiest  cities  of  Asia. 
Pliny  says  it  was  425  feet  long,  and  220  feet  in  breadth.  Its  vault- 
ed roofs  and  lofty  porticoes,  were  supported  by  127  pillars,  each  60 
feet  high.  '  After  this  was  destroyed  by  Ilerostratus,  the  Ephe- 
sians  sold  the  remains,  and  erected  another  of  superior  magnitude 
and  beauty.  The  stones  which  composed  the  building  are  of  im- 
mense size,  cut  out  from  movmtains  in  the  vicinity.  The  ruins  of 
this  magnificent  temple  are  scattered  through  a  considerable  ex- 
tent of  country.  Five  and  twenty  miserable  Turkish  hovels  con- 
stitute the  whole  of  modern  Ephesus.  Its  population  is  about  300. 
The  country  around  is  fertile  and  pleasant.  Wheat  and  barley 
grow  here  plentifully. 

Travelling.  ]  The  high  roads  are  rarely  travelled  by  individu- 
als, except  on  business.  The  Turkish  caravans,  both  in  Europe 
and  Asia  are  composed  of  horses  and  camels  ;  and  merchandise 
is  transported  by  these  conveyances  from  the  Hungarian  frontiers 
to  the  Persian  Gulf.  Wheel  carriages  are  not  unknown,  but  are 
little  used,  from  their  not  being  adapted  to  the  nature  of  the  coun- 
try. The  Tartars  are  public  couriers,  much  respected  for  their 
good  conduct  and  fidelity.  They  are  strong  and  hardy,  and  per- 
form their  journies  with  remarkable  celerity.  As  there  is  no 
such  thing  as  a  general  post,  a  certain  number  of  these  Tartars 
are  attached  to  the  court,  to  the  army,  and  to  the  governora  of 
provinces,  and  are  occasionally  dispatched  to  all  parts  of  the  em- 
pire. 

Manufactures  and  Commerce.']  The  Turkey  carpets  have  long 
been  distinguished  for  their  beauty  ;  as  have  the  printed  muslins 
of  Constantinople,  and  the  crapes  and  gauzes  of  Salonica.  The 
brass  cannon  of  the  Turks  are  admired,  and  their  musket  and  pis- 
tol barrels,  and  sword -blades,  are  held  in  great  estimation  by  for- 
eigners. Morocco  leather  is  manufactured  in  large  quantities, 
and  of  the  best  quality,  in  Gallipoli  and  the  Dardanelles.  The 
commerce  of  Turkey  is  very  far  from  being  in  a  flourishing 
state.  The  oppression  of  public  officers,  the  venality  of  tribunals, 
and  the  general  want  of  common  honesty,  inspii'c  an  universal 
distrust,  and  render  commercial  risks  extremely  precarious.  The 
effect  of  this  state  of  things,  is  to  raise  the  interest  of  money,  and 
the  price  of  goods,  to  an  exorbitant  height.  Conmioniy  money 
cannot  be  borroAved,  nor  goods  purchased  on  credit,  without  a 
pledge  aoove  their  value.  The  interest  of  money  lent  to  Euro- 
peans is  from  8  to  10  per  cent.  ;  to  Jews,  Armenians,  and  Greeks, 
from  15  to  20  ;  to  private  Turks,  from  25  to  3'.'  ;  and  to  Turks 
who  belong  to  the  government,  from  40  to  50.  Turkey  depends 
upon  no  foreign  country  for  subsistence.  The  corn  countries,  in 
spite  of  the  impolitic  restrictions  of  the  government,  besides  pour- 
ing plenty  over  the  empire,  secretly  export  their  superfluities  to 
foreign  countries.  Their  corn,  their  maize,  and  their  rice,  are  all 
of  superior  quality  ;  their  wine  and  oil,  though  deprived  of  half 
their  excellence  by  the  unskilfulness  and  negligence  of  prepara- 
tion, are  suificient,  not  only  for  the  demands  of  an  extensive  home 

VOL.   u.  54 


42G  TURKEY  IN  EUROPE. 

consumption,  but  for  the  supply  of  several  foreign  markets.  Their 
wool,  camel's  hair,  goat's  hair,  cotton,  buffaloe's  hides  and  tongues, 
hares'  skins,  morocco  leather,  silk,  flax,  coffee,  sugar,  honey,  to- 
bacco, wax,  box,  copper,  hart's-horn,  furs,  horse-hair,  nutgalls, 
currants,  figs,  saffron,  drugs,  and  Parian  marble,  are  distributed 
over  both  continents. 


CHAPTER  II. 


NATURAL  GEOGRAPHY. 

CLIMATK  AND  SEASONS,  RIVERS,  GULFS,  STRAITS,  ISTHMUS,  MOUN- 
TAINS, FORKSTS,  BOTANY,  ZOOLOGY,  MINERALOGY,  NATURAL  CU- 
RIOSITIES. 

Climate  and  Seasofis.']  THE  climate  of  Turkey  is  gener- 
ally mild,  the  air  pure,  and  the  seasons  regular.  Indian  corn  and 
the  vine  flourish  even  in  Moldavia  and  Wallachia  ;  and  rice  and 
the  olive,  tog|ether  with  these,  in  the  more  southei'n  regions.  The 
country  is  rather  mountainous.  Rumelia,  however,  is  chiefly  a 
plain  counti'y,  and  many  plains  and  vallies  are  found  in  the  other 
provinces.  The  sotl  is  almost  universally  fertile,  yielding  vast 
quantities  of  excellent  grjun,  particularly  wheat,  barley,  Indian 
corn,  and  rice.  The  characteristical  indolence  of  the  Turks  suf- 
fers extensive  tracts  of  fine  land  to  lie  in  an  uncultivated  state. 

Rivers^']  The  Danube  has  already  been  mentioned  as  in  part  a 
Turkish  stream.  The  Save  also  separates  Slavonia  from  Bosnia. 
The  most  considerable  tributary  of  the  Danube  from  Turkey,  is 
the  Morava,  the  ancient  Margus,  which  rises  from  many  sources 
in  Mount  Haemus,  and,  running  through  Servia,  falls  into  it  a  lit- 
tle below  Semendria,  after  a  course  of  200  miles.  The  Esker 
runs  120  miles,  and  falls  into  it  above  Nicopoli. 

The  Maritz,  the  ancient  Hebr^is^  rises  in  a  more  eastern  part  of 
the  same  mountains,  near  Bagni,  and  running  S.  E.  and  afterwards 
S.  W.  falls  into  the  Archipelago,  after  a  course  of  about  300  miles. 

'I'he  Vardari,  formerly  the  Jxiue,  issues  fi'om  the  western  part 
of  the  same  range,  called  Mount  Argentaro,  and  pursues  a  south- 
easterly course  of  more  than  200  miles,  to  the  Gulf  of  Salonica. 

The  i)n«  pursues  a  winding  course  of  about  120  miles,  and 
empties  into  the  Gulf  of  Drin,  in  the  Adriatic.  Another  Drin  of 
similar  size  falls  into  the  Save,  at  Ratsha. 

Gulfs.\  The  Gulf  of  Lepanto,  Sinus  Corinthiacus,  sets  up  east- 
ward, about  120  miles  from  the  Ionian  sea,  separating  the  Morea 
from  Livadia.  It  is  every  where  narrow,  though  wider  near  its 
head,  than  near  its  mouth. 

The  Gulf  ofEngia,  Sinus  Saronicus^  on  the  opposite  side  of  the 
isthmus  of  Corinth,  extends  from  S.  E.  to  N.  W.  about  60  miles, 
and  is  25  miles  wide  at  the  mouth.  A  little  farther  south  is  the 
Gulf  of  Napoli,  Sinus  ArgolicuSi  lying  in  tlie  same;  direction,  and 
nearly  of  the  same  extent. 


■'0^ 


TURKEY  IN  EUROPE.  437 

The  Gulf  of  Salonica,  Sinus  Thermaicus,  and  Macedonicuat  is 
the  N.  W.  termination  of  the  Archipelago.  It  is  about  120  miles 
long,  and  30  wide.  Pelion^  Ossa,  and  Olympus,  !ie  near  its  west- 
ern coast,  and  the  Pcneus^  the  Haliacinon^  the  Erigoiiy  the  ^xiunf 
and  the  Kchidorus,  contribute  to  its  waters. 

Straits.']  The  Dardanelles,  and  the  Straits  of  Constantinople, 
have  formerly  been  described.  The  channel  of  Negropont  sep- 
arates that  island  from  the  coasts  of  Attica,  Boeotia,  Phocis,  and 
Thessaly.  Its  whole  length  is  not  less  than  130  miles.  lis  great- 
est breadth  is  about  15  miles,  while  that  of  the  narrowest  pan, 
near  the  town  of  Negropont,  called  the  Eui'ipus,  scarcely  exceeds 
the  breadth  of  a  galley. 

Isthmus.']  'I'he  isthmus  of  Corinth  separates  the  Gulfs  of  Le- 
panto  and  Engia,  and  connects  the  Morea  with  Livadia.  This 
was  the  scene  of  the  celebrated  Isthmian  Games,  which  began  B. 
C.  1326.  The  length  of  the  isthmus  is  25  miles,  and  its  breadth 
14  miles. 

Mountains.]  The  chains  of  mountains  arc  numerous  and  ex- 
tensive. To  the  W.  of  Moldavia  and  the  Buckovine,  runs  N.  and 
N.  W.  for  about  200  miles,  part  of  the  grand  Carpathian  chain, 
anciently  called  the  Bastarnic  Alps.  The  most  southern  branch 
of  this  grand  chain,  tending  S.  W.  for  more  than  200  miles,  forms 
the  N.  and  W.  boundary  of  Wallachia. 

On  the  S.  of  the  Danube  appears  the  grand  range  of  the  Hae- 
mus,  which  Ptolemy  represents  as  running  from  the  S.  W.  to  the 
N.  E.  while  modern  observations  indicate  the  opposite  direction  ; 
but  the  recent  maps  of  these  regions  are  still  very  imperfect. 
However  this  be,  the  chain  of  the  Haemusis  deservedly  celebrated 
by  the  ancients,  being  of  great  elevation  and  extent,  as  appears 
from  the  numerous  and  large  rivers  which  issue  from  its  sides. 
This  mountainous  tract  extends  more  than  400  miles,  and  is  now 
known  under  various  names,  as  Emineh,  or  Hemineh  Dag,  on  the 
east ;  Bulkan  and  Samoco  in  the  middle  ;  Ivan  on  the  west ; 
while  the  Despoto  Dag  branches  off  to  the  S.  E.  and  may,  per- 
haps, be  the  Rhodope  of  the  ancients. 

From  the  western  extremity  of  the  Hscmus  seem  to  branch  off 
two  other  extensive  chains  ;  one  running  N.  W.  between  Dalma- 
tia  on  the  W.  and  Bosnia  and  Servia  on  the  E.  while  the  other 
passing  S.  forms  the  mountains  of  Albania  and  the  W.  of  Greece. 
The  chain  runnhig  to  the  S.  has  many  classical  appellations,  as 
the  Acroceraunian,  Pindus,  &c.  The  E.  and  S.  of  Greece  arc  al- 
so crowded  with  small  chains  of  mountains  and  solitary  hills. 

There  is  a  range  which  commences  near  the  Gulf  of  Volo,  Si- 
nus. Pagasalust  and,  after  winding  to  the  N.  W.  runs  parallel 
with  the  coast  of  Thessaly,  as  far  as  the  river  Salambria.  The 
southern  half  is  called  Mount  Pelion,  the  northern  Mount  Ossa. 
The  continuation  of  the  chain  beyond  that  river,  is  the  celebrated 
Olympus,  the  famed  residence  of  the  gods,  and  the  court  of  Jupi- 
ter. Xenagoras,  in  the  4th  century  before  Christ,  measured  the 
highest  summit,  and  found  it  to  be  10  stadia  and  1  plethrum, 
>vaiiting  6  feet,  or  6135  English  feet  in  height.     Mr.  Bcmouilli, 


428  TURKEY  IN  EUROPE. 

by  his  measurement,  finds  it  to  be  6501  feet.  Between  Ossa  and 
Olympus,  winds  the  valley  of  Tempo,  painted  by  the  poets  as  the 
most  delightful  spot  on  the  earth,  and  often  honored  by  the  pres- 
ence of  the  gods.  Mount  Othrys,  the  residence  of  the  centaurs, 
was  a  range  in  the  south  of  Thessaly  ;  and  Pindus,  the  favorite 
resort  of  Apollo  and  the  Muses,  separated  it  on  the  west  from 
Epyrus.  PamasHUs  was  merely  the  continuation  of  the  same 
range,  through  Etolia  and  Phocis  ;  while  Mount  Helicon  was  itf 
southeastern  termination,  in  Boeotia,  near  the  l^^ad  of  1  he  Gulf  of 
Lepanto.  Mount  Athos^  or  Monte  Sancto,  is  on  a  peninsula,  in 
Macedonia,  having  the  Gulf  of  Contessa,  or  Orfana,  on  the  N.  E. 
and  the  Gulf  of  Monte  Sancto  on  the  S.  W.  It  consists  of  a 
chain  of  eminences,  7  or  8  leagues  long,  and  3  or  4  broad,  the 
loftiest  of  which  is  said  to  exceed  two  miles  in  height  ;  and  Plu- 
tarch and  Pliny  assert  that  it  projected  its  shadow,  at  the  summer 
solstice,  on  the  market  place  of  Myrina,  the  capital  of  the  island 
ofLemnos.  The  cold  on  its  summit  is  extreme,  yet  it  abounds 
•with  many  kinds  of  plants  and  trees,  particularly  the  pine  and  the 
fir,  and  supplies  a  multitude  of  springs  and  streams.  It  is  now 
inhabited  by  the  Caloyors,  a  sort  of  Gi'eek  monks,  of  the  order  of 
St.  Basil,  who  never  marry,  and  live  chiefly  on  olives.  They  are 
about  6000  in  number,  and  have  24  monasteries  on  the  mountain, 
raised  to  the  height  of  5  or  6  stories,  and  well  fortified  against  the 
assaults  of  banditti. 

Forcsts7\^  The  forests  of  Greece,  the  Greek  islands,  and  the 
provinces  bordering  the  Archipelago  to  the  north,  consist  of  the 
common  and  yew-leaved  fir,  the  pine,  the  larch,  the  cedar,  the 
ilex,  the  kermes  oak,  the  common  oak,  the  oriental  plane-tree,  the 
maple,  the  horn-beam,  the  sycamore,  the  elm,  the  walnut,  the 
chesnut,  the  ash,  and  the  beech.  Considei^ble  forests,  composed 
of  olive-trees,  mixed  with  the  broad-leaved  myrtle,  adorn  the 
shores  of  Crete  and  Attica  ;  the  other  fruit  trees  are  the  orange, 
the  fig,  the  vine,  the  pistachia  tree,  the  pear,  the  apple,  the  cher- 
vy,  the  mastich  tree,  the  mulberry,  and  the  pomegranate. 

Botany.~\  Of  the  shrubs  and  small  trees  the  most  worthy  of 
notice,  are  the  bay-tree,  the  laurel,  two  kinds  of  arbutus,  the  cy- 
press, the  oleander,  and  the  caper  bush.  A  large  proportion  of 
the  soil  in  Greece  and  the  Greek  islands  being  calcareous,  the 
Greek  flora,  in  its  present  imperfect  state,  consists  for  the  most 
part  of  those  plants  that  are  peculiar  to  limestone  districts.  The 
island  of  Crete  has  always  been  celebrated  for  its  vegetable  pro- 
ductions, of  which  the  following  are  the  chief,  and,  all  of  them  in- 
dicative of  a  calcareous  soil  :  Cretan  woundwort,  thistle-leaved 
acanthus,  Cretan  origany,  Cretan  dittany,  tragacanth  vetch  (from 
which  the  gum  of  this  name  is  procured),  and  iadanum  cistus  ;  an 
elegant  shrub,  from  the  leaves  and  tender  stalks  of  which  the  fra- 
grant gum  ladanon  exudes  ;  this  is  collected  by  whipping  the 
plants  with  leathern  thongs,  to  which  the  gum  adheres,  and  off 
wnich  it  is  scraped  from  time  to  time. 

Zoology.']  The  zoology  of  European  Turkey  presents  few  pe- 
culiarities.    The  jackal,  frequent  iu  Africa  and  Asia,  is  not  un- 


TURKEY  IN  EUROPE.  429 

known  in  these  regions  ;  and  among  the  beasts  of  burden  must  be 
classed  the  camel.  The  Turkish  horses  are  celebrated  for  spirit 
and  form  ;  and  those  of  Wallachia  deserve  particular  praise.  The 
breeds  or  qualities  of  their  cattle  have  been  little  explained.  The 
sheep,  distinguished  by  the  name  of  Wallachian,  have  spiral  horns 
of  singular  elegance  ;  but  the  fineness  of  the  fleece  would  be  a 
more  u-eful  distinction.  The  roe  and  the  red-deer  are  notunfrc- 
quent.  The  buffalo  abounds  in  the  northern  pi'ovinccs.  The 
hare  is  very  numerous. 

Mineralogy. ~\  The  mineralogy  of  these  provinces  is  also  a  bar- 
ren field  ;  for  the  indolence  and  ignorance  of  the  Turks  have  gen- 
erally neglected  this  branch  of  opulence  ;  though  from  the  mines 
in  the  adjacent  regions  of  Hungary  and  Transylvania,  and  from 
the  ancient  accounts,  there  would  be  room  to  expect  great  min- 
ei'al  treasures.  The  gold  mines  of  Philippi,  about  80  miles  to  the 
east  of  Saloniki,  in  the  time  of  Philip  of  Macedon,  produced  yearly 
about  10,000  talents,  ;C2, 880,000  sterling  ;  and  silver  mines  were 
found  in  Attica,  and  other  quarters.  An  extensive  coal  mine  is 
found  near  Rodosto. 

JS/aturul  Curiofiities.']  The  natural  curiosities  in  the  northern 
parts,  and  around  mount  Haemus,  remain  undcscribcd.  Of  those 
in  the  south,  the  principal  is  the  grotto  of  Antiparos,  one  of  the 
islands  of  the  Cyclades,  to  the  west  of  Paros.  The  whole  isle  is  a 
rock  of  fine  marble,  about  16  miles  in  circumference.  In  its 
southern  part,  about  a  mile  and  a  half  from  the  sea,  rises  a  rugged 
cavern,  with  some  ancient  inscriptions.  After  proceeding  about 
twenty  paces,  appears  a  dark  and  low  passage,  whence  the  trav- 
eller, being  provided  with  lights,  descends  by  a  rope,  and  after- 
wards by  a  ladder  placed  by  the  side  of  deep  abysses.  The  path 
now  becomes  more  easy,  and  conducts  to  another  steep  precipice, 
which  is  descended  by  another  ladder.  After  much  fatigue,  and 
some  danger,  the  traveller  at  length  arrives  in  the  grotto,  which  is 
supposfcd  to  be  about  900  feet  from  the  first  opening.  Tournefort 
estimates  the  height  of  the  grotto  at  about  40  fathoms.  The  sta- 
lactitic  marble  hangs  from  the  roof,  in  the  most  elegant  and  pic- 
turesque forms  ;  and  on  the  floor  are  large  masses  of  stalagmite, 
brownish  and  less  pure,  produced  by  the  liquified  stone  dropping 
from  above.  A  great  distinction  between  this  grotto  and  others 
uf  a  similar  kind  in  England,  and  other  countries  is,  the  purity  of 
the  material,  being  marble  of  a  snowy  whiteness,  and  the  finest 
calcareous  spar.  The  marble  of  Paros  has  been  known  and  cele- 
brated since  the  classical  times,  as  the  most  pure  the  sculptor  can 
employ  ;  some,  however,  prefer  that  of  Carrara,  as  of  a  finer  and 
closer  grain,  and  therefore  more  obedient  to  the  chisel  than  the 
Grecian,  which  i^  of  a  large  chrystalline  grain. 

TURKISH  ISLANDS. 

Candia,  anciently  Crete^  lies  at  the  bottom  of  the  Archipelago, 
and  is  one  of  the  largest  islands  in  the  Mediterranean.  It  extends 
from  E.  to  W.  about  180  miles  in  length,   between  Ion.  23  30  and 


430  TURKEY  IN  EUROPE. 

26  30,  E.  and  about  40  from  N.  to  S.  containing,  according  to 
Hassel,  4318  square  miles.  This  island  was  settled  very  early, 
but  historians  are  not  agreed  to  what  nation  the  Cretans  belonged. 
In  the  time  of  the  Trojan  war  it  contained  90  cities,  and  10  were 
afterwards  built  by  the  Dorians.  Of  these  40  remained  in  the 
time  of  Ptolemy.  The  government  was  for  a  long  period  mo- 
narchical, in  the  family  of  Minos  ;  afterwards  it  was  republican. 
In  A.  D.  66,  the  island  was  subdued  by  Metellus,  the  Roman 
Consul,  and  continued  subject  to  the  Romans,  till  the  year  812, 
when  the  Saracens  reduced  it.  In  962,  they  were  driven  out,  and 
the  island  was  reannexed  to  the  empire.  In  1204,  it  fell  into  tho 
hands  of  the  Crusaders,  and  in  1211,  was  sold  to  the  Venetians. 
In  1646,  the  Turks  made  a  descent  on  the  island,  and  laid  siege  to 
the  city  of  Candia,  which  they  were  unable  to  reduce  till  the  year 
1669  }  when  the  whole  island,  a  few  forts  excepted,  fell  into  their 
hands.    ThesQ  were  not  given  up  by  the  Venetians  till  1715. 

Candia  is  divided  into  3  pachaliks,  that  of  Retimo,  in  the  west,  Ca- 
nea,  in  the  middle,  and  Candia,  in  the  east.  The  governor  of  the  last 
is  a  pacha  of  three  tails,  who  is  general  in  chief  of  all  the  forces 
of  the  island.  The  governors  of  Retimo  and  Canea  are  pachas  of 
two  tails,  and  independent  of  the  pacha  of  Candia,  except  in  mili- 
tary matters.  The  pachaliks  are  divided  into  districts,  each  com- 
prising a  certain  number  ol  villages,  some  of  which  belong  to  the 
imperial  mosques,  some  to  the  sultana  mother,  and  the  greater 
number  are  granted  for  life  to  the  agas;  or  lords,  who  superintend 
the  police,  and  dispose  of  most  of  tlie, taxes.  The  Greek  inhabi- 
tants appoint  a  cafiitam  to  deciae  their  o\tn  differences,  and  a 
dascalos  to  register  their  names  and  taxes.  The  population  of 
the  island  is  estimated  by  Olivier,  at  240,000.  One  half  of  these 
are  Greeks.  The  mountains  to  the  S.  of  Ganea  and  Retimo,  are 
inhabited  by  the  S/iachiots,  supposed  to  be  descendants  of  the  ear- 
ly Cretans,  and  distinguished  from  the  other  Greeks  by  their  tall 
stature,  their  courage,  and  their  love  off  liberty.  Under  the  Ro- 
mans, the  Saracens,  the  Venetians,  and  the  Turks,  they  preserved 
their  laws  and  customs,  and  found  in  their  bleak  and  rugged  moun- 
tains the  abode  of  health  and  strength,  and  the  safe  asylum  of 
libertjp.  A  few  remains  of  the  Saracens  are  found  on  Mount  Ida. 
They  are  called  ^badioCs,  occupy  20  villages,  and  are  4000  in 
number.  They  are  swarthy,  meagre,  of  middling  stature,  ma. 
licious,  and  vindictive.  The  Turks  here  are  taller,  larger,  and 
more  corpulent  than  the  Greeks.  The  leprosy  is  the  only  conta- 
gious disorder. 

The  exports  are  horses,  oil,  soap,  wax,  honey,  cheese,  raisins, 
almonds,  walnuts,  chestnuls,  linseed,  and  liquorice  root.  The 
islanders  carry  on  some  trade,  but  it  is  chiefly  in  the  hands  of  for- 
eigners. There  is  scarcely  a  safe  anchorage  on  the  southern 
coast,  but  many  fine  harbors  and  roadsteads  on  the  northern. 

The  climate  has  from  remote  antiquity  been  celebrated  for  its 
salubrity.  Winter  is  merely  a  rainy  reason  on  the  plains,  though 
•the  high  mountains  are  covered  with  snow.     The  refreshing  seju- 


TURKEY  IN  EUROPE.  431 

breeze  constantly  tempers  the  heat  of  summer.     The  rivers  arc 
little  more  than  torrents,  swelled  by  the  rains  of  winter. 

Considerable  quantities  of  corn  arc  annually  imported.  The 
Candian  wines  are  still  delicious,  but  of  a  fiery  quality.  Jupiter 
would  drink  no  other  nectar,  than  the  malmsey  of  Ida,  during  his 
stay  on  the  island.  Some  cloths  are  manufactured  in  silk  and  cot- 
ton, and  in  silk  and  flax.  Most  of  the  cotton,  some  of  the  flax,  and 
all  the  silk  are  imported.  The  olive  is  not  very  abundant.  For- 
ests of  pines,  cedars,  and  firs,  cover  the  declivities  of  the  moun- 
tains. Mutton,  pork,  and  poultry  are  cheap  and  excellent. 
Lambs  and  kids  may  be  obtained  in  the  large  towns.  The  argali 
and  wild  goat  are  plentiful  on  the  mountains.  The  quail,  turtle, 
ring-dove,  loriot,  roller,  thrush,  fig-pecker,  wood-cock,  black-bird, 
lark,  ortolan  and  partridge,  abound  in  the  woods  and  fields. 

The  town  of  Candia  is  the  capital  of  the  island.  It  is  a  sea-port 
on  the  northern  shore  about  the  middle  of  the  island.  The  har- 
bor is  small,  but  well  fortified.  The  streets  are  straight,  and  git 
right  angles.  The  town  contains  from  10  to  12>000  Turks,  from 
2  to  3,000  Greeks,  and  about  60  Jews.  Here  are  33  soap  houses. 
The  environs  present  a  few  fertile  plains  and  rising  grounds. 

Canea,  near  the  western  extremity  lies  on  the  coast-  Tlie 
harbor  is  well  defended.  The  streets  are  straight  and  tolerably 
wide.  In  the  public  squares  are  fountains,  that  flow  with  an 
abundant  stream.  Most  of  the  houses  are  of  one  story,  and  have 
flat  roofs  covered  with  tiles.  The  to^vn  is  surrounded  by  a  strong 
wtftl  and  deep  ditch.  Here  are  20  soap  houses.  The  town  is  es- 
timated to  contain  4000  Turks,  2  or  3000  Greeks,  150  Jews,  4 
French,  and  some  Italian  houses.  Canea  is  the  most  commercial 
town  in  the  island. 

RetimOf  built  on  the  ruins  of  the  ancient  Rithymna,  about  half- 
way Ijetween  Candia  and  Canea,  is  also  a  sea-port,  on  the  northern 
shore.'  Its  harbor  is  small  and  shallow.  The  environs  are  de- 
lightfuk  It  contains  about  6000  inhabitants  ;  half  Greeks  and  half 
Turks.  The  citadel  on  the  N.  W.  of  the  town  is  built  on  a  mas$ 
of  high,  steep  rocks  advancing  into  the  sea.  A  range  of  lofty 
mountains  runs  the  whole  length  of  the  island.  This  range  is 
called  the  White  Mountains.  Mount  Ida,  the  highest  summit,, 
and  once  the  nursery  of  Jupiter,  is  near  the  middle  of  the  island, 
about  16  miles  V^.  of  Candia. 

J\/'egrofiont,  or  Euri/Wy  the  ancient  Euboea,  stretches  from  S.  E. 
to  N.  W.  along  the  coast  of  Graecia  Pro/iria,  and  is  96  miles  long, 
and  from  8  to  16  broad;  containing,  according  to  Hassel,  48«: 
square  miles.  It  is  very  fertile,  abounding  in  grain,  wine,  oil. 
and  excellent  fruits.  Here  are  several  mountains,  which  for  a 
considerable  part  of  the  year  arc  covered  with  snow.  The  high- 
est of  these  is  Mount  Ocha,  in  the  south,  which  very  anciently 
gave  name  io  the  whole  island.  The  whole  number  of  inhabi- 
tants is  stated  in  the  table  at  40,000,  which  is  far  less  than  the  an- 
cient population.  Formerly  the  island  contained  numerous  cities, 
the  chief  of  which  was  Chalcis.  The  only  places  now  worth  no- 
libc  are  Negropont  and  Castei  Rosso.     Ncgropont  stands  on  the 


432  TURKEY  IN  EUROPE. 

western  side  of  the  island,  on  the  narrowest  part  of  the  Strait, 
called  the  Euripus.  It  is  the  sec  of  a  Greek,  bishop.  The  har- 
bor is  large  and  deep,  and  seldom  without  a  fleet  of  gallies. 
The  town  is  the  residence  of  the  admiral  of  Turkey,  who  is  the 
governor  of  Euboea,  the  smaller  islands  and  of  the  district  of  Gal- 
lipoli.  Population  16,000.  Castel  Rosso,  or  Caristo,  on  the 
southern  extremity  of  the  island,  is  the  see  of  a  Greek  bishop,  and 
a  town  of  considerable  size. 

Lcmnost  called  by  the  Turks  Stalimeiie^  in  the  northern  part  of 
the  Archipelago,  is  15  miles  long  and  II  broad.  The  eastern  part 
of  the  island  is  dry  and  barren  ;  the  western  is  fertile  and  abound- 
ing in  springs.  There  are  two  high  mountains  in  the  island,  call- 
ed Mcschilae^  both  anciently  volcanic.  These  were  the  iron 
works  of  Vulcan,  to  whom  the  island  belonged.  It  has  always 
been  famous  for  a  peculiar  kind  of  earth  or  clay,  which  takes  the 
impression  of  a  seal  like  wax.  Stalimene,  the  ancient  Alyrina,  is 
the  see  of  a  Greek  bishop.  The  other  town  is  Cochino,  the  an- 
cient Ile/i/testias.     The  whole  population  is  8,000.* 

Aiidros^  a  small  distance  S.  E.  from  Negropont,  is  90  miles  in 
circumfei-ence.  It  is  generally  high  and  mountainous.  Its  plains 
are  fertile  and  well  watered.  Silk  is  the  principal  produce,  of 
which  6000  okes  are  annually  exported,  as  well  as  a  considerable 
quantity  of  oranges  and  lemons.  The  other  productions  are 
wheat,  barley,  wine,  oil,  legumes,  herbage,  various  fruits,  honey, 
wax  and  cotton.  The  population  is  15,000  souls,  distributed  into 
12  villages.  Andros  is  the  appanage  of  a  sultana,  and  yields  an 
annual  revenue  of  30,000  piastres. 

Tino^  formerly  I'ejios^  one  mile  S.  E,  of  Andros,  is  60  miles  in 
circumference,  contains  about  70  square  miles,  and  is  almost  every 
where  lofty  and  mountainous.  The  inhabitants  are  the  bravest  in 
the  Archipelago,  and  though  often  attacked,- did  not  submit  to  the 
Turks,  till  2714,  when  they  were  probably  betrayed  by  the  gover- 
nor. Here  are  reckoned  60  towns  or  villages,  inhabited  by  40,000 
to  45,000  souls.f  No  Turk  here  incommodes  the  inhabitants.. 
The  people  annually  elect  their  own  magistrates,  and  are  the 
freest  in  these  seas.  The  soil  is  not  very  fertile,  but  this  is  more 
than  compensated  by  the  persevering  industry  of  the  inhabitants. 
The  Europeans  and  Greeks  of  the  large  cities  in  Turkey  procure 
their  domestics  from  Tina.  The  girls  usually  stay  in  service  5 
years,  and  then  return  and  marry  in  the  island,  always  bringing 
home  their  wages.  The  revenue  is  36,234  piastres.  Silk  is 
largely  exported ;  and  figs,  oranges,  wines,  hay,  and  sheep  in 
small  quantities. 

Myconi,  12  miles  S.  E.  of  Tino,  is  far  from  fertile,  and  almost 
all  mountainous.  The  inhabitants,  6,000  in  number,  all  reside  in 
one  town  on  the  coast.  They  are  all  farmers  or  mariners.  A 
little  barley,  and  wine  are  annually  exported.  The  impost  is 
7,500  piastres. 

jYaxia,  or  Naxas,  is  chiefly  covered  with  high  mountains,  the 

*  Langtlon  says,  40,000.  f  Accorifing  to  Ilassel,  24,800. 


TURKEY  IN  EUROPE.  433 

.highest  of  which,  called  Dia,  or  Jupiter,  affords  an  extensive 
prospect  of  the  Archipelago.  The  town  Naxos  containing  2000 
souls  is  on  the  western  side.  The  other  inhabitants,  exceeding 
8000,  are  scattered  through  41  villages.  The  taxes  exceed 
jC1660  sterling.  About  600  of  the  inhabitants  are  Catholics;  the 
rest  are  Greeks.  The  hills  are  covered  with  the  myrtle,  arbutus, 
lentisk,  hypercutn,  savory,  thorny  broom,  leguminous  shrubs,  and 
rock-roses.  The  rivulets  are  bordered  with  the  plane-tree,  the 
agnus-castus,  and  the  oleander.  The  exports  are  barley,  oil, 
oranges,  lemons,  citrons,  cheese  and  salt. 

Paros^  6  miles  west  of  Naxia,  contains  6,000  inhabitants.  It  has 
4  excellent  harbors.  The  celebrated  Parian  marble  is  obtained 
from  this  island.     The  best  quarries  are  those  in  ^loxmi  Marfiesus. 

jinti/iaros,  7  miles  S.  W.  and  16  in  circumference,  is  chiefly 
celebrated  for  its  grotto,  ^t  the  entrance  it  appears  to  be  a  rustic 
cave,  in  the  side  of  a  hill,  about  30  feet  wide,  divided  by  some  nat- 
ural pillars,  between  which  the  ground  slopes  gently,  and  then  more 
precipitately,  to  the  bottom  of  the  cavern.  At  last  the  descent  is 
by  a  ladder,  to  the  grotto  itself,  which  is  about  300  fathom  below 
the  surff.ce,  and  about  40  fathom  high,  and  50  wide.  It  is  full  of 
large  and  beautiful  stalactites,  hanging  from  the  roof,  and  cover- 
ing the  floor.  When  the  place  is  completely  lighted  up,  the 
mind  cannot  conceive  of  a  scene  more  beautiful  and  magnificent. 
The  ceiling  so  lofty,  that  the  eye  can  scarcely  reach  it,  and  hung 
all  over  with  glittering  icicles,  transparent  as  glass,  yet  solid  as 
marble.  The  sides  regularly  formed  with  spars  fastened  to  the 
walls.  The  floor,  consisting  of  solid  marble,  supporting,  in  various 
places,  magnificent  columns,  thrones,  and  altars,  as  if  nature  had 
designed  to  mock  the  curiosities  of  art,  and  the  whole  presenting 
the  idea  of  a  vast  and  brilliant  theatre  illuminated  with  an  immense 
profitsion  of  lights.  The  voice,  on  speaking,  or  singing,  is  re- 
doubled to  an  astonishing  loudness  ;  and  upon  the  firing  of  a  gun 
the  noise  and  reverberations  are  almost  deafening. 

J\7o,  anciently  los,  40  miles  in  circuit,  is  lofty  and  mountainous, 
and  far  from  being  fertile.  It  contains  3700  inhabitants,  all 
Greeks,  and  pays  a  tribute  of  9000  piastres.  Homer  is  said  to 
have  been  buried  here. 

MUo,  formerly  Melos,  the  southwesternmost  of  the  Cyclade^',  is  60 
miles  in  circumference,  and  has  a  very  large  harbor,  one  of  the  finest 
in  these  seas.  The  population  docs  not  exceed  1500.  A  little  east 
of  the  ruins  of  the  town,  called  Clima,  by  the  modern  Greeks,  in 
a  hill  of  pumice  stone,  ai'c  numerous  ancient  catacombs  in  excel- 
lent preservation.  These  are  chambers  cut  out  in  the  rock  for 
burying  places.  Most  of  the  catacombs  contain  7  sarcophagusscs, 
3  on  each  side,  and  1  at  the  farther  end.  Each  sarcophagus,  is 
about  6  feet  long,  and  15  inches  high,  surmounted  by  an  arch,  the 
whole  dug  in  the  rock.  Those  at  Alexandria,  on  the  contrary, 
^are  cells  dug  deeply  into  the  walls  of  galleries.  The  inha;)itants 
mow  employ  these  catacombs  as  cisterns  to  catch  the  winter  rains, 
j^hips  generally  stop  at  this  island  for'pilots,  through  the  Archipe- 

syoL.  ir.  55 


434  ASIA. 

Santorini^  formerly  Thcra  and  Caliste^  is  40  miles  in  circumfer- 
ence, and  in  shape  like  a  horseshoe.  The  coast  rises  abruptly 
from  the  sea,  often  to  the  height  of  600  feet.  The  road  is  7  miles 
long,  and  6  deep.  The  water  in  it  has  a  depth  of  from  250  to  300 
fathom,  so  that  ships  can  find  no  anchoring  ground.  The  popu- 
lation exceeds  12,000  ;  about  one  sixth  of  which  are  Roman  Cath- 
olics. Here  are  two  bishops,  one  Latin,  the  other  Greek,  and  two 
nunneries.  The  inhabitants  arc  distinguished  for  their  industry, 
temperance,  probity,  and  good  morals.  The  men  are  employed 
chiefly  in  the  culture  of  the  vine,  and  of  cotton.  The  women  make 
cloths,  caps,  and  stockings,  which  ai*e  sent  to  Russia  and  Italy. 
The  best  wine,  called  vino  santo-,  is  sent  to  Russia.*  The  revenue 
is  55,000  piastres.  In  propoitioTi  to  its  extent  this  is  the  richest 
and  most  populous  of  all  the  islands  in  the  Archipelago.  There 
are  5  large  villages,  and  numerous  smaller  ones. 

The  other  considerable  islands  will  more  properly  fall  under  the 
description  of  Turkey  in  Asia. 


ASIA. 

AS  Asia  exceeds  Europe  and  Africa  in  the  extent  of 
its  territories,  it  is  also  superior  to  them  in  the  serenity  of  its  air, 
the  fertility  of  its  soil,  the  deliciousness  of  its  fruits,  the  fragrancy 
and  balsamick  qualities  of  its  plants,  spices  and  gums  ;  the  salu- 
brity of  its  drugs  ;  the  quantity,  variety,  beauty,  and  value  of  its 
gems  ;  the  richness  of  its  metals,  and  the  fineness  of  its  silks  and 
cottons.  It  was  in  Asia,  according  to  the  sacred  records,  that  the 
all-wise  Creator  planted  the  garden  of  Eden,  in  which  he  formed 
the  first  man  and  first  woman,  from  whom  the  race  of  mankind 
has  descended.  Asia  became  again  the  nursery  of  the  world  after 
the  deluge,  whence  the  descendants  of  Noah  dispersed  their  va- 
rious colonies  into  all  the  other  parts  of  the  globe.  It  was  in  Asia 
that  God  placed  his  once  favourite  people,  the  Hebrews,  whom  he 
enlightened  by  revelation  delivered  by  the  prophets,  and  to  whom 
he  gave  the  Oracles  of  Truth.  It  was  here  that  the  great  and 
merciful  work  of  our  Redemption  was  accomplished  by  his  Divine 
Son  ;  and  it  was  from  hence  that  the  light  of  his  glorious  Gospel 
was  carried  with  amazing  rapidity  into  all  the  known  nations,  by 
his  disciples  and  followers.  Here  the  first  christian  churches 
were  founded,  and  the  christian  faith  miraculously  propagated  and 
cherished,  even  with  the  blood  of  innumerable  martyrs.  It  was 
in  Asia  that  the  first  edifices  were  reared,  and  the  first  empires 
founded,  while  the  other  parts  of  the  globe  were  inhabited  only 
by  wild  animals.     On  these  accounts,  this  quarter  claims  a  supe- 

•  Within  a  few  years,  however,  several  cargoes  have  been  purchased  for  the  Eng 
lish  maiket. 


ASIA.  42/ 

Besides  these  numerous  original  nations,  the  Malays  and  Asiat- 
ic islandjers  constitute  another  large  and  distinct  class  of  mankind, 
with  a  peculiar  speech,  in  the  south  of  the  extensive  continent  of 
Asia. 

Divisions.^  Though  Pinkerton's  atrangement  will  be  followed 
in  the  description  of  the  different  parts  of  Asia,  it  will  be  useful 
ihere  to  insert  Hassel's  Table  of  Divisions,  which  follows. 

>,  ,     o  o 

i  «      o  o 

.520  O^ 

i^  2  2 

'     .        -  - 

o  o 

o  o   ^ 

cp         o  *J  O  .2J 

S      ^o2  o2 

I       o  "3  o  3 

(?       o»  ^» 


.o'2 

0000 

0                    0 

0 

0  0    , 

0000 

0                    0 

0 

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*  This  is  the  German  name,  which  we  cannot  translate, 
t  Fabri,  14,020,000  ;  Templeman,  14,050,000  ;  Moiitelle,  17,490,000. 
I  Volney,  240,000,000  ;    Busching,  300,000,090  ;    Gatteree,  -500,000,000 ;    Suss- 
milch,  650,000,000. 


ASIA.  439 

Progressive  GeografihyJ]  The  progressive  geography  of  this 
quarter  of  the  globe  might  afford  an  important  and  interesting 
subject  of  discussion,  if  treated  at  due  length,  as  embracing  the 
various  discoveries  which,  at  long  intervals  of  time,  successively- 
disclosed  its  vast  extent.  The  most  authentic  information  con- 
cerning the  knowledge  of  the  ancients,  is  to  be  found  in  the  ge- 
ography of  Ptolemy  ;  but  modern  comnxentators  differ  in  the  elu- 
cidation of  his  text ;  however,  it  appears  probable  that  not  above 
one  quarter  of  Asia  was  known  to  the  ancients,  and  this  knowledge 
was  little  increased  till  Marco  PolO)  whose  travels  became  well 
known  in  Europe  in  the  beginning  of  the  14th  century,  established 
a  memorable  epoch  in  geography,  by  passing  to  China,  and  dis- 
closing the  extent  of  that  country,  the  islands  of  Japan,  and  a  faint 
intelligence  of  other  regions,  illustrated  and  confirmed  by  recent 
accounts.  The  wide  conquests  of  the  famous  Zingis,  in  the  be- 
ginning of  the  1 3th  century,  first  opened  the  discovery  of  the 
distant  parts  of  Asia,  the  Monguls,  whose  sovereign  he  was,  being 
situated  to  the  east  of  the  Huns,  who  had  before  diffused  terror 
over  Europe.  The  first  seat  of  the  Monguls  was  in  the  moun- 
tains, which  give  source  to  the  river  Onon  ;  and  at  a  short  dis- 
tance to  the  S.  W.  was  Kara-kum,  the  fii*st  capital  of  the  Mongul 
empire.  The  victories  of  Zingis  extended  from  Cathay,  or  the 
northern  part  of  China,  to  the  river  Indus  ;  and  his  successox's.ex- 
tended  them  over  Russia,  while  their  inroads  reach  Hungary  and 
Germany.  This  widely  diffused  power  of  the  Monguls  naturally 
excited  an  attention  and  curiosity,  never  stimulated  by  a  number 
of  petty  barbarous  tribes;  and  at  the  same  time  facilitated  the 
progress  of  the  traveller,  who,  as  in  Africa  at  present,  had  been 
formerly  impeded  by  the  enmities  of  diminutive  potentates.  By 
force  of  arms  the  Monguls  also  first  opened  the  obscure  recesses 
of  Siberia.  Sheibani  Khan,  A.  D.  1242,  led  a  horde  of  15,000 
families  into  these  northern  regions,  and  his  descendants  reigned 
at  Tobolskoy  above  three  centuries,  till  the  Russian  conquest.* 
Two  European  travellers,  Carpini  and  Rubruquis,  were  commis- 
sioned to  inspect  the  power  and  resources  of  the  new  empire  of 
the  Monguls  ;  the  latter  found  at  Kara-kum  a  Parisian  goldsmith, 
employed  in  the  service  of  the  khan  ;  and  by  Carpini's  relation  it 
appears,  that  from  their  brethren  in  Siberia,  the  Monguls  had  re- 
ceived some  intelligence  concerning  the  Samoieds. 

Thus  the  discovery  of  Asia,  which  had  been  nearly  dormant 
since  the  time  of  Ptolemy,  began  to  i-evive  in  the  13th  century. 
Yet  after  the  publication  of  Marco  Polo's  travels,  little  was  done 
for  two  centuries  ;  and  the  authenticity  of  his  accounts  even  be- 
gan to  be  questioned.  One  man,  indeed,  of  great  mental  powers, 
was  impressed  with  their  veracity,  and  in  consequence  accom- 
plished a  memorable  entcrprize.  This  was  Christopher  Colum- 
bus, who  was  led  by  the  relation  of  Polo  to  conceive  that,  as  Asia 
extended  so  far  to  the  cast,  its  shores  might  be  reached  by  a  short 
navigation  from  the  western  extremity  of  Europe.     In  this  erro- 

•  Grbbon,  xi.  iSi, 


4iQ  ASIA. 

neous  idea,  when  that  great  man  discovei'cd  the  islands,  now  call- 
ed tlic  West  Indies,  he  thought  that  he  had  arrived  at  th6  Zipan- 
go  of  Polo,  or  Japan  :  and  thus  the  name  of  India  was  absurdly 
bestowed  on  those  new  regions. 

After  the  discovery  of  America  and  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope, 
the  maritime  parts  and  islands  of  Asia  were  successively  disclos- 
ed. Yet  the  recent  voyages  of  the  Russian  navigators,  of  the  im- 
mortal Cook,  and  of  the  unfortunate  La  Perouse,  evince  that 
much  remained  to  be  done  ;  and  concerning  the  interior  of  Sibe- 
ria, scarcely  any  solid  information  arose,  till  Peter  the  Great,  af- 
ter the  battle  of  Pultowa,  sent  many  Swedish  prisoners  into  that 
region,  and  Strahlenberg,  one  of  the  officers,  published  an  account 
of  Siberia.  This  knowledge  was  greatly  improved  and  increased 
by  the  well  known  genius  of  Pallas,  and  othefs.  Yet  our  knowl- 
edge of  Asia  is  far  from  being  perfect,  especially  in  respect  to 
Daouria,  and  other  regions  near  the  confines  between  the  Russian 
and  Chinese  empires ;  not  to  mention  central  Asia  in  general,  Ti- 
bet, and  some  more  southern  regions,  nor  had  even  the  geogra- 
phy of  Hindostan  been  treated  with  tolerable  accuracy  till  Major 
Renneil  published  his  excellent  map  and  memoir.  It  is  almost 
unnecessary  to  remind  the  reader  of  the  recent  discoveries  to  the 
south  of  Asia,  in  which  the  interior,  and  southern  coast  of  New 
HoUand,  remain  to  be  explored  ;  with  other  defects  of  smaller 
consequence. 

The  principal  seas,  bays,  straits,  gulfs,  channels,  lakes,  moun- 
tains, and  deserts,  on  the  Eastern  Continent,  have  already  been 
described.* 

Governments.']  The  Asiatic  governments  are  almost  univer- 
sally despotic,  and  the  very  idea  of  a  commonwealth  seems  to  be 
unknown.  The  mildest  systems  are  perhaps  those  found  in  Ara- 
bia. 

jirrangement.]  The  Turkish  empire  in  Asia  constitutes  a  nat- 
ural and  easy  transition  from  the  description  of  Europe  ;  and  the 
Russian  empire,  though  in  population  far  inferior,  yet  in  military 
and  political  force  transcends  that  of  China. 

From  the  Russian  empire  in  Asia  the  transition  is  easy  to  that 
of  China,  a  bordering  state  :  after  which  shall  be  described  Japan, 
and  a  new  great  power,  tlie  Birman  empire.  Hindostan  and  Per- 
sia being  now  divided  into  several  distinct  sovereignties,  and  Ara- 
bia containing  many  independent  states,  the  scale  of  political  im- 
portance becomes  transitive  and  indistinct  ;  and  may  justly  yield 
in  such  cases  to  mere  geographical  arrangement.  Hence  the 
smaller  states  of  India  beyond  the  Ganges,  or  between  Hindostan 
and  China,  will  follow  the  Birman  empire,  to  which,  or  to  China, 
they  may  perhaps  soon  be  subjected.  A  western  progress  leads 
to  Hindostan,  Persia,  and  Arabia  :  and  a  short  account  of  the  va- 
rious interesting  and  important  Islands  in  the  Indian  and  in  the 
Pacific  oceans,  will  close  this  department  of  the  work. 

*  P.  10  to  25i 


441 


TURKEY  IN  ASJA. 

CHAPTER  I. 
HISTORICAL  GEOGRAPHY, 

EXTEXT  AND  BOUNDARIES,  DIVISIONS,  ORIGINAL  POPULATION, 
HISTORICAL  EPOCHS,  ANTiqUITIES,  POPULATION,  MANNERS  AND 
CUSTOMS,  LANGUAGES,  LITERATURE,  EDUCATION,  UNIVERSI- 
TIES, CITIES  AND  TOWNS,  EDIFICES,  ROADS,  INLAND  NAVIGA- 
TION,   MANUFACTURES     AND    COMMERCE. 

Extent.']  THIS  region  extends  from  the  shores  of 
the  Archipelago,  to  the  confines  of  Persia  ;  a  space  of  about  1050 
miles.  The  boundaries  towards  Persia  are  rather  ideal  than  nat- 
ural, though  somewhat  marked  by  the  mountains  of  Ararat  and 
Elwend.  In  the  north,  the  Turkish  territories  are  now  divided 
from  the  Russian  by  the  river  Cuban,  and  the  chain  of  Caucasus  ; 
in  the  south  they  extend  to  the  junction  of  the  Tigris  and  the  Eu- 
phrates, which  last  river,  for  a  considerable  space,  divides  the 
Turkish  possessions  from  those  of  the  Arabs.  From  the  river 
Cuban  to  the  junction  cf  the  Tigris  and  Euphrates,  is  about  1 100 
miles. 

Divisions.']  This  extensive  territory,  which  in  itself  would  con- 
stitute an  empire,  could  it  resume  its  former  population,  is  divid- 
ed into  nine  or  ten  provinces.  jYatolia,  the  most  westerly,  is  fol- 
lowed by  Karaman  in  the  south,  and  Roum  in  the  north-cast.  To 
the  north  of  Armenia  are  Guria,  or  Guriel,  Mingrelia,  and  the  jibk- 
has  of  Caucasus,  the  ancient  Circassians.  Armenia  is  also  styled 
Turcomania  ;  to  the  south  of  which  are  Kurdistan^  and  Irak  Arabiy 
a  part  of  ancient  Persia  around  the  celebrated  capital,  Bagdad. 
The  ancient  Mesopotamia,  between  the  Tigris  and  the  Euphra- 
tes, now  partly  corresponds  with  the  province  of  .-f/^ez/ra  ;  and  the 
classical  name  of  Syria,  or  Soria,  is  still  allotted  to  the  celebrated 
countries  along  the  eastern  extremities  of  the  Mediterranean. 
Some  of  these  provinces  are  of  comparatively  I'ccent  acquisition  ; 
Bagdad  having  belonged  to  Persia  till  1638;  while  on  the  con- 
trary Erivan,  reconquered  by  the  Persians  in  1635,  has  remained 
free  from  the  Turkish  domination. 

These  provinces  are  subdivided  into  governments,  arbitrarily 
administered  by  pashas. 

Original  Pofiutation.]  The  original  population  of 'these  regions 
consisted  chiefly  of  Scythian  nations,  mingled  with  a  few  Assyri- 
ans from  the  south.  At  present  the  ruling  language  is  the  Turk- 
ish, next  to  which  may  be  placed  the  modern  Greek;  but  the 
Arabic,  Syrian,  Persian,  and  Armenian,  with  various  dialects  used 
by  the  tribes  on  the  Black  Sea,  indicate  the  diversity  of  popula* 
tion. 

Y-OL.   II.  56 


442  TURKEY  INT  X¥M. 

Historical  Epochs.']  The  chief  epochs  of  Tui'kish  history  liave 
ah'catly  been  mentioned,  in  describing  their  European  possessions. 
Armenia  and  Georgia  were  subdued  by  the  Turks  in  the  11th 
century,  and  the  whole  of  Asia  Minor  rapidly  followed.  Their 
kingdom  of  Roum  extended  from  the  Euphrates  to  Constantino- 
ple, and  from  the  Black  Sea  to  the  confines  of  Syria.  Successive 
warlike  princes  acquired  additional  territory  from  the  Mamelukes 
of  Egypt  and  the  Persians.  Syria,  formerly  attached  to  Egypt, 
was  conquered  by  Selim  II.  in  1516;  Tauris  andDiarbekr,  which 
last  had  formerly  belonged  to  Persia,  were  subdued  by  the  same 
monarch  ;  and  in  1589,  Abbas,  the  great  sovereign  of  Persia,  was 
obliged  to  yield  three  provinces  to  the  Ottomans  ;  and  Bagdad,  as 
already  mentioned,  with  the  surrounding  province  of  Irak  Arabi, 
became  subject  to  the  Turks  in  1638.  The  present  limits  seem 
to  have  been  fixed  by  the  treaty  between  the  Porte  and  Pei'sia, 
1736,  since  which  period  the  Turks  have  been  chiefly  occupied  in 
their  own  defence  against  the  Russians  ;  but  their  ascendancy 
over  Persia  had  been  such,  that  in  1727  they  had  acquired  the  ter- 
ritory from  Erivan  to  Tauris,  or  Tebriz,  and  thence  to  Hamadan, 
a  boundary  which  seems  indeed  more  precisely  marked  by  nature 
than  the  present. 

Antiquities.']  The  antiquities  of  Asiatic  Turkey,  once  the  chos- 
en seat  of  the  arts,  are  numerous  and  important.  The  most 
splendid  ruins  are  those  of  Palmyra,  or  Tadmor,  in  the  desert, 
about  150  miles  to  the  S.  E.  of  Aleppo,  at  the  northern  extremity 
of  the  sandy  wastes  of  Arabia. 

Balbec,  the  ancient  Heliopolis,  is  about  50  miles  N.  W.  of  Da- 
mascus, the  most  remarkable  ruin  being  that  of  a  temple,  sup- 
posed to  have  been  dedicated  to  the  sun. 

Recent  investigation  has  disclosed  another  remarkable  scene  of 
antiquities,  in  the  site  and  celebrated  plain  of  Troy.* 

Pofiulation.]  i  he  Turkish  empire  in  Asia  is  estimated  by  Pin- 
kerton  at  470,400  square  miles  ;  aud  the  population  at  ten  mil- 
lions ;  which,  allowing  eight  for  the  European  part,  will  rendei- 
the  total  18,C00,000.t  Geographers  have,  conti'ary  to  the  united 
voice  of  travellers,  considered  Egypt  as  a  Turkish  province  ;  while 
in  fact  it  was  only  occasionally  tributary,  and  was  subject  to  the 
military  aristocracy  of  the  Beys.  Some  of  the  maritime  Mahom- 
etan powers  have  likewise  assisted  the  Porte  with  ships  in  time 
of  war  ;  but  cannot  with  any  justice  be  regarded  as  subject  to  the 
Ottoman  sceptre.  The  population  of  these  African  states  is 
therefore  foreign  to  the  present  consideration. 

In  the  Caucasian  mountains,  not  far  from  the  Black  Sea,  is  a 
people  called  Sonnas,  from  their  country  of  this  name,  amounting 
to  about  200,000  souls,  inhabiting  60  villages,  some  of  which  arc 
towns  of  900  houses.     These  people  acknowledge  Jesus  Christ  to 

*  SeeMorrUt'svimlicationof  Homer,  &c.  1798,  4to  ;  Dallaway's  Constantinople, 
and  DalzeU's  translation  of  Chevalier's  memoir. 

f  Hassel  estimates  the  square  miles  at  533,000,  and  the  population  at  11,090,000, 
and  Montelle  and  Malte,  at  1.3,600,(X>0.  But  both  these  geographers  include  Egjpt 
in  their  calculations,  which  accounts  tor  the  difl'erencc. 


TURKEY  IN  ASIA.  443 

Ue  their  only  King  and  Saviour.  They  pray  that  God  would  bless 
them  for  Christ's  sake,  observe  the  sabbath,  have  priests  who  bap- 
tize their  children,  and  administer  the  sacrament  of  the  supper. 
They  have  many  church  books,  but  know  not  the  meaning  of  them. 
They  believe  in  a  future  judgment.  They  are  said,  some  of  them, 
to  labor  under  deep  convictions  of  sin,  and  to  pray  night  and  day. 
They  consider  their  preservation  and  the  preservation  of  Chris- 
tianity among  them  as  a  miracle.  They  inoculate  their  children 
for  the  small  pox  ;  have  gardens  enclosed  Avith  stone  walls,  and 
abundance  of  fruit,  and  live  in  harmony  and  comfort.* 

Manners  and  Customs.  See  Turkey  in  Eurofie.~\  The  laxity  of 
the  government  i-enders  travelling  in  Asia  Minor  very  unsafe,  and 
has  proved  a  great  impediment  to  any  exact  geographical  knowl- 
edge of  these  regions.  Under  a  prudent  government  the  wan- 
dering hordes  of  Turcomans  and  Kurds  would  be  expelled  ;  and 
regular  troops  and  garrisons  maintained  on  the  frontiers  ;  whence 
industry  and  the  arts  might  again  visit  this  classical  territory. 

Cities  and  To%vns.'\  The  capital  of  the  Turkish  empire  has 
been  already  described.  Next  in  dignity  and  importance  is  the 
city  of  Haleb,  or  Aleppo,  supposed  to  contain  about  230,000  in- 
habitants. This  city  is  constructed  with  some  elegance,  and  the 
tali  cypress  trees,  contrasted  with  the  white  minarets  of  numerous 
mosques,  give  it  a  most  picturesque  appearance.f  The  buildings 
and  population  seem  to  have  been  on  the  increase,  but  the  adja- 
cent villages  are  deserted.  The  chief  languages  are  the  Turkish 
and  Arabic.  The  manufactures  of  silk  and  cotton  are  in  a  flour- 
ishing condition,  and  large  caravans  frequently  arrive  from  Bag- 
dad and  Bassora,  charged  with  the  products  of  Persia  and  India  ; 
Consuls  from  various  European  powers  reside  here,  to  attend  the 
interests  of  the  respective  nations. 

Damascus  is  supposed  to  contain  about  180,000  souls.  It  was 
formerly  celebrated  for  the  manufacture  of  sabres,  which  seem  te 
have  been  constructed  by  a  method  now  lost,  of  alternate  thin  lay- 
ers of  iron  and  steel,  so  as  to  bend  even  to  the  hilt  without  break- 
ing, while  the  edge  would  divide  the  firmest  mail.  When  Timur 
subdued  Syria,  about  the  beginning  of  the  15th  century,  he  ordered 
all  the  artists  in  steel  to  migrate  into  Persia.  The  manufactures 
now  consist  of  silk  and  cotton,  and  excellent  soap.  From  the 
Mediterranean  are  imported  metals  and  broadcloths  :  and  the 
caravans  of  Bagdad  bring  Persian  and  Indian  articles.  This  city 
also  increases,  by  the  gradual  depopulation  of  the  villages  and 
country,  which  last  always  presents  the  chief  symptoms  of  na- 
tional prosperity,  or  decline.  The  Paghalik  of  Damascus  is  es- 
teemed the  first  in  Asia  ;  and  the  office  of  Pasha  has,  in  the  de- 
cline of  the  Turkish  empire,  become  in  some  measure  hercditaiy, 
with  absolute  power  of  life  and  death,  and  without  arty  appeal. 

Smyrna  may  be  regarded  as  the  third  city  in  Asiatic  Turkey, 
containing  about  140,000  souls.     This  flourishing  seat  of  Euro.- 

•  Rrunton's  Letter,  Feb.  1806. 

t  Kussel's  Aleppo.  .Browne^  384,  Sc 


'"•l!* 


444  TURKEY  IN  ASIA; 

pean  commerce,  and  chief  mart  of  the  Levant  trade,  is  said  to  have 
been  founded  by  Alexander  the  Great,  eminently  distinguished 
from  all  other  conquerors  by  the  foundation,  and  not  the  destruc- 
tion of  cities.  In  the  wars  between  the  Turks  and  the  Greeks, 
Smyrna  sunk  into  great  decline  ;  and  was  taken  with  vast  slaugh- 
ter, by  Timur,  in  1402.  The  excellence  of  the  haven  renders 
Smyrna  the  centre  of  all  the  traffic  of  Asia  Minor  ;  but  the  fre- 
quent visits  of  the  pestilence  greatly  impede  its  prosperity.*  It 
has  been  observed  that  the  sands  in  the  bay  of  Smyrna  gradually 
increase,  and  may  probably  in  time  impede  the  commerce.  Earth- 
quakes are  here  terrible.  The  city  of  Smyrna  is  poorly  built. 
The  houses  in  general  are  mere  mud  huts,  and  the  streets  loath- 
some and  filthy  in  the  extreme.  The  street  of  the  Franks  is  the 
principal  commercial  street.  It  contains  many  well  built  houses. 
The  warehouses  are  all  fire-proof.  The  merchandise  imported 
here  is  dealt  out  to  the  purchasers  from  the  Bazars.  The  Ba- 
zars are  long  covered  streets,  containing  many  large  stone  build- 
ings, in  which  the  goods  are  deposited.  Many  of  these  Bazars 
contain  merchandise  to  a  great  amount.  Each  Bazar  is  appropri- 
ated to  one  species  of  goods  only.  The  Cassino  is  the  only  place 
of  public  amusement  at  Smyrna.  It  was  built  by  the  Franks,  for 
the  purposes  of  information  and  amusement.  It  consists  of  sev- 
eral rooms  for  conversation  and  reading,  a  drawing  room,  and  a 
ball  room.  The  newspapers  from  all  parts  of  Christendom  are 
here  received,  and  lie  open  for  the  perusal  of  the  subscribers  and 
strangers  invited  by  them.  The  only  public  buildings  in  Smyrna 
are  the  mosques  and  churches.  The  streets  of  Smyrna  are  too 
narrow  to  admit  of  wheel  carriages  of  any  kind.  Packages  arc 
carried  by  porters.  Merchandise  sent  into  the  interior  always 
goes  by  caravans  of  camels,  mules,  or  horses.  The  climate  of 
Smyrna  is  temperate.  During  the  hot  summer  months,  the  in- 
habitants resort  to  the  neighboring  villages,  which  are  but  a  few 
miles  from  the  city.  The  locusts  of  Smyrna  are  a  very  serious 
evil,  and  the  destruction  they  cause,  immense.  Wherever  they 
pass  they  devour  the  leaves  of  every  tree,  and  leave  no  vestige  of 
vegetation.  At  one  season  it  is  said  they  destroyed  in  one  night 
every  vegetable  matter,  and  even  the  roots  in  the  gardens  were 
totally  devoured.! 

Prusa  is  a  beautiful  city,  in  a  romantic  situation,  at  the  northern 
bottom  of  mount  Olympus.  By  Tournefort's  compulation  of  fam- 
ilies the  inhabitants  may  be  about  60,000.  It  is  enlivened  by  nu- 
merous springs,  which  descend  from  the  mountains,  and  by  the 
proximity  of  the  hot  baths.  Prusa  was  formerly  the  chosen  resi- 
dence of  the  sultans,  and  contains  many  of  their  tombs.  Magnisi, 
or  Magnesia,  is  also  a  city  of  some  repute  in  this  quarter  of  the 
empire  ;  and  Kircagatch  has  risen  to  considerable  population, 
from  the  cultivation  of  cotton,  being  about  40  miles  N.  E.  of  Mag- 
nisi, on  the  route  to  Prusa. 

Angora  contains  about  80,000  inhabitants  ;  and  is  a  striking,  and 

*  ChRhdler,  6$,  t  ^.angdon's  "MS 


TURKEY  IN  ASIA.  445 

agreeable  city,  in  a  lofty  situation.  The  trade  is  chiefly  in  yarn, 
of  which  the  English  shalloons  are  made  ;  and  in  their  own  man- 
ufacture of  Angora  stuffs,  made  chiefly  of  the  fine  hair  of  a  pai'- 
ticular  breed  of  goats,  which,  like  that  of  the  cats,  occurs  in  no 
other  country. 

Tokat  is  also  a  flourishing  place.  The  inhabitants  are  com- 
puted at  60,000.  The  situation  is  singular,  amidst  rugged  and 
perpendicular  rocks  of  marble,  and  the  streets  are  paved,  which 
is  a  rare  circumstance  in  the  Levant.  Silk  and  leather  are  man- 
ufactures of  Tokat  ;  but  the  chief  is  that  of  copper  utensils, 
which  are  sent  to  Constantinople,  and  even  to  Egypt.  The  cop- 
per is  from  the  mines  of  Gumiscana,  at  the  distance  of  three  days 
journey  from  Trebisond  ;  and  from  those  of  Castan  Boul,  yet 
richer,  and  situated  ten  days  journey  from  Tokat,  on  the  west  to- 
wards Angora.* 

Basra  or  Bassoi'a,  on  the  estuary  of  the  Euphrates  and  Tigris, 
must  be  regarded  as  rather  belonging  to  an  independent  Arabian 
prince,  who  pays  dubious  homage  to  the  Porte,  but  as  it  has  an  inti- 
mate connexion  with  Asiatic  Turkey,  it  may  be  here  briefly  men- 
tioned as  a  city  of  50,000  inhabitants,  and  great  commercial  con- 
sequence, being  frequented  by  numerous  vessels  from  Europe  and 
Asia,  and  the  seat  of  an  English  consul.  Here  the  various  pro- 
ducts of  Europe  and  India  are  exchanged  for  those  of  Persia  ;  and 
opulent  caravans  proceed  to  the  chief  cities  of  Asiatic  Turkey,  to 
all  which  it  is  th-e  most  central  part  of  oriental  trade. 

The  great  and  romantic  Bagdad,  the  seat  of  the  Califs,  and  the 
scene  of  many  eastern  fictions,  has  now  dwindled  into  a  town  of 
about  20,000  inhabitants.  Not  far  to  the  south  are  some  ruins  of 
the  celebrated  Babylon,  which  have  been  ably  illustrated  in 
a  recent  work  of  Major  Rennell.t  It  was  the  capital  of  Chaldea. 
"  A  famous  city,  built  four  square,  sijcty  rniles  in  circumference, 
fifteen  on  each  side.  The  walls  were  87  feet  thick,  and  350  high, 
on  which  were  built  316  towers,  or  accoi'dingto  others,  250,  three 
between  each  gate,  and  seven  at  each  corner.  There  were  100 
gates,  25  on  each  side,  all  of  solid  brass.  From  these  ran  25 
streets,  crossing  one  another  at  right  angles,  each  150  feet  wide, 
and  15  miles  in  length.  A  row  of  houses  faced  the  wall  on  every 
side,  with  a  street  of  200  feet  wide  between  them  and  it.  Thus 
the  whole  city  was  divided  in  676  squares,  each  of  which  was  four 
furlongs  and  a  half  on  every  side.  AH  around  these  squares,  stood 
the  houses  fronting  the  streets,  and  the  empty  space  within  serv- 
ed as  gardens  and  other  needful  uses." 

The  prophet  calls  Babylon  the  golden  city,  Isaiah,  xiv.  4-  The 
glory  of  kingdoms,  the  beauty  of  Chaldea's  excellency.  Chap, 
xiii.  19  ;  yet  the  prophets  presumed  to  forctcl  its  complete  ruin. 
Jeremiah  said,  "  The  mighty  men  of  Babylon  would  forbear  to 
fight  ;  they  have  remained  in  their  holds  ;  their  might  hath  fail- 
ed ;  they  became  as  women."  Agreeably  to  this  Xcnophon  tells 
us  that  "  when  Cyrus  came  before  the  place,  he  could  not  /irovokr 

»_Toarnefort,  ii.  454.  \  Geography  of  Herodotus.- 


-146  TURKEY  IN  ASIA. 

them  to  venture  forth,  and  try  the  fortinie  of  arms,  though  he  sent 
a  challenge  to  the  king."  A  variety  of  other  circumstanees  in  the 
progress  of  its  destruction  are  foretold,  Avhich  history  confirms- 
The  same  prophet  said,  "  that  it  should  become  desolate,  that  it 
should  not  be  inhabited,  that  the  luild  beasts  of  the  desert  should 
be  there."  Let  us  examine  if  Babylon  has  fallen  ;  if  these  cir- 
cumstances have  taken  place  ;  if  so,  then  our  faith  in  revelation 
is  confirmed.  Diodorus  Siculus  says,  that  in  his  time,  but  a 
small  part  of  the  city  was  inhabited.  Its  destruction  had  then  be. 
gun ;  it  was  gradual.  Not  long  after,  Strabo  reports  that  the 
Persians  had  demolished  a  part  of  the  city  ;  that  the  court  was 
removed  to  Seleucia  ;  that  the  great  city  had  become  a  desert.  In 
the  time  of  Pliny,  Babylon  was  a  place  of  "  solitude."  Maximus 
Tyrius  mentions  its  "  lying  waste  and  neglected."  Constantine 
the  Great  says,  he  had  been  an  eye  witness  of  its  "  desolate  and 
miserable  condition."  In  the  4th  century  after  Christ,  Jerome 
says,  "  Its  walls  served  as  a  fence,  and  the  city  as  a  park,  in  which 
the  kings  of  Persia  kept  wild  beasts  for  hunting."  In  the  1 2th 
century  Benjamin,  a  Jew,  asserts  that  "  Babylon  was  laid  waste, 
some  ruins  remaining,  over  which  men  dared  not  to  pass  on  ac- 
count of  serpents  and  scorpions."  In  1574,  Rauwolf  says,  "  The 
tower  of  Babylon  was  so  ruinous,  so  full  of  venomous  creatures, 
that  no  one  dared  to  approach  nearer  than  half  a  league,  except 
during  two  months  in  the  winter."  More  than  2000  years  before, 
a  prophet  had  predicted  this  :  "  Their  houses  shall  be  full  of  dole- 
ful creatures  ;  the  wild  beasts  of  the  islands  shall  cry  in  their 
desolate  houses,  and  dragons  in  their  pleasant  palaces."  Petrus 
Valensis  was  there  in  1616  ;  he  says  "  there  was  a  heap  ofi-uined 
buildings,  like  a  mountain,  which  was  probably  the  tower  of  Nim- 
rod."  Jannicr  says,  "  in  this  neighborhood  we  saw  the  foundation 
of  a  city,  and  some  of  the  walls  standing,  upon  which  6  coaches 
3"night  go  abreast."  The  chronicles  of  the  counti'y  said,  "  Here 
stood  Babylon."  Mr.  Hanvray  tells  us  that  in  1743,  "  These  i-u- 
ins  were  so  effaced,  that  there  was  hardly  any  vestiges  of  them  to 
point  out  the  situation  of  the  city."  Mr.  Jackson,  in  1797,  was 
at  Bagdad,  and  says,  at  a  little  distance  "  are  still  to  be  seen  some 
ruins  of  ancient  Babylon  ;"  but  it  seems  he  did  not  go  to  exam- 
ine whether  it  was  true.  Mr.  Wood,  who  visited  the  ruins  of 
Palmyra  in  1751,  presumes  to  say  "  There  is  not  a  stone  to  tell 
where  Babylon  was  situated."  By  these  brief  extracts  from  va- 
rious travellers,  we  see  how  gradually,  how  punctvially  the  proph- 
ecies respecting  Babylon  have  been  fulfilled.  "  They  shall  not 
take  of  thee  a  stone  for  a  corner,  nor  a  stone  for  foundations  ;  but 
thou  shalt  be  desolate  for  ever,  saith  the  Lord." 

Many  an  important  city  of  antiquity  has  sunk  into  a  village,  and 
even  the  village  often  into  a  mass  of  rubbish,  under  the  destruc- 
tive domination  of  the  Turks,  peihaps  the  only  people  whose  sole 
occupation  has  been  to  destroy.  The  maps  are  crowded  with 
many  names,  now  only  known  by  miserable  hamlets  ;  and  an 
enumeration  which  would  seem  short  may  yet  be  complete. 

The  ancient  and  celebrated  city  of  Jerusalem  is  i-educed  to  a. 


TURKEY  IN  ASIA.  447 

mean  town,  chiefly  existing  by  the  piety  of  pilgrims.  This  city  will 
ever  be  interesting  to  the  heart  of  sensibility.  The  divine  mis- 
sion of  Jesus  Christ  is  authenticated  in  every  dismal  street.  The 
naked  rocks  and  uninhabited  hills  proclaim  Ihe  truth  of  Christian- 
ity. Jesus  Christ  foretold  the  most  deplorable  calamities  which 
the  place  has  suffered.  It  is  impossible  to  read  the  prophecies 
of  Christ,  and  the  history  of  Josephus,  and  retain  a  reasonable 
doubt  of  the  divinity  of  the  Scriptures.  Christ  declared  that  the 
place  "  should  be  trodden  down  oi  the  Gentiles."  To  this  day 
Gentiles  possess  the  city.  It  is  inhabited  by  Turks,  Arabs,  and  a 
few  Christians.  The  Jews  do  not  choose  to  dwell  here  ;  they 
say  it  must  undergo  a  conflagration  and  inundation,  when  the 
Messiah  conaes  to  purify  it  from  the  defilements  of  Christians  and 
Mahometans.  Towards  the  frontiers  of  Persia  the  ravages  of  fre- 
quent war  have  spread  additional  destruction  ;  yet  Erzeron,  the 
capital  of  Armenia,  retains  about  25,000  inhabitants. 

Tyre  was  once  a  famous  city  of  Phenicia,  and  anciently  a  place 
of  more  extensive  commerce  than  any  town  in  the  world.  In  the 
time  of  the  prophet  Isaiah,  "  Her  merchants  were  princes."  In 
the  time  of  Alexander,  it  was  encircled  by  a  wall  150  teet  high. 
This  city  arrested  the  progress  of  his  conquering  army  for  seven 
months.  But  for  their  wickedness  God  threatened  by  the  voice 
of  prophecy,  that  this  mart  of  nations  should  become  desolate. 
"  I  will  cause  the  noise  of  thy  songs  to  cease  ;  I  will  make  thee 
like  the  top  of  a  rock.  T/iou  shalt  be  a  filacc  to  sfiread  nets  upon. 
Thou  shalt  be  built  no  more."  This  prophecy  was  evidently  de- 
livered by  divine  inspiration  :  for  it  has  been  literally  fulfilled. 
The  place  is  now  buried  in  its  own  ruins.  There  is  nothing  here 
HOW  to  give  the  least  idea  of  its  former  glory  and  magnificence. 
There  is,  indeed,  on  the  N.  side,  one  old  Turkish  castle,  beside 
which,  nothing  is  to  be  seen,  but  fallen,  broken  pillars.  Not  a 
single  habitation  for  human  beings  is  there  on  this  once  celebrated 
spot.  It  is  totally  abandoned,  excepting  by  a  few  fishermen,  who 
sometimes  visit  it  to  fish  in  the  surrounding  waters,  and  on  its 
rocks  dry  their  nets,  sheltering  themselves  under  the  ruins  of  its 
ancient  grandeur,  Ion.  35  48,  E.  lat.  33  23,  N. 

Manufactures.']  The  chief  manufactures  of  Asiatic  Turkey 
have  been  already  incidentally  mentioned  in  the  preceding  ac- 
count of  the  cities  ;  to  which  may  be  added  the  excellent  carpets 
so  frequent  in  England  and  America.  These  with  rhubarb,  and 
several  other  drugs,  may  be  regarded  as  the  chief  articles  of  com- 
merce. 

The  Levant,  or  Turkey  trade,  was  formerly  of  great  conse- 
quence to  Great  Britain  ;  but  since  the  middle  of  the  last  century 
has  been  more  advantageous  to  France. 


4-48  TURKEY  IN  ASIA. 


CHAPTER  II. 


NATURAL  GEOGRAPHY. 

CLIMATK  AND  SEASONS,  FACE  OF  THE  COUNTRY,  SOIL  AND  AGRI- 
CULTURE, RIVERS,  LAKES,  MOUNTAINS,  FORESTS,  BOTANY,  ZOO- 
LOGY, MINERALOGY,  MINERAL  WATERS,  NATURAL  CURIOSITIES. 

Climate  and  Seasons.']  THE  climate  of  Asia  Minor  has 
always  been  considered  as  excellent.  There  is  a  peculiar  softness 
and  serenity  in  the  air,  not  perceivable  on  the  European  side  of 
the  Archipelago.  The  heat  of  the  summer  is  considerably  tem- 
pered by  the  numerous  chains,  of  high  mountains,  some  of  which 
are  said  to  be  covered  with  perpetual  snow. 

Face  of  the  Country.]  The  general  appearance  of  Asiatic  Tur- 
key may  be  regarded  as  mountainous  ;  but  intermingled  with 
large  and  beautiful  plains,  which,  instead  of  being  covered  with 
rich  crops  of  grain,  are  pastured  by  the  numerous  flocks  and  herds 
of  the  Turcomans.  The  soil,  as  may  be  expected,  is  extremely 
various  ;  but  that  of  Asia  Minor  is  chiefly  a  deep  clay  ;  and  wheat, 
barley,  and  durra,  form  the  chief  products  of  agriculture.*  But 
excellent  grapes  and  olives  abound  ;  and  the  southern  provinces 
are  fertile  in  dates.  In  Syria  the  agriculture  is  in  the  most  de- 
plorable condition.  The  peasants  though  not  sold  with  the  soil, 
like  those  of  Poland,  are,  if  possible,  yet  more  oppressed  ;  barley 
bread,  onions,  and  water,  forming  their  constant  fare.f 

Rivers.]  The  principal  river  of  Asiatic  Turkey  is,  beyond  all 
comparison,  the  Euphrates,  which  rises  from  the  mountains  of 
Armenia,  a  few  miles  to  the  N.  E.  of  Erzeron  ;|  and  chiefly  pur- 
sues a  S.  W.  direction  to  Semisat,  where  it  would  fall  into  the 
Mediterranean,  if  not  prevented  by  a  high  ridge  of  mountains.  In 
this  part  of  its  course  the  Euphrates  is  joined  by  the  Morad  from 
the  east,  a  stream  almost  double  in  length  to  that  of  Euphrates  ; 
so  that  the  latter  river  might  more  justly  be  said  to  spring  from, 
mount  Ararat,  about  160  British  miles  to  the  east  of  the  reputed 
source.  At  Semisat,  the  ancient  Samosata,  this  noble  river  as- 
sumes a  southerly  direction  ;  then  runs  an  extensive  course  to 
the  S.  E.  and  after  receiving  the  Tigris,  falls  by  two  or  three 
mouths  into  the  gulf  of  Persia,  50  miles  S.  E.  of  Bassora.  The 
comparative  course  of  the  Euphrates  may  be  estimated  at  about 
1 400  miles.  Its  water  is  remarkably  pleasant.  It  is  muddy  when 
first  taken  up,  it  soon  becomes  clear  ;  and  is  by  some  preferred 
to  wine  or  spirits.  The  tide  raises  its  water  more  than  30  leagues 
above  its  mouth.  Ion.  66  55,  E.  lat.  29  50,  N. 

Next  in  importance  is  the  Tigris,  which  rises  to  the  north  of 
the  Medan,  about  150  miles  south  from  the  sources  of  the  Eu- 
phrates, and  pursues  nearly  a  regular  direction  S.  E„  till  it  joins 

*  BroAvnc,  418.  j  Volney,  ii.  413,  %  Tournefort,  ii.  198. 


TURKEY  IN  ASIA.  449 

the  Euphrates,  below  Korna,  about  60  miles  north  of  Bassora  ; 
after  a  comparative  course  of  about  800  miles.  The  Euphrates 
and  the  Tigris  are  both  navigable  for  a  considei'able  distance  from 
the  sea. 

The  third  river  in  Asiatic  Turkey  is  that  called  by  the  Turks 
Kizil  Irmak,  the  celebrated  Halys  of  antiquity,  rising  in  mount 
Taurus,  not  far  from  Erekli,  but  by  other  accounts  more  to  the 
cast,  and  pursuing  a  winding  course  to  the  north,  nearly  across 
the  whole  of  Asia  Minor,  till  it  join  the  Euxine  sea,  on  the  west 
of  the  gulf  of  Sansoun.  The  river  Sacai'ia,  the  ancient  Sangaris, 
rises  about  50  miles  south  of  Angora,  and  running  to  the  N.  W. 
joins  the  Euiiine,  about  70  miles  east  of  Constantinople. 

In  the  next  I'ank  may  be  placed  the  classical  river  of  Mseander, 
rising  north  of  the  ancient  city  of  Apamia,  and  running,  in  a  wind- 
ing stream,  about  250  miles.  It  is  called  by  the  Turks  the  Great 
Maeander,  to  distinguish  it  from  a  small  tributary  stream,  which 
I'esembles  it  in  mazes.  The  Minder,  not  far  from  its  mouth,  is 
about  100  feet  broad  ;  with  a  swift,  muddy,  and  very  deep  current, 
having  received  a  considerable  accession  of  waters  from  the  lake 
of  Myus. 

The  Sarabat,  or  ancient  Hermus,  I'enowned  for  its  golden  sapds, 
joins  the  Archipelago  about  90  miles  north  of  the  Minder,  after 
a  course  of  similar  length. 

The  other  rivers  of  Asia  IVIinor  are  far  more  inconsiderable, 
though  many  of  them  are  celebrated  in  classical  history  and  po- 
etry. 

The  chief  river  of  Syria  is  the  Orontes,  now  called  Oron  or  Osi, 
rising  about  80  miles  N.  of  Damascus,  and  running  nearly  due 
north  till  it  suddenly  turns  S.  E.  near  Antioch,  after  which  it  soon 
joins  the  Mediterranean. 

Jordan,  is  a  river  of  Palestine,  rising  from  lake  Phiala,  in  Anti- 
Libanus.  It  runs  under  ground  15  miles,  then  breaks  out  at  Pe- 
neum  ;  passes  through  Samachomite  Lake,  anciently  called  Me- 
ron,  6  miles  long,  4  broad.  Two  miles  after  its  leaving  the  lake, 
is  a  stone  bridge,  of  3  arches,  called  "  Jacob's  Bridge,"  supposed 
to  have  been  built  before  the  days  of  Jacob.  After  separating 
Galilee  from  Tracontis,  it  passes  through  the  lake  Tiberias  ; 
thence,  after  a  course  of  65  miles,  part  of  the  way  through  a  vast 
and  most  horrid  desert,  receiving  the  Carith,  (on  the  bank  of 
which  Elijah  was  fed  by  ravens)  and  many  other  tributary  streams, 
it  empties  into  the  Dead  Sea.  It  is  a  very  rapid  river,  generally 
about  4  or  5  rods  wide,  and  9  feet  deep,  and  except  in  freshets, 
runs  2  yards  below  the  brink  of  its  channel.  The  waters  are  tur- 
bid, but  very  wholesome. 

LakesJ]  Asiatic  Turkey  also  contains  numerous  lakes.  That 
of  Van,  in  the  north  of  Kurdistan,  is  the  most  considerable,  being 
about  80  miles  in  length,  from  N.  E.  to  S.  W.  and  about  40  hi 
breadth  :  it  is  said  to  abound  with  fish. 

In  Syria  is  AsjihaltUca  Lake^  known  also  by  the  names  of  the  Salt 
Sea,  Dead  Sea,  and  Sea  of  Sodom,  is  S.  of  Jordan,  and  on  the  S.  E. 
border  of  the  ancient  Canaan.    According  to  Joscphus,  it  is  72  miles 

VOL.  tr.  57 


^0  TURKEY  IN  ASIA. 

long,  and  about  19  broad.  Modern  travellers,  however,  make  it 
only  24  miles  long,  and  6  or  7  broad.  The  rivers  Jordan,  Arnon, 
Kidron,  and  other  streams,  empty  into  this  lake.  It  has  no  visi- 
ble communication  with  the  sea.  The  great  quantities  of  bitumen, 
slime  or  mineral  pitch  in  this  lake,  renders  its  waters  unfit  to 
drink.  No  fish  can  live  in  it.  The  sulphurous  stream  affects 
even  the  fruit  on  the  shore  in  some  parts.  This  lake  is  supposed 
to  occupy  the  ancient  site  of  Sodom,  Gomorrah,  Admah,  and  Ze- 
boim,  and  the  valley  of  Siddim.  After  these  cities  were  destroyed, 
in  the  manner  related  in  the  scriptures,  it  is  supposed  the  spot  on 
which  they  stood  was  sunk  by  an  earthquake  ;  and  some  have  re- 
lated that,  when  the  waters  of  this  lake  are  low,  the  ruins  of  these 
cities  are  still  to  be  seen.  When  the  Saviour  speaks  of  "  the 
lake  of  fire  and  brimstone,"  he  is  supposed  to  allude  to  this  lake 
jis/ihaltites,  which  is  considered,  as  the  lasting  monument  of  those 
awful  showers  of  fire  and  brimstone,  by  which  Sodom  and  Go- 
morrah, and  the  other  cities  of  the  plain  perished  for  their  vile 
lusts. 

The  lake  of  Rackama,  to  the  south  of  Hilla,  and  the  ancient 
Babylon,  is  about  30  miles  in  length,  and  flows  into  the  Euphra- 
tes. 

Towards  the  centre  of  Asia  Minor,  there  is  a  remarkable  saline 
lake,  about  70  miles  in  length,  and  a  mile  or  two  in  breadth,  be- 
ing the  Tatta,  or  Palus  Salsa  of  D'Anville's  ancient  geography. 

Numerous  other  small  lakes  appear  in  Natolia,  among  which 
may  be  particularly  mentioned  thatofUlubad,  anciently  styled  the 
lake  of  Apollonia,  which,  according  to  Tournefort,  is  about  25 
miles  in  circumference,  and  in  some  places  seven  or  eight  miles 
wide,  sprinkled  with  several  isles  and  some  peninsulas,  being  a 
grand  receptacle  of  the  waters  from  mount  Olympus.  The  larg- 
est isle  ic  about  three  miles  in  circuit,  and  is  called  Abouillona, 
probably  from  the  ancient  name  of  the  city,  which  stood  on  it. 
About  50  miles  to  the  N.  E.  was  the  lake  called  Ascanius,  by  the 
ancients,  now  that  of  Isnik. 

Mountams.~\  Many  of  the  mountains  of  Asiatic  Turkey  de- 
serve particular  attention,  from  their  ancient  celebrity.  The  first 
rank  is  due  to  the  Taurian  chain  of  antiquity,  which  was  consid- 
ered as  extending  from  the  neighborhood  of  the  Archipelago  to 
the  sources  of  the  Ganges,  and  the  extremities  of  Asia,  so  far  as 
discovered  by  the  ancients.  But  this  notion  little  accoi'ds  with  the 
descriptions  of  modern  travellers,  or  the  researches  of  recent  ge- 
ography. The  Caucasian  mountains  have  been  well  delineated 
by  the  Russian  travellers,  as  forming  a  range  from  the  mouth  of 
the  river  Cub?ai,  in  the  N.  W.  to  where  the  river  Ker  enters  the 
Caspian,  in  the  S.  E.  A  chain  extends  from  Caucasus  S.  W.  to 
near  the  bay  of  Scanderoon.  This  ridge  seems  the  Anti  Taurus 
of  antiquity  :  but  various  parts  of  it  were  known  by  different 
names.  At  the  other  extremity  of  the  Caucasus,  other  chains 
branch  out  into  Persia  ;  which  they  pervade  from  N.  W.  to  S.  E. 
but  they  may  all  be  justly  considered  as  terminating  in  the  des- 
ens  of  the  southeastern  part  of  Persia.     The   chain  of  Taurus, 


TURKEY  IN  ASIA.  451 

now  called  Kurun,  extends  for  about  600  miles  E.  and  W.  from 
the  Euphrates  to  near  the  shores  of  the  Archipelago.  A  recent 
traveller  found  the  ascent  and  descent,  between  Aintab  and  Bos- 
tan,  to  occupy  three  days  ;  and  the  heights  abound  with  cedars, 
savines,  and  junipers. 

Towards  the  east  of  Ai-menia,  is  Ararat.  It  is  a  detached 
mountain,  with  two  summits  ;  the  highest  being  covered  with 
eternal  snow.  In  one  of  the  flanks  is  an  abyss,  or  precipice,  of 
prodigious  depth,  the  sides  being  perpendicular,  and  of  a  rough 
black  appearance,  as  if  tinged  with  smoke.  This  mountain  be- 
longs to  Persia,  but  is  here  mentioned  on  account  of  connexion. 

Beyond  Ararat  are  branches  of  the  Caucasian  chain  ;  to  which, 
as  is  probable,  belong  the  mountains  of  Clevend,  v/hich  seem  to 
be  the  Niphates  of  antiquity. 

In  Syria  the  most  celebrated  mountain  is  that  of  Lebanon,  or 
Libanus,  running  in  the  southerly  and  northerly  direction  of  the 
Mediterranean  shore,  and  generally  at  the  distance  of  about  30  or 
40  miles.  It  is  about  100  leagues  in  circumference.  It  has  Mes- 
opotamia E.  Armenia  N.  Palestine  S.  and  the  Mediterranean  W. 
The  ruins  of  the  ancient  city  of  Sidon  are  near  this  mountain.  It 
is  composed  of  4  enclosures  of  mountains,  which  rise  one  upon 
the  other.  The  first  is  very  fruitful  in  grain  and  fruits  ;  the  sec- 
ond is  bai'ren,  covered  with  thorns,  rocks,  and  flints  ;  the  third, 
though  higher,  enjoys  a  perpetual  spring,  the  trees  being  always 
green,  and  the  orchai-ds  filled  with  fruit ;  in  a  word,  it  is  so  agree- 
able and  fertile,  that  some  have  called  it  a  Terrestrial  Paradise. 
The  fourth  is  covered  with  snow,  and  uninhabited,  by  reason  of 
its  cold.  Its  cedars  have  been  remarkable  from  the  days  of  Solo- 
mon. But  16  aged  ones  remain.  One  of  them  is  thirty  six  feet 
six  inches  in  circumference,  and  the  spread  of  its  branches  pro- 
portionably  extensive. 

The  Anti-Libanus  is  a  short  detached  chain,  running  nearly 
parallel  on  the  east.  These  mountains  are  of  considerable  height, 
the  summits  being  often  covered  with  snow  ;  and  they  seem  to 
be  calcareous,  the  gi^nite  not  appearing  till  in  the  neighborhood  of 
mount  Sinai  and  the  Arabian  gulf.  The  chief  heights  are  between 
Baibec  and  Damascus. 

The  eastern  side  of  the  Archipelago  presents  many  mountains 
of  great  height  and  classical  fame,  chiefly  in  ranges  extending 
from  N.  to  S.  Of  these  Olympus  (now  Keshik  Dag)  is  one  of 
the  most  celebrated,  and  is  described  by  Tournefort,  as  a  vast 
range  covered  with  perpetual  snow.  Many  small  streams  spring 
from  Olympus,  and  the  large  lake  of  UUabad  is  another  receptacle 
of  its  waters. 

About  140  miles  west  of  Olympus  rises  mount  Ida,  of  great 
tliough  not  equal  height.  The  summit  of  Ida  was  by  the  ancients 
called  Gai'ganus  ;  from  >which  extend  western  prominences 
reaching  to  the  Hellespont,  and  amidst  them  stood  the  celebrated 
city  of  Troy:  Garganus,  or  the  summit  of  Ida,  being  about  30 
miles  from  the  shore  ;  and  giving  source  to  the  Granicus,  the 
Simois,  and  other  noted  streams,  most  of  which  run  to  the  north. 


452  TURKEY  IN  ASIA. 

South  of  the  Minder,  or  Maeander,  the  Taurus  detaches  a  chain, 
called  Cadmus  and  Grius,'''bending  towards  the  isle  of  Cos  and 
the  Cyclades. 

I^'orests.^  The  numerous  mountains  in  Asiatic  Turkey  are 
often  clothed  with  immense  forests  of  pines,  oaks,  beeches,  elms, 
and  other  trees.  The  southern  shores  of  the  Black  Sea  also  pre- 
sent many  gloomy  forests  of  great  extent.  The  abundance  of 
timber  supplies  the  inhabitants  with  fuel  j  nor  has  pit  coal  been 
explored  in  any  part  of  Asiatic  Turkey. 

Botany.']  The  extensive  provinces  of  Natolia,  Syria,  and  Mes- 
opotamia, since  their  reduction  under  the  Turkish  yoke,  have  been 
but  little  accessible  to  European  curiosity.  The  natural  pi'oduc- 
tions  of  Syria,  however,  have  been  investigated,  though  imper- 
fectly, by  several  naturalists  of  eminence,  while  the  mountains  and 
rich  vales  of  Natolia,  towards  the  great  Caucasian  chain,  are  al- 
most wholly  unknoAvn.  These  countries  having  been  inhabited 
and  civilized  from  the  remotest  antiquity,  possessing  for  the  most 
part  a  dry  rocky  soil,  with  fewer  rivers  than  any  tract  in  Europe 
of  equal  extent,  contain  none  of  those  low  swampy  levels  that  form 
so  characteristic  a  feature  in  almost  all  the  American  countries, 
that  compose  the  greater  part  of  Holland,  and  occupy  no  small 
proportion  of  Hungary,  and  the  dominions  north  of  the  Baltic. 
Those  vegetables,  therefore,  that  grow  in  swamps,  lakes,  and 
bogs,  will  be  very  sparingly  found  in  the  flora  of  Asiatic  Turkey  ; 
nor  will  the  indigenous  alpine  plants  be  more  numerous,  not  in- 
deed on  account  of  the  absence  of  high  mountains,  but  from  their 
having  been  hitherto  almost  entirely  unexamined.  Of  the  scanty 
catalogue  of  plants  that  have  been  found  wild  in  the  Asiatic  part 
of  the  Ottoman  territory,  the  following  arc  the  most  worthy  of  no- 
tice. 

Among  the  trees  may  be  distinguished,  the  olive  tree,  abound- 
ing throughout  the  whole  Archipelago  and  the  shores  of  the  Le- 
vant ;  the  weeping  Avillow,  Avhich  has  adorned  the  banks  of  the 
Euphrates  from  time  immemorial  ;  the  wild  olive,  bearing  a 
small  sweet  esculent  fruit ;  the  white  mulberry  ;  the  storax  tree, 
from  which  exudes  the  fragrant  gum  resin  of  the  same  name,  the 
pomegranate  ;  almond  tree,  and  peach  tree  ;  the  cherry,  a  native 
of  Pontusin  Natolia,  whence  it  was  brought  to  Rome  by  Lucullus  ; 
the  lemon  and  orange ;  the  myrtle,  growing  plentifully  by  the  side 
of  running  streams  ;  the  plantain  tree  ;  the  vine,  in  a  perfectly 
wild  state  climbing  up  the  highest  trees,  and  forming  verdant 
grottos  among  its  ample  festoons  :  the  mastich,  chio  turpentine, 
and  pistachia  nut  tree  ;  the  cypress,  the  cedar  ;  a  few  large  trees 
of  M'hich  still  remain  on  Mount  Lebanon,  the  venerable  relics  of 
its  sacred  forests.  Hibiscus  Syriacus,  distinguished  by  the  un- 
common splendor  of  its  blossoms,  ard  on  this  account  much  cul- 
tivated about  Constantinople,  and  other  parts  of  the  Turkish  em- 
pire, where  it  does  not  grow  spontaneously  ;  the  fig  tree,  and  sycr 
amore  fig,  abounding  in  Palestine  and  other  parts  of  Syria  ;  the 
date  tree,  the  prickly  cupped  oak,  fi-om  which  are  procured  the 
finest  Aleppo  galls  j  the  oriental  plane  tree,  highly  esteemed  for- 


TURKEY  IN  ASIA.  455 

its  shady  tent-like  canopy  of  foliage  ;  and  menispermiim  coccu- 
lus,  the  berries  of  which,  cohimonly  called  cocculus  indicus,  are 
much  used  by  the  natives  for  taking  fish,  on  account  of  their  nar- 
cotic qualities. 

Of  the  lower  trees  and  flowering  shrubs  the  principal  are  the 
lilac,  abounding  on  the  banks  of  the  Euphrates  ;  the  yellow  and 
common  jasmiixe,  found  plentifully  in  the  thickets  and  woods  of 
Syria  ;  the  long  hollow  stems  of  the  latter  of  these  are  in  great 
request  among  the  inhabitants,  as  stems  to  their  tobacco  pipes  ; 
tlie  Spanish  and  thorny  broom,  occupying  many  of  the  sandy  tracts 
that  are  of  such  frequent  occurrence  in  Syria,  and  the  oleander,  a 
common  ornament  of  every  rivulet- 
Several  dying  drugs  and  articles  of  the  materia  medica  are  im- 
ported from  the  Levant,  among  which  may  be  particularized 
m^adder  ;  a  variety  of  this  called  alizari,  is  largely  cultivated 
around  Smyrna,  which  yields  a  much  finer  red  dye  than  the  Eu- 
ropean kind,  and  to  this  the  superiority  of  the  Greek  and  Turkish 
reds  is  in  part  to  be  ascribed  ;  jalap,  scammony,  sebesten,  croton 
tinctorium  ;  ricinus  communis,  the  seed  of  which  yields  by  ex- 
pression the  castor  oil  ;  squirting  cucumber,  coloquintid?. ;  opi- 
um poppy,  and  spikenard. 

A  few  esculent  plants  not  commonly  made  use  of  elsewhere, 
are  the  produce  of  Natolia  and  Syria,  such  as  the  mad  apple, 
Jew's  mallow,  and  arum  colocasia,  remarkable  for  its  sweet  fari- 
naceous root,  while  those  of  its  kindred  species  are  intolerably 
acrid. 

Zoology.~\  The  best  horses  in  Asiatic  Turke;|r  are  of  Arabian 
extract,  and  are  sparingly  fed  with  a  little  barley  and  minced 
straw,  to  accustom  them  to  abstinence  and  fatigue  ;  but  mules 
and  asses  are  in  more  general  use.  Concerning  the  breed  of 
cattle,  little  is  mentioned  by  travellers,  but  it  seems  inferior  to 
those  of  Europe  ;  and  beef  is  scarce  and  bad.  The  mutton  is  su- 
perior ;  and  the  kid  is  a  favorite  repast. 

In  Asiatic  Turkey  appears  that  king  of  ferocious  animals  the 
lion,  which  is  unknown  to  any  region  of  Europe,  and  even  to 
Asiatic  Russia.  Yet  he  i-arely  roams  to  the  west  of  the  Euphra- 
tes ;  but  Tournefort  observed  many  tigers  on  Mount  Ararat.  He 
must  mean  the  small  tiger,  or  perhaps  the  leopard  ;  for  the  royal 
or  large  tiger  seems  to  be  restricted  to  the  wastes  of  Hindostan. 
The  hyaena,  and  the  wild  boar,  are  known  animals  of  Asia  Minor, 
together  with  troops  of  jackals,  which  raise  dreadful  cries  in  the 
night.  The  cities  and  villages  swarm  with  dogs,  who  arc  allow- 
ed to  wander,  as  a  constant  defence  against  strangers  or  enemies. 
The  ibex,  or  rock  goat,  appears  on  the  summits  of  Caucasus. 
The  singular  goats  and  cats  of  Angora  have  been  already  men- 
tioned. The  common  antelope  is  also  an  inhabitant  of  Asia  Mi- 
nor, with  numerous  deer  and  hares.  The  partridges  arc  gener- 
ally of  the  red  legged  kind,  about  a  third  larger  than  the  common 
European. 

Alineralogi/J]  The  mineralogy  of  those  extensive  and  moun- 
tainous provinces  remains  in  a  deplorable  state   of  imperfection. 


454  TURKEY  IN  ASIA. 

Ancient  Lydia  was  famous  for  the  production  of  gold  ;  but  in 
modern  times  no  mines  seem  to  be  indicated,  except  those  of  cop- 
per, which  supply  Tokat  ;  lead,  and  copper  ore,  with  rock  crys- 
tals, have  been  observed  in  the  island  of  Cyprus,  The  mountains 
of  Judea,  according  to  Haselquist,  arc  of  a  very  hard  limestone,  of 
a  yellowish  white  ;  and  towards  the  cast  of  a  loose  grey  limestone. 
Mineral  Waters.  ]  The  most  noted  mineral  waters  are  those  of 
Prusa,  at  the  bottom  of  Mount  Olympus.  The  baths  are  splendid, 
and  paved  with  marble,  with  two  reservoirs  or  rather  cisterns  for 
bathing,  one  for  the  men,  another  for  the  women.  The  water 
smokes  continually,  and  is  so  hot  as  to  scald  the  hand  ;  but  in  the 
baths  it  is  mingled  with  cold  water  from  the  numerous  streams  of 
Olympus.  There  are  many  other  hot  springs  in  different  quar- 
ters of  Natolia. 


ISLANDS  BELONGING  TO  ASIATIC  TURKEY. 


The  chief  islands  in  the  Archipelago,  considerc-d  as  belonging 
to  Asia,  are  Mytilene,  Scio,  Samos,  Cos,  and  Rhodes. 

Mytilene,  the  ancient  Lesbos,  is  the  most  northerly  and  largest 
of  these  isles,  being  about  40  miles  in  length,  by  24  at  its  greatest 
breadth.  Its  population  is  upwards  of  100,000.  The  mountain- 
ous appearance  of  this  isle  is  agreeably  diversified  with  bays  and 
inlets  of  the  sea,  and  plantations  of  olives,  vines,  and  myrtle.* 
There  are  hot  baths  issuing  from  clifTs  resembling  those  of  St. 
Vincent,  near  Bristol,  and  which  indicate  the  isle  to  be  chiefly 
galcarcous.  The  climate  is  exquisite  ;  and  it  was  anciently  noted 
for  wines,  and  the  beauty  of  the  women. 

Scio,  the  ancient  Chios,  is  about  36  miles  in  length,  by  about  1  3 
in  medial  breadth.  The  Chian  wine  is  celebrated  by  Horace,  and 
retains  its  ancient  fame.  The  tOAvn  of  Scio,  on  the  east  side  of 
the  isle,  is  handsome  and  convenient.  I'he  Greeks  here  enjoy 
considerable  freedom  and  ease  ;  and  display  such  industry,  that 
the  country  resembles  a  garden.  This  particular  favor  arises 
from  the  cultivation  of  the  mastic  trees,  or  rather  shi'ubs,  for  they 
are  small  evergreens,  which  supply  the  gum  so  acceptable  to  the 
ladies  of  the  sultan's  haram,  or,  as  we  terra  it,  the  seraglio.  The 
whole  isle  is  mountainous.  Toumefort  observed  here  tame  par- 
tridges, kept  like  poultry  ;  and  Chandler  saw  numerous  groves 
of  lemons,  oranges,  and  citrons,  perfuming  the  air  with  the  odour 
of  their  blossoms,  and  delighting  the  eye  with  their  golden  fruit. 
The  Genoese  possessed  this  beautiful  isle  about  240  years,  but 
lost  it  in  1566.  Opposite  to  Scio,  on  the  Asiatic  shore,  is  Chesme, 
where  the  Turkish  fleet  was  destroyed  by  the  Russians,  1770. 
The  inhabitants  of  Scio  are  supposed  to  be  about  60,000.t 

Samos  is  about  30  miles  in  length,  and  10  in  breadth.     This  isl^ 

*  Dallaway'sConstantinQiilc,  p.  513. 

■}■  Toui-nrfort,  p.  iSl.    Vaii  Egtnont,  i.  237,  &c.    Chandler,  48. 


TURKEY  IN  ASIA.  4$5 

is  also  crossed  by  a  chain  of  hills,  and  the  most  agreeable  part  is 
the  plain  of  Cora.  Tournefort  computes  the  inhabitants  at  1 2,000, 
all  Greeks,  with  a  Turkish  Aga,  or  military  officer,  and  a  cadi,  or 
judge.  The  pottery  of  Samos  was  anciently  excellent ;  but  at 
present  most  branches  of  industry  are  neglected.  Pitch  is  pre- 
pared from  the  pine  trees  in  the  north  part  of  the  island,  and  the 
silk,  honey,  and  wax  are  esteemed.  Most  of  the  mountains  are 
of  white  marble,  and  swarm  with  game  of  various  descriptions. 
The  best  haven  is  that  of  Vati  to  the  N.  W.  Some  remains  are 
observed  of  the  celebrated  temple  of  Juno.* 

Cos,  or  Coos,  is  about  24  miles  in  length,  by  3  or  4  in  breadth  ; 
but  has  been  little  visited  by  modern  travellers.  Pliny  styles  Cos 
a  most  noble  isle;  and  from  it  was  first  derived  the  name  and 
substance  of  the  whetstone.  It  is  now  covered  with  groves  of 
lemon  trees,  and  there  is  an  oriental  plane  tree  of  vast  size.  The 
chief  trade  is  in  oranges  and  lemons  ;  and  Cos  is  the  residence  of 
a  Turkish  Pasha.f 

Rhodes  is  about  36  miles  in  length,  by  15  in  breadth,  an  island 
celebrated  in  ancient  and  modern  time&.  It  is  fertile  in  wheat, 
though  the  soil  be  of  a  sandy  nature.  The  population  is  comput- 
ed at  about  40,000.  The  city  of  the  same  name,  in  which  no 
Christian  is  now  permitted  to  dwell,  stands  in  the  north  end  of 
the  isle  ;  and  was  anciently  noted  for  a  colossus  in  bronze,  about 
130  feet  high.  This  isle  was  for  two  centuries  possessed  by  the 
knights  of  St,  John  of  Jerusalem,  thence  styled  of  Rhodes,  till 
1523,  when  it  was  taken  by  the  Turks  ;  and  the  emperor  Charles 
V.  assigned  to  the  knights  the  island  of  Malta. | 

Along  the  southern  shore  of  Asia  Minor  there  are  some  small 
isles,  among  which  is  that  of  Castel  Rosso,  S.  E.  of  Patira.  But 
they  are  of  no  moment  when  compared  with  the  large  and  cele- 
brated island  of  Cyprus,  which  is  about  160  miles  in  length,  and 
about  70  at  its  greatest  breadth.  It  was  long  possessed  by  the 
Ptolemies  of  Egypt,  till  it  fell  under  the  Roman  power  ;  when  it 
remained  a  portion  of  the  Byzantine  empire,  till  it  was  usurped 
by  a  Greek  prince,  who  was  expelled  by  Richaul  I.  of  England. 
This  monarch  bestowed  the  kingdom  of  Cyprus  on  the  house  of 
Lusignan,  as  a  compensation  for  the  loss  of  the  throne  of  Jerusa- 
lem. In  the  l5th  century  the  heiress  of  the  house  of  Lusignati 
resigned  this  isle  to  the  Venetians  ;  but  in  1570  it  was  seized  by 
the  Turks.  The  soil  is  fertile,  yet  agriculture  is  in  a  neglected 
state.  The  chief  products  are  silk,  cotton,  wines,  turpentine,  and 
timber.  The  wine  of  Cyprus  is  deservedly  celebrated.  The  or- 
anges are  excellent  ;  and  the  mountains  are  covered  with  hya- 
cinths and  anemonies,  and  other  beautiful  flowers.  Cyprus  is 
supposed  to  have  derived  its  name  from  the  abundance  of  copper 
ore ;  and  it  is  said  to  have  anciently  produced  gold,  silver,  and 
etneralds.     What  is  called  the  Paphian  diamond  is  a  rock  crystal, 

•  Tournefort,  i.  307.    Dallaway,  251. 

t  Vat»  E|inont,  i.  '2G'2. 

r  lb.  i.  268,  who  gives  a  long  description  of  Rhodes. 


456  RUSSIAN  EMPIRE  IN  ASIA. 

found  near  Paphos  ;  and  there  is  a  quarry  of  amianthus,  while 
,  several  hills  consist  chiefly  of  talc.  The  other  mineral  produc- 
tions are  red  jasper,  agates,  and  umber.  The  Cypriots  are  a  tall 
and  elegant  race  j  but  the  chief  beauty  of  the  women  consists  in 
their  sparkling  eyes.  To  the  disgrace  of  the  Turkish  govern- 
ment, the  population  of  this  extensive  island  is  computed  at  50,000 
souls  !  Cyprus  is  pervaded  by  a  chain  of  mountains,  among 
■which  is  a  third  Olymiius^  some  primitive  name,  which  seems  to 
have  been  general  for  a  mountain  of  great  height.  There  is  not 
one  river  in  the  island,  that  continues  its  course  in  the  summer  ; 
but  there  are  many  ponds,  lakes,  and  fens,  producing  a  damp  and 
malignant  air.  The  chief  cities  are  Nicosia,  the  capital  and  resi- 
dence of  the  governor,  and  Famagusta.* 


RUSSIAN  EMPIRE  IN  ASIA. 

CHAPTER  I. 

HISTORICAL  GEOGRAPHY. 

NAMES,  EXTENT,  BOUNDARIES,  DIVISIONS,  ORIGINAL  TOPULATIO??,^ 
PROGRESSIVE  GEOGRAPHY,  HISTORICAL  EPOCHS  AND  ANTIQUI- 
TIES, RELIGION,  ECCLESIASTICAL  GEOGRAPHY,  GOVERNMENT, 
LAWS,  POPULATION,  COLONIES,  ARMY,  NAVY,  REVENUES,  POLIT- 
ICAL IMPORTANCE  AND  RELATIONS,  MANNERS  AND  CUSTOMS, 
LANGUAGE,  LITERATURE,  EDUCATION,  CITIES  AND  TOWNS, 
MANUFACTURES  AND  COMMERCE. 

Extent.']  ASIATIC  Russia  extends  between  the  57th 
and  the  190th  degrees  of  east  longitude  from  London,  computed 
at  4570  miles  in  length.  Its  greatest  breadth,  from  the  Altaian 
chain  of  mountains,  on  the  south,  to  the  Cape  of  Faimura  on  the 
north,  28  degrees  of  latitude,  is  1960  miles. 

Boundaries.]  East  by  a  part  of  Asia,  and  the  seas  of  Kamchat- 
ka and  Ochotsk  ;  north  by  the  Arctic  ocean  ;  west  the  frontiers 
correspond  with  those  between  Asia  and  Europe.  The  southern 
limits  require  more  explanation.  The  river  Cuban,  part  of  the 
Caucasian  chain,  and  an  ideal  line,  divide  the  Russian  territory 
from  Turkey  and  Persia.  The  boundary  then  ascends  along  the 
north  of  the  Caspian,  through  ^e  stejifi,  or  desert  of  Issim,  and 
the  eastern  shore  of  the  river  Ob,  to  where  it  issues  from  the  Al- 
taian mountains,  when  it  meets  the  vast  empire  of  China  ;  and 
proceeds  along  that  chain  to  the  sources  of  the  Onon,  where  it  in- 
cludes a  considerable  region,  called  Daouria,  extending  about  200 

•  Vaa  Egmont,  i.  281.    Maiiti,  &c. 


RUSSIAN  EMPIRE  IN  ASIA.  457 

s 

miles  in  breadth,  to  the  south  of  the  tnountaitis  called  Yablonny  ; 
the  limit  between  Russia  and  Chinese  Tartaiy  being  partly  an 
ideal  line  ;  and  partly  the  river  Argoon,  which  joined  with  the 
Onon  constitutes  the  great  river  Amtu\  Thence  the  boundary 
returns  to  the  mountainous  chain,  and  follows  a  branch  of  it  to  a 
promontory  on  the  north  of  the  mouth  of  the  Amur,  or  Araoor. 

Divisions.~\     These  have  been  already  given.*«^ 

Original  Pofiulation.']  The  population  of  Asiatic  Russia  may 
be  regarded  as  wholly  primitive,  except  a  few  Russian  colonics 
recently  planted,  and  the  Techuks  in  the  part  opposite  to  Ameri- 
ca, who  are  supposed  to  have  proceeded  from  that  continent,  be- 
cause their  persons  and  customs  are  different  from  those  of  tha 
other  Asiatic  tribes.  Next  to  the  Techuks,  in  the  farthest  north, 
are  the  Yukagirs,  a  branch  of  the  Yakuts,  and  yet  farther  west  the, 
Samoides.  To  the  south  of  the  Techuks  are  the  Coriaks,  a 
branch  of  the  same  race  ;  and  yet  farther  south  the  Kamchadals, 
a  distinct  people,  who  speak  a  different  language.  The  Lamuta 
are  a  part  of  the  Mandshurs,  or  Tunguses,  who  have  been  vague- 
ly called  Tartars  or  Tatars,  though  they  neither  belong  to  that 
race  nor  to  the  Monguls.  The  Tunguses  are  widely  diffused  be- 
tween the  Yenisei  and  the  Amur  ;  and  the  southern  tribes  ruled 
by  a  khan,  or  monarch,  conquered  China  in  the  17th  century. 
The  Ostiaks,  and  other  tribes  of  Samoides  have  penetrated  con- 
siderably to  the  south  between  the  Yenisei  and  the  Irtish,  and  are 
followed  by  various  tribes  of  the  Monguls,  as  the  Calmucs,  Burats, 
&c.  and  by  those  of  the  Tartars,  or  Huns,  astheTeluts,  Kirguscs, 
and  others.  The  radically  distinct  languages  amount  to  seven, 
independent  of  many  dialects  and  mixtures.t 

Mi7nes.^  The  vast  extent  of  northern  Asia  was  first  known  by 
the  name  of  Sibir,  or  Siberia  ;  but  this  appellation  seems  to  be 
gradually  passing  into  disuse.  When  the  Monguls  established  a 
kingdom  in  these  northern  regions,  the  first  residence  of  the  princes 
was  on  the  river  Tura,  on  the  spot  where  now  stands  the  town  of 
Tinmen,  about  1 80  miles  S.  W.  of  Tobolsk. |  But  the  khans  af- 
terwards removed  to  the  eastern  shore  of  the  Irtish,  where  they 
founded  the  city  of  Isker,  near  Tobolsk.  This  new  residence  was 
also  called  Sibir,  and  the  name  of  the  ciiy  passed  to  the  Mongul 
principality.  When  the  Russians  began  the  conquest  of  the  coun- 
try, being  unconscious  of  its  extent,  the  name  of  this  western 
province  was  gradually  diffused  over  half  of  Asia. 

Progressive  Geografihy.~\  The  progressive  geography  of  this 
vast  part  of  Asia  commences  at  a  recent  period  :  nor  was  it  dis- 
closed to  the  attention  of  civilized  Europe  till  the  middle  of  the 
16th  century.  It  is  indeed  a  singular  circumstance  in  human  af- 
fairs, thatAmerica  may  be  said  to  have  been  discovered  before  Asia, 
though  it  be  natural  to  suppose  that  the  latter  would  have  engaged 

•  See  p.  187, 188. 

j-  See  the  Hist.  «lcs  Decouvertes  Riisses,  &c. ;    Berne,   177%  1787 ;  6  volf.  8ro.  j 
being  an  Hbstract  of  the  Travels  of  Pallas,  Gmtlin,  Ghiorghi,  8cc. 
^   Tooke's  liussia,  ii.  60. 

VOL.    It.  58 


458  RUSSIAN  EMPIRE  IN  ASIA. 

a  more  deep  and  immediate  interest,  because  the  barbarous 
swarms,  in  the  extremity  of  Asia,  had  repeatedly  astonished,  and 
almost  subjugated  Europe.  It  has  already  been  mentioned,  that 
in  1242  the  Monguls,  under  Sheibani,  established  a  principality  in 
the  western  part  of  Siberia,  around  Tobolsk,  and  the  river  Tura, 
whence  this  principality  was  sometimes  styled  that  of  Turan.* 
The  history  of  tFiis  distant  principality  is  obscure,  and  lost  in  the 
superior  splendor  of  the  other  Mongul  dynasties. 

In  the  reign  of  Ivan  Vasilivitch,  by  his  conquest  over  the  Tar- 
tars, esteemed  the  founder  of  Russian  greatness,  some  incursions 
were  made  as  far  as  the  river  Ob,  and  some  Mongul  chiefs  were 
brought  prisoners  to  Moscow  ;t  but  more  than  half  a  century 
elapsed  before  the  real  conquest  of  Siberia  commenced,  in  the 
reign  of  Ivan  Vasilivitch  III.  who  ascended  the  Russian  throne  in 
1534.  Trogonaff,  a  Russian  merchant  of  Archangel,  having  opened  a 
traffic  for  Siberian  furs,  the  tzar  was  induced  to  attempt  the  con- 
quest of  the  country  which  supplied  them,  and  in  15  38  had  added 
to  his  titles  that  of  lord  of  Siberia.  It  was  not  however  till  the 
beginning  of  the  17th  century  that  they  had  firm  establishments, 
and  one  Cyprian  was  appointed  first  archbishop  of  Siberia,  in 
1621,  residing  at  Tobolsk,  where  he  drew  up  a  narrative  of  the 
conquest.  Towards  the  middle  of  the  17th  century  the  Russians 
had  extended  as  far  east  as  the  river  Amur  ;  but  Kamchatka  was 
not  finally  reduced  till  the  year  1711.  Beering,  and  after  him 
other  navigators,  proceeded  to  discover  the  other  extreme  parts 
of  Asia.  In  his  first  voyage,  of  1728,  Beering  coasted  the  eastern 
shore  of  Siberia,  as  high  as  lat.  67  18,  but  his  most  important  dis- 
coveries were  made  during  his  voyage  of  1741.  The  Aleutian  isles 
were  visited  in  1745  ;  and  in  the  reign  of  the  late  Empress,  other 
important  discoveries  followed,  which  were  completed  by  those 
of  Cook. 

In  the  south,  the  Mongul  kingdom  of  Cazan  having  been  sub- 
dued in  1552,  and  that  of  Astracan  in  1554,  and  the  Russian  mon- 
archy extended  to  the  Caspian  sea,  a  considerable  accession  was 
made  to  the  progressive  geography  by  the  chart  of  that  sea  drawn 
by  command  of  Peter  the  Great.  It  hence  appeared  that  all  ge- 
ographers, ancient  and  modem,  had  mistaken  the  very  form  of 
the  Caspian,  which  extends  greatly  from  north  to  south,  instead 
of  spreading  from  east  to  west,  as  formerly  delineated.  In  the 
reign  of  the  late  Empress,  many  important  additions  were  made 
to  the  progressive  geography,  by  Pallas.  Beneyowski,  and  other 
scientific  travellers, and  a  Russian  atlas  was  published,  which  may 
be  regarded  as  nearly  complete. 

Historical  Epochs.']  The  Russian  power  hi  Asia  is  of  such  re- 
cent origin,  that  it  affords  few  historical  epochs,  except  those  which 
have  been  already  mentioned  in  the  progressive  geography.  The 
city  of  Kazan  was  built  in  1257,  and  became  the  capital  of  a  small 
independent  Mongul  principality,  partly  in  Europe,  and  partly  in 

•  This  must  not  be  confounded  vith  the  Touran  (or  Tartary)  of  the  Pei-sians. 
t  Coxe'sRuss.  Dis,  p.  177. 


RUSSIAN  EMPIRE  IN  ASIA.  45.9 

Asia,  A.  D.  1441.  The  acquisitions  on  the  frontiers  of  Turkey 
and  Persia  are  recent  and  well  known  events. 

As  the  Russian  empire  in  Asia  borders  to  a  great  extent,  upon 
Chinese  Tatary,  or  rather  the  Monguls  and  Mandshurs,  who  ac- 
knowledge the  protection  and  supremacy  of  China,  it  may  be 
proper  here  to  commemorate  a  few  events,  which  have  arisen 
from  this  proximity.  About  the  middle  of  the  17th  century  the 
Russians  had  advanced  to  the  river  Amur  ;  here  they  subdued 
some  Tungusian  tribes,  and  built  some  small  fortresses.  The 
Chinese  monarch,  Camhi,  having  formed  a  similar  design,  the 
two  great  powers  unavoidably  clashed  ;  open  hostilities  com- 
menced about  1680,  and  the  Chinese  destroyed  the  Russian  forts. 
In  August  1689,  the  treaty  of  Ncrshinsk,  was  signed  by  the  Rus- 
sian and  Chinese  plenipotentiaries,  and  the  limits  specified,  were 
a  chain  of  mountains  far  to  the  north  of  the  Amur,  and  the  source 
of  the  small  river  Gorbitza,  thence  to  where  that  river  joins  the 
Amur,  and  lastly  along  the  Argoon,  or  Argounia,  Ecc*  By  this 
treaty  the  Russians  assert  that  they  not  only  lost  a  wide  territory, 
but  also  the  navigation  of  the  river  Amur,  which  would  have 
been  of  great  consequence  to  their  remote  possessions  in  Asia  ; 
yet  the  advantage  was  gained  of  a  commercial  intercourse  vith, 
the  Chinese.  In  1727,  the  limits  were  continued  westward,  from 
the  source  of  the  Argoon,  to  the  mountain  Sabyntaban,  near  the 
conflux  of  two  rivers  Avith  the  Yenesei  ;  the  boundary  being  thus 
ascertained  between  the  Russians  and  the  Monguls  subject  to 
China.  The  trade  with  China  has  been  latterly  conducted  at  Zu- 
ruchaitu,  on  the  river  Argoon,  lat.  50,  Ion.  1 17,  and  at  Kiachta, 
about  90  miles  S.  of  the  sea  of  Baikal,  lat.  51,  Ion.  106.  This 
boundary  between  two  states  is  the  most  extensive  of  any  on  the 
globe,  reaching  from  about  the  65th  to  the  145th  degree  of  longi- 
tude ;  eighty  degrees  (latitude  fifty)  computed  at  39  geographical 
miles,  will  yield  the  result  of  3120  milecj.  Its  history,  therefore, 
becomes  singular  and  interesting. 

Antiquities.^  The  most  curious  antiquities  seem  to  be  the  stone 
tombs  which  abound  in  some  steppes,  particularly  near  the  river 
Yenesei,  representing  in  rude  sculpture  human  faces,  camels, 
horsemen  with  lances,  and  other  objects.  Here  are  found  besides 
human  bones  those  of  horses  and  oxen,  with  fragments  of  pottery 
and  ornaments  of  dress. t 

Religion.']  The  Grecian  system  of  the  Christian  faith,  which 
is  embraced  by  the  Russians,  has  made  inconsiderable  progress 
in  their  Asiatic  possessions.  Many  of  the  Tartar  tribes  in  the  S. 
W.  are  Mahometans  ;  and  others  follow  the  superstition  of  Dalafc 
Lama,  of  which  an  account  shall  be  given  in  the  description  of 
the  Chinese  empire.  But  the  more  eastern  Tartars  are  generally 
of  the  Shaman  religion,  a  system  chiefly  founded  on  the  self-exist- 
ence of  matter,  a  spiritual  world,  and  the  general  restitution  of 
all  things.!     The  Shamanians  believe  that  even  the  Burchans,  or 

•  Coxe,  220.    Du  HaWe,  iv.  f  Dec.  Russ.  tI.  210. 

t  Tuokc's  UuBsia,  1783,  iv.  42. 


460  RUSSIAN  EMPIRE  IN  ASIA. 

g;ods  themselves,  arbse  from  the  general  mass  of  matter  and  spir- 
it. Their  epochs  of  destruction  and  restitution  somewhat  resemble 
those  of  the  Hindoos.  While  common  souls  immediately  receive 
their  final  decree,  the  virtuous  become  chubils,  or  wandering 
spirits,  who  are  purified  by  transmigration,  so  as  also  to  become 
Burchans,  or  gods.  Between  men  and  gods  are  the  Tengri,  or 
spirits  of  the  air,  who  direct  sublunary  affaii's,  and  all  the  trifles 
so  important  toman,  but  beneath  the  most  remote  attention  of  the 
gods.  The  infernal  regions  chiefly  contain  those  who  have  of- 
fended flie  priesthood.  This  system  is  intimately  connected  with 
that  of  the  Dalai  Lama,  and  is  so  widely  diflPused,  that  some  have 
asserted  Shamanism  to  be  the  most  prevalent  system  on  the  globe. 
In  Asiatic  Russia  it  is  professed  by  most  nations,  as  a  great  part 
of  the  Tartars,  with  the  Fins,  Samoieds,  and  Ostiaks,  the  Mand- 
shurs,  and  Burats,  and  Tunguses  ;  and  has  even  passed  to  the 
Coriaks  and  Techuks,  and  people  of  the  eastern  isles.* 

The  archiepiscopal  see  of  Tobolsk  is  the  metropolitan  of  Rus- 
sian Asia  in  the  north,  and  that  of  Astracan  in  the  south.  There 
is  another  see,  that  of  Irkutsk  and  Nershink,  and  perhaps  a  few 
ftthers  of  recent  foundation. 

At  Karrass,  530  miles  S.  W.  of  Astracan,  and  250  N.  of  Tifilis, 
is  a  missionary  station,  supported  by  a  missionary  society  at  Ed- 
inburgh. The  Mohammedan  religion  prevails  in  this  region,  to 
a  great  extent.  The  missionaries  have  been  patronized  by  the 
Russian  government,  and  their  labors  have  been  successful.  Mr. 
Bruiiton,  one  of  the  missionaries  on  this  station,  is  engaged  in 
translating  the  Scriptures  into  the  Turkish  language,  which  is 
understood  by  all  the  Tartars,  who  can  read,  from  the  banks  of 
the  Wolga,  to  the  shores  of  the  Euxine,  and  is  also  spoken  over 
many  extensive  and  populous  regions  in  the  east.  Types  and  pa- 
per have  been  sent  to  the  amount  of  .-ceoo  sterling  to  this  station, 
by  the  British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society,  in  aid  of  this  benevolent 
object,  and  the  New  Testament  has  been  already  published,  and 
is  read  with  interest  by  some  of  the  most  learned  Mohammedans. 
This  station  is  not  far  distant  from  the  Sonnas,  in  the  Caucasian 
mountains,  already  noticed,t  and  Avho,  in  connexion  with  this  mis- 
sion, may  be  of  essential  service  in  spreading  the  knowledge  of 
the  Gospel  through  the  neighboring  countries. 

Government.']  Siberia  is  divided  into  two  great  governments, 
that  of  Tobolsk  in  the  west,  and  Irkutsk  in  the  east.  The  smaller 
provinces  are  Kolivan,  Ncrshinsk,  Yakutsk,  and  Ochotsk.  In  the 
S.  W.  is  the  government  of  Caucasus,  with  one  or  tAvo  other  di- 
visions, intermingling  Europe  and  Asia.  At  a  distance  fi-om  the 
capital  the  government  becomes  proportionably  lax,  and  tribute 
is  the  chief  mark  of  subjection. 

Pofiiilation,']  The  population  of  Siberia,  according  to  Tooke, 
cannot  be  computed  at  above  three  millions  and  a  half  Small 
Russian  colonies  have  been  established  in  several  of  the  distant 
provinces  and  isles.  The  political  importance  and  relations  of 
this  part  of  the  Russian  empire  chiefly  relate  to  China  and  Japan. 
*  Tooke's  Russia,  Vii.  t  ^-  **2.- 


RUSSIAN  EMPIRE  IN  ASIA.  461 

Manners  and  Custom8.'\  The  manners  and  customs  of  Asiatic 
Russia  vary  with  the  numerous  tribes  by  whom  that  extensive  re- 
gion is  peopled.  The  Tartars,  properly  so  called,  arc  the  most  nu- 
merous, not  only  remaining  in  their  ancient  kingdom  of  Siberiai 
but  constituting  many  other  tribes  in  the  west,  as  the  Nogays,  the 
Kirguses  or  Kaizaks,  the  Bashkirs,  and  other  tribes,  as  far  as  the 
sources  of  the  river  Ob.  Next  in  importance  are  the  Monguls,  of 
whom  one  tribe,  the  Kalmuks,  are  found  to  the  west  of  the  Caspi- 
an ;  while  the  others,  called  Burats,  Tonguts,  8cc.  are  chiefly 
around  the  sea  of  Baikal.  Yet  farther  to  the  cast,  are  the  Mand- 
shurs,  or  Tunguses.  Such  are  the  thr«e  radically  distinct  divis- 
ions of  men,  whom  former  European  ignorance  classed  under  the 
general  name  of  Tartars,  or  Tatars. 

The  manners  of  the  Tartars,  who  arc  the  same  people  with  the 
Huns  of  antiquity,  are  minutely  described  by  those  authors  who 
have  delineated  the  fall  of  the  Roman  empire.  It  would  be  su- 
perfluous to  enter  into  a  detail  of  the  manners  and  customs  of  the 
various  nations  in  Asiatic  Russia,  for  which  tlie  reader  may  be  re- 
ferred to  the  works  of  Pallas,  Tooke,  and  others.  The  manners 
of  the  Monguls  may  be  chosen  as  a  specimen.  Those  of  the  Rus- 
sian empire  arc  wholly  Nomadic,  their  herds  consisting  of  horses, 
camels,  oxen,  sheep,  and  goats.  The  women  tan  leather,  dig  the 
culinary  roots,  prepare  the  winter  provisions,  dried  or  salted,  and 
distil  the  spirit  of  mare's  milk.  The  men  hunt  the  numerous 
beasts  and  game  that  roam  through  the  vast  wilds.  Their  tents 
are  formed  of  a  kind  of  felt,  and  in  some  parts  they  erect  little 
temples,  and  the  priests  have  also  wooden  hovels  around  the  tem- 
ples. The  Kalmuks  are  divided  into  three  ranks  :  the  nobility, 
whom  they  call  white  bones  ;  the  common  people,  who  are  bond- 
men, and  termed  black  bones  ;  and  the  clergy,  descending  from 
both,  who  are  free.*  In  like  manner  the  noble  ladies  are  called 
white  flesh,  and  the  common  people  black  flesh,  but  the  pedigrees 
ai-e  only  reckoned  by  the  bones.  The  power  of  the  Tuidsha,  or 
chief  prince,  consists  solely  in  the  number  and  opulence  of  his 
subjects,  territory  being  of  no  estimation  in  so  wide  a  region. 
These  subjects  form  an  0/Mfi«,  divided  into  Imaksy  from  150  to 
300  families,  each  Imak  being  commanded  by  a  Saissauy  or  noble. 
If  there  be  a  great  khan,  or  emperor,  the  princes  are  only  guided 
by  him  in  affairs  of  general  importance.  The  tribute  is  about  a 
tenth  part  of  the  cattle  and  other  property  ;  but  on  the  first  sum- 
mons every  man  must  appear  on  horseback  before  the  prince,  who 
dismisses  those  who  are  unfit  for  the  fatigues  of  war.  The  weap- 
ons are  bows,  lances,  and  sabres,  and  sometimes  fire-arms  ;  and 
the  rich  warriors  are  clothed  in  mail  of  interwoven  rings,  like 
that  used  in  Europe  till  the  15th  century.  But  they  cannot  op- 
pose regular  armies,  and  arc  apt  even  to  throw  into  disorder  those 
of  their  allies. 

The  Monguls  arc  rather  sljort  in  stature,  with  a  flat  visage, 
small  oblique  eyes,  thick  lips,  and  a  short  cliin,  with  a  scauty 

*  Tookc,  iv.  1  i. 


462  RUSSIAN  EMPIRE  IN  ASIA. 

beard  ;  the  hair  black,  and  the  complexion  of  a  reddish  or  yellow- 
ish brown  ;  but  that  of  the  women  is  clear,  and  of  a  healthy  white 
and  red.  They  have  surprising  quickness  of  sight  and  appre- 
hension, and  are  docile,  hospitable,  beneficent,  active,  and  volup- 
tuous. Industry  is  a  virtue  entirely  female,  yet  great,  and  accom- 
panied with  perpetual  cheerfulness.  Their  religious  books  are 
in  the  dialect  of  Tangut,  or  Tibet,  and  there  is  a  schoolmaster  in 
every  imak.  Animal  food  is  abundant,  and  sometimes  mixed 
■with  vegetable,  while  the  general  drink  is  water  ;  but  they  some- 
times indulge  in  sour  milk,  prepared  after  the  Tartarian  manner, 
butter-milk,  and  koumiss  ;  but  mead  and  brandy  are  now  greater 
favorites.  When  pasturage  begins  to  fail,  all  the  tribes  strike 
their  tents,  generally  from  ten  to  fifteen  times  in  the  year,  pro- 
ceeding in  the  summer  to  the  nortnern,  and  in  the  winter  to  the 
southern  wilds.  The  herds,  men,  women,  and  children,  form  a 
regular  procession,  and  are  followed  by  the  girls,  singing  with 
harmony  and  spirit.  The  amusements  of  these  jovial  wanderers 
consist  in  running  races  on  horseback,  in  which  even  the  girls 
excel  ;  archery,  wrestling,  pantomime,  dances,  and  the  songs  of 
the  young  women,  generally  accompanied  by  the  lute,  viol,  and 
pipe,  the  themes  of  their  ditties  being  gigantic  tales  of  chivalry, 
and  amorous  adventures  and  sentiments,  but  the  sound  is  harsh 
and  dismal.  Cards  are  not  unknown,  but  chess  is  the  favorite 
game.  Such,  with  some  slight  shades  of  diffei'ence,  are  also  the 
manners  of  the  Tartars  and  Mandshurs. 

The  three  distinct  barbaric  nations  of  Tartars,  Monguls,  and 
Tunguses,  or  Mandshurs,  are  by  far  the  most  interesting  in  these 
middle  regions  of  Asia,  as  their  ancestors  have  overturned  the 
greatest  empires,  and  repeatedly  influenced  the  destiny  of  half 
the  globe.  The  vague  name  of  Tartary  is  nearly  discarded  from 
our  maps,  and  might  yield  with  far  greater  precision  to  names  de- 
rived from  the  seats  of  the  chief  nations,  as  Tungusia,  or  Mand- 
shuria,  in  the  east,  Mongolia  in  the  centre,  and  Tartaria  in  the 
west.  Of  these  the  Monguls  are  the  chief  people,  and  the  ac- 
count already  given  of  their  manners  will  suffice  to  impart  an  idea 
of  the  ethical  condition  of  Asiatic  Russia. 

Lan{^uage.~\  The  languages  of  all  these  original  nations' are 
radically  different  ;  and  among  the  Tunguses,  Monguls,  and  Tar- 
tars, there  are  some  slight  traces  of  literature  ;  and  not  a  few 
manuscripts  in  their  several  languages.  The  history  of  the  Tar- 
tars, by  Abulgasi,  is  a  favorable  specimen  of  Tartai'ic  composi- 
tion. The  late  empei-or  of  China  ordered  many  of  the  best  Chi- 
nese works  to  be  translated  into  the  Mandshur  language,  which, 
having  an  alphabet,  may  be  more  easily  acquired  than  the  origi- 
nal. In  the  Mongul  language  there  are  also  many  books,  written 
in  the  various  counti'ies  to  which  their  wide  conquests  extended. 
Superior,  even  amid  their  barbarism,  to  the  chief  original  nations 
of  Africa  and  America,  the  central  races  of  Asia  deserve  an  at- 
tention, which  has  been  lavished  upon  inferior  objects. 

Cities  and  Torjns.~\  In  Asiatic  Russia,  the  principal  city  is  As- 
tracan,  atthe  mouthof    the  Volga,  which  is  supposed  to  contain 


RUSSIAN  EMPIRE  IN  ASIA.  46S 

70,000  inhabitants.  This  city  was  founded  by  the  Monguls  of 
Kipschak.  In  1554  the  Monguls  were  expelled.  Astracan  is 
built  on  several  small  hills,  that  rise  amid  the  meadows  of  the 
Volga.  The  fortress  on  the  west  is  triangular,  but  the  walls  of 
the  city  are  neglected.  The  wooden  houses  have  exposed  it  to 
frequent  conflagrations,  and  attempts  have  been  vainly  made  to 
enforce  the  use  of  brick.  Vines  are  cultivated  in  the  neighbor- 
hood, and  other  fruits  abound.  There  are  25  Russian  churches, 
and  2  convents.  The  Armenians,  Lutherans,  and  Papists,  have 
also  their  places  of  worship  ;  and  even  the  Hindoos  have  been 
permitted  to  erect  a  temple.*  The  chief  trade  of  Astracan  is  in 
salt  and  fish,  particularly  sturgeon  and  kaviar,  from  the  Volga  ; 
and  it  also  attracts  some  portion  of  oriental  commerce.  The  fish- 
ery on  the  Caspian,  which  centers  at  Astracan,  is  esteemed  of  the 
utmost  consequence  to  the  empire. 

Azof,  on  the  Asiatic  side  of  the  Don,  is  of  small  importance,  ex- 
cept as  a  fortified  post.  The  chief  towns  on  the  Asiatic  side  of 
the  Volga  are  Samara  and  Stauropol.  At  the  mouth  of  the  river 
Ural,  or  Jaik,  stands  Gurief;  but  the  chief  place  after  Astracan 
is  Orenburg,  founded  in  the  year  1740,  to  protect  the  acquisitions 
in  these  parts,  and  promote  their  commerce.  Nor  have  these 
views  failed,  for  Orenburg  is  the  scat  of  a  considerable  trade  with 
the  tribes  on  the  east  of  the  Caspian. 

On  passing  the  Uralian  chain,  first  occurs  the  city  of  Tobolsk, 
which  contains  only  about  15,000  souls;  but  is  esteemed  the  cap- 
ital of  Siberia.  Being  mostly  built  of  wood,  it  was  nearly  con- 
sumed by  a  destructive  fire,  about  1786;  but,  it  is  believed,  is 
now  rebuilt,  chiefly  of  stone.  Tobolsk  is  more  distinguished  as 
the  residence  of  the  governor  and  archbishop,  than  for  the  import- 
ance of  its  commerce.  The  upper  town  stands  on  a  hill,  on  the 
east  side  of  the  Irtish,  and  contains  a  stone  fortress  of  som<j 
strength.  Indian  goods  are  brought  hither  by  Kalmuck  and  Bu- 
charian  merchants,  and  provisions  arc  cheap  and  plentiful. 

Kolyvan  is  a  town  of  some  consequence,  on  the  river  Ob.  In 
the  neighborhood  there  are  silver  mines  of  considerable  produce. 
To  the  north  of  Kolyvan  is  Tomsk,  said  to  contain  about  8000 
souls. 

Farther  east  the  towns  become  of  less  consequence,  but  a  vil- 
lage attracts  attention,  when  situated  in  a  desert.  On  the  river 
Yenisei,  is  a  small  town  of  the  same  name,  and  another  called 
Sayansk,  whence  the  adjacent  part  of  the  Altaian  chain  is  called 
the  mountains  of  Sayansk. 

On  the  river  Angara,  which  issues  from  the  sea  of  Baikal,  stands 
Irkutsk,  supposed  to  contain  12,000  inhabitants.  There  arc  sev- 
eral churches  and  other  edifices  of  sione,  and  the  wooden  houses 
arc  large  and  convenient.  Irkutsk  is  the  chief  mart  of  the  com- 
merce between  Russia  and  China,  the  see  of  an  archbishop,  and 
the  seat  of  supreme  jurisdiction  over  eastern  Siberia.f  The  nu- 
irferous  officers  and  magistrates  have  introduced  the  customs  and 

•  Tookc's  Russia,  iv.  341.  f  Lesseps,  ii.  344. 


464  RUSSIAN  EMPIRE  IN  ASIA. 

fashions  of  Petersburg,  and  European  equipages  are  not  uncom- 
mon in  this  distant  region. 

On  the  wide  and  frozen  Lena,  stands  Yakutsk,  with  some  stone 
churches ;  but  the  houses  are  mostly  of  wood,  and  inhabited  chief- 
ly by  Russians,  as  the  Yakuts  are  fond  of  a  wandering  life.  The 
Lena  is  here  about  two  leagues  in  width,  (though  about  700  miles 
from  its  mouth)  but  is  greatly  impeded  with  ice  ;  and  thex*e  are 
only  a  few  small  barks,  chiefly  employed  in  supplying  the  town 
with  provisions.  Ochotsk,  on  the  sea  of  the  same  name,  may  be 
rather  regarded  as  a  station  than  a  town. 

Manufactures.']  There  are  some  manufactures,  particularly  in 
leather,  at  Asti'acan  ;  and  salt  is  prepared  there,  and  in  several 
other  places  in  Asiatic  Russia.  Isinglass  is  chiefly  manufactured 
on  the  shores  of  the  Caspian,  from  the  sounds  or  air  bladder  of  the 
sturgeon,  and  the  beluga.  Kaviar  is  the  salted  roe  of  large  fish. 
There  is  a  considerable  manufacture  of  nitre,  about  40  miles  north 
of  Astracan.  The  Tartars  and  Bashkirs  make  felts  of  a  large 
size,  some  of  which  are  exported.  The  Russia  leather  is  chiefly 
fabricated  in  the  European  provinces,  being  tanned  with  willow- 
bark,  and  afterwards  stained.  Shagreen  is  prepared  from  the 
hides  of  horses  or  asses,  but  only  a  particular  part  of  the  back  is 
fit  for  this  purpose  ;  and  the  grain  is  given  with  the  hard  seeds  of 
the  greater  orach,  prest  into  the  leather  while  moist.*  Pitch  is 
made  by  the  boors  from  the  pines  of  Siberia.  Near  the  Uralian. 
mountains  are  sevei'al  manufactures  in  iron  and  copper. 

Commerce.']  The  chief  commerce  of  this  part  of  the  Russian 
empire  consists  in  sables,  and  other  valuable  furs,  which  are  ea- 
gerly bought  by  the  Chinese,  who  return  tea,  silk,  and  porcelain  ; 
that  with  the  Kirguses  is  carried  on  by  exchanging  Russian  wool- 
len  cloths,  iron,  and  household  articles,  for  horses,  cattle,  sheep, 
and  beautiful  sheep-skins.  On  the  Black  Sea  there  is  some  com- 
merce with  Turkey,  the  exports  being  furs,  kaviar,  iron,  linen, 
&c.  and  the  imports  wine,  fruit,  coffee,  silks,  rice.  In  the  trade 
on  the  Caspian,  the  exports  are  the  same,  but  the  return  chiefly 
silk.  The  principal  Russian  harbors  are  Astracan,  Gurief,  and 
Kisliur,near  the  mouth  of  the  Terek,  but  the  best  haven  is  Baku, 
belonging  to  the  Persians.  The  Tartars,  on  the  east  of  the  Caspi- 
an, bring  the  products  of  their  country,  and  of  Bucharia,  as  cotton 
yarn,  furs,  stuffs,  hides,  rhubarb  ;  but  the  chief  article  is  raw  silk 
from  Shirvan  and  Ghilan,  on  the  west  of  the  Caspian. 

*  Tooke's  View,  Ki.  531. 


RUSSIAN  EMPIRE  IN  ASIA.  4W 


CHAPTER  II. 


NATURAL  GEOGRAPHY. 

CLIMATE  AND  SEASONS,  FACE  OF  THE  COUNTRY,  SOIL  AND  AGRI- 
CULTURE, RIVERS,  LAKES,  MOUNTAINS,  FORESTS,  BOTANY,  ZOO- 
LOGY, MINERALOGY,  MINERAL  WATERS. 

Climate  and  SeasonsJ]  IN  Asiatic  Russia  the  climate  ex- 
tends from  the  vine  at  the  bottom  of  Caucasus,  to  the  solitary  1L« 
chen,  on  the  rocks  of  the  Arctic  ocean.  Through  the  greater 
part  of  Siberia,  the  most  southern  frontier  being  about  50,  while 
the  nortliern  ascends  to  78.  The  general  climate  may  more  justly 
be  regarded  as  frigid  than  temperate  ;  being,  in  three  quarters 
of  the  country,  on  a  level  with  that  of  Norway  and  Lapland,  un- 
softened  by  the  gales  of  the  Atlantic.  To  the  south  of  the  sea  of 
Baikal,  the  climate  parallels  that  of  Berlin  aiid  the  north  of  Ger- 
many, so  that  the  finest  and  most  fertile  regions  in  middle  Asia 
belong  to  the  Chinese.  The  chains  of  high  mountains,  which, 
form  the  southern  boundary  of  these  provinces,  also  contribute  to 
increase  the  cold  ;  and  the  sea  of  Baikal  is  commonly  entirely- 
frozen  from  December  till  May.  The  finest  climate  in  these  east- 
cm  parts  is  that  of  Daouria,  or  the  province  around  Nershinsk  ; 
and  the  numerous  towns  on  the  Amur  evince  the  great  superiori- 
ty of  what  is  called  Chinese  Tartary,  which  is  comparatively  a 
fertile  and  temperate  region.  The  change  of  the  seasons  is  very 
rapid  ;  the  long  winter  is  almost  instantaneouly  succeeded  by  a 
warm  spring,  and  the  quickness  and  luxuriance  of  the  vegetation 
exceed  description. 

Face  of  the  Country. ~\  In  a  general  view  of  Asiatic  Russia,  the 
northern  and  eastern  parts  present  vast  marshy  plains,  covered 
with  almost  perpetual  snow,  and  pervaded  by  enormous  rivers, 
which,  under  masses  of  ice,  pursue  their  dreary  way  to  the  Arctic- 
ocean.  Even  the  central  paits  of  Siberia  seem  destitute  of  trees, 
vegetation  being  checked  by  the  severe  cold  of  so  wide  a  conti- 
nent. Towards  the  south  there  are  vast  forests.  The  sublime 
scenes  around  the  sea  of  Baikal  are  agreeably  contrasted  with  the 
marks  of  human  industry,  the  cultivated  field  and  the  garden.* 
Even  in  the  south  the  rivers  have  already  acquired  the  size  of  the 
Danube  and  the  Rhine,  and  they  are  navigable  with  safety  for  a 
great  extent.  The  vast  plains,  called  stt/ifiesj  constitute  a  fea- 
ture almost  peculiar  to  Asia;  but  the  mountains  do  not  correspond 
in  dignity,  rather  resembling  the  Apennines,  tlian  the  Andes,  the 
Alps,  or  even  the  Pyrenees. 

Soil  and  JgriciUture.'\  Many  parts  of  Siberia  are  totally  inca- 
pable of  agriculture  ;  but  in  the  southern  and  western  districts 
the  soil  is  of  remarkable  fertility.     Toward  the  north  of  Kolyvan 

*  See  Beirs  animnted  description  of  Uiis  region. 
VOL.    II.  59 


466  RUSSIAN  EMPIRE  IN  !^StA" 

barley  generally  yields  more  than  twelve  fold,  and  oats  commonly 
twenty  fold.  Buck  wheat,  in  this  black  light  mould,  is  apt  to  run 
into  stalk,  but  sown  in  the  poorest  spots  yields  from  twelve  to  fif- 
teen fold.  Exclusive  of  winter  wheat,  most  of  the  usual  European 
grains  prosper  in  southern  Siberia.  The  culture  of  the  olive 
tree  has  been  attempted  near  Asti'acan,  and  the  heat  of  the  sum- 
mer was  sufficient,  but  the  winter  cold  too  severe.  The  best  I'hu- 
barb  abounds  on  the  banks  of  the  Ural,  or  Jaik,  in  the  southern 
districts  watered  by  the  Yenesei,  and  in  the  mountains  of  Daouria. 

But  in  no  part  of  the  Russian  empire  has  agriculture  made 
much  progress,  nor  indeed  is  it  possible,  while  the  peasantry  arc 
slaves,  and  sold  with  the  soil. 

Rivers.^  Some  of  the  largest  rivers  of  Asia  belong  to  the  Rus- 
sian empire,  nearly  equalling  in  the  length  of  their  course  any  oth- 
ers on  the  globe.  Of  these  the  principal  are  the  Oby,  the  Yenesei, 
the  Lena,  the  Amur,  and  the  Wolga,  which  have  been  already  de- 
scribed.* 

The  Selinga  is  a  noble  river,  farther  to  the  south,  which  flows 
into  the  sea  of  Baikal,  after  receiving  the  Orchon  and  other  rivers, 
among  which  is  the  Tula,  or  Tola,  the  last  stream  that  occurs  till 
the  wide  desart  be  passed,  which  here  divides  the  Russian  empire 
from  China  Proper.  The  territory  adjacent  to  the  Selinga  and 
the  Onon  is  the  most  interesting  in  Siberia,  abounding  with  new, 
and  properly  Asiatic  botany,  and  zoology. 

The  Yaik  is  a  considerable  stream  which  flows  into  the  Caspi- 
an :  the  name  was  recently  changed  for  that  of  Ural,  on  account 
of  a  daring  insurrection  of  Uie  tribes  bordering  on  the  Yaik.f  The 
Terek  also  joins  the  Caspian  on  the  west,  and  its  chief  conse- 
quence is  derived  from  the  fertility  of  its  shores.  The  Kuban,  or 
Ciuban,  the  ancient  Hypanis,  runs  in  an  opposite  direction  into  the 
Euxine.  The  lower  shores  are  plain,  and  destitute  of  wood  ;  near 
the  sources  are  large  forests. 

Towards  the  other  extremity  of  Asiatic  Russia  is  the  Anadir, 
which  pervades  the  country  of  the  Techuks.  The  long  course  of 
the  Amur  belongs  to  the  Chinese  dominions.  The  Argoon  may 
be  properly  considered  as  the  original  Amur,  while  the  Onon, 
called  also  the  Schilka,  which  is  regarded  as  another  source  of 
that  great  I'iver,  may  be  considered  as  entirely  Russian.  The 
course  of  the  Onon  is  about  500  miles  ;  and  it  receives  numerous 
streams  from  mountains  on  the  N.  and  S. 

Lakes.^  In  the  north  of  Siberia,  the  most  considerable  lake  is 
that  of  Piazinsko.  In  the  south  the  sea  of  Baikal  is  fresh,  but  the 
extent  far  exceeding  that  of  any  other  lake  ;  it  has  been  described, 
with  the  Caspian,  among  ihe  inland  seas  of  Asia4  Between  the 
river  Ob  and  the  Irtish  is  a  large  lake,  about  half  the  length  of  the 
Baikal,  or  170  miles  in  length,  divided  by  an  island  into  two  parts, 
called  the  lakes  of  Tchany  and  Soumi.     In  this  quarter  there  are 

•  See  p.  17,  &e. 

f  This  river  alone  rises  on  the  E.  of  the  Ural  mountains,  and  afterwaids  pierces 
the  granitic  chain,  and  passes  W,    Dec.  Russ.  iv.  SOU. 
4  P.  16. 


RUSSIAN  EMPIRE  IN  ASIA.  467 

many  smaller  lakes,  and  others  north  of  the  Caspian,  aome  of 
which  arc  salt,  particularly  that  of  Bogdo,  near  the  small  moun- 
tain of  this  name. 

The  Allan  Nor,  or  golden  lake,  sometimes  corruptly  called  El- 
ton, is  a  large  saline  lake,  on  the  E.  of  Zaritzin.  The  lake  of  Al- 
tin,  already  mentioned  in  the  account  of  the  river  Ob,*  is  called 
by  the  Russians  Teletzko,  and  is  considerably  elevated  on  the 
north  side  of  the  Altaian  mountains  ;  but  from  the  best  maps  is 
not  above  40  miles  in  length,  and  20  in  breadth. 

Mountains.']  The  Uralian  and  Altaian  mountains  have  been  al- 
ready described. t 

The  mountains  of  Nershinsk,  or  Russian  Daouria,  send  branches 
towards  the  Selinga,  and  the  Amui\  The  chief  heights  are  to- 
wards the  sources  of  the  Onon  and  Ingoda,  where  there  are  pre- 
cipitous summits  of  granite.  A  ridge  passing  S.  W.  and  N.  E. 
to  the  south  of  Nershinsk,  between  the  rivers  Onon  and  Argoon 
(the  last  of  which  is  the  real  Amur,"  or  Amoor),  is  the  most  fertile 
in  minerals  of  all  Asiatic  Russia.  Among  the  products  may  be 
nam.ed  granite,  porphyry,  jasper,  calcedony,  carnelian,  onyx,  large 
shioky  topazes,  beryl,  or  aqua-marine,  the  real  topaz,  and  the  ja- 
cint.  In  this  opulent  district  are  also  salt  lakes,  and  warm  springs, 
with  vitriolic  pyrites,  ores  of  alum,  native  sulphur,  and  coals.  The 
metals  are  zinc,  iron,  copper,  and  many  mines  of  lead  ore,  con- 
taining silver  and  gold.  The  zoology  and  botany  arc  alike  curi- 
ous and  interesting.:^ 

The  chain  of  Stanovi,  otherwise  called  the  mountains  of  Ochotsk, 
is  only  a  continuation  of  the  mountains  of  Daouria.  This  part 
has  been  little  explored  ;  but  produces  nearly  the  same  substances 
as  the  formei'.  A  great  singularity  of  this  ridge  is,  that  some  en- 
tire branches  consist  of  beautiful  red  and  green  jasper.  That 
branch  which  pervades  Kamchatka  is  little  known,  being  covced 
Avith  perpetual  ice  and  snow.     It  abounds  with  volcanoes. 

This  grand  chain  contains  almost  the  whole  mountains  of  Sibe- 
ria, the  remainder  of  the  land  on  the  W.  of  the  Yenesei  being  lev- 
el ;  and  to  the  E.  of  that  river  are  only  several  long  ranges  ex- 
tending from  the  S.  to  the  N. 

But  in  the  S.  W.  part  of  Asiatic  Russia  some  ranges  deserve 
attention,  as  the  lower  part  of  the  Uralian  chain,  which  bends  to 
Uie  W.  above  Orenburg. 

The  classical  range  of  Caucasus  forms  a  partial  limit  between 
the  Russian  empire  and  those  of  Turkey  and  Persi?.  Between 
the  Euxine  and  the  Caspian,  the  Caucasian  chain  extends  for 
about  400  miles  ;  and  where  the  chief  heights  are  distinctly  mark- 
ed, about  5  miles  in  breadth,  but  in  many  places  20  or  GO.  The 
summits  are  covered  with  perpetual  ice  and  snow  ;  and  consist  of 
granite,  succeeded  by  slate  and  lime-stone.  In  ancient  times  they 
produced  gold  j  and  there  are   still  vestiges  of  silver,  lead,  and 

•  Pi8.  f  p.  22,  23. 

F  The  mountain  Adonshollo,  celebrated  for  minerals}  is  in  Uic  southern  extremity 
of  Russian  Daouria,  Dec.  Russ.  v.  509. 


468  RUSSIAN  EMPIRE  IN  ASIA. 

iiopper;  and  it  is  supposed  of  lapis   lazuli.     The  vales  abound 
with  excellent  forest  trees.* 

Forests."]  Asiatic  Russia  is  abundant  in  forests.  On  the  west 
of  the  government  of  Irkutsk,  an  enormous  dark  and  marshy  for- 
est of  resinous  trees  extends  to  the  river  Kan. t  The  northern  and 
eastern  parts  of  Siberia  are  bare  of  wood  ;  the  Norway  fir  not  be- 
ing found  farther  north  than  lat.  60,  while  the  silver  fir  does  not 
exceed  lat.  58.  In  Europe,  on  the  contrary,  the  Norway  fir  forms 
extensive  forests  in  Lapmark,  within  the  arctic  circle. | 

Stefifis.2  After  the  forests,  may  be  considered  the  extensive 
level  plains,  or  Sic/t/is,  an  appearance  of  nature  almost  peculiar 
to  Asia,  and  some  parts  of  European  Russia  :  but  somewhat  sim- 
ilar to  the  sandy  deserts  of  Africa.  The  stepps  ai'e  not  so  barren 
of  vegetation,  being  mostly  only  sandy,  with  scattered  patches  of 
thin  grass,  and  at  wide  intervals  a  stunted  thicket.  Between  the 
mouths  of  the  Don  and  Volga  is  a  stepp,  which  resembles  the  bed 
of  a  sea  ;  with  spots  of  salt,  and  saline  lakes,  being  entirely  desti- 
tute of  fresh  water  and  wood.§ 

On  the  eastern  side  of  the  Volga  begins  an  extensive  stepp, 
formerly  called  that  of  the  Kalmuks,  from  tribes  M'ho  used  to 
roam  there,  till  they  withdrew  from  the  Russian  dominions  in 
1771,  To  the  S.  it  is  bounded  by  the  Caspian  Sea,  and  the  lake 
Aral  ;  while  to  the  N.  it  may  be  regarded  as  connected  with  the 
stepp  of  Issim  ;  and  on  the  east  may  be  considered  as  extending 
to  the  river  Sarusa  ;  the  greater  part  not  belonging  to  the  Rus- 
sian dominions,  but  being  abandoned  to  the  wandering  Kirguses. 
This  vast  desert  extends  about  700  British  miles  from  E.  to  W. 
and  including  Issim,  nearly  as  far  from  N.  to  S.  but  on  the  N.  of 
the  Caspian  the  breadth  does  not  exceed  220.  A  ridge  of  sandy 
hills  stretches  from  near  the  termination  of  the  Uralian  chain  to- 
wards the  Caspian  ;  the  rest  is  a  prodigious  sandy  level,  with  sea 
shells,  and  salt  pools. 

This  stepp  of  Barabin,  N.  W.  of  Omsk,  is  about  400  miles  in 
length,  and  300  in  breadth,  containing  a  few  salt  lakes,  but  in 
general  of  a  good  black  soil,  interspersed  with  forests  of  birch.H 
That  of  Issim  aspires  but  rarely  to  the  same  quality  :  and  in  both 
are  found  many  tombs,  inclosing  the  remains  of  pastoral  chiefs, 
Tartar  or  Mongul, 

The  vast  space  between  the  Ob  and  the  Tenesei,  from  the  noith 
of  Tomsk  to  the  Arctic  ocean,  is  regarded  as  one  stepp,  being  a 
prodigious  level  with  no  appearance  of  a  mountain,  and  scarcely 
of  a  hill.  The  same  term  is  applied  to  the  wider  space  betweea 
the  Yenesei  and  the  Lena,  between  tlie  Arctic  ocean  on  the  north, 
and  a  river  Tunguska,  lat.  65  ;  and  to  the  parts  beyond  the  Lena 
as  far  as  the  river  Kolyma,  or  Covima.** 

*  Seethe  last  Travels  of  Pallas,  1793-4.  London,  ISOl,  2  vols.  4to. 

f  Dec.  Russ.  vi.  183.  t  Peuoant,  A.  Z.  p.  clxxx. 

§  Tooke's  View,  i   178. 

II  The  poverty  of  descriptive  language  is  frequently  to  be  regretted.  A  Russian 
ijtepp  sometimes  resembles  a  desert,  at  olber  rimes  a  savanna,  wavicg  with  luxuriant 
g»-ass. 

♦»  Se^  P.  25. 


RUSSIAN  EMPIRE  IN  ASIA.  469 

£oiany.~\  When  we  consider  the  gieat  extent  of  the  Asiatic 
provinces  of  the  Russian  empire,  tl«e  scantiness  of  their  popula- 
tion, and  the  few  years  that  have  as  yet  elapsed  since  the  first  at- 
tempt to  examine  their  natural  productions,  we  shall  feel  rather 
surprised  at  what  has  been  done,  than  disappointed  because  no 
greater  progress  has  been  made  in  arranging  and  describing 
their  indigenous  vegetables.  The  labors  of  Steller,  and  Gmelin, 
and  lastly  of  Pallas,  under  the  munificent  patronage  of  the  Em- 
press Catharine,  have  disclosed  to  the  view  of  science  tlie  wilds 
of  Siberia  and  the  deserts  of  Tartary  ;  and  though  many  exten- 
sive tracts  continue  wholly  unexplored,  yet  from  the  ample  speci- 
men that  has  been  sui-veyed,  we  may  form  a  very  probable  con- 
jecture concerning  the  botany  of  the  remainder. 

Russia  in  Asia,  with  regard  to  its  flora,  is  divided  by  nature  in- 
to two  unequal  portions  :  The  smaller  of  these  is  bounded  west 
by  the  Don,  and  Wolga,  east  by  the  Uralian  mountains,  and  south 
by  the  Caspian  sea,  and  the  Turkish  and  Persian  frontiers.  The 
climate  of  this  district  is  delicious,  and  the  soil  fertile  ;  it  slopes 
towards  the  south,  and  is  protected  from  the  northern  blasts  by 
lofty  mountains  ;  in  its  botany  it  resembles  the  province  of  Tau- 
rida  :  the  cedar,  the  cypress,  the  savine,  red  juniper,  beech,  and 
oak  clothe  the  sides  of  the  mountains  ;  the  almond,  the  peach, 
and  the  fig,  abound  in  the  warm  recesses  of  the  rocks  ;  the  quince, 
the  apricot,  the  willow-leaved  pear,  and  the  vine,  are  of  frequent 
occurrence  in  the  thickets,  and  on  the  edges  of  the  forests.  The 
bogs  are  adorned  by  those  exquisitely  beautiful  plants,  the  rho- 
dodendron ponticum,  and  az.alea  pontica  ;  the  olive,  the  stately 
wide-spreading  eastern  plane  tree,  the  laurel,  the  bay  and  laurus- 
tinus,  grow  in  abundance  on  the  shores  of  the  sea  of  Azof,  and  the 
Caspian  ;  and  the  romantic  vales  of  the  Caucasus  are  perfumed 
and  enlivened  with  the  syringa,  the  jasmine,  the  lilac,  and  the 
Caucasian  rose.  From  so  flattering  a  specimen  it  is  not  to  be 
doubted  that  future  naturalists  will  gather  an  abundant  harvest  of 
useful  and  beautiful  vegetables  in  these  districts,  which  have  hith- 
erto been  very  imperfectly  noticed. 

By  far  the  larger  part  of  the  Russian  dominions  in  Asia  is  the 
wide  expanse  of  Siberia,  sloping  towards  the  north,  and  shut  up 
on  the  south  by  the  snowy  summits  of  the  Altaian,  and  other  moun- 
tains. As  the  winters  are  of  great  length  and  severity  throughout 
the  whole  of  this  tract,  none  but  the  hardiest  vegetables  are  found 
to  inhabit  it.  The  oak  and  the  hazle,  which  endure  the  rigors  of 
a  German  winter  without  shrinking,  cannot  exist  in  a  Siberian  cli- 
mate ;  dwarfish  specimens  indeed  of  each,  may  be  traced  at  the 
foot  of  the  Altaian  mountains,  quite  across  Asia,  as  far  as  the  banks 
of  the  river  Amur,  in  Daouria,  where,  being  screened  from  the 
northern  blasts,  they  resume  their  natural  size  ;  but  all  that  at- 
tempt to  penetrate  northward,  become  more  diminutive  as  they 
advance,  and  soon  entirely  disappear.  Even  the  common  heath, 
and  bog  myrtle,  which  cover  the  lower  parts  of  Lapland,  venture 
but  a  very  little  way  eastward  of  the  Uralian  mountains.  We  are 
not  however  hence  to  conclude  that  the  mighty  rivers  of  Siberia 


47X)  RUSSIAN  EMPIRE  IN  ASIA. 

pour  their  everlasting  streams  through  a  barren  waste  of  perpet- 
ual snow  ;  on  the  contrary  they  arc  bordered  with  inexhaustible 
forests  of  birch,  of  alder,  of  lime,  of  Tartarian  maple,  of  black  and 
white  poplar,  and  aspen,  besides  millions  of  noble  trees  of  the 
pine  species,  such  as  the  fir,  the  Scotch  pine,  the  larch,  the  stone 
pine,  and  yew-leaved  fir.  Nor  during  their  short  summer  are 
they  destitute  of  many  beautiful  plants,  that  lie  concealed  under 
the  snow  during  the  greater  part  of  the  year. 

The  Siberian  plum,  and  crab,  the  mountain  ash,  Tartarian 
honey-suckle,  Tartarian  mulberry,  and  the  Daourian  rose,  form 
thickets  of  exqusite  beauty,  under  shelter  of  which  arise  the  white 
flowered  peony,  the  yellow  saranne  lily,  whose  roots  are  a  favor- 
ite food  with  the  Tartarian  tribes,  and  a  multitude  of  others,  a 
bare  list  of  whose  names  would  be  neither  amusing  nor  instruc- 
tive. There  are  two  other  plants,  the  heracleum  panaces,  and 
fibiricum,  from  the  dried  stalks  of  which  the  natives  procure  a 
saccharine  eflHorescence,  whence  is  made,  by  fermentation  and 
distillation,  a  coarse,  ardent,  intoxicating  spirit. 

Zoology. ~\  In  the  greater  part  of  Asiatic  Russia  the  rein-deer, 
which  extends  to  the  further  east,  performs  the  office  of  the  horse, 
the  cow,  and  the  sheep  ;  if  we  except  Kamchatka,  where  dogs  are 
used  for  carriage.  But  the  south  may  perhaps  be  considered  as 
the  native  country  of  that  noble  animal,  the  horse,  being  there 
found  wild,  as  well  as  a  species  of  the  ass.*  The  terrible  urus, 
or  bison,  is  yet  found  in  the  Caucasian  mountains  ;  and  the  argali, 
©r  wild  sheep,  is  hunted  in  Siberia.  The  ibex,  or  I'ock  goai,  is 
frequent  on  the  Caucasian  precipices  ;  and  large  stags  are  found 
in  the  mountains  near  the  Baikal,  with  the  musk  animal ;  the  wild 
boar,  wolves,  foxes,  and  bears,  of  various  names  and  descriptions, 
are  also  found.  That  kind  of  weazel,  called  the  sable,  affords  a 
valuable  traffic  by  its  furs.  Some  kinds  of  hares  appear,  little 
known  in  other  regions  ;  and  the  castor,  or  beaver,  is  an  inmate 
of  the  Yenesei.  The  walrus,  or  large  kind  of  seal,  once  termed 
the  sea  horse,  is  no  stranger  to  the  Arctic  shores  ;  and  the  com- 
mon seal  extends  to  Kamchatka,  while  the  manati,  perhaps  the 
mermaid  of  fable,  inhabits  the  straits  of  Beering,  and  the  isles  be- 
tween the  continents. 

The  horses  of  the  Monguls  are  of  singular  beauty,  some  being 
ribbed  like  the  tiger,  and  others  spotted  like  the  leopard.  Tlic 
nostrils  of  the  foals  are  commonly  slitted,  that  they  may  inhale 
more  air  in  the  course.  The  three  great  Nomadic  nations  of  the 
centre  of  Asia,  the  Tartars,  Monguls,  and  Mandshurs,  have  no  a- 
version  to  horse  flesh,  which  is  in  their  opinion  superior  to  beef ; 
but  it  is  never  eaten  raw,  as  fabled,  though  they  sometimes  dry  it 
in  the  sun  and  air,  when  it  will  keep  for  a  long  time,  and  is  eaten 
without  farther  preparation.  The  crfon,  or  stud  of  a  noble  Mon- 
gul,  contains  sometimes  between  three  and  four  thousand  horsei^i^ 
and  mares.  The  cattle  are  of  a  middling  size,  and  pass  the  win-^ 
ter  in  the  stepps,  or  deserts.     As  these  nations  use  the  milk  of 

•  Pennant,  A.  Z.  i.  2.    See  also  Dec.  Russ.  vi.  309. 


RUSSIAN  EMPIRE  IN  ASIA.  471 

mares,  so  they  employ  the  cow  for  draught,  a  string  being  passed 
through  a  hole  made  in  their  nostril,  Mr  Bell  met  a  beautiful 
Tartar  girl  astride  on  a  cow,  attended  by  two  male  servants. 

The  best  sables  are  found  near  Yakutsk  and  Nershinsk  ;  but 
those  of  Kamchatka  are  the  most  numerous,  ajid  several  stratagems 
are  employed  to  catch  or  kill  the  animal,  without  any  irijuiy 
to  the  skin,  which  is  sometimes  worth  ten  pounds  on  the  spot. 
The  black  foxes  are  also  highly  esteemed,one  skin  being  sometimes 
sufficient  to  pay  the  tribute  of  a  village.*  The  rock  or  ice  fox, 
generally  of  a  white  colour,  sometimes  blueish,  is  found  in  great 
numbers  in  the  eastern  Archipelago  ;  this  animal  rivals  the  ape  in 
sly  tricks  and  mischief.  The  bear  is  destroyed  by  many  ingenious 
methods.  The  Koriakas  contrive  a  loop  and  bait  hanging  from 
a  tree,  by  which  he  is  suspended.  In  the  southern  mountains  his 
usual  path  is  watched,  a  rope  is  laid  in  it  with  a  heavy  block  at 
one  end,  and  a  noose  at  the  other.  When  thus  entangled  by  the 
neck,  he  is  either  exhausted  by  dragging  so  great  a  weight,  or  at- 
tacking the  block  with  fury  he  throws  it  down  some  precipice, 
where  it  seldom  fails  to  drag  him  to  destruction.  On  the  Euro- 
pean side  of  the  Uralian  chain,  where  the  peasants  form  bee  hives 
in  tall  trees,  the  bear  is  destroyed  in  his  attempt  to  seize  the  hon- 
ey, by  a  trap  of  boards  suspended  from  a  strong  branch,  and  slight- 
ly attached  to  the  enti*ance  of  the  hive  :  the  animal  finding  this 
platform  convenient  for  his  purpose  undoes  the  slight  fastening  to 
get  at  his  luscious  repast,  but  is  instantly  conveyed  to  a  great  dis- 
tance, and  remains  suspended  from  the  branch,  till  he  be  discover- 
ed and  shot  by  the  contrivers. 

Mineralogy.']  The  mineralogy  of  Siberia  is  equally  fertile,  and 
displays  many  singular  and  interesting  objects.  Peter  the  Gi'eat, 
who  directed  his  attention  to  every  object  of  utility,  was  the  first 
who  ordered  these  remote  mines  to  be  explored,  which  have  since 
supplied  great  resources  of  national  wealth  and  industry. 

The  chief  gold  mines  of  Siberia  are  those  of  Catberinburg,  on 
the  east  of  the  Uralian  mountains,  about  lat.  37,  where  an  office 
for  the  management  of  the  mines  was  instituted  in  1719.  The 
mines  of  various  sorts  extend  a  considerable  distance  on  the  N. 
and  S.  of  Catberinburg  ;  and  the  foundries,  chiefly  for  copper  and 
iron,  are  computed  at  105,  But  the  gold  mines  of  Beresof,  in  this 
vicinity,  were  of  little  consequence,  till  the  reign  of  Elizabeth. 
The  mines  of  Nershinsk,  discovered  in  1704,  are  principally  of 
lead  mixed  with  silver  and  gold  ;  and  those  of  Kolyvan,  chiefly 
in  the  Schlangenberg,  or  mountain  of  serpents,  so  called  by  the 
German  miners,  began  to  be  worked  for  the  crown  in  1748. 

The  gold  is  sometimes  found  native,  but  generally  mingled 
with  various  substances,  particularly  silver. 

Besides  the  copper  mines  in  the  Uralian  mountains,  there  are 
also  some  in  those  of  Altai.  The  niost  singular  ore  is  the  den- 
dritic, somewhat  resembling  fern,  of  a  pale  color,  and  perhaps 
cotitaining  silver.     Malachite,  or   stalactitic  copper,  is  found  in 

•  Tookc's  View,  ffi.  43. 


472  RUSSIAN  EMPIRE  IN  ASIA. 

the  greatest  perfection  in  a  mine  about  30  miles  S.  of  Catherine 
burg  ;  what  is  called  the  Armenian  stone  is  a  blue  malachite.* 
The  red  lead  of  Siberia  is  found  in  the  mines  of  Beresof,  on  a  mi- 
caceous sand  stone.  This  substance,  it  is  well  known,  has  disclos- 
ed a  new  metal  called  chrome. 

But  the  iron  mines  of  Russia  are  of  the  most  solid  and  lasting 
importance,  particularly  those  which  supply  the  numerous  foun- 
dries of  the  Uralian  mountains.!  Yet  Russia  still  imports  quick- 
silver and  zinc  ;  and  the  semi  metals  are  rare. 

Rock  salt  is  chiefly  found  near  the  Ilek,  not  far  from  Orenburg. 
Coal  is  scarcely  known  ;  but  sulphur,  alum,  sal-amoniac,  vitriol, 
nitre,  and  natron,  are  found  in  abundance. 

Nor  must  the  gems  of  Siberia  be  omitted,  of  which  there  is  a 
great  variety,  particularly  in  the  mountain  Adunshollo,^  near  the 
river  Argoon,  in  the  province  of  Nershinsk,  or  Daouria.  Com- 
mon topazes  are  found  in  AdunshoUo,  in  quadrangular  prisms,  as 
is  also  the  jacint.  The  boryl,  or  aqua-marine,  is  found  in  Adun- 
shoUo, but  in  greater  perfection  in  what  are  called  the  gem  mines 
of  Moursintsky,  near  Catherinburg,  along  with  the  chrysolite. 
Red  garnets  abound  nekr  the  sea  of  Baikal ;  and  a  yellowish  white 
kind  was  discovered  by  Laxman.  The  green  felspar  of  Siberia  is 
a  beautiful  stone,  by  the  Russians  carved  into  various  ornaments. 
The  Daourian  mountains  between  the  Onon  and  the  Argoon  also 
produce  elegant  onyx. 

The  beautiful  stones  called  the  hair  of  Venus  and  Thetis,  be- 
ing limpid  rock  crystals,  containing  capillary  schorl,  red  or  green, 
are  found  near  Catherinburg. 

The  beautiful  red  and  green  jaspers  of  Siberia  are  from  the 
most  distant  mountains,  as  already  mentioned,  and  lapis  lazuli  is 
found  near  the  Baikal.  The  Uralian  chain  also  presents  fine 
white  marble  ;  and  in  the  numerous  primitive  ranges  there  are 
many  varieties  of  granite  and  porphyry. 

Mineral  Waters.'\  Mineral  waters  do  not  abound  in  Asiatic 
Russia.  There  is  a  fetid  sulphureous  spring  near  Sarepta,  on 
the  frontier  of  Europe  and  Asia,  and  several  others  in  Siberia. 
The  baths  on  the  Terek,  towards  the  Caucasus,  are  of  a  middle 
temperature;  and  there  are  others  in  the  province  of  Nershinsk; 
among  the  Kalmuks,  south  of  the  Altai,  in  the  country  soimetimes 
styled  Soongaria,  and  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  sea  of  Baikal. 
Springs  impregnated  with  naphtha  and  petroleum,  ai'e  found  near 
tlie  Caspian  and  the  Baikal. 

But  the  chief  mineral  waters  are  those  in  Kamchatka,  as  de- 
scribed by  Lesseps.  The  hot  baths  of  Natchikin,  not  far  from  a 
volcano  in  the  south  of  that  peninsula,  seem  not  to  have  been  traced 
to  their  source,  but  they  fall  in  a  rapid  cascade  about  300  feet 
above  the  baths,  benevolently  erected  by  Mr.  Kasloff,  for  the  ben- 
efit of  the  Kamchadals,  the  stream  being  about  a  foot  and  a  half 
deep,  and  six  or  seven  feet  wide.     The   water  is  extremely  hot, 

*  Guthrie,  Table  of  Gems.    Bee  XV.  p.  212. 

f  Near  mount  Emor,  or  Neinir,  not  tar  tVoni  the  river  Yenisei,  in  the  south  of 
Siberia,  Dr.  Pallas  diiscovered  a  large  mass  of  native  iron. 


CHINESE  EMPIRE.  4J3 

and  of  a  very  penetrating  nature.  On  the  west  side  of  the  gulf  of 
Penjina,'is  a  hot  spring,  which  falls  into  the  Tavatona,  being  of  a 
great  size,  and  enaitting  clouds  of  smoke. 


ISLANDS  BELONGING  TO  ASIATIC  RUSSIA^ 


These  have  been  already  described  in  part.*  The  Kurilian  isles 
extend  from  the  southern  promontory  of  Kamchatka  towards  the 
land  of  Jesso  and  Japan,  being  supposed  to  be  about  20  in  num- 
ber, of  which  the  largest  are  Poro  Muschir,  and  Mokanturu.  Sev- 
eral of  these  isles  are  volcanic  ;  and  some  contain  forests  of  birch, 
alder,  and  pine.  Most  of  them  swarm  with  foxes  of  various  col- 
ors. Even  after  the  discoveries  of  La  Pei'ouse,  it  is  difficult  to 
distinguish  what  particular  isles  in  the  south  of  this  chain  are  im- 
plied by  the  Russian  appellations,  and  it  would  even  appear  that 
the  Russian  navigators  had,  with  their  usual  confusion,  described 
the  same  islands  under  different  names.  The  inhabitants  of  the 
Kurilian  isles  seem  to  be  of  similar  origin  with  the  Kamchadals  ; 
and  in  the  interior  of  some  is  a  people  called  hairy  Kuriliaas^ 
from  what  circumstance  is  not  explained. 


THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE. 


THE  Chinese  empire,  embracing  the  extensive  conquests 
of  the  western  countries,  made  the  last  century,  may  now  be  con- 
sidered as  extending  from  those  pans  of  the  Pacific  ocean  called 
the  Chinese  and  Japanic  seas,  to  the  rivers  Sarasou  and  Sihon  in 
the  west,  a  space  of  81°,  which,  taking  the  medial  latitude  of  30, 
will  amount  to  nearly  4900  miles.  From  N.  to  S.  this  vast  em- 
pire may  be  computed  from  the  Uralian  mountahis,  lat.  50,  to  the 
southern  part  of  China,  about  lat.  21,  being  29  of  latitude,  nearly 
2030  miles. 

This  enipire,  therefore,  consists  of  three  principal  divisions  ; 
that  of  China  Proper  ;  Chinese  Tartary,  or  the  territory  of  the 
Mandshurs,  Monguls,  and  Cashgar,  on  the  north  and  west ;  and 
lastly.  Tributary  Doniiftions,  embracing,  among  other  countries, 
the  singular  and  interesting.^ region  of  Tibet,  or  Tibbet.  These 
countries,  which  arc  arranged  in  the  following  table,  from  Hasscl, 
ai-e  not  only  so  wide  and  important,  but  are  so  radically  different 
in  the  form  of  government,  in  the  manners,  and  other  circumstan- 
ces, that  it  will  be  proper  to  describe  each  apart. 

•  See  p.  Ul,  Vol  I. 
VOL.  II.  60 


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4^4  CHINA  PROPER. 

1st  DIFISJOJV. 

tUmA  PROPER. 

CHAPTER  I. 
HISTORICAL  GEOGRAPHY. 

NAMfiS,  EXTENT,  BOUNDARIES,  ORIGINAL  POPULATIOK,  PROGRES- 
SIVE GEOGRAPHY,  HISTORICAL  EPOCHS  AND  ANTIQUITIES,  RE- 
LIGION, ECCLESIASTICAL  GEOGRAPHY,  GOVERNMENT,  LAW^S, 
POPULATION,  ARMY,  REVENUES,  POLITICAL  IMPORTANCE  AND 
RELATIONS,  MANNERS  AND  CUSTOMS,  LANGUAGE,  LITERATURE, 
EDUCATION,  UNIVERSITIES,  CITIES  AND  TOWNS,  EDIFICES, 
ROADS,  INLAND  NAVIGATION,  MANUFACTURES  AND  COMMERCE. 

Mzm?s.]  THIS  distinguished  region  is  by  the  natires 
styled  Tchon-Kou,  which  signifies  the  centre  of  the  earth,  as  they 
proudly  regard  other  countries  as  mere  skirts  and  appendages  to 
their  own.  After  the  conquest  of  the  northern  part  by  the  de- 
scendants of  Zingis,  it  was  styled  Cathay,  a  name  celebrated  in 
travels,  poetry,  and  romance  ;  while  the  southern  part  was  called 
Mangi.  The  origin  of  the  name  of  China,  or  Tsin,  is  uncertain. 
The  Mahometan  travellers  of  the  9th  century,  published  by  Re- 
naudot,  call  this  country  Sin,  but  the  Persians  pronounce  it  Tchin.* 

China  Proper  extends  from  the  great  wall  in  the  north,  to  the 
Chinese  sea  in  the  south,  about  1330  miles.  The  breadth  from 
the  shores  of  the  Pacific,  to  the  frontiers  of  Tibet,  may  be  com- 
puted at  nearly  1030  British  miles.  In  square  miles  the  contents 
have  been  estimated  at  1,29?',999,  and  in  acres  at  830,719,360.1 
On  the  east  and  south,  the  boundaries  are  maritime,  and  to  the 
north  they  are  marked  by  the  great  wall,  and  the  desert  of  Sha- 
mo  ;  the  confines,  with  Tibet  on  the  west,  seem  to  be  chiefly  in- 
dicated by  an  ideal  line,  though  occasionally  more  strongly  mark- 
ed by  mountains  and  rivers  :  particularly,  according  to  D'An- 
ville,  the  river  Yalon,  which  falls  into  the  Kiah-ku,  the  country  of 
Sifan  lying  between  Tibet  and  China,  on  the  south  of  the  Eluts  of 
K-okonor. 

Original  Population.']  The  population  of  China  seems  wholly 
aboriginal,  but  the  form  of  the  features  appears  to  imply  intimate 
aifinity  with  the  Tartars,  Monguls,  and  Mandshurs  ;  yet  the  Chi- 
nese probably  constitute  a  fourth  grand  division,  not  strictly  de- 
rived from  either  of  these  races. 

Progressive  Geogra/ihy.~\  The  progressive  geography  of  Chi- 
na, as  known  to  the  western  nations,  is  not  of  ancient  date.  The 
oldest  external  relation  which  we  possess,  is  that  of  two  Mahome- 

•  English  Trandation.    Remarks,  p.  40.        f  Macartney's  Emb.  iii.  Appen. 


CHINA  PROPER.  47jr 

ttin  travellers  in  the  9th  century,  who,  among  many  fables,  impart 
high  ideas  concerning  the  Chinese  empire,  and  mention  Canefu, 
supposed  to  be  Canton,  as  a  city  of  great  trade,  -while  the  emper- 
ors resided  at  Camdan,  which  seems  to  be  the  city  also  called 
Nankin,  or  the  Southern  Court,  in  contradistinction  to  Pekin,  or 
the  Northern  Court.  This  wide  empire  continued,  however,  ob- 
scure to  the  inhabitants  of  Europe,  till  the  travels  of  Marco  Polo 
appeared,  in  the  end  of  the  13th  century.  Oderic,  of  Portenau, 
described  his  voyage  to  China^  1318,*  and  Sir  John  Mandeville 
visited  China  about  1340.  In  the  following  century  there  was  a 
strange  and  unaccountable  intermission  of  intercourse  and  re- 
search. After  this  relapse  of  darkness,  however,  authentic 
knowledge  was  gradually  obtained  by  means  of  the  discovery  of 
the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  and  the  subsequent  enterprizes  of  the 
Portuguese. 

Historical  Efiochs.']  The  Chinese  history  is  said  to  commence, 
in  a  clear  and  constant  narration,  about  2500  years  before  the  birtli 
of  Christ.  The  founder  of  the  monarchy  isFo-Hi  ;  but  the  regu- 
lar history  begins  with  Yao.f  The  dynasties  or  families  who  have 
successively  held  the  throne  amount  to  22,  from  the  first  named 
Hia,  to  the  present  house  of  Tsing.^  Yn,  the  first  emperor  of  the 
house  of  Hia,  is  said  to  have  written  a  book  on  agriculture,  and  to 
have  encouraged  canals  for  irrigation  ;  and  it  is  also  asserted  that 
he  divided  the  empire  into  nine  provinces.  The  ancient  revolu- 
tions of  China  would  little  interest  the  general  reader.  The  dy- 
nasties, as  usual,  generally  terminate  in  some  weak  or  wicked 
prince,  who  is  dethroned  by  an  able  subject.  Sometimes  the  mon- 
archy is  divided  into  that  of  the  south,  which  is  esteemed  the  rul- 
ing and  superior  inheritance  ;  and  that  of  the  north.  The  em- 
peror Tai  Tsong,  who  reigned  in  the  7th  century  after  Christ,  is 
regarded  as  one  of  the  greatest  princes  who  have  filled  the  Chinese 
throne.  The  Mandshurs  to  the  north  of  China  repeatedly  influenced 
the  succession  to  the  empire  ;  but  the  Mooguls,  under  Zingis  and 
his  successors,  seized  the  five  northern  provinces.  Hoaitsing, 
who  began  to  reign  A.  D.  1627,  was  the  last  prince  of  the  Chi- 
nese dynasties.  Some  unsuccessful  wars  against  the  Mandshurs, 
had  rendered  this  emperor  melancholy  and  cruel  ;  and  insurrec- 
tions arose,  the  most  formidable  being  conducted  by  two  chiefs, 
Li  and  Techang.  The  former  besieged  Pekin,  which  was  sur- 
rendered in  consequence  of  the  general  discontent,  and  the  em- 
peror retiring  to  his  garden,  first  slew  his  daughter  with  his  sabre, 
and  afterwards  hanged  himself  on  a  tree,  having  lived  but  36 
years.  The  usurper  seemed  firmly  seated  on  the  throne,  when  a 
prince  of  the  royal  family  invited  the  Mandshurs,  who  advanced 
under  their  king  Tsong  Te.  The  Mandshur  monarch  had  scarce- 
ly entered  China  when  he  died  ;  and  his  son,  of  six  years  of  age, 
was  declared  emperor,  the  regency  being  entrusted  to  his  uncle. 
The  young  prince,  named  Chun  Tchig,  was  the  first  emperor  of 


•  Forster's  Disc,  in  the  north,  p.  147. 
t  Uutlalde.iii.  7.  Haye,  1756,  4to. 


4  11).  i.  26C,  &o. 


478  CHINA  PROPER. 

the  present  dynasty,  and  has  been  followed  by  four  princes  of  the 
same  Mandshur  family. 

Antiquitie8r\  Among  the  remains  of  Chinese  antiquity  may  be 
mentioned  the  coins  of  the  ancient  dynasties,  of  which  arranged 
cabinets  are  formed  by  the  curious  natives.  The  artificial  moun- 
tains present  on  their  tops,  temples,  monasteries,  and  other  edi- 
fices. The  Chinese  bridges  cannot  be  sufficiently  admired.  They 
are  built  sometimes  upon  barges  strongly  chained  together,  yet 
so  as  to  be  parted,  and  to  let  the  vessels  pass  that  sail  up  and  down 
the  river*  Some  of  them  run  from  mountain  to  mountain,  and 
consist  only  of  one  arch  ;  that  over  the  river  Saffrany  is  400  cu- 
bits long,  and  500  high,  though  a  single  arch,  and  joins  two  moun- 
tains ;  and  some  in  the  interior  parts  of  the  empire  are  said  to  be 
still  more  stupendous.  The  triumphal  arches  of  this  country 
form  the  next  species  of  artificial  curiosities.  Though  they  are 
not  built  in  the  Greek  or  Roman  style  of  architecture,  yet  they 
are  superb  and  beautifbl,  and  erected  to  the  memories  of  their 
great  men,  with  vast  labor  and  expense.  They  are  said  in  the 
whole  to  be  eleven  hundred,  two  hundred  of  which  are  particular- 
ly magnificent.  Their  sepulchral  monuments  make  likewise  a 
great  figure.  Their  towers,  the  models  of  which  are  now  so  com- 
mon in  Europe,  under  the  name  ot  pagodas,  are  great  embellish- 
ments to  the  face  of  the  country.  They  seem  to  be  constructed 
by  a  regular  order,  and  all  of  them  are  finished  with  exquisite 
carvings  and  gildings,  and  other  ornaments-  That  at  Nankin, 
which  is  200  feet  high,  and  40  in  diameter,  is  the  most  admired. 
It  is  called  the  Porcelain  Tower,  because  it  is  lined  with  Chinese 
tiles.  Their  temples  are  chiefly  remarkable  for  the  disagreeable 
taste  in  which  they  are  built,  for  their  capaciousness,  their  whim- 
sical ornaments,  and  the  ugliness  of  the  idols  they  contain.  The 
Chinese  are  remarkably  fond  of  bells,  which  gave  name  to  one  of 
their  principal  festivals.  A  bell  of  Pekin  weighs  120,000  pounds, 
but  its  sound  is  said  to  be  disagreeable.  The  last  curiosity  I  shall 
mention,  is  their  fire  works,  which  in  China  exceed  those  of  all 
other  nations.  In  short  every  province  of  China  is  a  scene  of  cu- 
riosities. Their  buildings,  except  their  pagodas,  being  confined 
to  no  order,  and  susceptible  of  all  kinds  of  ornaments,  have  a  wild 
variety,  and  a  pleasing  elegance,  not  void  of  magnificence,  agree.* 
able  to  the  eye  and  the  imagination,  and  present  a  diversity  of  ob- 
jects not  to  be  found  in  European  architecture.  In  the  famous 
Putawlaw,  or  temple  of  public  worship,  in  the  city  of  Pekin,  hangs 
a  bell  which  the  Chinese  assured  Capt.  Turner  (who  saw  it) 
weighs  upwards  of  20,000  pounds,  and  requires  a  hundred  men  to 
ring  it.  This,  however,  is  never  attempted,  but  to  call  the  peo- 
ple to  arms,  in  case  of  invasions,  insurrections,  or  on  public  thanks- 
givings for  any  signal  blessing  or  victory.  In  one  of  the  gardens 
©f  the  emperor  stands  a  temple,  in  which  is  a  magnificent  throne, 
upon  which,  it  is  an  ancient  and  invariable  custom  of  the  emper- 
ors of  China,  to  seat  themselves  at  certain  times,  to  hear  and  de- 
termine all  matters  of  complaint,  that  might  be  brought  before 
them.     Such  extraordinary  virtue  is  conceived  to  be  attached  to 


I 


CHINA  PROPER.  479 

this  tlirone,  that,  according  to  the  justice  or  injustice  of  the  em- 
peror's decrees,  his  existence  or  immediate  deatli  depend.  This 
temple  and  seat  of  justice  is  said,  by  the  Chinese,  to  have  been 
erected  by  divine  command,  and  had  existed  for  many  thousand 
years. 

But  the  chief  remain  of  ancient  art  in  China  is  that  stupendous 
wall,  extending  across  the  northern  boundary.*  This  work,  which 
is  deservedly  esteemed  among  the  grandest  labors  of  art,  is  con- 
ducted over  the  summits  of  high  mountains,  some  of  which  rise 
to  the  height  of  5225  feet,  across  the  deepest  vales,  over  wide  riv- 
ers, by  means  of  arches  ;  and  in  many  parts  is  doubled  or  trebled 
to  command  important  passes,  and  at  the  distance  of  almost  every 
hundred  yards  is  a  tower,  or  massy  bastion.  The  extent  is  com- 
puted at  1500  miles  ;  but  in  some  parts  of  smaller  danger,  it  is 
not  equally  strong  nor  complete,  and  towards  the  N.  W.  is  only  a 
rampart  of  earth.  For  the  precise  height  and  dimensions  af  this 
amazing  fortification,  the  reader  is  referred  to  the  work  already 
quoted,  whence  it  appears,  that  near  K(>opeko  the  wall  is  25  feet 
in  height,  and  at  the  top  about  15  feet  thick  :  some  of  the  towers 
which  are  square,  are  48  feet  bigh,  and  about  50  feet  wide.  The 
stone  employed  in  the  foundatioiis,  angles,  &c.  is  a  strong,  grey 
granite  ;  but  the  greatest  part  consists  of  blueish  bricks,  and  the 
mortar  is  remarkably  pure  and  white. 

Sir  George  Staunton  considers  the  era  of  this  great  barrier  as 
absolutely  ascertained,  and  he  asserts  that  it  has  existed  for  two 
thousand  years.  Mr.  Bell,  who  resided  for  some  time  in  China, 
and  whose  travels  are  deservedly  esteemed  for  the  accuracy  of 
their  intelligence,  assures  ust  that  this  wall  was  built  about  600 
years  ago  (that  is  about  the  year  1 160),  by  one  of  the  emperors,  to 
prevent  the  frequent  incursions  of  the  Monguls,  whose  numerous 
cavalry  used  to  ravage  the  provinces,  and  escape  before  an  army 
could  be  assembled  to  oppose  them.  Renaudot  observes  that  no 
oriental  geographer,  above  300  years  in  antiquity,  mentions  this 
wall  :|  audit  is  surprising  that  it  should  have  escaped  Marco  Po- 
lo ;  who,  supposing  that  he  had  entered  China  by  a  different  route, 
can  hardly  be  conceived,  during  his  long  residence  in  the  north 
of  China,  and  in  the  country  of  the  Monguls,  to  have  remained  ig- 
norant of  so  stupendous  a  work.  Amidst  these  difficulties,  per- 
haps it  may  be  conjectured  that  similar  modes  of  defence  had 
been  adopted  in  different  ages  ;  and  that  the  ancient  rude  barrier 
having  fallen  into  decay,  was  replaced,  perhaps  after  the  invasion 
of  Zingis,  by  the  present  erection,  which  even  from  the  state  of 
its  preservation,  can  scarcely  aspire  to  much  antiquity. 

Religion.']  According  to  Du  Halde,  the  ancient  Chinese  wor- 
shipped a  supreme  being,  whom  they  styled  Chang  Ti,  or  Tien, 
which  is  said  to  imply  the  spirit  which  presides  over  the  heavens  ; 
but  in  the  opinion  of  others  is  only  the  visible  firmament.  They 
also  worshipped  subaltern  spirits,  who  presided  over  kingdoms, 
provinces,  cities,  rivers,  and  mountains.      Under  tliis  system, 

•  Sh:  G.  StauirtbD,  ii.  360,  8vo.         f  Travels,  ii.  112,  8va         i  Vi  «uprt,  137. 


480  CHINA  PROPER. 

which  corresponds  with  what  is  called  Shamanism,  sacrifices  were 
offered  on  the  summits  of  hills. 

About  A.  D.  65  the  sect  of  Fo  was  introduced  into  China  from 
Hindostan.  The  name  was  derived  from  the  idol  Fo,  (supposed 
to  be  the  Boodh  of  Hindostan,)  and  the  chief  tenets  are  those  of 
the  Hindoos,  among  which  is  the  metempsycosis,  or  transmigra- 
tion of  souls  from  one  animal  to  another.  The  priests  are  denom- 
inated Bonzes,  and  Fo  is  supposed  to  be  gratified  by  the  favour 
shewn  to  his  servants.  Many  surbordinate  idols  are  admitted  ; 
but  as  the  Jesuits  found  the  followers  of  Fo  the  most  adverse  to 
Christianity,  they  have  without  foundation  called  them  Atheists. 

Since  the  fifteenth  century  many  Chinese  literati  have  embraced 
a  new  system,  which  acknowledges  an  universal  principle,  under 
the  name  of  Taiki,  seeming  to  correspond  with  the  soul  of  the 
world  of  some  ancient  philosophers.  This  opinion  may  indeed 
deserve  the  name  of  Atheism  ;  nor  is  it  unusual  to  find  ingenious 
reasoners  so  far  disgusted  with  gross  superstitions  as  to  fall  into 
the  opposite  extreme  of  absurdity.  But  such  opinions  are  con- 
fined to  very  few  ;  and  the  Chinese  are  so  far  from  being  atheists, 
that  they  are  in  the  opposite  extreme  of  Polytheism,  believing 
even  in  petty  demons,  who  delight  in  minute  acts  of  evil,  or  good. 
There  is  propei'ly  no  order  of  priests,  except  the  Bonzes  of  the 
sect  of  Fo  ;  this  sect  and  that  of  Lao  Kian,  which  is  the  same  with 
that  of  the  Tai  See,  admit  of  monasteries.  The  Chinese  temples 
are  always  open,  nor  is  there  any  subdivision  of  the  month  known 
in  the  country.* 

A  Jewish  colony  appeared  in  China,  under  the  dynasty  of  Han^ 
who  began  to  reign  in  the  206th  year  before  Christ.  It  was  re- 
duced to  seven  families,  when  F.  Gozani,  a  Jesuit  missionary,  vis- 
ited it  ;  which  families  were  established  at  Cai-fong,  the  capital 
of  the  province  of  Honan.  They  had  a  synagogue,  in  which  were 
thirteen  tabernacles,  placed  upon  tables,  each  surrounded  by- 
small  curtains.  The  sacred  Kim  of  Moses  (the  Pentateuch)  was 
shut  up  in  each  of  these  tabernacles,  twelve  of  which  represented 
the  twelve  tribes  of  Israel  ;  the  thirteenth,  Moses,  i  he  books 
were  written  in  a  neat,  distinct  hand,  on  long  pieces  of  parchment, 
and  fobled  on  rollers.  In  the  middle  of  the  synagogue  stands  the 
chair  of  Moses,  in  which  every  Saturday,  and  on  days  of  great  so- 
lemnity, they  place  the  Pentateuch,  and  read  some  portions  of  it. 

They  were  in  possession  of  some  books  of  the  Old  Testament, 
other  than  the  Pentateuch ;  of  some  of  them  they  had  no  knowl- 
edge ;  others  they  had  lost  in  an  inundation  which  happened  Oc- 
tober 29,  1642. 

These  Jews  preserve  circumcision,  and  several  other  ceremo- 
nies mentioned  in  the  Old  Testament,  such  as  the  paschal  lamb, 
the  feast  of  unleavened  bread,  the  Sabbath,  Sec. 

These  seven  Jewish  families  intermarry,  and  never  mix  with 
their  neighbors.  They  also  abstain  from  blood.  They  say  their 
ancestors  came  from  the  west,  from  the  kingdom  of  Judah,  which 

•  Pauw,  Recherclies  Philosoplxiques  sur  les  Egyptieiis  et  les  Cliinoisj  totn.  W.  217. 


CHINA  PROPER.  ^  4ai 

Joshua  conquered,  after  they  left  Egypt,  and  had  crossed  the  Red 
sea,  and  traversed  the  desert  ;  and  that  the  number  of  Jews  who 
left  Egypt  was  600,000.  They  neither  kindle  fire,  nor  cook  any 
victuals  on  Saturday  ;  but  prepare  on  Friday,  whatever  may  be 
necessary  for  the  following  day.  They  read  the  Bible  witli  a  veil 
over  their  faces,  in  remembrance  of  Moses.*  The  Mahometans 
also,  have  become  very  numerous  in  China.  During  the  time  of 
a  tei-rible  famine  in  Chang-tong,  they  purchased  more  than  10,000 
childi-en,  for  whom,  when  grown  up,  they  procured  wives,  and 
built  houses,  and  even  formed  whole  villages  of  them. 

The  Holy  Scriptures  are  now  in  a  course  of  translation,  by  sev- 
eral hands,  into  the  Chinese  language.  Christian  missionaries  are 
sent  to  some  parts  of  these  vast  and  populous  dominions,  and  hope 
is  entertained  that  these  people,  who  have  so  long  sat  in  darkness, 
will  receive  and  enjoy  the  light  and  blessings  of  the  Gospel. 

Governi7ient.~\  The  government  of  China  is  well  known  to  be 
patriarchal.  The  emperor  is  indeed  absolute  ;  but  the  examples 
of  tyranny  are  rare,  as  he  is  taught  to  regard  his  people  as  his 
chifdren,  and  not  as  his  slaves.  The  stability  of  the  government, 
in  all  its  essential,  and  even  minute  forms  and  customs,  justly 
astonishes  those  who  are  the  most  versed  in  history  It  arises 
from  a  circumstance  unknown  in  any  other  government,  the  ad- 
mission and  practice  of  the  principle  asserted  by  Lord  Bacon, 
that  knowledge  is  power.  For  all  the  officers  of  government  pass 
through  a  regular  education,  and  a  progress  of  rank,  which  arc 
held  indispensable.  Of  these  officers,  who  have  been  called  man- 
darins, or  commanders,  by  the  Portuguese,  there  are  nine  classes, 
from  the  judge  of  the  village  to  the  prime  minister.  The  profes- 
sion I'cquiring  a  long  and  severe  course  of  study,  the  practice  of 
government  remains,  like  that  of  medicine,  unshaken  by  exterior 
events  ;  and  while  tlic  imperial  throne  is  subject  to  accident  and 
force,  the  remainder  of  tlie  machine  pursues  its  usual  circle.  In 
so  vast  and  populous  an  empire,  perhaps  the  stability  of  the  state 
is  incompatible  with  much  freedom  ;  yet  the  ideas  of  an  Europe- 
an are  shocked  by  the  frequent  use  of  the  rod,  a  paternal  punish- 
ment, which  would  in  his  eyes  appear  the  most  degrading  species 
©f  slavery.  The  soldiers,  however,  shew  the  greatest  tenderness 
to  the  people,  and  every  sentence  of  death  must  be  signed  by  the 
emperor. 

The  governors  of  the  provinces  have  great  and  absolute  power, 
yet  rebellions  are  not  untVequent.  Bribery  is  also  an  universal 
vice  ;  and  the  Chinese  government,  like  most  others,  is  more  fair 
in  the  theory,  than  in  the  practice.  Yet  the  amazing  population, 
and  the  general  ease  and  happiness  of  the  people,  evince  that  the 
administration  of  the  government  must  be  more  beneficial  than 
any  yet  known  among  maidiind. 

Laws.^  The  Clanesc  laws  bear  a  veiy  ancient  date  ;  the  great 
body  of  them  were  in  existence  250  years  before  the  Christian 
era,  and  although  subject  to   the  revision  and  alteration  of  the 

•  Abbe  Grosier«  vol.  ii.  ch.  Tii.  p.  25?. 
VOL.   II.  61 


482  CHINA  PROPER. 

reigning  prince  ;  yet  such  is  his  reverence,  and  that  of  the  people, 
for  the  usages  of  their  ancestors,  that  a  material  change  seldom 
occurs.  The  most  prominent  characteristics  of  the  laws  of  Chi- 
na, arc  clearness  and  consistency,  connected,  however,  with  a  mi- 
nuteness and  accuracy  so  excessive,  as  must,  in  a  great  measure, 
prevent  the  designed  effect  of  the  law.  Every  shade  of  guilt  is 
provided  for  by  a  similar  gradation  of  punishments.  Another 
peculiarity  of  their  penal  code  is  the  excessive  severity  with  which 
it  punishes  offences  against  the  government.  Not  only  the  per- 
son guilty  of  treason,  but  all  his  male  relations  of  the  first  degree, 
are  beheaded,  and  his  female  relations  sold  to  slavery.  The  bam- 
boo is  the  instrument  with  which  corporal  punishment  is  usually 
inflicted.  From  punishment  by  this  instrument,  the  highest  offi- 
cers, civil  or  military,  are  not  exempted. 

Persons  under  fifteen,  or  over  seventy,  can  redeem  themselves 
from  all  but  capital  punishments,  by  the  payment  of  a  small  fine. 
Those  under  seven,  or  above  ninety,  can  be  punished  for  nothing 
but  treason.  Foreigners  are  subject  to  the  same  punishments 
with  native  citizens. 

Robbery  in  the  night  is  punished  with  death  ;  in  the  day,  with 
a  hundred  blows,  and  banishment.  Theft  has  every  gradation  of 
punishment,  from  sixty  blows  v/ith  the  bamboo,  to  death.  Murder 
is  punished  M'ith  death.  Administering  poison  is  capital,  even 
though  it  does  not  kill.  Striking  parents  is  death  in  all  cases. 
The  authors  of  all  anonymous  accusations  shall  suffer  dcathy  though 
the  charge  be  true.  Bribery  has  a  large  scale  of  punishments, 
varying  in  severity,  according  as  the  bribe  is  large,  or  small,  taken 
for  a  criminal  or  innocent  object.  Forging  an  imperial  edict  is 
death.  If  a  person  accidentally  set  fire  to  his  own  dwelling,  and 
the  flames  spi-ead  to  an  imperial  palace,  he  suffers  death. 

Notwithstanding  the  extreme  rigor  of  this  code,  in  theory,  we 
have  reason  to  believe  that  it  is  very  rarely  carried  Into  practice. 
Bribery,  Ave  know,  is  a  common  crime  throughout  the  empire  ; 
the  punishment,  however,  is  rarely  inflicted. 

Their  revenue  laws  bear  a  striking  resemblance  to  those  recent- 
ly adopted  in  Europe  and  our  own  country.  The  Chinese  have 
not  only  the  tax  and  monopoly  of  salt,  but  a  regular  excise  upon 
tea,  alum,  and  almost  every  sort  of  merchandise,  with  a  system  of 
permits^  excise  officers,  inspectors,  licences  to  traders,  and  penal- 
ties upon  smugglings  almost  exactly  as  among  European  nations 
and  our  own,  at  the  present  day.  The  smuggler,  however,  is 
treated  rather  more  mildly,  as  he  forfeits  only  half  of  the  unlicensed 
goods,  beside  the  vessel  in  which  the  goods  were  conveyed. 

The  interest  of  money  is  fixed  by  the  laws  of  China  at  36  per 
cent,  per  annum.  In  a  country  so  populous  as  China,  where  the 
competition  of  multitudes  must  have  reduced  the  profits  of  trade 
to  their  lowest  rate,  it  seems  unaccountable  mat  money  should 
bear  so  high  a  price.  The  truth  probably  is,  that  this  is  the  max* 
inmm,  and  that  the  interest  usually  given  is  greatly  inferior.  Mort- 
gages have  been  long  known  in  China,  and  many  regulations  made 
with  regard  to  them. 


CHINA  PROPER.  483 

The  establishment  of  a  government  post  has  long  been  known 
as  one  of  the  ancient  institutions  of  China.  The  rate  of  travelling 
with  public  dispatches  is  not  much  less  than  a  hundrca  miles  in 
a  day.* 

Pofiulation.'\  The  population  of  China  has  been  a  topic  of  con- 
siderable debate.  Pauw,  a  bold  and  decisive  asserter,  but  no  au- 
thority, supposes  that  the  population  is  exaggerated  when  it  is 
computed  at  82, 000,000. t  The  recent  English  embassy  was  as- 
tonished at  the  excess  of  population  ;  and  Sir  George  Staunton 
has  published  the  table,  inserted  in  the  General  Table,  from  the 
information  of  a  mandarin  of  high  rank,  who  had  every  opportuni- 
ty of  exact  knowledge. 

How  far  this  table  may  deserve  implicit  credit,  may  be  doubted 
by  those  who  know  the  difficulty  of  such  researches,  even  in  the 
most  enlightened  countries  of  Europe. 

As  the  Chinese  laws  permit  no  native  to  leave  his  country,  there 
can  be  no  colonies  properly  so  called. | 

jirmy.']  The  army  has  been  computed  by  Barrow,  at  1,000,000 
infantrj-,  and  800,000  cavalry.  Hassel,  however,  from  Desguigncs^ 
estimates  them  only  at  600,000  infantry,  and  210,000  cavalry. 

Re-venue.~\  Sir  George  Staunton  estimates  the  revenue  at  594 
millions  of  guilders,  equal  to  £66,000,000  sterling.  This  is  also 
the  estimate  of  Barrow  ;  who  adds,  that  when  the  expenses  arc 
deducted,  only  12,000,000  sterling  are  left  for  the  treasury  of  the 
empire,  out  of  which  the  expenses  of  the  empire  being  paid,  the 
surplus  goes  into  the  crown  treasury.  Desguignes  disputes  this 
account,  and  fixes  the  highest  amount  of  the  revenue  at  only  180 
millions  of  guilders,  more  than  a  third  less  than  the  estimates  of 
Staunton  and  Barrow. 

Political  Importance  and  Relations.']  The  political  impoi'tance 
and  relations  of  China  may  be  said  to  be  concentrated  in  itself,  as 
r.o  example  is  known  of  alliance  with  any  other  state.  It  has 
been  supposed  that  one  European  ship  would  destroy  the  Chinese 
navy,  and  that  10,000  European  troops  would  overrun  the  empire. 
Yet  its  very  extent  is  an  obstacle  to  foreign  conquest,  and  perhaps 
not  less  than  100,000  soldiers  would  be  necessary  to  maintain  the 
quiet  subjugation  ;  so  that  any  foreign  yoke  might  prove  of  veiy 
short  continuance.  Were  the  Chinese  government  persuaded  of  the 
utility  of  external  relations,  an  alliance  with  the  English  might  be 
adopted,  as  a  protection  against  maritime  outrage,  while  the  Rus- 
sian power  might  be  divided  by  connections  with  the  sovereigns 
of  Persia. 

Manners  and  Cu8tomfi.~\     The  Chinese  being  a  people  in  the 
highest  state  of  civilization,  their  manners  and  customs  might  rc- 

•  Ta  Tsing  Len  Lee,  being  the  fundamental  laws,  siipplementarv  statutes  and  pe- 
nal coile  ot'Cliina,  originally  published  at  Pckin,  aod  translated  \>y  Sir  George T. 
btaunton,  Bart.  London,  1808. 

f  Hculierches,  i.  78. 

♦  Yet  the  number  of  Cliinese  at  Batavia,  and  other  sitnations  in  iJie  Oriental  Ar>. 
chipelago,  n»auy  of  whom  pass  as  tiaderb  to  and  from  their  country,  shews  Uiat  these 
laws  are  litUc  regarded. 


484  CHINA  PROPER. 

quire  a  long  description,  especially  as  they  are  very  different  from 
those  of  other  nations.  The  limits  of  this  work  will  only  admit  a 
few  hints.  In  visiting  the  sea  ports  of  China,  foreigners  have  been 
commonly  impressed  with  the  idea  of  fraud  and  dishonesty  ;  but 
it  is  to  be  supposed  that  these  bad  qualities  are  not  so  apparent 
where  there  are  fewer  temptations.  The  indolence  of  the  upper 
classes,  who  are  even  fed  by  their  servants,  and  the  filthiness  of 
the  lower,  who  eat  almost  every  kind  of  animal,  in  whatever  way 
it  may  have  died,  are  also  striking  defects,  though  the  latter  may 
be  occasioned  by  dire  necessity  in  so  populous  a  country.  To  the 
same  cause  may  be  imputed  the  exposition  of  infants.  On  the 
other  hand  the  character  of  the  Chinese  is  mild  and  tranquil,  and 
universal  affability  is  very  rarely  interrupted  by  the  slightest  tinct- 
ure of  harshness  or  passion.  These  qualities  may  be  partly  im- 
puted to  the  vigilant  eye  of  the  patriarchal  government,  and  partly 
to  strict  abstinence  from  heating  foods  and  intoxicating  liquors. 
The  general  drink  is  tea,  of  which  a  large  vessel  is  prepared  in 
the  morning  for  the  occasional  use  of  the  family  during  the  day. 
It  is  not  permitted  to  bury  in  cities  or  towns,  and  the  sepulchres 
are  commonly  on  barren  hills  and  mountains,  where  there  is  no 
chance  that  agriculture  will  disturb  the  bones  of  the  dead.  The 
color  of  mourning  is  white  ;  and  it  ought  on  solemn  occasions  to 
continue  for  three  years, but  seldom  exceeds  twenty-seven  months.* 
The  walls  of  the  houses  are  sometimes  of  brick,  or  of  hardened 
clay,  but  more  commonly  of  wood  ;  and  they  generally  consist 
only  of  a  ground  floor,  though  in  those  of  merchants  there  be 
sometimes  a  second  story,  which  forms  the  warehouse.  The 
houses  arc  ornamented  with  columns,  and  open  galleries,  but  the 
articles  of  furniture  are  few.  The  dress  is  long  with  large  sleeves, 
and  a  flowing  girdle  of  silk.  The  shirt  and  drawei's  vai'y  accord- 
ing to  the  seasons,  and  in  winter  the  use  of  furs  is  general  from 
the  skin  of  the  sheep  to  that  of  the  ermine.  The  head  is  covered 
Avith  a  small  hat  in  the  form  of  a  funnel,  but  this  varies  among 
the  superior  classes,  whose  rank  is  distinguished  by  a  large  bead 
on  the  top,  diversified  in  colour  according  to  the  quality.  The 
dress  is  in  general  simple  and  uniform  ;  and  on  the  audience  giv- 
en to  Lord  Macartney,  that  of  the  emperor  was  only  distinguished 
by  one  large  pearl  in  his  bonnet.  The  chief  amusements  of  the 
Chinese  seem  to  be  dramatic  exhibitions,  fire  works,  in  which 
they  excel  all  other  nations  ;  and  feats  of  deception  and  dexterity. 
Notwithstanding  the  industry  of  the  people,  their  amazing  pop- 
ulation frequently  occasions  a  dearth.  Parents,  who  cannot  sup- 
port their  female  children,  are  allowed  to  cast  them  into  the  river, 
but  they  fasten  a  gourd  to  the  child,  that  it  may  float  on  the  water ; 
and  there  are  often  compassionate  people  of  fortune,  who  are 
moved  by  the  cries  of  the  children  to  save  them  from  death.  The 
Chinese,  in  their  persons  are  middle  sized,  their  faces  broad,  their 
eyes  black  and  small,  their  noses  rather  short.  The  Chinese  have 
panicular  ideas  of  beauty.     They  pluck  up  tlie  hairs  of  the  lower 

•  Du  HaWe,  iii,  146. 


CHINA  PROPER.  48S 

pavt  of  their  faces  by  the  roots  with  twezers,  leaving  a  few  strag- 
gling ones  by  way  of  beard.  Their  Tartar  princes  compel  them 
to  cut  off  the  hair  of  their  heads,  and  like  Mahometans,  to  wear 
only  a  lock  on  the  crown.  Their  complexion  towards  the  north 
is  fair,  towards  the  south,  swarthy,  and  the  fatter  a  man  is,  they 
think  him  the  handsomer.  Men  of  quality  and  learning,  who  arc 
not  much  exposed  to  the  sun,  have  delicate  complexions,  and  they 
who  are  bred  to  letters  let  the  nails  of  their  fingers  grow  to  an 
enormous  length,  to  shew  that  they  are  not  employed  in  manual 
labor. 

The  women  have  little  eyes,  plump  rosy  lips,  black  hair,  regu- 
lar features,  and  a  delicate  though  florid  complexion.  The  small- 
ness  of  their  feet  is  reckoned  a  principal  part  of  their  beauty,  and 
no  swathing  is  omitted,  when  they  are  young,  to  give  them  that 
accomplishment,  so  that  when  they  grow  up,  they  may  be  said  to 
totter  rather  than  to  walk.  This  fanciful  peace  of  beauty  was 
probably  invented  by  the  ancient  Chinese,  to  palliate  their  jeal- 
ousy. 

Their  dress  varies  according  to  the  degrees  among  them.  The 
men  wear  caps  on  their  heads,  of  the  fashion  of  a  bell  ;  those  of 
quality  are  ornamented  with  jewels.  The  rest  of  their  dress  is 
easy  and  loose,  consisting  of  a  vest  and  a  sash,  a  coat  or  gown 
thrown  over  them,  silk  boots  quilted,  with  cotton,  and  a  pair  of 
drawers.  The  ladies  towards  the  south  wear  nothing  on  their 
heads.  Sometimes  their  hair  is  drawn  up  in  a  net,  and  sometimes 
it  is  dishevelled.  Their  dress  differs  but  little  from  that  of  tiie 
men,  only  their  gown  or  upper  garment  has  very  large  open  sleeves. 
The  dress  both  of  men  and  women  varies,  however,  according  to 
the  temperature  of  the  climate. 

The  parties  in  marriage  never  see  each  other  in  China,  till  the 
bargain  is  concluded  by  the  parents,  and  that  is  generally  when 
the  parties  are  children.  The  bride  is  purchased  by  a  present  to 
her  parents.  Next  to  being  bari'en,  the  greatest  scandal  is  to 
bring  females  into  the  world  ;  and  if  a  Avoman  of  a  poor  family 
happens  to  have  three  or  four  girls  successively,  it  not  unfrequent- 
ly  happens  that  she  will  expose  them  on  the  high  roads,  or  cast 
them  into  a  river.     Polygamy  is  allowed. 

People  of  note  in  their  funerals,  cause  their  cofRns  to  be  made, 
and  their  tombs  to  be  built  in  their  life  time.  Every  Chinese 
keeps  in  his  house  a  table,  upon  which  are  written  the  names  of  his 
father,  grandfather,  and  great  grandfather,  before  which  they  fre- 
quently burn  incense,  and  prostrate  themselves  ;  and  when  the 
father  of  a  family  dies,  the  name  of  the  great  grandfather  is  taken 
away,  and  that  of  the  deceased  is  added. 

JLanguag-e.^  To  obtain  a  knowledge  of  the  Chinese  language 
was  formerly  deemed  the  labor  of  a  life.  The  accounts  of  trav- 
ellers represented  that  the  number  of  their  words  was  innnensc  ; 
that  for  each  idea  they  had  a  separate  character,  and  that  between 
the  meanings  of  the  different  characters  there  was  no  connexion. 
To  understand  the  language,  thereforcjjt  was  necessary  to  learn  the 
meaning  of  an  endless  number  of  arbitrary   characters.     Recent 


486  CHINA  PROPER. 

investigation,  however,  has  proved  that  these  opinions  were  with- 
out foundation.  It  is  now  discovered  that  the  language  of  the 
Chinese,  like  that  of  other  nations,  is  of  a  regular  and  systematic 
formation.  Their  alphabet  is  composed  of  214  elementary  cha- 
racters, ovletterfi.  By  the  various  combinations  of  these  elements, 
all  the  other  characters  or  words  in  the  language  are  formed. 
Each  element  has  a  distinct  meaning  by  itself,  and  when  two  or 
more  arc  united  in  one  word,  the  meaning  of  the  compound  par- 
takes of  that  of  the  several  elements  of  which  it  is  composed. 
Thus  the  two  elementary  characters,  signifying  ^re  and  woody 
•when  united  form  the  Chinese  word  for  burn,  and  the  repetition  of 
the  character  for  wood  forms  a  compound  denoting  forest. 

With  respect  to  the  pronunciation  of  the  Chinese  language,  the 
first  thing  which  strikes  us  is,  that  all  their  words  are  monosylla- 
bles. They  have  selected  36  characters  for  initial,  and  14  for  final 
sounds.  The  initial  sounds  are  all  consonants,  the  final,  all  vow- 
els, liquids  or  nasals.  By  combining  these  are  formed  432  mono- 
syllables, and  by  variously  modifying  the  sounds  of  the  finals, 
together  with  the  application  of  accent  and  quantity,  the  whole 
number  of  monosyllables  has  been  extended  to  2,178,  The 
•whole  number  of  characters  or  words  in  the  language  is  35,000. 
Dividing  this  by  2,178,  the  number  of  monosyllables,  it  will  be 
readily  seen,  that  the  same  pronunciation  is  used  for  sixteen  dif- 
ferent words.  This  is  an  inconvenience  peculiar  to  the  Chinese 
language,  and  in  colloquial  discourse  must  sometimes  prove  a 
serious  embarrassment.  Mr.  Marshman,  who  has  lately  written 
a  dissertation  on  this  subject,  and  from  whom  these  remarks  are 
principally  collected,  gives,  as  the  result  of  his  research,  "  that 
though  totally  different  in  its  nature,  the  Chinese  language  is  lit- 
tle less  regular  in  its  formation,  and  scarcely  more  difficult  of 
acquisition  than  the  Sungscrit,  the  Greek  or  even  the  Latin.'* 

Education.']  The  schools  of  education  are  numerous,  but  the 
children  of  the  poor  are  chiefly  taught  to  follow  the  business  of 
their  fathers.  In  a  Chinese  treatise  of  education  published  by 
Du  Halde,  the  following  are  recommended  as  the  chief  topics. 
1.  The  six  virtues,  namely,  prudence,  piety,  wisdom,  equity, 
fidelity,  concord.  2.  The  six  laudable  actions,  to  wit,  obedience 
to  parents,  love  to  brothers,  harmony  with  relations,  affection  for 
neighbors,  sincerity  with  friends,  and  mercy  with  regard  to  the 
poor  and  unhappy.  3.  The  six  essential  points  of  knowledge, 
that  of  religious  rites,  music,  archery,  horsemanship,  writing, 
and  accompts.  Such  a  plan  is  certainly  more  useful  than  the  ac» 
quisition  of  dead  languages,  dancing,  or  many  other  branches  of 
our  English  education. 

Cities  and  Towns.']  The  chief  cities  of  China  are  Pekin  and 
Nankin,  or  the  northern  and  southern  courts,  the  former  being  the 
Cambula,  or  city  of  the  Chan,  in  writings  of  the  middle  ages,  the 
capital  of  Cathsay,  as  Nankin  was  of  Mangi.  Pekin  occupies  a 
large  space  of  ground  ;  but  the  streets  are  wide,  and  the  houses 
seldom  exceed  one  story.     The  length  of  what  is  called  the  Tar- 


CHINA  PROPER.  48r 

tar  city  is  about  foui*  miles,  and  the  suburbs  are  considerable.* 
By  the  best  information  which  the  recent  embassy  could  procure, 
the  population  was  computed  at  3,000,000.  The  houses  indeed 
are  neither  large  nor  numerous  ;  but  it  is  common  to  find  three 
generations  with  all  their  wives  and  children  under  one  roof,  as 
they  eat  in  common,  and  one  room  contains  many  beds.  The 
neatness  of  the  houses  and  various  furniture  and  goods  of  the 
shops,  delight  the  eye  of  the  visitor.  At  Pekin  the  grand  exami- 
nations take  place,  which  confer  the  highest  degree  in  literature, 
or  in  other  words  the  chief  offices  in  government.  Excessive 
wealth  or  poverty  seem  equally  unknown,  as  there  is  no  right  of 
primogeniture,  and  no  hereditary  dignity,  and  there  are  properly 
but  three  classes  of  men  in  China,  men  of  letters  from  among 
whom  the  mandarins  are  selected  ;  cultivators  of  the  ground,  and 
mechanics  including  merchants.!  The  walls  of  this  capital  are 
of  considerable  strength  and  thickness  ;  and  the  nine  gates  of  no 
inelegant  architecture.  Strict  police  and  vigilance  are  observed, 
and  the  streets  are  crowded  with  passengers  and  carriage  i..  The 
grandest  edifice  is  the  imperial  palace,  which  consists  of  maiiy 
picturesque  buildings,  dispersed  over  a  wide  and  greatly  diversi- 
fied space  of  ground,  so  as  to  present  the  appearance  of  enchant- 
ment. 

Nankin,  which  was  the  residence  of  the  court  till  the  fifteenth 
century,  is  a  yet  more  extensive  city  than  Pekin,  and  is  reputed 
the  largest  in  the  empire.  The  walls  are  said  to  be  about  1 7  miles 
in  circumference. 

The  chief  edifices  are  the  gates  with  a  few  temples ;  and  a 
Celebrated  tower  covered  with  porcelain,  about  200  feet  in  height. 
Such  towers  were  styled  pagodas  by  the  Portuguese,  who  sup- 
posed them  to  be  temples ;  but  they  seem  to  have  been  chiefly 
erected  as  memorials,  or  as  ornaments,  like  the  Grecian  and 
Roman  columns. 

To  the  European  reader  one  of  the  most  interesting  cities  is 
Canton,  which  is  said  to  contain  a  million  and  a  half  of  inhabitants ; 
numerous  families  residing  in  barks  on  the  river.  The  European 
factories,  with  their  national  flags,  are  no  small  ornaments  to  this 
city.  The  chief  export  is  that  of  tea,  of  which  it  is  said  that  about 
13,000,000  of  pounds  weight  are  consumed  by  Great  Britain  and 
her  dependencies,  and  about  5,000,000  by  the  rest  of  Europe, 
beside  the  immense  quantity  brought  to  America.  The  imports 
from  England,  chiefly  woollens,  with  lead,  tin,  furs,  and  other 
articles,  are  supposed  to  exceed  a  million  ;  and  the  exports  a 
million  and  a  half,  besides  the  trade  between  China  and  the  Eng- 
lish possessions  in  Hindostan.  Other  nations  carry  to  Canton  the 
value  of  about  200,0001.  and  return  with  articles  to  the  value  of 
about  600,0001.  So  that  the  balance  in  favour  of  China  may  be 
computed  at  a  million  sterling. 

•  Staunton,  ii.  297. 
'^  lb.  u.  329.    The  military  mus>t  be  legaitfed  as  a  foui-th  cla^;. 


48S  CHINA  PROPER. 

The  other  large  cities  of  China  are  almost  innumerable  ;  and 
many  of  the  villages  are  of  a  surprising  sizje.  Of  the  cities,  Sin- 
gan  is  by  some  esteemed  equal  to  Pekin.  In  general  the  plan  and 
fortifications  are  similar  ;  and  a  mandshur  garrison  is  carefully 
maintained. 

Edifices.']  The  most  striking  and  peculiar  edifices  in  China 
are  the  pagodas  or  towers,  already  mentioned,  which  sometimes 
rise  to  the  height  of  nine  stories,  of  more  than  twenty  feet  each. 
The  temples,  on  the  contrary,  are  commonly  low  buildings,  always 
open  to  the  devout  worshippers  of  polytheism,  'ihe  whole  style 
of  (Chinese  architecture  is  well  known  to  be  singular,  and  is  dis- 
played with  the  greatest  splendor  in  the  imperial  palace  at  Pekin. 

Roads.']  The  roads  are  generally  kept  in  excellent  order,  with 
convenient  bridges.  That  near  the  capital  is  thus  described  by 
Sir  George  Staunton  :  "  This  road  forms  a  mignificent  avenue  to 
Pekin  for  persons  and  commodities  bound  for  that  capital,  from 
the  east  and  from  the  south.  It  is  perfectly  level  ;  the  centre,  to 
the  wii'lh  of  about  twenty  feet,  is  paved  with  flags  of  granite, 
brought  from  a  considerable  distance,  and  of  a  size  from  six  to 
sixteen  feet  in  length,  and  about  four  feet  broad.  On  each  side 
of  this  granite  pavement  is  a  road  unpaved,  wide  enough  for  car- 
riages to  cross  upon  it.  The  road  was  bordered  in  many  places 
with  trees." 

Inland  Navigation.]  The  canals  of  China  have  long  excited 
the  envy  and  wonder  of  other  nations.  As  the  two  grand  rivers 
Hoanho  and  Kianku  bend  their  course  from  west  to  east,  the  chief 
object  was  to  intersect  the  empire  from  north  to  south ;  which 
was  in  a  great  measure  accomplished  by  the  imperial  canal.  This 
"wonderful  work,  which  in  utility  and  labour  exceeds  the  enormous 
wall,  is  said  to  have  been  begun  in  the  tenth  century  of  the  Christ- 
ian era,  30,000  men  having  been  employed  for  43  years  in  its 
completion. 

"  This  great  work  differs  much  from  the  canals  of  Europe, 
which  are  generally  protracted  in  straight  lines,  within  narrow 
bounds,  and  Avithout  a  current,  whei-eas  that  of  China  is  winding 
often  in  its  course,  of  unequal  and  sometimes  considerable  width, 
and  its  waters  are  seldom  stagnant. 

"  The  ground  which  intervened  between  this  bed  of  the  artifi- 
cial river,  and  that  of  the  Eu-ho,  was  cut  down  to  the  depth  of 
about  30  feet,  in  order  to  permit  the  waters  of  the  former  to  flow 
with  a  gentle  current  into  the  latter.  Their  descent  is  afterwards 
checked  occasionally  by  flood-gates  thrown  across  the  canal, 
wherever  they  were  judged  to  be  necessary.  This  canal  has  no 
locks  like  those  of  Europe.  The  flood-gates  are  simple  in  their 
construction,  easily  managed,  and  kept  in  repair  at  a  trifling  ex- 
pense. They  consist  merely  of  a  few  planks  let  down  separately 
one  upon  another,  by  grooves  cut  into  the  sides  of  the  two  solid 
abutments  or  piers  of  stone,  that  project  one  from  each  bank, 
leaving  a  space  in  the  middle  just  wide  enough  to  admit  a  passage 
for  the  largest  vessels  employed  upon  the  canal.  As  few  parts  of 
it  are  entirely  level,  the  use  of  these  flood  gates  assisted  by  otliers 


CHINA  PROPER.  489 

cut  through  its  banks,  is  to  regulate  the  quantity  of  water  in  the 
canal.  Some  skill  is  required  to  be  exerted,  in  order  to  direct  the 
barges  through  them  without  accident.  For  this  purpose  a  great 
oar  projects  from  the  bow  of  the  vessel,  by  which  one  of  the  crew 
conducts  her  with  the  greatest  nicety.  Men  are  also  stationed  on 
each  pier  with  fenders  made  of  skins  stuffed  with  hair,  to  prevent 
the  effect  of  the  vessels  striking  immediately  against  the  stone,  in 
their  quick  passage  through  the  gates. 

"Light  bridges  of  timber  are  thrown  across  those  piers,  which 
are  easily  withdrawn  whenever  vessels  are  about  to  pass  under- 
neath. The  flood-gates  are  only  opened  at  certain  stated  hours, 
when  all  the  vessels  collected  near  them  in  the  interval  pass 
through  on  paying  a  small  toll,  appropriated  to  the  purpose  of 
keeping  in  repair  the  flood-gates  and  banks  of  the  canal.  The 
loss  of  water  occasioned  by  the  opening  of  the  flood-gate  is  not  very 
considerable,  and  is  soon  supplied  by  streams  conducted  into  the 
canal  from  the  adjacent  country  on  both  sides."* 

The  same  author  describes  this  canal  as  beginning  at  Lin-sin- 
choo,  where  it  joins  the  river  Eu-ho,  and  extending  to  Han-choo- 
foo,  in  an  irregular  line  of  about  500  miles.  Where  it  joins  the 
Hoan-ho,  or  Yellow  River,  till  it  is  about  three  quarters  of  a  mile 
in  breadth.  In  the  south  the  river  Kan-Kian,  which  runs  from 
S.  W.  to  N.  E.  supplies  a  very  considerable  part  of  the  navigation. 
The  commodiousness  and  length  of  the  Chinese  canals  are  in- 
credible. The  chief  of  them  are  lined  with  hewn-stone  on  the 
sides,  and  they  arc  so  deep  that  they  carry  large  vessels,  and 
sometimes  they  extend  above  1000  miles  in  length.  The  royal 
canal  from  Canton  to  Pckin  is  825  miles  long,  50  feet  wide,  and 
9  feet  deep.  The  vessels  arc  fitted  up  for  all  the  conveniences  of 
life  ;  and  it  has  been  thought  by  some,  that  in  China  the  water 
contains  as  many  inhabitants  as  the  land.  They  are  furnished  with 
stone  quays,  and  sometimes  witn  bridges  of  an  amazing  construc- 
tion. The  navigation  is  slow,  and  the  vessels  sometimes  drawn 
by  men.  About  10,000  boats  from  200  tons  and  under,  are  kept 
at  the  public  expense.  No  precautions  are  wanting,  that  could 
be  formed  by  art  or  perseverance,  for  the  safety  of  the  passengers, 
in  case  a  canal  is  crossed  by  a  rapid  river,  or  exposed  to  torrents 
from  the  mountains.  These  canals,  and  the  variety  that  is  seen 
upon  the  borders,  render  China  the  most  delightful  to  the  eye  of 
any  country  in  the  world,  as  well  as  fertile,  in  places  that  are  not 
so  by  nature. 

Manufacture  a  and  Commerce.']  The  manufactures  of  China  arc 
so  multifarious  as  to  embrace  almost  every  article  of  industry. 
T\\c  most  noted  manufacture  is  that  of  porcelain,  and  is  followed 
in  trade  by  those  of  silk,  cotton,  Sec.  They  make  paper  of  the 
bark  of  bamboo,  and  other  trees,  as  well  as  of  cotton,  but  not 
comparable  for  records,  or  printing,  to  the  European.  Their  ink, 
for  the  use  of  drawing,  is  well  known  in  England,  and  is  said  to 
be  made  of  oil  and  lampblack.     Their  printing  is  done  by  cutting 

•  Sir  G.  Staunton,  iii  '201. 
VOL.    II.  62 


490  CHINA  PROPER. 

their  characters  on  blocks  of  wood.  The  porcelain  of  China 
has  been  celebrated  from  remote  ages,  and  is  chiefly  prepared 
from  a  pure  white  clay  called  kaolin ;  while  the  petunsi  is  un- 
derstood to  be  a  decayed  felspar.  Some  writers  add  soap  rock, 
and  gypsum.* 

The  internal  commerce  of  China  is  immense,  but  the  external 
trade  is  comparatively  small,  considering  the  vastncss  of  the  em- 
pire ;  a  scanty  intercourse  exists  with  Russia  and  Japan  :  but  the 
chief  export  is  that  of  tea,  which  is  sent  to  England  and  America, 
between  one  and  two  millions  yearly.  The  principal  port  for 
foreign  trade  is  Canton,  which  see. 


CHAPTER  H. 


NATURAL  GEOGRAPHY. 

CLIMATE  AND  SEASONS,  FACE  OF  THE  COUNTUY,  SOIL  AND  AGHI- 
CULTURE,  UIVERS,  LAKES,  MOUNTAINS,  FORESTS,  BOTANY,  ZOO- 
LOGY, MINERALOGY,  MINERAL  WATERS,  NATURAL  CURIOSITIES. 

Climate  mid  Seasons.']  THE  European  and  American 
intercourse  with  China  being  chiefly  confined  to  the  southern 
part  of  the  empire,  the  climate  is  generally  considered  as  hot, 
whereas  the  northern  part  of  this  extensive  country  is  liable  to 
all  the  rigors  of  the  European  or  North  American  winter.f  At 
Pekin  such  is  the  effect  of  the  great  range  of  Tartarian,  or  rather 
Manshurian  mountains  covered  with  perpetual  snow,  that  the 
average  degree  of  the  thermometer  is  under  20°  in  the  night  dur- 
ing the  winter  months ;  and  even  in  the  day  it  is  considerably  be- 
low the  freezing  point.  In  so  wide  an  empire,  such  a  diversity  ot 
climate  and  seasons  must  occur  that  no  general  description  can 
suffice. 

J^ace  of  the  Country.']  The  face  of  the  country  is  greatly  diver- 
sified ;  and  though  in  a  general  view  it  be  flat  and  fertile,  and  in- 
tersected with  numerous  large  rivers  and  canals,  yet  there  are 
chains  of  granitic  mountains  and  other  districts  of  a  wild  and 
savage  nature.  Cultivation  has  however  considerably  reduced  the 
number  and  extent  of  such  features,  whence  the  natives  seek  to 
diversify  the  sameness  of  improvement,  by  introducing  them  in 
miniature  into  their  gardens.  In  general  the  appearance  of  the 
country  is  rendered  singularly  picturesque  by  the  peculiar  style 
of  the  buildings,  and  uncommon  form  of  the  trees  and  plants. 

The  soil  is  various,  and  agriculture  by  the  account  of  all  travel- 
lers is  carried  to  the  utmost  degree  of  perfection.  The  emperor 
himself  sets  an  annual  example  of  the  veneration  due  to  agricul- 
ture, the  first  and  most  important  province  of  human  industry. 

•  Sir  G.  Staunton,  iii.  300.  f  lb,  jii.  157. 


CHINA  PROPER.  491 

Sir  George  Staunton  thus  expresses  his  ideas  of  Chinese  agricul- 
ture :* 

«  Where  the  face  of  the  hill  or  mountain  is  not  nearly  perpen- 
dicular to  the  level  surface  of  the  earth,  the  slope  is  converted 
into  a  number  of  terraces,  one  above  another,  each  of  which  is 
supported  by  mounds  of  stone.  By  this  management  it  is  not  un- 
common to  see  the  whole  face  of  a  mountain  completely  culti- 
vated to  the  summit.  The  stages  are  not  confined  to  the  culture 
of  any  particular  vegetable.  Pulse,  grain,  yams,  sweet  potatoes, 
onions,  carrots,  turnips,  and  a  variety  of  other  culinary  plants  are 
produced  upon  them.  A  reservoir  is  sunk  in  the  top  of  the 
mountain.  The  rain-water  collected  in  it  is  conveyed  by  channels 
successively  to  the  different  terraces,  placed  upon  the  mountains' 
sides.  In  spots  too  rugged,  barren,  steep,  or  high  for  raising 
other  plants,  the  camellia  scsanqua,  and  divers  firs,  particularly 
the  larch,  are  cultivated  vith  success. 

"  The  collection  of  manure  is  an  object  of  so  much  attention 
Avith  the  Chinese,  that  a  prodigious  number  of  old  men  and 
vomen,  as  well  as  of  children,  incapable  of  much  other  labour,  are 
constantly  employed  about  the  streets,  public  roads,  banks  of 
canals,  and  rivers,  with  baskets  tied  before  them,  and  holding  in 
their  hands  small  wooden  rakes  to  pick  up  the  dung  of  animals 
and  offals  of  any  kind  that  may  answer  the  purpose  of  manure  ; 
but  above  all  others,  except  the  dung  of  fowls,  the  Chinese  far- 
mers prefer  night  soil.  This  manure  is  mixed  sparingly  with  a 
portion  of  stiff  loamy  earth,  and  formed  into  cakes  dried  afterwards 
in  the  sun.  In  this  state  it  sometimes  becomes  an  object  of  com- 
merce, and  is  sold  to  farmers,  who  never  employ  it  in  a  compact 
state.  Their  first  care  is  to  construct  large  cisterns  for  contain- 
ing, besides  those  cakes  and  dung  of  every  kind,  all  sorts  of  vege- 
table matter,  as  leaves  or  roots  or  stems  of  plants,  mud  from  the 
canals  and  off'als  of  animals,  even  to  the  shavings  collected  by  the 
barbers.  With  all  these  they  mix  as  much  animal  water  as  can 
be  collected,  or  of  common  water  as  will  dilute  the  whole  ;  and  in 
this  state  generally  in  the  act  of  putrid  fermentation,  they  apply 
it  to  the  plowed  or  broken  earth. 

"  The  quantity  of  manure  thus  collected  must  however  be  still 
inadequate  to  that  of  the  cultured  ground,  which  bears  so  vast  a 
proportion  to  the  whole  surface  of  the  country.  It  is  reserved 
therefore  in  the  first  instance,  for  the  purpose  of  procuring  a 
quick  succession  of  culinary  vegetables,  and  for  forcing  the  pro- 
duction of  flowers  and  fruit.  Among  the  vegetables  raised  most 
generally,  and  in  the  greatest  quantities,  is  a  kind  of  cabbage, 
called  by  the  Chinese  pe-tsai,  or  white  herb,  which  is  of  a  delicate 
taste,  somewhat  resembling  cos-lettuce,  and  is  much  relished  ia 
China  by  foreigners  as  well  as  natives.  This  vegetable  and  rice, 
together  with  a  relish  ot  garlic  or  of  onions,  in  room  of  animal 
food,  and  followed  by  a  little  infusion  of  coarse  tea,  serve  often  as 
a  meal  for  a  Chinese  peasant  or  mechanic.  Tiie  Chinese  hus- 
bandman always  steeps  the  seeds  he  intends  to  sow  in  liquid  ma- 

•  Staunton,  Ui.  306. 


492  CiriNA  PROPER. 

nurc,  until  they  swell  and  germination  begins  to  appear:  which 
experience,  he  says,  has  taught  him  to  have  the  effect  of  hastening 
the  growth  of  plants,  as  well  as  of  defending  them  against  the  in- 
sects hidden  in  the  ground  in  which  the  seeds  were  sown. 

"The  great  object  of  Cliinese  agriculture,  the  production  of 
grain,  is  generally  obtained  with  little  manure,  and  without  letting 
the  land  lie  fallow.  Irrigation  is  practised  to  a  very  great  extent. 
The  husbandry  is  singularly  neftt,  and  not  a  weed  is  to  be  seen." 

Rive7-s.^  In  describing  the  rivers  of  this  great  empire  two  are 
well  known  to  deserve  particular  attention,  namely,  the  Hoan-ho 
and  tlie  Kian-ku.  These  have  been  described.*  At  about  70 
miles  from  the  sea,  where  this  river  is  crossed  by  the  imperial 
canal,  the  breadth  is  little  more  than  a  mile,  and  the  depth  only 
about  nine  or  ten  feet;  but  the  velocity  equals  seven  or  eight 
jniles  in  the  hour.t 

To  these  grand  rivers  many  important  streams  are  tributary^ 
but  it  would  be  infinite  to  enumerate  the  various  waters  which 
enrich  and  adorn  this  wide  empire.  The  Yamour  and  Argun 
form  the  boundary  between  Russian  and  Chinese  Tartary.  The 
Kiam  and  the  Tay  are  also  considerable  rivers. 

Common  water  in  China  is  very  indifferent,  and  is  in  some 
places  boiled  to  make  it  fit  for  use. 

Lakes.^  China  is  not  destitute  of  noble  and  extensive  lakes. 
Du  Halde  informs  us  that  the  lake  of  Tong-tint-how,  in  the  pro- 
vince of  Hou-quang,  is  more  than  80  leagues  in  circumference. 
That  of  Poyang-hoLi,  in  the  province  of  Kiang-Si,  is  about  30 
leagues  in  circumference,  and  is  formed  by  the  confluence  of  four 
rivers  as  large  as  the  Loire.  There  is  also  a  considerable  lake 
not  far  to  the  south  of  Nankin,  called  Tai-how.  Some  of  these 
are  described  in  the  late  embassy.  Upon  a  lake  near  the  imperial 
canal  were  observed  thousands  of  small  boats  and  rafts,  construct- 
ed for  a  singular  species  of  fishery.  "  On  each  boat  or  raft  are 
ten  or  a  dozen  birds,  which,  at  a  signal  from  the  owner,  plunge 
into  the  water ;  and  it  is  astonishing  to  see  the  enormous  size  of 
fish  with  which  they  return  grasped  within  their  bills.  They  ap- 
pear to  be  so  well  trained  that  it  did  not  require  either  ring  or 
cord  about  their  throats,  to  prevent  them  from  swallowing  any 
portion  of  their  prey,  except  what  the  master  was  pleased  to  re- 
turn to  them  for  encoui-agement  and  food.  The  boat  used  by 
these  fishermen  is  of  a  remarkably  light  make,  and  is  often  car- 
ried to  the  lake,  together  with  the  fishing  birds,  by  the  men  who 
are  there  to  be  supported  by  it." 

Mount ain;j.~\  Concerning  the  extensive  ranges  of  Chinese 
moimtains,  no  general  and  accurate  information  has  yet  been 
given.  Du  Halde's  ample  description  of  the  Chinese  empire  only 
informs  us  that  some  abound  with  mines  of  silver,  others  produce 
marble  and  crystal,  while  some  supply  medicinal  herbs.  From 
the  same  author  we  learn  that  the  provinces  of  Yunnan,  Koeit- 
cheou,  Setchuen,  and  Fokien,  are  so  mountainous  as  greatly  to 
impede   their   cultivation  ;    and  that  of  Tchekiang  has   dreadful 

*  Page  17 .  t  Staunton,  iii.  23  i. 


CHINA  PROPER.  493 

mountains  on  the  west.  In  the  province  of  Kiangnan  there  is  a 
district  full  of  hit^h  mountains,  which  also  abound  in  the  provinces 
of  Chensi  and  of  Shansi.  This  imperfect  information  is  little 
enlarged  by  the  account  published  of  the  late  embassy ;  and 
perhaps  Mr.  Arrowsmith's  recent  map  of  Asia  contains  as  authen- 
tic information  as  can  be  procured  concerning  the  course  and  ex- 
tent of  the  Chinese  mountains.  It  hence  appears  that  a  consider- 
able branch  extends  from  those  in  central  Asia,  running  south  to 
the  river  Hoan-ho.  Two  grand  ranges, running  E.  and  \V.  inter- 
sect the  centre  of  the  empire,  seemingly  continuations  of  the 
enormous  chains  of  Tibet.  In  the  southern  part  of  China  the 
principal  ridges  appear  to  run  from  N.  to  S. 

J'^ortsts.']  Such  is  the  cultivation  diffused  throughout  China^ 
that  few  forests  remain  except  in  the  mountainous  districts.  Near 
the  royal  palaces  there  are  indeed  forests  of  great  extent,  but  they 
rather  bear  the  appearance  of  art  than  of  nature. 

£otany.']  The  number  of  Europeans  who  Uave  been  alloAved 
to  visit  the  interior  of  China  is  so  small,  and  those  to  whom  this 
privilege  has  been  granted  having  objects  of  more  urgency  to  at- 
tend to  than  the  indigenous  plants  of  this  vast  empire,  we  are  as 
yet  only  in  possession  of  some  scattered  fragments  of  the  Chinese 
flora.  The  neighbourhood  of  Canton  has  been  surveyed  by  Os- 
beck,  and  a  meagre  list  of  plants  is  to  be  found  in  Staunton's  ac- 
count of  the  English  embassy  there.  These  are  almost  the  only 
authentic  sources  that  have  been  hitherto  opened,  and  are  calcu- 
lated rather  to  excite  than  to  satisfy  the  botanical  inquirer. 

Among  the  trees  and  larger  shrubs  we  find  particularized  the 
thuya  orientalis,  an  elegant  evergreen  ;  the  camphor  tree,  whose 
wood  makes  an  excellent  and  durable  timber,  and  from  the  roots 
of  which  that  fragrant  substance  camphor  is  procured  by  distilla- 
tion ;  the  oleander-leaved  euphorbia,  a  large  shrub  used  as  a  ma- 
terial for  hedges  ;  the  tallow  tree,  from  the  fruit  of  which  a  green 
wax  is  procured  that  is  manufactured  into  candles  ;  the  spreading 
banyan  tree,  growing  among  loose  rocks  ;  the  weeping  willow  ; 
Spanish  chesnut,  and  the  larch.  Of  the  fruit  trees  the  following 
arc  the  principal :  China  orange  ;  the  plantain  tree  ;  the  tama- 
rind; the  white  and  paper  mulberry  tree  ;  the  fomner  of  these  is 
principally  cultivated  for  the  use  of  its  leaves,  on  which  the  silk 
worms  are  fed ;  and  of  the  bark  of  the  latter,  paper,  and  a  kind  of 
eloth  are  made.  Nor  mijst  the  two  species  of  the  tea  tree  be 
left  unnoticed,  whose  leaves  constitute  so  large  a  proportion  of  the 
European  trade  with  China. 

Several  beautiful  plants  grow  wild  in  the.  hedges,  such  as  the 
globe  amaranth ;  the  balsam ;  and  that  elegant  climber  ipomca 
quamoclit. 

Zoology.']  There  are  few  animals  peculiar  to  the  Chinese  ter- 
ritory. Du  Halde  asserts  that  the  lion  is  a  stranger  to  this  coun- 
try, but  there  are  tigers,  buff'aloes,  wild  boars,  bears,  rhinoceroses, 
camels,  deer,  &c.*     The  musk  deer  is  a  singular  animal  of  Ch^iia 

*  Staunton,  ii.  181.  i.  32. 


494  '  CHINA  PROPER. 

as  well  as- Tibet.  Among  the  birds  many  arc  remarkable  for 
their  beautiful  forms  apd  colours,  in  which  they  are  rivalled  by  a 
variety  of  moths  and  butterflies. 

Mineraloffij.']  Among  the  metals,  lead  and  tin  seem  to  be  the 
rarest.  China  possesses  mines  of  gold,  silver,  iron,  white  copper, 
common  copper  and  mercury,  together  with  lapis  lazuli,  jasper, 
rock  crystal,  load  stone,  granite,  porphyry,  and  various  marbles. 
According  to  some,  rubies  are  found  in  China ;  but  others  assert 
that  they  come  from  Ava. 

In  many  of  the  northern  provinces  coal  is  found  in  abundance. 
The  common  people  generally  use  it  pounded  with  water,  and 
dried  in  the  form  of  cakes. 

Pekin  is  supplied  from  high  mountains  in  the  vicinity,  and  the 
miiies  seem  inexhaustible,  though  coal  is  in  general  use. 

Mines  of  silver  are  abundant,  but  little  worked,  fiom  an  appre- 
hension of  impeding  the  progress  of  agriculture.  The  gold  is 
chiefly  derived  from  the  sands  of  certain  mountains,  situated  in 
the  western  part  of  the  provinces  of  Sechuen  and  Yunnan,  towards 
the  frontiers  of  Tibet.  That  precious  metal  is  seldom  used  ex- 
cept by  the  gilders,  the  emperor  alone  having  solid  vessels  of  gold. 

Tutenag,  which  is  a  native  mixture  of  zinc  and  iron,  seems  to 
be  a  peculiar  product  of  China,  and  in  the  province  of  Houquang 
there  was  a  mine,  which  yielded  many  hundred  weight  in  the 
course  of  a  few  days. 

The  copper  of  Yunnan,  and  other  provinces,  supplies  the  small 
coin  current  through  the  empire  ;  but  there  is  a  singular  coppei 
of  a  white  colour,  called  by  the  Chinese  fietong,  which  deserves 
particular  notice.  This  metal  must  not  be  confounded  with  the 
tutenag,  an  error  not  unfrequent.  It  is  indeed  sometimes  mingled 
with  tutenag  to  render  it  softer. 


CHINESE  ISLANDS. 

Numerous  isles  are  scattered  along  the  southern  and  eastern 
coast  of  China,  the  largest  being  those  of  Taiwan,  also  called 
Formosa,  and  that  of  Hainan.  Formosa  is  a  recent  acquisition  of 
the  Chinese  in  the  latter  end  of  the  seventeenth  century ;  the  na- 
tives being  by  the  Chinese'accounts  little  better  than  savages.  It 
is  divided  from  north  to  south  by  mountains,  and  the  chief  Chinese 
possessions  are  in  the  Avestern  part.  It  is  attached  to  the  province 
of  Fokien,  Fochen,  or  Footchien,  in  the  vicinity  of  which  it  lies, 
E.  of  Canton.  It  contains,  according  to  Hassel,  about  22,000 
square  miles.     Its  length  is  from  N.  to  S.  between  lat.  22  and  25  N. 

The  southern  part  of  Hainan  is  mountainous,  but  the  northern 
more  level  and  productive  of  rice.  In  the  centre  there  arc  mines 
of  gold  ;  and  on  the  shores  are  found  small  blue  fishes,  v/hich  the 
Chinese  esteem  more  than  those,  which  we  call  gold  ai.d  silver 
fish  ;  but  they  only  survive  for  a  few  days,  when  confined  to  a 
small  quantity  of  water.  This  island  is  attached  to  the  province 
of  Quangtong,  and  lies  S.  W.  of  Canton,  between  lat.  18  and  20  N. 


CHINESE  TARTARY.  49i 


Qd  niFlSIOM 


CHINESE  TARTARY. 


UNDER  this  division  of  the  Chinese  Empire,  Hassel  in- 
cludes the  country  of  the  Mandshurs,  Montchoos,  or  Tunguses, 
and  the  province  of  Leatong,  which  lie  N.  of  China  Proper,  bor- 
dering on  the  Great  Wall  ;  the  country  of  the  Monguls  on  the  N. 
W.  the  province  of  Sifan  on  the  W.  between  China  Proper  and 
Tibet,  and  Cashgar,  or  Little  Bucharia,  N.  W.  of  Tibet ;  cover- 
ing, together,  2,190,000  square  miles,  and  peopled  by  3,000,000  of 
souls.  The  inhabitants  of  each  of  these  divisions,  according  to 
Hassel,  have  their  own  hereditary  princes,  who  are  subject  to  the 
Emperor  of  China.  Except  the  Mahometan  Buchares,  these  peo- 
ple are  chiefly  the  followers  of  the  Lama.  They  contribute  to  the 
strength  of  the  empire  nothing  but  troops,  who  themselves  must 
be  kept  in  subjection,  by  a  military  force.* 

In  the  further  description  of  this  division  of  the  Chinese  Em- 
pire, we  shall  follow  Pinkerton,  whose  account  of  it,  though  im- 
perfect, and  somewhat  perplexed,  is  probably  the  best  that  can  be 
obtained  of  this  unexplored  and  obscure  region. 


CHAPTER  I. 


HISTORICAL  GEOGRAPHY. 

KAME^S,  EXTENT,  BOUNDARIES,  ORIGINAL  POPULATION,  PROGRES- 
SIVE GEOGRAPHY,  HISTORICAL  EPOCHS,  RELIGION,  GOVERN- 
MENT, LAWS,  POPULATION,  DIVISIONS,  ARMY,  POLITICAL  IM- 
PORTANCE AND  RELATIONS,  MANNERS  AND  CUSTOMS,  LANGUAGE, 
LITERATURE,  CITIES  AND  TOWNS,  MANUFACTURES  AND  COM- 
MERCE. 

Mzfnes.']  THE  common  name  of  Tartary,t  was  originally- 
extended  over  the  vast  regions  lying  between  Tibet,  China,  and 
the  Arctic  ocean  ;  and  from  the  Black  Sea,  in  the  west,  to  the  ut- 
most bounds  of  north-eastern  discovery  in  Asia.  As  more  precise 
knowledge  has  arisen,  the  northern  part  has  acquired  the  name 
of  Siberia,  while  the  southern,  in  some  maps  of  recent  date,  is 
known  by  the  appellations  of  Western  and  Eastern  Tartary.  Yet 
even  in  this  part,  which  might  more  properly  be  styled  Central 
Asia,  the  Tartars  properly  so  denominated  are  few  ;  the  most  nu- 

•  Hassel. 

t  Pinkerton  thinks  it  more  properly  Talary.    We  prefer  the  common  spelling, 
however,  finding  no  sufficient  reason  to  change  it. 


496  CHINESE  TARTARY. 

inerous  tribes  being  Monguls  in  the  west,  and  Mandshurs  in  the 
east. 

This  extensive  region  might  therefore  more  properly  be  called 
Mongolia,  as  the  greater  number  of  tribes  are  Monguls  ;  or  the 
western  part  might  be  styled  Tartary,  the  middle  Mongolia,  and 
the  eastern  Mandshuria.  The  two  latter  are  the  objects  of  the 
present  description  ;  as  that  of  Independent  Tartary  M'ill  be  found 
after  the  account  of  Persia,  with  which  it  has  (as  now  limited)  in 
all  ages  been  connected. 

Moctcnt.']  This  wide  and  interesting  portion  of  Asia,  which  has 
repeatedly  sent  forth  its  swarms  to  deluge  the  arts  and  civiliza- 
tion of  Europe,  extends  from  Ion.  72°,  east  from  Greenwich,  to 
the  145°,  a  space  of  not  less  than  73°  of  longitude,  which  at  the 
medial  latitude  of  45,  will  yield  about  3100  geographical  miles. 
The  breadth  from  the  northern  frontier  of  Tibet,  to  the  Russian 
confines,  is  about  18  degrees,  or  1080  geographical  miles.  The 
boundary  towards  Russia  has  been  already  described.  The  east- 
ern bovmdary  is  the  sea ;  while  the  southern  extends  along  the 
great  Chinese  wall,  and  the  northern  limits  of  Tibet.  The  west- 
ern boundary  is  supplied  by  the  celebrated  mountains  of  Belur 
Tag,  or  the  Cloudy  Mountains,  which  divide  the  Chinese  empire 
from  Balk,  and  the  Greater  Bucharia  ;  while  the  range  on  the 
west  of  the  lake  Palkati  separates  the  Kalmucs,  subject  to  China, 
from  the  Kirguses  of  Independent  Tartary. 

Original  Po/mlation.']  Part  of  the  west  of  this  country  was 
held  by  the  Scythse  of  antiquity,  a  Gothic  race,  who  were  subdued 
or  expelled  by  the  Tartars,  or  Huns,  from  the  east,  pressed  on 
the  other  side  by  the  Monguls.  Beyond  the  latter  were  the 
Mandshurs,  who,  though  inferior  to  the  Monguls  in  power,  yet 
retained  their  ancient  possessions,  and  in  the  17th  century  con- 
quered China.  At  present  the  chief  inhabitants  are  the  Mand- 
shurs of  the  eastern  provinces  ;  with  the  tribes  denominated  Kal- 
kas,  Eluts,  and  Kalmucs,  who  are  Monguls.  The  information 
concerning  central  Asia  is  indeed  very  lame  and  defective  ;  and 
though  the  late  Russian  travellers  afford  a  few  hints,  yet  the  jeal- 
ousy of  the  Chinese,  and  other  causes,  have  contributed  to  pro- 
long cur  ignorance  concerning  this  interesting  region. 

Progressive  Geographij.']  Though  Ptolemy  has  laid  down  with 
some  degree  of  accuracy  the  coimtry  of  the  Seres,  or  Little  Bu- 
charia, the  progressive  geography  of  central  Asia  may  be  said  to 
commence  with  the  travels  of  Marco  Polo,  in  the  end  of  the  1 3th 
century.  This  writer  is  justly  regarded  as  the  father  of  Tartaric 
geography,  and  his  description  of  the  countries  to  the  north  of  Ti- 
bet is  not  a  little  interesting. 

The  more  recent  accounts,  among  which  may  be  mentioned  the 
travels  of  Gerbillon,  published  by  Du  Haide,  and  those  of  Bell, 
with  some  hints  of  Pallas,  may  be  said  to  embracie  but  small  por- 
tions of  this  vast  territory.*     The  imperfect  state   of  knowledge 

*  The  notes  toXheHistoire  Geneah^ique  dcs  Tatars,  Leyde,  1726,  8vo.  must  not 
be  forgoueh  amidst  the  t'ew  mateiials. 


CHINESE  TARTARY.  497 

concerning  this  country  may  be  imagined,  when  even  D'Anville 
has  been  obliged  to  have  recourse  to  Marco  Polo. 

Hiatorical  Efiochs.']  The  chief  historical  epochs  of  this  part  of 
Asia  may  perhaps  be  more  certainly  traced  in  the  Chinese  annals, 
than  in  any  other  documents.  The  first  appearance  of  the  Huns, 
or  Tartars,  may  be  observed  in  the  pages  of  Roman  history.  The 
annals  of  the  Monguls,  the  most  important  nation,  faintly  illumi- 
nates the  pages  of  Abulgasi,  whence  it  would  appear  that  prior 
to  Zingis  there  was  only  one  celebrated  chan  named  Oguz,  who 
seems  to  have  flourished  about  the  130th  year  of  the  Christian 
era.  The  reigns  of  Zingis  and  Timur  are  sufficiently  known  in 
general  history  ;  but  the  divisions  of  their  conquests,  and  the  dis- 
sensions of  their  successors,  have  now  almost  annihilated  the  pow- 
er of  the  Monguls,  who,  being  partly  subject  to  China,  and  partly 
to  Russia,  it  is  scarcely  conceivable  that  they  can  again  disturb 
the  peace  of  their  neighbors. 

Antiquities. ~\  Few  antiquities  remain  to  illustrate  the  power  of 
the  Monguls  ;  but  it  is  probable  that  when  this  region  shall  bo 
more  fully  explored  by  travellers,  several  tombs,  temples,  and 
other  remains  of  antiquity  may  be  discovered. 

Religion.~\  The  religion  most  universally  diffused  in  this  part 
of  Asia,  is  what  has  been  called  Shamanism,  or  the  belief  in  a 
supreme  author  of  nature,  who  governs  the  universe  by  the  agen- 
cy of  numerous  inferior  spirits  of  great  power.  The  Kalkas  were 
accustomed  to  acknowledge  a  living  Lama,  or  great  spirit  embod- 
ied ;  a  form  of  superstition  which  will  be  better  illustrated  in  the 
account  of  Tibet. 

Go-jernment.]  The  government  was  formerly  monarchical, 
with  a  strong  mixture  of  aristocracy,  and  even  of  democracy.  At 
present  it  is  conducted  by  princes  who  pay  homage  to  ihe  Em- 
peror of  China,  and  receive  Chinese  titles  of  honor  ;  but  many  of 
the  ancient  forms  are  retained.  Though  writing  be  not  unknown 
among  the  Monguls,  yet  tbe  laws  appear  to  be  cliiefly  traditional. 

Po/iulation.^  Of  the  population  of  these  regions  it  is  difficult 
to  form  any  precise  ideas.  As  the  numerous  tribes  subject  to 
Russia  are  found,  under  splendid  appellations,  to  present  but  a 
slender  number  of  individuals,  not  exceeding  two  or  three  millions, 
it  may  perhaps  be  reasonable  to  infer  that  amidst  the  wide  deserts 
and  barren  mountains  of  central  Asia  there  do  not  inliabit  above 
6,000,000.     Hassel  estimates  them  at  3,000,000. 

Divisions.']  The  country  of  the  Mandshurs  is  by  the  Chinese 
divided  into  three  great  governments.  1 .  That  of  Chinyang,  com- 
prising Leaodong,  surrounded  in  part  by  a  strong  barrier  of  wood. 
The  chief  town  is  Chinyang,  also  called  Mugden,  by  the  Mand- 
shurs, still  a  considerable  place,  with  a  mausoleum  of  Kunchi,  re- 
garded as  the  conqueror  of  China,  and  the  founder  of  the  reigning 
family.*  2.  The  government  of  Kircn-Oula,  which  extends  far  to 
'he  N.  E.  where  there  are  many  forests  and  deserts  on  both  sides 
of  the  great  river  Sagalien.     Kirem,  the   capital,  stands  on  the 

•  La  Croix,  ii.  221. 
VOL.   1%.  63 


498  CHINESE  TARTARY. 

river  Songari,  which  falls  into  the  Sagalien,  or  Amoor,  and  vf&n 
the  residence  of  the  Mandshur  general,  who  acted  as  viceroy.* 
3.  The  government  of  Tsitchicar,  so  called,  from  a  town  recently 
founded  on  the  Nonni  Oula,  where  a  Chinese  garrison  is  stationed. 
The  Russians  call  this  province  Daouria,  from  the  tribe  Tagouri, 
who  possess  a  great  part  of  this  territory.  The  western  boundary- 
is  the  river  Argoon,  the  frontier  between  Russia  and  China. 
These  provinces  having  been  the  seat  of  the  Mandshur  monar- 
chy before  the  conquest  of  China,  have  since  that  event  remained 
subject  to  their  ancient  sovereigns. 

To  the  west  are  vaiious  tribes  of  Monguls,  as  the  Kalkas,  those 
around  Koko  Nor,  or  the  Blue  Lake,  who  are  also  called  CElets, 
Eluts,  or  Kalmucs,  the  terms  only  implying  particular  Mongul 
branches.  The  Eluts  have  been  greatly  reduced  by  two  destruc- 
tive wars  against  the  Chinese,  in  1720  and  1757;  and  the  great 
chan  has  disappeared.  Their  country  may  be  considered  under 
three  divisions.  1.  That  part  called  Gete  even  to  the  time  of  Ti- 
mur,  which  some  regard  as  the  country  of  the  ancient  Massagetaei 
towards  the  lakes  of  Palkati,  Balkash  or  Tengis,  and  Zaizan.  2. 
Little  Bucharia,  so  called  to  distinguish  it  from  the  Greater  Bu- 
charia,  which  is  subject  to  the  Usbeks,  a  Tartaric  nation  :  but  the 
people  of  Little  Bucharia  are  an  industrious  race  of  a  distinct  ori- 
gin, who  are  little  mingled  with  their  Kalmuc  or  Mongul  lords, 
3.  The  countries  of  Turfan,  to  the  north  of  the  lake  called  Lok 
Nor,  and  that  of  Chamil  or  Hami,  to  the  east,  regions  little  known, 
and  surrounded  with  wide  deserts.  Upon  the  whole,  it  may  per- 
haps be  found  that  the  Mandshurs  are  the  most  populous  race  ; 
and  that  the  Monguls,  though  diffused  through  a  vast  territory, 
can  hardly  boast  the  name  of  a  nation.  The  Kirguses,  or  Tartars 
pi'oper  of  the  west,  are  confined  to  a  small  and  uncertain  district ; 
and  may  more  properly  be  considered  as  belonging  to  Independ- 
ent Tartary.  To  these  Hassel  adds  the  Cashgars,  whose  num- 
ber he  estimates  at  300,000,  spreading  over  a  territory  of  130,000 
square  miles. 

j^rmy.']  It  is  probable  that  this  part  of  the  Chinese  empire 
might  muster  a  large,  but  ineffectual  army  ;  and  amidst  modern 
tactics  and  weapons  little  need  be  apprehended  from  a  new  del- 
uge of  Mongul  barbarians.  Besides,  their  interests  are  now  so 
various  and  discordant,  that  while  the  empires  of  Russia  and  Chi- 
na exist,  they  can  only  be  regarded  as  connected  with  the  policy 
of  these  powerful  states. 

Manners  and  CustQ7ns.~\  The  manners  and  customs  of  the  Mon- 
guls have  been  already  briefly  described  in  the  account  of  Asiatic 
Russia. 

The  Mandsh'.irs,  who  here  deserve  particular  notice,  are  little 
distinguishable  in  their  manners  from  the  Monguls.  By  the  ac- 
count of  the  Jesuits,  they  have  no  temples,  nor  idols,  but  worship 
a  supreme  being,  whom  they  style  emperor  of  heaven.  But  prob- 
ably their  real  creed  is  Shamanism,  or  a  kind  of  rational  poly- 
theism. 

•  Du  Halde,  ir.  7. 


CHINESE  TARTARY.  499 

Lan^uag'e.']  The  three  languages  of  the  Mandshurs,  Monguls, 
and  Tartars,  radically  differ  from  each  other  ;  the  former  of 
which  appears  to  be  the  most  learned  and  perfect  of  the  Tartaric 
idioms. 

Literature-~\  Of  the  native  literature  of  the  Mandshurs,  little 
is  known,  except  that  a  code  of  laws  was  drawn  up  by  the  order 
of  one  of  the  monarchs,  prior,  it  is  believed,  to  the  conquest  of 
China.  The  imported  literature,  by  the  translation  of  Chinese 
Avorks,  must  be  considerable. 

Cities  and  Towns.^  This  extensive  portion  of  Asia  contains 
several  cities  and  towns,  generally  constructed  of  wood,  and  of 
little  antiquity  or  duration.  These  shall  be  briefly  mentioned, 
passing  from  the  west  towards  the  east. 

In  Little  Bucharia  appear  the  cities  of  Cashgar,  Yarkand,  Ko- 
tun,  and  Karia.  Cashgar  Avas  formerly  a  remarkable  town,  giv- 
ing name  to  a  considerable  kingdom,  the  limits  of  which  nearly 
corresponded  with  Little  Bucharia.*  This  town,  though  fallen 
from  its  ancient  splendor,  still  retains  some  commerce.  Yarkand 
stands  on  a  river  of  the  same  name,  which,  after  a  long  easterly 
course,  falls  into  the  lake  of  Lop. 

Turfan,  the  capital  of  a  detached  principality,  is  a  considerable 
town,  which  used  to  be  frequented  by'the  merchants  passing  from 
Persia  to  China.  Hami,  Chami,  or  according  to  others  Chamil, 
gives  name  to  a  small  district  in  the  immense  desert  of  Cobi  :  it 
is  a  small,  but  populous  place,  about  half  a  league  in  circumfe- 
rence, with  two  beautiful  gates.  It  stands  in  a  fei'tile  plain,  va- 
tered  by  a  river,  sheltered  by  hills  on  the  N.  Some  towns  occur 
iiirther  to  the  south,  but  seemingly  are  only  usual  stations  for 
tents,  the  Monguls  preferring  the  nomadic  life. 

To  the  east  of  the  great  desert,  and  near  the  frontiers  of  China, 
several  Mongul  towns  appear  in  the  maps.  Coucou  seems  to  be 
the  Couchan  of  Du  Halde,  a  small  town  seated  on  a  hill  near  a 
river,  which  falls  into  the  Hoan-ho.  The  others  are  yet  more  in- 
considerable. 

The  country  of  the  Mandshurs  contains  many  villages  and  cit- 
ies, as  Hotun  Sagalian  Quia,  so  called  from  its  position  on  that 
river,  in  the  country  of  the  Tahouria,  modernized  Daouria;  like- 
wise Tsitchikar,  with  Merguen,  Petouna,  Kirin  Oula,  and  Nin- 
gouta.  On  the  north  and  cast  of  the  great  river  Amoor,  scarcely 
the  vestige  of  a  village  appears.  Of  those  here  enumerated,  Pe- 
touna or  Peanc  was,  in  the  time  of  Du  Halde,  chiefly  inhabited  by 
Mandshur  soldiers  and  exiles,  under  the  command  of  a  lieuten- 
ant general.  Nincouta  was  also  the  residence  of  a  Mandslmr 
general,  and  the  seat  of  a  considerable  trade,  particularly  in  the 
celebrated  plant  called  ginseng,  which  abounds  in  the  neighbor- 
hood. Sagalian  Oulaf  llotun,  signifies  the  city  of  the  black  rive?:, 
and  is  the  chief  Mandshur  settlement  on  that  noble  stream. t 

•  Mistoire  des  Tatai-s,  388. 

t  In  tlie  ATandshur  language,  Oula  sigtiilies  a  river,  as  in  (he  Ciiincse  Kiang  Bu 
llttlde.iv.  S3().  7Vr<*  implies  the  same.  In  the  Mongul,  J/ureji  is  a  river;  .itin  r 
mountiiln,  also  Tnbahun  j  Hula  is  a  rock.  In  the  Talai-,  or  Turkish,  'I'a^  is  a 
mountain,  Daria  a  river. 

\  DuUaItle,iv.}<>. 


»00  CHINESE  TARTARY. 

Trade.']  The  principal  trade  of  the  Mandshur  country  consists 
in  ginseng,  and  pearls,  found  in  many  rivers,  which  fall  into  the 
Amoor.  Excellent  horses  may  also  be  classed  among  the  exports. 
Cashgar  was  formerly  celebrated  for  musk  and  gold.  Their 
towns  are  rather  stations  for  merchants  than  seats  of  commerce. 
But  the  emporia  of  the  Russian  trade  with  China  must  not  be  for- 
gotten, being  on  the  Russian  side  Zuruchaitu,  on  the  river  Ar- 
goon,  and  Kiachta  ;  opposite  to  which,  on  the  Chinese  frontier, 
are  correspondent  stations  erected  of  wood. 


CHAPTER  H. 


NATURAL  GEOGRAPHY. 

CLIMATE  AND  SEASONS,  FACE  OF  THE  COUNTRY,  SOIL  AND  AGRI- 
CULTURE, RIVERS,  LAKES,  MOUNTAINS,  FORESTS,  BOTANY,  ZOO- 
LOGY, MINERALOGY,  MINERAL  WATERS,  NATURAL  CURIOSITIES. 

Climate.']  THOUGH  the  parallel  of  central  Asia  corres- 
pond with  that  of  France,  and  part  of  Spain,  yet  the  height  and 
snows  of  the  mountainous  ridges  occasion  a  degree  and  continu- 
ance of  cold  little  to  be  expected  from  other  circumstances.  In 
climate  and  productions  it  is,  however,  far  superior  to  Siberia. 

Face  of  the  Country.]  The  appearance  of  this  extensive  re- 
gion is  diversified  with  all  the  grand  features  of  nature,  extensive 
chains  of  mountains,  large  rivers,  and  lakes.  But  the  most  sin- 
gular feature  is  that  vast  elevated  plain,  supported  like  a  table,  by 
the  mountains  of  Tibet,  in  the  south,  and  Alt?ian  chain  in  the 
north,  from  the  mountains  of  Belur  Tag,  in  the  west,  to  those  that 
bound  the  Kalkas  in  the  east.  This  prodigious  plain,  the  most 
elevated  continuous  region  on  the  globe,  is  intersected  by  some 
chains  of  mountains,  and  by  the  vast  desert  of  Cobi,  or  Sharao. 
Destitute  of  plants  and  water,  it  is  dangerous  for  horses,  but  is 
safely  passed  with  camels.  This  desert  extends  from  about  the 
80°  of  E.  longitude  from  Greenwich,  to  about  the  1 10th°,  being 
30°  of  longitude,  which  in  the  latitude  of  40°,  may  be  1380  geo- 
graphical miles  :  but  in  this  wide  extent  are  Oases,  or  fertile 
spots,  of  considerable  extent.  On  the  other  hand,  the  main  des- 
ert sends  forth  several  barren  branches  in  various  directions. 

Agriculture.]  Among  the  southern  Mandshurs,  and  the  people 
of  Little  Bucharia,  agriculture  is  not  wholly  neglected,  nor  is 
wheat  an  unknown  harvest.  The  soil  of  so  extensive  a  portion  of 
the  earth  may  be  supposed  to  be  very  various ;  but  the  predomi- 
nating substance  is  black  sand. 

Rivers.]  The  most  important  river  is  that  called  by  the  Rus- 
sians the  Amur,  or  Amoor,  by  the  Mandshurs,  Sagalian  Oula. 
This  rirer  has  already  been  described.*     The  Russian  waters  of 

*  P.  20, 


CHINE3E  TARTARY.  501 

Selinga  and  Irtish  pervade  a  part  of  central  Asia.  The  river  of 
Yarkand  has  a  considerable  course  before  it  enters  the  lake  of 
Lop.  The  Hi,  which  falls  into  the  lake  of  Balkash,  is  noted  in 
Tartaric  history. 

Lakes  ]  Some  of  the  lakes  are  of  great  extent,  as  those  of 
Balkash  or  Tengis,  and  Zaizan,  each  about  150  miles  in  length. 
Next  is  the  Koko  Nor,  by  some  called  Hoho  Nor,  or  the  blue  lake, 
which  gives  name  to  a  tribe  of  the  Monguls.  JVor  is  the  Mongul 
term  for  a  lake,  which  by  the  Mandshurs  is  styled  Omo. 

Mountains. ~^  The  vast  ranges  of  mountains  which  intersect 
central  Asia  have  never  been  scientifically  described,  and  few  of 
them  have  even  received  extensive  and  appropriate  appellations. 
On  the  west  the  great  chain  called  Imaus  by  the  ancients,  the 
Belur  Tag,  or  Dark  Mountains  of  the  natives,  runs  from  N.  to  S. 

In  the  eastern  country  of  the  Mandshurs  the  ridges  of  moun- 
tains are  laid  down  in  the  same  direction. 

The  chief  difficulties  attend  those  in  the  centre.  Those  on  the 
Russian  frontier  have  been  well  described  ;  but  of  the  northern 
mountains  of  Tibet,  and  the  sources  of  the  Ganges,  our  knowledge 
remains  imperfect.  Still  fainter  light  falls  on  the  ridges  which 
run  in  an  easterly  and  westerly  direction  to  the  north  of  the  great 
desert. 

The  great  rivers  of  Onon  and  Argoon,  with  others  that  flow  in 
an  opposite  direction  into  the  Selinga,  rise  from  the  high  ridge  of 
Sochondo,  the  summits  of  which  consist  of  large  rocks  heaped  on 
each  other  in  successive  terraces.  There  are  two  vast  cavities, 
or  abysses,  with  perpendicular  sides,  and  small  lakes  at  the  bot- 
tom, which  receive  the  melting  snows,  and  give  source  to  torrents 
which  precipitate  themselves  with  a  terrible  noise  amidst  the  dis- 
jointed rocks.  This  ridge  is  clothed  with  perpetual  snow  ;  and, 
after  dividing  the  rivers  of  Russian  Daouria  from  those  that  flovr 
into  the  Baikal,  passes  S.  W.  and  joins  an  icy  chain  Vi'hich  runs 
into  Mongolia. 

There  are  some  forests  near  the  rivers ;  but  in  general  the  ex- 
treme elevation  and  sandy  soil  of  central  Asia  renders  trees  as 
rare,  as  in  the  deserts  of  Africa. 

Botany.'^  Of  the  botany  of  the  whole  central  part  of  Asia,  in- 
cluding the  vast  territories  of  Chinese  Tartary  and  Tibet,  we  are 
as  yet  in  a  manner  totally  ignorant.  No  European  naturalist  has 
ever  even  passed  through,  much  less  explored  the  vegetable  pro- 
ducts of  these  extensive  regions.  From  their  elevated  situation, 
and  their  rigorous  winters,  it  is  obvious  that  no  tropical  plants, 
nor  even  those  of  the  more  temperate  Asiatic  countries,  are  to  be 
expected  in  their  flora.  The  only  indigenous  plants  that  we  arc 
as  yet  certainly  acquainted  with,  except  what  belong  to  Siberia, 
or  India,  are,  that  well-known  and  singular  fern,  the  polypodium 
baromctz,  called  also  the  Scyt/dari  lamb ;  panax  quinquefolium, 
ginseng,  the  favorite  drug  of  China ;  and  rheum  palmatum,  which 
at  least  is  one  of  the  plants  that  furnishes  the  true  rhubarb. 

Zoology.']  The  zoology  of  this  wide  portion  of  the  globe  would 
supply  a  fruitful  theme,  in   which  the  camel  of  the  desert  might 


502  CHINESE  TARTARY. 

appear  with  the  rock  goat  of  the  Alps,  and  the  tiger  with  the 
ermine.  The  wild  horse,  and  the  wild  ass,  and  a  peculiar  species 
of  cattle,  which  grunt  like  swine,  are  among  the  most  remarkable 
singularities.  The  wild  horse  is  generally  of  a  mouse  colour,  and 
small,  with  long  sharp  ears. 

Mineralogy. ~\  The  mineralogy  of  central  Asia  has  been  little 
explored.  Gold  is  found  both  in  the  eastern  and  western  regions, 
and  the  former  are  also  said  to  produce  tin.  As  Russian  Daouria 
exhibits  so  many  valuatile  substances,  it  is  reasonable  to  conclude 
that  they  equally  abound  in  the  Chinese  territory,  if  similar  skill 
and  industry  were  exerted  in  their  discovery.  The  mineral  wa- 
ters, and  uncommon  appearances  of  nature,  have  been  little  inves- 
tigated. 


ISLAND  OF  SAGALIAN,  OR  TCHOKA. 


Till  this  large  island  was  explored  by  the  unfortunate  navigator 
La  Perouse,  it  was  supposed  to  be  only  a  small  isle  at  the  mouth 
of  the  Amoor,  the  southern  extremity  being  placed  by  D'Anville 
about  4°,  or  240  geographical  miles,  to  the  north  of  Jesso.  By  the 
account  and  maps  of  La  Perouse  it  is  only  divided  from  Jesso  by 
a  narrow  strait  of  about  20  miles  in  breadth,  since  called  the  strait 
of  Perouse.  The  discovery  and  account  of  this  large  island, 
which  extends  from  the  46th°  of  latitude  to  the  54th°,  or  not  less 
than  480  geographical  miles  in  length,  by  about  80  of  medial 
breadth,  is  the  most  important  portion  of  that  navigator's  voyage. 
The  natives  seem  to  approach  to  the  Tartaric  form  ;  and  the  up- 
per lip  is  commonly  tatooed  blue.  The  dress  is  a  loose  robe  of 
skins,  or  quilted  nankeen,  with  a  girdle.  Their  huts,  or  cabins, 
are  of  timber,  thatched  witli  grass,  with  a  fireplace  in  the  centre. 
In  the  south  are  found  Japanese  articles.  A  little  trade  seems  also 
known  with  the  Mandshurs  and  the  Russians.  The  native  name 
of  this  large  island  is  Tchoka,  that  used  by  the  Japanese  Oku  Jesso, 
perhaps  implying  father  Jesso  ;  while  the  Russians,  who  only 
know  the  northern  part,  call  it  the  isle  of  Sagalian,  because  it  is 
opposite  to  the  large  river  of  that  name.  The  centre  is  moun- 
tainous, and  well  wooded  with  pine,  willow,  oak,  and  birch  ;  but 
the  shores  are  level,  and  singularly  adapted  to  agriculture.  The 
people  are  highly  praised  by  La  Perouse,  as  a  mild  aiid  intelligent 
race  ;  and  he  expressly  informs  us  that  tl^ey  are  quite  unlike  the 
Mandshurs,  or  Chinese. 


TRIBUTARY  DOMINIONS  OF  CHINA.  50p 


3d.  DIVISIOJV. 


TRIBUTARY  DOMINIONS. 


THIS  division  of  the  Chinese  Empire,  according  to  Hass^l, 
covers  776,000  square  miles,  and  has  31,500,000  inhabitants.  It 
embraces  the  following  kingdoms  : 


Kins^doms. 

Square  miles. 

Population. 

Corea 

88,000 

1,500,000 

Tibet  or  Tangut 

370,000 

12,000,000 

Annan 

1  65,000 

1 0,000,000 

Tunquin 

154,000 

8,000,000 

Leoo  Keoo  Isles. 

1.    KINGDOM  OF  COHEA. 

This  kingdom  is  on  a  large  peninsula,  N.  E.  of  China,  from 
which  it  is  separated  on  the  S.  W.  by  the  YelloAv  Sea.  The  sea 
of  Japan  on  the  N.  E.  which  divides  it  from  the  Japan  Isles ;  on 
the  N.  lies  the  country  of  the  Mandshurs.  On  the  N.  W.  it  bor- 
ders on  the  province  of  Leautong. 

Corea  has  for  many  centuries  been  tributary  to  China.  It  has 
its  own  king  ;  its  chief  city  is  Kinkatao,  of  which  we  knoAv  only 
the  name.  Its  productions  arc,  gold,  silver,  iron,  beautiful  yellow- 
varnish,  white  paper,  ginseng,  with  small  horses  about  3  feet  high, 
furs  and  fossil  salt.  This  country  boasts  a  considerable  popula- 
tion. According  to  Hassel  it  amounts  to  1,500,000.  All  com- 
merce with  this  little  kingdom  is  prohibited,  of  course  little  is 
known  of  its  former  or  present  state. 

2.  TIBET,  OR  TANGUT. 

This  extensive  kingdom  lies  W.  of  China,  and  N.  of  Hindoostan, 
and  borders  on  both.  It  covers  according  to  Hassel,  370,000 
square  miles,  and  has  a  population  of  1 2,000,000.  It  embraces 
the  empire  of  the  Dela  Lama,  the  empire  of  the  Teshoo  Lama, 
the  rajahship  of  Bootan,  the  rajahship  of  Nepaul,  or  Nipal,  and 
the  kingdom  of  Sctchucn.  Such  are  Hasscl's  divisions  ;  who  ob- 
serves, that  the  principal  parts  of  Tibet  are  governed  by  priests 
of  the  Budhistic  order  ;  Dalai  Lama  govenis  at  Lassa  ;  Teshoo 
Lama,  at  Tishulamba ;  Rajah  Dacb,  who  is  a  Lama,  at  Bootar. 
Since  the  year  1792,  Nepaul  and  Segwin  have  been  under  the 
protection  of  China. 

As  the  latest  and  most  full  and  authentic  account  of  this  vast 
interior  and  imperfectly  explored  region  of  Asia,  we  give  the 
following  from  Pinkcnon. 


504  TRIBUTARY  DOMINIONS  OF  CHINA. 

TIBET.  ^4 

CHAPTER  I. 

IlISTOKICAL  GEOGRAPHY. 

NAMES,  EXTENT,  BOUNDARIES  AND  PROVINCES,  PROGRESSIVE 
GEOGRAPHY,  RELIGION,  GOVERNMENT,  POPULATION,  MANNERS, 
LITERATURE,  CITIES  AND  TOWNS,  MANUFACTURES  AND  COM- 
MERCE. 

THE  accou'nt  of  the  interesting  country  of  Tibet  must  un- 
fortunately be  limited  in  the  topics,  as  the  materials  are  far  from 
being  ample.  The  recent  narrative  of  Captain  Turner's  journey 
shall  be  selected  as  the  most  authentic  :  but  it  only  embraces  a 
small  part,  and  for  the  general  geography,  recourse  must  be  had 
to  more  antiquated  authorities.  Tibet,  w^ith  its  numerous  inde- 
pendencies, may  in  fact  be  still  arranged  among  the  undiscovered 
countries  in  the  centre  of  Asia. 

Names^  The  name  of  Tibet.,  which  is  probably  Hindoo,  or 
Persian,  is  in  the  country  itself,  and  in  Bengal,  pronounced  Tibbet, 
or  Tibt.  But  the  native  appellation  is  Pue,  or  Pue  Koachim^  said 
to  be  derived  from  Pue^  signifying  northern,  and  Koachirrij  snow  ; 
that  is,  the  snowy  region  of  the  north.* 

Extent.'^  According  to  the  most  recent  maps,  Tibet  extends 
from  about  the  75th  to  the  101st  degree  of  longitude,  which  in  the 
latitude  of  30°  may  be  about  1350  geographical  miles.  The 
breadth  may  be  I'egarded  as  extending  from  the  27th  to  the  35th 
degree  of  latitude,  or  about  480  gtiographical  miles.f  The  origi- 
nal population  has  not  been  accurately  examined. 

Boundaries  a7id  Proi}inces.~\  There  is  every  reason  to  believe 
that  the  northern  boundary  of  this  country  may  be  safely  extended 
two  degrees  farther  than  it  appears  in  our  best  maps,  in  which 
there  is  no  portion  of  Great  Tibet  to  the  N.  E.  of  Cashmir. 

Tibet  is  divided  into  three  parts,  Upper,  Middle,  and  Lower. 
Upper  Tibet  chiefly  comprises  the  province  of  Nagari,  full  of 
horrible  rocks,  and  mountains  covered  with  eternal  snow.  Mid- 
dle Tibet  contains  the  provinces  of  Shang,  Ou,  and  Kiang  :  while 
the  provinces  of  Lower  Tibet  are  Takbo,  Congbo,  and  Kahang. 

Many  of  these  provinces  are  again  subdivided  :  Nagari  for  in- 
stance, is  considered  as  a  kingdom  of  three  departments,  Sangkar^ 
Pourang,  and  Tamo.  Shang  is  on  the  West,  boundedby  Nepaul. 
The  province  of  Ou  contains  Lassa,  the  capital  of  Tibet.  Kiang 
is  to  the  north-east  of  Ou;  and  is  inhabited  by  mingled  Tibetans 
and  Monguls  in  tents.  Kahang  is  in  the  S.  E.  bordering  on  the 
Birmans,  and  is  divided  into  twelve  departments. 

*  Turner,  p.  v.  and  305. 

f  Probably  lo  37  degi-ees,  which  would  add  120  geographical  miles :  for  Mus  Tag 
is,  according  to  the  Russiaas,  the  northern  boundai-y  of  Tibet:  and  they  place  tbit 
range  in  3S  degrees. 


TRIBUTARY  DOMINIONS  OF  CHINA.  505 

To  these  must  be  added  the  wide  region  of  Amdoa,  if  it  be  not 
the  same  with  Kahang,  but  it  seems  more  probably  to  embrace 
the  confines  towards  China,  as  the  natives  are  remarkably  ingeni- 
ous, and  speak  the  Chinese  language.  The  country  of  Hor  is 
situated  betwixt  'i'artary  and  the  provinces  of  Nagari  and  Kiang, 
and  seems  to  be  the  Hohonor  of  our  maps.  Our  Bootan  is  by  the 
natives  styled  Decpo,  or  Takbo  :  all  the  countries  to  the  west  of 
which,  as  Moringa,  or  Morung,  Mocampour,  Nepaul,  Gorca,  and 
Kemaoon,  are  not  considered  as  parts  of  Tibet.  The  confusion  of 
Chinese,  Mongul,  and  Tibetan  appellations,  has  been  a  great  im- 
pediment in  the  geography  of  this  extensive  country  ;  the  N.  E. 
part  of  which  was,  with  the  Chinese  province  of  Shensi,  before  the 
great  wall  was  extended  in  this  quarter,  the  celebrated  Tangut 
of  oriental  history  and  geography.  On  the  western  side  high 
mountains,  covered  with  perpetual  snow,  and  with  all  the  terrible 
avalanches,  and  other  features  of  the  Swiss  Alps,  have  in  all  ages 
prevented  the  Persians  and  the  conquerors  of  Bucharia  from  in- 
vading this  country  ;  while  the  deserts  in  the  N.  E.  have  proved 
ineffectual  barriers  against  the  Monguis  and  Eluts.  These  west- 
ern mountains  have  also  prevented  travellers  from  penetrating  in 
that  quarter,  which  is  little  better  known  at  present  than  in  the 
time  of  Ptolemy. 

Progressive  Geogi'aphij.']  The  progressive  geography  of  Ti- 
bet chiefly  dates  from  a  recent  period  ;  for  there  is  no  room  to  be- 
lieve that  the  snowy  mountains  of  Tibet  had  been  penetrated  by 
the  ancients.  The  Portuguese  commerce  with  the  East  Indies 
may  be  said  to  have  first  disclosed  this  ample  region,  of  which, 
however,  our  knowledge,  even  at  this  day,  is  lamentably  defective. 
Tibet  seems  to  have  been  the  southern  part  of  the  Tangut  of  Mar- 
co Polo,*  who  describes  the  province  of  Tebeth.,  (which  he  says 
contained  eight  kingdoms,  Avith  many  cities  and  villages,)  as  a 
mountainous  country,  producing  some  gold  and  spices,  a  large 
breed  of  dogs,  and  excellent  falcons. 

About  1715,  the  Emperor  of  China  being  desirous  to  obtain  a 
map  of  Tibet,  two  Lamas  were  sent  who  had  studied  geometry  in 
a  mathematical  academy. t  These  Lamas  drew  a  map  from  Si- 
ning,  in  the  province  of  Shensi,  to  the  sources  of  the  Ganges  ; 
which  was  afterwards  examined  by  the  Jesuits,  and  improved  by 
them,  so  far  as  their  materials  would  admit.  This  map,  publish- 
ed in  the  atlas  of  Du  Halde's  work,  unfortunately  continues  al- 
most the  sole  authority,  and  is  followed,  Avith  a  few  variations,  by 
the  most  recent  geographers.  Yet  it  seems  but  of  doubtful  cred- 
it ;  and  reasonable  suspicions  may  be  entertained  from  there  be- 
ing no  distinct  names  of  small  kingdoms,  states,  or  provinces, 
though  from  recent  accounts,  these  seem  particularly  to  abound 
in  the  country  ;  and  from  the  great  river  Gogra  being  totally  un- 
known and  omitted. 

The  geography  of  Asia  cannot  be  said  to  be  complete  till  we 
have  new  and  correct  maps  of  the  central  parts,  pailicularly  of 

•  Cap.  xxxvi.  edit.  1537.  f  "^^  HaWc,  it.  .171. 

VOL.    IT.  64 


506  TRIBUTARY  DOINIINIONS  OF  CHINA. 

Tibet,  which  may  be  called  the  heart  of  Asia,  whence  the  streams 
flow  into  the  vast  southern  regions  of  that  extensive  country. 
The  sources  of  the  Ganges  and  Indus,  the  Sampoo,  and  all  the 
prodigious  and  fertile  streams  of  exterior  India,  and  of  China,  be- 
long to  this  interesting  region  ;  and  must  be  exactly  traced  and 
delineated  before  we  can  have  precise  and  scientific  ideas  of 
Asiatic  geography. 

History.']  The  Lama  of  Tibet  was  probably  the  Prester  John 
of  the  middle  ages  ;  and  this  strange  appellation  was  as  strangely 
transferred  by  Portuguese  ignorance,  to  the  Emperor  of  Abyssin- 
ia. Polo  informs  us  that  Tibet  had  been  ravaged  by  the  Monguls, 
so  that  in  his  lime  it  was  almost  desolate.  The  quiet  succession 
of  the  lamas  would  afford  few  materials  for  history  ;  and  the  petty 
secular  chiefs*  of  distinct  provinces,  or  kingdoms,  may  perhaps 
sometimes  be  traced  in  the  Chinese  or  Hindoo  annals,  but  would 
little  interest  an  European  reader.  As  the  tombs  and  mon- 
asteries are  often  constructed  of  stone,  some  may  remain  of 
remote  antiquity.  But  the  idols,  cut  in  the  rocks,  are  little  calcu- 
lated to  impress  travellers  with  the  idea  of  much  perfection  in 
the  arts. 

Religion.']  The  i"eligion  of  Tibet  seems  to  be  the  schismatical 
offspring  of  that  of  the  Hindoos.!  It  is  reported  to  have  received 
its  earliest  admission  in  that  part  of  Tibet  bordering  upon  India, 
(which  from  hence  became  the  seat  of  the  sovereign  lamas  ;)  to 
have  traversed  over  Mantchieux  Tartary,  and  to  have  been  ulti- 
mately disseminated  over  China  and  Japan.  It  still  bears  a  very 
close  affinity  with  the  religion  of  Brahma  in  many  important  par- 
ticulars, but  differs  materially  in  its  ritual,  or  ceremonial  wor- 
ship. Tibetians  assemble  in  chapels,  and  unite  together  in  pro- 
digious numbers  to  perform  their  religious  service,  which  they 
chant  in  alternate  recitative  and  chorus,  accompanied  by  an  ex- 
tensive band  of  loud  and  powerful  instruments  ;  so  that  these 
congregations  forcibly  recal  to  the  recollection  both  the  solemni- 
ty and  sound  of  the  Roman  Catholic  mass. 

There  are  also  numerous  monasteries,  containing  crowds  of 
gylongs.,  or  monks,  with  a  few  a7inees,  or  nuns. 

Government.]  The  ruling  government  is  the  spiritual,  though 
the  lama  Avas  accustomed  to  appoint  a  tifia.,  or  secular  regent,  a 
right  which  has  probably  passed  to  the  Chinese  emperor.  The 
laws,  like  the  religion,  bear  some  affinity  to  that  of  the  Hindoos. 

Pojinlation.]  We  have  already  mentioned  Hassel's  estimate. 
Pinkerton  differs  widely  from  his.  From  the  ease  Avith  which 
their  conquest  was  effected  by  the  Eluts,  and  other  circumstances, 

*  Yet  Tibet  was  for  some  time  sii1>ject  to  secular  kings,  called  Tsau  Pa  ;  and  the 
lama  resided  at  Lassa,  with  a  powoi' similar  to  that  of  t!ic  spiritual  prince  of  Japan. 
Those  Moiiguls,  called  Eluts,  conquered  the  secular  prince,  an<l  transferred  the  whole 
power  to  the  lama.  (Du  HaUle,  iv.  50.)  In  1792,  the  KipaJese  having  committed 
great  ravages  in  Tibet,  the  Emperor  of  China  sent  an  army  to  protect  the  lama ;  in 
consequence  of  which  the  Chinese  have  established  military  posts  on  the  frontiers,  so 
that  the  intercourse  betweea  their  country  and  Bengal  is  now  precluded.  Turner, 
441. 
f  Turner,  p.  306. 


TRIBUTARY  DOMINIONS  OF  CHINA.  507 

it  can  scarcely  be  conceived  that  a  monarch  of  all  Tibet  could 
have  brought  into  the  field  an  army  of  more  than  50,000  ;  and  al- 
lowing that  (exclusive  of  the  numerous  monks)  ofdy  every  tenth 
person  assumed  arms,  the  population  would  be  half  a  million,  a 
circumstance  which  will  not  surprise  those  who  consider  that  a 
few  families  in  central  Asia  assume  the  name  of  a  nation.  But 
this  number  is  probably  far  too  small  ;  and  it  can  only  be  said 
that  the  population  seems  scanty. 

Mevenues.^  The  revenues  of  the  lama,  and  of  the  secular  prin- 
ces, seem  to  be  trifling  ;  nor  can  Tibet  ever  aspire  to  any  political 
importance.  In  a  commercial  point  of  view,  friendship  and  free  in- 
tercourse with  Tibet  might  open  new  advantages  to  the  English 
settlements  in  Bengal  ;  and  in  this  design  repeated  envoys  to  the 
lama  were  sent  by  INIr.  Hastings,  a  governor  attentive  to  the  inter- 
ests of  his  country. 

Character,  cj'c.]  Mr.  Turner  I'epresents  the  character  of  the 
Tibetians  as  gentle  and  amiable.  The  men  are  generally  stout, 
with  something  of  the  Tartaric  features,  and  the  women  of  a  rud- 
dy brown  complexion,  heightened  like  the  fruits,  by  the  proximity 
of  the  sun,  while  the  mountain  breezes  bestow  health  and  vigor. 

"  The  ceremonies  of  marriage  are  neither  tedious  nor  intricate 
in  Tibet.*  Their  courtships  ai'c  carried  on  with  little  art,  and 
quickly  brought  to  a  conclusion.  The  priests  of  Tibet,  who  shun 
the  society  of  women,  have  no  share  in  these  ceremonies,  or  in 
ratifying  the  obligation  between  the  parties,  which,  it  seems,  is 
formed  indissolubly  for  life." 

It  is  a  I'emarkable  characteristic  of  the  country,  that  polygamy 
here  assumes  a  different  form  from  that  of  other  oriental  regions; 
the  women  being  indulged  in  a  plurality  of  husbands,  instead  of 
the  reverse.  It  is  the  privilege  of  the  elder  brother  to  select  a 
wife,  who  stands  in  an  equal  relation  to  his  other  brothers,  what- 
ever may  be  their  number.f 

Such  is  the  respect  paid  to  the  lama,  that  his  body  is  preserved 
entire  in  a  shrine  ;  while  those  of  the  inferior  priests  are  burnt, 
and  their  ashes  preserved  in  little  hollow  images  of  metal.  But 
in  general  the  dead  bodies  are  exposed  to  the  beasts  and  birds  of 
prey,  in  walled  areas  ;  and  an  annual  festival  is  held,  as  in  Bengal 
and  China,  in  honor  of  the  dead. 

A  curious  idea  of  the  nuanners  and  customs  of  the  Tibetians 
may  be  formed  from  Mr.  Turner's  account  of  his  interview  with 
the  lama,  then  an  infant,  not  capable  of  speech  ;  for,  in  the  spirit 
of  the  eastern  metempsychosis,  they  suppose  that  the  soul  of  the 
lama  passes  from  his  late  body  into  another,  which  they  discover 
by  infallible  marks. 

Upon  the  whole,  the  Tibetians  appear  to  have  made  a  consid- 
erable progress  in  civilization  ;  but  the  sciences  continue  in  a 
state  of  imperfection,  the  year  for  instance  being  lunar,  and  the 
month  consisting  of  29  days. 

Literature.']    The  literature  is  chiefly  of  the  religious  kind,  the 

•  Torner,  p.  353.  f  Du  lisildc  and  Turner. 

V 


508  TRIBUTARY  DOMINIONS  OF  CHINA. 

books  being  sometimes  printed  with  blocks  of  wood,  on  narrow 
slips  of  thin  paper,  fabricated  from  the  fibrous  root  of  a  small 
shrub.  In  this  practice  they  resemble  the  Chinese ;  while  the 
Hindoos  engrave  their  works  with  a  steel  stylus  upon  the  recent 
leaves  of  the  palmyra  tree,  (borassus  flabelliformis,)  affoitling  a 
fibrous  substancc,which  seems  indestructible  by  vermin.*  The  writ- 
ing runs  from  the  left  to  the  right,  as  in  the  languages  of  Europe. 

The  gylongs,  or  monks,  pass  through  a  regular  education  ; 
and,  it  is  to  be  supposed,  sometimes  teach  children  not  destined  to 
religious  confinement. 

Cities  a?id  Toivns.']  Of  the  cities  and  towns  of  Tibet  little  is 
known.  The  capital  is  Lassa  ;  and  several  other  names  in  the 
southern  part  assume  the  character  of  towns  in  the  maps,  though 
probably  mere  villages.  There  being  lit-tle  commerce,  there  is 
no  middle  class  of  people,  but  the  transition  is  rapid  from  the  mis- 
ei'able  hut  to  the  stone  palace,  or  monastery. 

Lassa,  the  capital  of  Tibet,  is  situated  in  a  spacious  plain,  being 
a  small  city,  but  the  houses  are  of  stone,  and  are  spacious  and 
lofty .t  The  noted  mountain  of  Putala,  on  which  stands  the  pal- 
ace of  the  Lama,  is  about  seven  miles  to  the  east  of  the  city.  As 
La  means  a  hill  in  the  native  tongue,  this  name  may  imply  the 
hill  of  Pouta  or  Boodh.  To  the  north  of  Lassa  appears  another 
vast  range  of  mountains,  covered  with  snow.  Lassa  is  in  the 
province  of  Ou,  and  almost  in  the  centre  of  Tibet.t 
,  Edijices.'\  Among  the  edifices,  the  monasteries  may  be  first 
mentioned.  Mr.  Turner  describes  that  of  Teshoo  Loomboo,  as 
containing  three  or  four  hundred  houses,  inhabited  by  monks,  be- 
sides temples,  mausoleums,  and  the  palace  of  the  sovereign  pon- 
tiff. The  buildings  are  all  of  stone,  none  less  than  two  stories  in 
height,  Avith  flat  roofs,  and  parapets  composed  of  heath  and  brush- 
wood, probably  to  emit  the  melting  snow.  The  centre  window 
projects  beyond  the  wall,  and  forms  a  balcony.  Some  of  the  pal- 
aces and  fortresses  are  described  and  delineated  by  Mr.  Turner  ; 
and  the  architecture  seems  i-espectable.  Bridges  occur  of  various 
fantastic  forms  ;  sometimes  consisting  of  chains,  drawn  from  pre- 
cipice to  precipice  ;  sometimes  of  beams,  one  end  being  fixed  in 
the  shore,  while  the  other  successively  increases  its  projection  till 
the  uppermost  timbers  support  a  short  passage  of  planks,  thus 
resembling  the  upper  section  of  an  octagon.  The  roads  amidst 
the  rocky  mountains  resemble  those  of  Svvisserland,  and  are  par- 
ticularly dangerous  after  rain. 

Manufactures.']  The  chief  manufactures  of  Tibet  are  shawls, 
and  some  woollen  cloths  ;  but  there  is  a  general  want  of  industry  ; 
and  the  fine  undermost  hair  of  the  goats,  from  which  shawls  ai'e 
manufactured,  is  chiefly  sent  to  Cashmir.  The  principal  exports 
are  to  China,  consisting  of  gold  dust,  diamonds,  pearls,  lamb  skins, 
some  musk,  and  woollen  cloths.  Many  of  the  Chinese  imports 
are  manufactured  articles.  To  Nepaul,  Tibet  sends  rock  salt,  tin- 
cal,  or  crude  borax,  and  gold  dust ;  receiving  in  return  base  sil- 

*  Turner,  323.  f  Rcnnell,  306.  i  Bernoulli,  iii.  22r. 


TRIBUTARY  DOMINIONS  OF  CHINA.  509 

ver  coin,  copper,  rice,  and  coarse  cotton  cloths.  Through  Ncpaiil 
is  also  carried  on  the  chief  trade  with  Bengal,  in  gold  dust,  lineal, 
and  nnusk.  The  returns  are  broadcloth,  spices,  trinkets,  emeralds, 
sapphires,  lazulite,  jet,  amber,  &c.  With  Asam  in  the  S.  E.  there 
is  no  intercourse  ;  and  the  little  trade  with  Bootan,  may  rather  be 
regarded  as  internal. 

Trade.']  The  trade  with  China,  which  is  the  principal,  is  chief- 
ly conducted  at  the  garrison  town  of  Sining,  in  the  western  ex- 
tremity of  the  province  of  Shensi,  where  tea  is  eagerly  bought  by 
the  Tibetians.  There  is  no  mint  in  Tibet,  as  such  an  institution 
is  prevented  by  religious  prejudices  ;  but  the  base  silver  of  Ne- 
paul  is  current  throughout  the  country. 


CHAPTER  II. 


NATURAL  GEOGRAPHY. 

CLIMATE  AND  SOIL,    RIVERS,  MOUNTAINS,  ZOOLOGY,  MINERALOGY, 
NATURAL    CURIOSITIES. 

Climate.']  "  IN  the  temperature  of  the  seasons  in  Tibet,  a  re- 
markable viniformity  prevails,  as  well  as  in  their  periodical  dura- 
tion and  return.  The  same  division  of  them  takes  place  here  as 
in  the  more  southern  region  of  Bengal.  The  spring  is  marked, 
from  March  to  May,  by  a  variable  atmosphere  ;  heat,  thunder 
storms,  and  occasionally  with  refreshing  showers.  From  June 
to  September  is  the  season  of  humidity,  when  heavy  and  continued 
rains  fill  the  rivers  to  their  brim,  which  run  off  from  hence  with 
rapidity,  to  assist  in  inundating  Bengal.  From  October  to  March, 
a  clear  and  uniform  sky  succeeds,  seldom  obscured  either  by  fogs 
or  clouds.  For  three  montlis  of  this  season  a  degree  of  cold  is 
felt,  far  greater,  perhaps,  than  is  known  to  prevail  in  Europe.  Its 
extreme  severity  is  more  particularly  confined  to  the  southern 
boundary  of  Tibet,  near  that  elevated  range  of  mountains,  which 
divides  it  from  Asam,  Bootan,  and  Nepaul."* 

Thus  the  distinguishing  characteristic  of  the  climate  is  that 
extreme  dry  and  parching  cold,  which,  under  the  latitude  of  26, 
near  the  torrid  zone  of  antiquated  geography,  rivals  that  of  the 
Alps,  in  latitude  46. 

Face  of  the  Country.]  Tibet  Proper  exhibits  only  lov^  rocky 
hills,  without  any  visible  vegetation,  or  extensive  arid  plains  of  an 
aspect  equally  stern  ;  while  the  bleak  and  cold  climate  constrahis 
the  inhabitants  to  seek  refuge  in  sheltered  vales  and  hollows,  or 
amidst  the  warmest  aspects  of  the  rocks.  Yet  Tibet  produces 
great  abundance  and  variety  of  wild  fowl  and  game  ;  with  nu- 
merous flocks  of  sheep  and  goats,  and  herds  of  cattle,  and  is  in- 
fested by  many  beasts  of  prey.     Tibet  Proper  must  indeed  be  cou- 

♦  Turner,  .TOO. 


510  TRIBUTARY  DOMINIONS  OF  CHINA. 

^idei'ed  as  a  mineral  country,  the  mountains  presenting  a  pecu- 
liarly naked  aspect,  indicative  of  rich  ores. 

Soil.^  The  nature  of  the  soil  here  prohibits  the  progress  of  ais;- 
riculture.  The  vales  arc  commonly  laid  under  w  ater  on  the  ap- 
proach of  winter  ;  in  the  spring  they  are  plowed  and  sown,  while 
frequent  showers,  and  a  powerful  sun,  contribute  speedily  to  ma- 
ture the  crops.*  The  autumn  being  clear  and  tranquil,  the  har- 
vest is  long  left  to  dry  on  the  ground,  and  when  sufficiently  hard- 
ened, is  trod  out  by  cattle.  The  course  of  cultivation  is  wheat, 
peas,  and  barley  ;  rice  being  confined  to  a  more  southern  soil. 

tlivc7-s.J  The  chief  river  of  Tibet  is,  beyond  all  comparison, 
the  Sampoo,  or  Berharapooter,  which  rising  in  the  western  re- 
gion, from  the  same  lofty  mountains  that  give  source  to  the  Gan- 
ges, proceeds  in  an  E.  and  S.  E.  direction  for  about  the  space  of 
1000  English  miles,  to  the  confines  of  Tibet  and  Asam,  where  it 
bends  S.  VV.  and  flows  into  the  estuary  of  the  Ganges,  after  a  far- 
ther course  of  about  400  British  miles. 

The  Hoan  Ho,  and  Kian  Ku  of  the  Chinese,  also  derive  their 
origin  from  the  eastern  boundaries  of  Tibet.  Of  the  other  rivers 
little  is  known  ;  but  the  great  Japanese  river  of  Cambodia,  or 
Maykaung  of  Laos  ;  that  of  Nou  Kia,  supposed  to  pass  near  Mar- 
taban,  into  the  gulf  of  Pegu  ;  and  the  Irrawady  of  this  last  coun- 
try, are  all  believed  to  derive  their  sources  from  the  mountains  of 
Tibet,  which  may  be  styled  the  Alps  of  Asia.  Nor  must  it  be  for- 
gotten that  another  large  river,  called  the  Sardjoo,  or  Gagra, 
which  after  a  course  of  about  600  miles,  nearly  parallel  on  the  E. 
with  that  of  the  Ganges,  joins  it  near  Chupra,  also  derives  its 
spring  from  the  lofty  western  mountains  of  Tibet. 

Lakes.']  These  Alpine  regions  contain,  as  usual,  many  lakes, 
the  most  considerable  being  represented  under  the  name  of  Ter- 
kiri,  about  80  miles  in  length,  and  25  broad.  The  Chinese  lamas, 
have  also  depicted  many  other  lakes  in  the  northern  parts  of  the 
country ;  where  there  certainly  exists  one  very  singular,  which 
yields  the  tincal  or  crude  borax.  Equally  imcommon  is  the  lake 
to  the  S.  of  Lassa,  which  our  maps  call  Jamdro  or  Palte.  This 
strange  lake  is  represented  as  a  wide  trench,  of  about  two  leagues 
broad,  every  where  surrounding  an  island  of  about  twelve  leagues 
in  diameter  ;  if  true,  a  singular  feature  of  nature.  Even  the 
smaller  lakes  in  the  south  of  Tibet  Proper  are  in  the  winter  frozen 
to  a  great  depth. 

J\Toimtains.~\  The  vast  ranges  of  Tibetian  mountains  have  al- 
ready been  repeatedly  mentioned  ;  but  there  is  no  accurate  geo- 
graphical delineation  of  their  course  and  extent.  Those  in  the 
west  and  south  seem  to  bend  in  the  form  of  a  crescent,  from  the 
sources  of  the  Ganges  to  the  frontiers  of  Asam,  in  a  N.  W.  and  S. 
E.  direction.  To  the  north  of  Sampoo  a  parallel  and  yet  higher 
ridge  seems  to  extend,  the  northern  extremities  abounding  with 
large  frozen  lakes.  The  chief  elevation  appears  as  usual  to  be 
central,  to  the  south  of  the  lake  Terkiri,  being  called  Koiran. 

•  Turner/ 351 


TRIBUTARY  DOMINIONS  OF  CHINA.  511 

From  these  great  ranges  many  branches  extend  N.  and  S,  as  in 
the  Alps,  and  their  names  may  perhaps  be  traced,  but  with  little 
accuracy,  in  the  general  map  of  Tibet,  and  atlas  of  the  provinces, 
drawn  up  by  D'Anville  from  the  sketches  of  the  missionaries,  and 
already  repeatedly  qvioted. 

J'''orests.]  Many  parts  of  Tibet  abound  with  forests  containing 
many  European  trees,  and  others  peculiar  to  Asia.  The  high 
snowy  mountains,  which  contain  the  sources  of  the  Ganges,  are 
perhaps  barren  of  vegetation,  a  character  genei'ally  applicable  to 
Tibet  Proper. 

Zoology.^  Tibet  aboimds  with  game  of  various  descriptions. 
The  horses  are  of  a  small  size,  or  what  we  term  ponies,  but  spir- 
ited to  a  degree  of  obstinacy.  The  cattle  are  also  diminutive. 
The  flocks  of  sheep  arc  numerous,  commonly  small,  with  black 
heads  and  legs  ;  the  wool  soft,  and  the  mutton  excellent.  It  is  a 
peculiarity  of  the  country  that  the  latter  food  is  generally  eaten 
raw.  When  dried  in  the  frosty  air  it  is  not  disagreeable  in  this 
state,  to  an  European  palate.* 

The  goats  are  numerous,  and  celebrated  for  producing  a  fine 
liair,  which  is  manufactured  into  shawls,  and  which  lies  beneatli 
the  exterior  coarse  coat.  Nor  must  the  singular  breed  of  cattle 
be  forgotten,  called  Yak  by  the  Tartars,  covered  vith  thick  long 
hair  ;  the  tail  being  peculiarly  flowing  and  glossy,  and  s.n  article 
of  luxury  in  the  east,  where  it  is  used  to  drive  away  the  flies,  and 
sometimes  dried  for  ornaments.  These  cattle  do  not  low  ;  but,^ 
when  uneasy,  make  a  kind  of  grunting  Sound,  whence  the  breed  is 
called  the  bos  grunniens. 

The  musk  deer  delights  in  intense  cold.  This  valuable  animal 
has  two  long  curved  tusks,  proceeding  downwards  from  the  uppt-r 
jaw,  which  seem  intended  to  dig  roots,  his  usual  food.  The  figure 
of  the  body  somewhat  resembles  the  hog,  while  the  hair  approaches 
the  quills  of  the  porcupine.  The  musk,  which  is  only  found  in 
the  male,  is  formed  in  a  little  tumour  at  the  navel ;  and  is  tlie 
genuine  and  authentic  article  so  styled,  being  commonly  black, 
and  divided  by  thin  cuticles. t 

The  lakes  abound  with  water  fowl  in  the  summer,  many  oi 
which  may  perhaps  be  new  to  zoology  ;  and  little  is  discovered 
concerning  the  fish  and  insects  of  this  singular  country. 

Mineralogy .~\  The  mineralogy  is  better  known  from  the  ac - 
count  appended  to  Mr.  Turner's  Journey  in  178",  from  which  it 
appears  that  Tibet  Proper  abounds  with  rich  minerals.  Gold  is 
found  in  great  quantities,  sometimes  in  the  form  of  dust,  in  the 
beds  of  rivers,  sometimes  in  large  masses,  and  irregular  veins. 
There  is  a  lead  mine,  two  days  journey  from  Teshoo  Lumboo,  the 
ore  being  galena.  Cinnabar,  rich  in  quicksilver,  is  also  found ; 
and  there  are  strong  indications  of  copper.  Rock  salt  is  another 
product  of  Tibet.  But  in  general  the  metals  cannot  be  worked, 
as  there  is  a  complete  deficiency  of  fuel  ;  and  coal  would  be  fav 
more  precious  than  gold. 

•  Turner,  30ii.  \  lb.  200. 


512  TRIBUTARY  DOMINIONS  OF  CHINA, 

The  most  peculiar  product  of  Tibet  is  tincal,  or  crude  borax, 
concerning  which  Mr.  Sanders,  who  accompanied  Mr.  Turner, 
gives  the  following  interesting  information.  "  The  lake,  from 
whence  tincal  and  rock  salt  are  collected,  is  about  fifteen  days 
journey  from  TeshooLumboo,  and  to  the  northward  of  it.  It  is  en- 
compassed on  all  sides  by  rocky  hills,  without  any  brooks  or  rivu- 
lets near  at  hand  ;  but  its  waters  are  supplied  by  springs,  which 
being  saltish  to  the  taste  are  not  used  by  the  natives.  The  tincal 
is  deposited  or  formed  in  the  bed  of  the  lake  ;  and  those  who  go 
to  collect  it  dig  it  up  in  large  masses,  which  they  afterwards  break 
into  small  pieces  for  the  convenience  of  carriage,  exposing  it  to 
the  air  to  dry.  Although  tincal  has  been  collected  from  this  lake 
for  a  great  length  of  time,  the  quantity  is  not  perceptibly  diminish- 
ed ;  and  as  the  cavities  made  by  digging  it  soon  wear  out,  or  fill 
up,  it  is  an  opinion  with  the  people  that  the  formation  of  fresh  tin- 
cal is  going  on.  They  have  never  yet  met  it  in  dry  ground,  or 
high  situations,  but  it  is  found  in  the  shallowest  depths,  and  the 
borders  of  the  lake ;  which  deepening  gradually  from  the  edges 
towards  the  centre,  contain  too  much  water  to  admit  of  their 
searching  for  the  tincal  conveniently  ;  but  from  the  deepest  parts 
they  bring  rock  salt,  which  is  not  to  be  found  in  the  shallows,  or 
near  the  bank.  The  waters  of  the  lake  rise  and  fall  very  little, 
being  supplied  by  a  constant  and  unvarying  source,  neither  aug- 
mented by  the  influx  of  any  current,  nor  diminished  by  any  stream 
running  from  it.  The  lake,  I  was  assured,  is  at  least  20  miles  in 
circumference  ;  and,  standing  in  a  very  bleak  situation,  is  frozen 
for  a  great  part  of  the  year.  The  people  employed  in  collecting 
these  salts  arc  obliged  to  desist  from  their  labour  as  early  as  Octo- 
ber, on  account  of  the  ice.  Tincal  is  used  in  Tibet  for  soldering, 
and  to  promote  the  fusion  of  gold  and  silver.  Rock  salt  is  univer- 
sally used  for  all  domestic  purposes  in  Tibet,  Uootan,  and 
Nepaul."* 

Mineral  'ivaters.'\  There  are  many  mineral  waters  in  various 
parts  of  this  extensive  country  ;  nor  is  their  salutary  use  unknown 
to  the  natives. 

3.    BOOTAN. 

This  country  may  be  regarded  as  a  soxithcni  province  of  Tibet, 
and  occupies,  according  to  Mr.  Rennell,  at  least  a  degree  of  lati- 
tude between  Bengal  and  Tibet.  Its  capital,  Tassaseudon,  is  in 
N.  lat.  27  43.  Paridrong,  in  lat.  28,  is  a  frontier  town  in  Tibet, 
bordering  on  Bootan.  This  province  \%  bounded  E.  by  Asam  ; 
S.  by  Bengal  ;  W.  by  Nepaul.  It  is  a  mountainous  country.  The 
southernmost  ridge  of  its  mountains  rises  near  1^  mile  perpendic- 
ular above  the  plains  of  Bengal,  in  a  horizontal  distance  of  15 
miles  ;  and  from  the  summit,  the  plains  below  appear  like  a  vast 
ocean,  to  the  eye  cf  the  beholder.  Through  this  ridge,  there  are 
but  few  passes,  and  all  fortined.  Between  Tassaseudon  and  Pa- 
ridrong, is  a  chain    of  still  higher  mountains,  visible  from  the 

'  Turner^  AP'Xi. 


TRIBUTARY  DOMINIONS  OF  CHINA.  Sia 

plains  of  Bengal,  at  the  distance  of  150  miles,  covered  with  sno\<r. 
These  are  the  Himmaleh  mountains,  which  lie  N.  of  Nepaul,  and" 
Mr.  Rennell  supposes  them  to  be,  in  point  of  elevation,  equal  to 
any  mountains  of  the  bid  hemisphere.  With  all  its  mountains, 
however,  Bootan  is  covered  with  constant  verdure,  and  abounds  in 
forests  of  lofty  trees.  The  oak  of  Europe  is  wanting.  The  sides  of 
the  mountains  are  cultivated  by  the  hand  of  industry,  and  crowned 
with  orchards,  fields,  and  villages.  Among  its  few  wild  animals, 
are  monkeys  and  pheasants.  Mr.  Turner  visited  this  country  in 
1783,  and  says,  it  contains  no  metal,  except  iron  and  a  little  copper. 
Compared  with  Tibet  Proper,  its  climate  is  mild,  though  its  win- 
ters are  severe.  The  inhabitants  resemble  the  Chinese,  and  are  a 
species  of  the  Tartaric  race. 

*  The  government  of  Bootan  is  vested  in  a  prince  called  Daeb, 
M'hose  authority  is  neither  stable  nor  extensive. 


4.  TIIE  RAJAHSillP  OF  NEPAUL,  Oil  NIPAL.* 


bOUNDAniES,  EXTENT,  POPULATION,  CHARACTER,  RELIGION,  HIS- 
TORY, GOVERNMENT,  ANCIENT  LITERATURE,  CITIES,  CLIMATEj 
PRODUCTIONS,  RIVERS,  MOUNTAINS,  ANIMALS,  MINERALOGY. 

Boundaries.']  NEPAUL  is  bounded  on  the  N.  by  the  Himma- 
leh mountains,  which  separate  it  from  Tibet.  E.  by  the  province 
of  Bootan.  S.  by  the  provinces  of  Bahar  and  Oude  in  Hindoostan, 
and  W.  by  Kemaoon. 

Exte?it.~\  The  valley  of  Nepaul  is  a  plain  of  an  oval  figure, 
about  200  miles  in  circuit,  lying  between  lat.  27°  and  28°  6'  N. 

Population.^  There  are  several  populous  cities  within  the 
valley,  and  a  great  number  of  villages  ;  but  the  whole  population 
cannot  be  ascertained  with  any  accuracy.  It  is  stated,  however, 
vaguely,  at  half  a  million. 

Character.']  Two  distinct  races  of  men  with  different  languages 
Jind  religion  inhabit  Nepaul.  The  first  and  most  numerous  race 
consists  chiefly  of  the  two  superior  classes  of  Hindoos,  the  Brah- 
mins and  the  Cshatriyas  ;  the  other  is  distinguished  by  the  name 
of  Newars.  The  former  compose  the  army  and  engross  all  places 
of  power  and  trust.  In  their  character  they  do  not  differ  mate- 
rially from  their  brethren  in  Hindoostan.  The  Newars  are  repre- 
sented as  robust  and  healthy,  though  in  some  of  the  valleys  tlicy 
are  subject  to  swellings  in  tlie  throat,  similar  to  those  of  the  inha- 
bitants of  Switzerland.  Their  character  bears  so  striking  a  resem- 
blance to  that  of  the  Chinese,  as  to  leave  little  doubt  of  their  origin. 
Like  them  they  are  peaceable  and  timid  in  a  remarkable  degree. 
They  are  skilled  in  the  same  art,  and  their  houses  are  built  in  the 

•  The  information  contained  in  llie  followinfjdescription  of  Nepaul  wn>:  il- .(«€*i 
from  the  review  of  Colonel  Iviikpafiick's  nccount  of  this  kingdom,  which  he  vi  itud  ifi 
1793  'I'he  Rev.  Dr.  Buchmnan  visiteil  this  Hccluflcd  counlrx  in  1800;  nut  liisjoiiiml, 
vrhicb  doubtless  is  very  interesting,  for  reasons  unknou  u  to  tis,  h>t.<  not  yet  beut  pub- 
lished, nor  is  there  any  notice  t;<ken  of  this  country  in  his  Rcscarchcs- 
VOL.   II.  65 


514  TRIBUTARY  DOMINIONS  OF  CHINA. 

same  style.  Like  them  too,  they  are  exceedingly  jealous  of  stran- 
gers. The  food  of  the  peasantry,  and  indeed  of  the  bulk  of  the 
inhabitants,  is  very  simple,  consisting  chiefly  of  milk,  honey,  rice, 
fruits  and  vegetables.  Animal  food  ancf  spirituous  liquors  are 
prohibited.  Judicial  astrology  is  held  in  great  estimation  by  the 
Newars.  Their  favourite  pursuit  is  that  of  consulting  their  des- 
tiny at  the  temples. 

Religion.']  The  popular  religion  of  Nepaul  does  not  differ  ma- 
terially from  the  Hindooism  established  in  Bengal.  It  prohibits 
the  use  of  all  animal  food,  except  that  of  the  Buffaloe,  on  which 
they  are  allowed  to  feed  by  special  indulgence.  Nepaul  abounds 
in  temples  and  idols.  There  are  almost  as  many  temples  as 
houses,  and  as  many  idols  as  inhabitants.  Sixteen  remarkable 
festivals  are  annually  celebrated,  some  of  which  occupy  so  much 
time,  that  scarce  a  day  passes  without  the  public  performance  of 
a  religious  ceremony.  They  have  besides  a  grand  occasional 
festival,  which  lasts  4  months.  It  consists  in  visiting  the  shrines 
of  all  the  gods  in  Nepaul,  which  are  said  to  be  2733. 

History.]  The  Newars,  it  is  supposed,  are  Chinese,  who  set- 
tled in  Nepaul,  according  to  their  own  accounts,  about  900  years 
ago.  The  Brahmins  and  other  Hindoos,  probably,  immigrated  at 
different  times  since  that  period,  from  the  plains  below.  Nepaul 
was  originally  divided  into  3  districts,  governed  by  as  many 
Rajahs. 

In  1769,  the  Rajah  of  Gorka,  a  neighboring  prince,  defeated 
each  of  the  three  Rajahs,  and  got  complete  possession  of  the 
whole  of  Nepaul.  Thus  he  united  the  2  countries  under  one 
govei'nment,  which  has  continued  in  his  family  ever  since. 

In  1792  the  Rajah  of  Nepaul  acknowledged  himself  a  tributary 
to  the  Emperor  of  China,  reserving  to  himself,  however,  the  right 
to  exercise  sovereign  power  within  his  own  dominions. 

Governtnent.']  The  government  of  this  provirce  is  vested  in  a 
Rajah,  or  Sovereign,  and  a  body  of  chieftains,  known  by  the  name 
of  Thurgurs.  The  sovereign  is  deemed  to  be  originally  the  abso- 
lute proprietor  of  all  lands ;  and  in  him,  aTid  a  council  composed 
of  the  principal  ministers  of  government,  is  vested  not  only  the 
power  of  disposing  of  these  lands  at  pleasure,  but  of  punishing 
and  rewarding  public  officers  according  to  their  merits,  and  of 
bestowing  government  and  military  commands.  This  council 
meet  annually,  and  exercise  the  despotic  power  with  which  they 
are  entrusted,  in  the  most  arbitrary  maimer.  The  condition  of 
the  lower  class  of  people  under  such  a  government  is  truly  de- 
plorable. The  peasantry  of  Nepaul  are  dragged  from  their  houses 
by  the  officers  of  government,  for  the  purpose  of  assisting  those 
employed  in  the  public  service ;  and  they  are  not  unfrequently 
deprived  of  their  lands  at  the  moment  they  are  about  to  reap  their 
harvest.  The  Dhurma-Shaster  forms  the  basis  of  civil  and  crimi- 
nal jurisprudence  in  Nepaul,  as  well  as  in  Hindoostan.  Most  of- 
fences, according  to  this  code,  are  punishable  by  fine. 

Ancient  Literature.]  There  is  probably  no  place  in  India 
where  a  search  after  ancient  and  valuable  manuscripts  wotild  be 


TRIBUTARY  DOMINIONS  OF  CHINA.  515 

moi'e  successful  than  in  Nepaul.  In  this  secluded  valley  the  re- 
volutions and  contentions,  which  have  affected  the  other  parts  of 
India,  have  had  no  influence. 

Ciiies.^  The  three  principal  cities  are  Catmandu,  Lelit  Pattan, 
and  Bhatgung.  The  first  containing  180,000,  the  second  240,000, 
and  third  120,000  inhabitants.  The  houses  are  generally  built  of 
brick,  and  3  or  4  stories  high.  The  streets  are  paved  with  brick 
or  stone.  At  Catmandu,  the  residence  of  the  Rajah  and  the  court, 
is  the  royal  palace.  The  temples  are  said  to  vie  in  splendor  with 
those  of  the  most  populous  and  flourishing  cities  of  Christendom. 
One  of  these,  near  Lelit  Pattan,  is  described  as  peculiarly  magni- 
ficent :  the  court  is  paved  with  blue  marble,  inlaid  with  flowers  of 
bronze.  Beside  these  cities  there  are  some  towns  of  importance. 
That  of  Cirtipour  is  represented  as  very  considerable.  Bhatgung, 
though  inferior  in  point  of  size,  exceeds  all  the  rest  in  its  palace 
and  buildings. 

Clima(e.']  The  climate  may  be  compared  with  that  of  the  south 
of  Europe  ;  sometimes  a  sprinkling  of  snow,  and  now  and  then  a 
hoar  frost  covers  the  ground.  The  inhabitants  have  the  means  of 
varying  the  climate  by  ascending  the  heights  from  a  heat  equal  to 
that  of  Bengal,  to  the  cold  of  Russia.  The  rains  set  in  about  the 
middle  of  April,  and  break  up  in  October,  during  which  time  the 
valley  is  occasionally  inundated.  This  country  is  generally 
healthful,  excepting  a  narrow  tract,  which  runs  along  the  southern 
border,  called  the  Turyani,  where  the  infectious  vapor  arising 
from  the  swampy  ground,  generates  putrid  fevers. 

Productio7is.~\  The  peach,  the  raspberry,  the  walnut,  and  mul- 
berry, grow  spontaneously.  Their  oranges  are  superior  to  those 
of  Silket,  and  are  probably  not  surpassed  by  any  in  the  world. 
Their  pine  apples  are  excellent.  Rice  is  much  cultivated.  They 
have  turnips,  cabbages,  and  peas,  but  all  of  them  indiff'erent'; 
other  vegetables  good.  The  Turyani  is  very  rich  and  fertile, 
abounding  with  extensive  forests.  The  pines  and  saul  trees, 
which  grow  there,  are  not  perhaps  surpassed  by  any  in  the  world 
for  straightness  or  dimensions.  Besides  timber  for  masts  and 
yards,  great  quantities  of  pitch,  tar,  and  turpentine  might  be 
drawn  from  this  fertile  spot. 

RiversJ]  Several  tributary  branches  of  the  Ganges  take  their 
rise  here,  all  of  which  unite  at  the  S.  E.  part  of  the  valley,  and 
rush  through  a  breach  in  the  mountains  upon  the  plains  of  Hin- 
doostan.  The  Hindoo  i-ecords  represent  the  valley  of  Nepaul  as 
having  been  original.!y  a  great  lake.  This  account  is  rendered 
highly  probable  by  the  fact,  that  Nepaul  is  every  where  surround- 
ed by  mountains,  excepting  a  narrow  spot  at  the  S.  E.  corner.  If 
this  were  once  slopped,  we  can  easily  conceive  that  the  valley 
rruist  speedily  assume  the  appearance  of  a  magnificent  lake. 

Mcuntains.']  The  valley  of  Nepaul  is  surrounded  Dy  mountains, 
whose  common  height  is  8000  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea.  On 
the  north  are  the  mountains  of  Himmalch,  supposed  to  equal  in 
height  any  of  the  old  hemisphere.  Their  snowy  tops  are  visible 
from  the  plains  of  Bengal,  at  the  distance  of  130  miles.     An  info- 


516  TRIBUTARY  DOMINIONS  OF  CHINA. 

rior  range  forms  the  southern  boundary.  In  this  there  are  fe\r 
remarkable  eminences. 

^niinals.~\  The  swampy  tract,  called  the  Turyani,  abounds  with 
elephants,  tigers,  leopards,  buffaloes,  and  all  the  wild  and  ferocious 
beasts  of  India.  The  Yak  of  Tartary,  known  in  India  by  the  name 
of  Chowin,  and  the  Changra,  or  Shawl-goat  of  Cashmir,  are  also 
natives  of  Nepaul.  They  have  sheep  with  4  horns,  which  are  the 
common  beasts  of  burden. 

Mineralogy  J]  Nepaul  was  once  supposed  to  abound  in  rich 
gold  mines.  I.  his  however,  is  not  the  case.  They  have  mines  of 
copper,  from  which  India  was  once  supplied.  Their  iron  is  not 
suipassed  in  goodness.  They  have  plenty  of  marble,  and  other 
^tone  for  building,  also  good  limestone  and  slate. 

The  other  division  of  Hassel,  viz.  the  kingdom  oiSctchnen  or  Seg* 
tvin,  is  included  in  some  of  the  divisions  of  Pinkerton,  under  a  differ- 
ent name.   This  name  is  not  to  be  found  on  any  of  our  English  maps.^ 

5.  KINGDOM  OF  ANNAN. 

This  kingdom  lies  between  the  gulfs  of  Siam  and  Tunquin,  ou 
the  S.  W.  and  N.  E.  ;  on  the  S.  E.  is  the  China  sea ;  on  the  N.  W. 
and  N.  are  Siam  and  Laos.  According  to  Ilassel,  this  kingdom 
covers  165,000  square  miles,  and  has  10,000,000  inhabitants.  It 
includes  the  countries  of 

Cambodia^   Ciavifia^   and    Cochin   China. 

Though  the  king  of  this  country  is  a  vassal  of  the  Chinese  Em- 
peror, he  is  nearly  independent.  Modern  accounts  say,  that  Ton- 
quin  has  become  subject  to  the  king  of  Annan.  His  finances  are 
very  considerable.  He  maintains  113,000  land  troops,  30,000  of 
whom  are  disciplined  according  to  European  tactics  ;  and  26,800' 
seamen.* 

CAMBODIA 

Is  the  northern  province  in  this  kingdom,  and  is  about  400 
miles  long  by  150  broad.  Parts  of  it  border  on  the  gulf  of  Siam 
and  the  Indian  ocean.  Like  Siam  it  is  enclosed  by  mountains  oa 
the  E.  and  W.  and  is  fertilized  by  a  large  river,  variously  called 
Mecon,  Cambnge,  and  Japanese,  which  begins  to  inundate  the 
country  in  June.  Its  mouth  by  some  is  represented  as  full  of 
low  isles  and  sand  banks,  which  impede  the  navigation  j  by  others 
as  navigable  by  ships  of  the  largest  size  for  49  miles.  Its  port 
and  town  is  Saigong,  40  miles  from  the  sea,  Avhere  there  is  an  ex- 
tensive naval  arsenal.  A  great  part  of  the  coast  of  this  country  is 
covered  with  under  wood,  and  very  low.  The  sea  coast  in  some 
parts  is  so  shallow,  that  at  the  distance  of  5  or  6  miles  from  the 
shore,  the  water  is  seldom  more  than  4  fathoms  deep,  and  no  ves- 
sel larger  than  a  boat  tan  approach  within  two  miles  of  the  shore. 
The  air  is  so  hot,  that  the  inhabitants  are  obliged  to  reside  on  the 
banks  of  the  rivers  and  lakes,  where  they  arc  tormented  by  mus- 
quetoes. 

*  Hsssel. 


TRIBUTARY  DOMINIONS  OF  CHINA.  SIT 

The  soil  is  fertile,  and  produces  abundance  of  corn,  rice,  excel- 
lent legumes,  sugar,  indigo,  opium,  camphor,  and  various  medi- 
cinal drugs.  The  most  peculiar  product  is  the  Gamboge  gum, 
which  yields  a  fine  yellow  tint.  Ivory  also,  and  silk,  are  very 
plentiful,  and  of  little  value.  The  gold  of  this  country  is  said  to 
be  very  pure  ;  and  it  furnishes  amethysts,  hyacinths,  rubies,  to- 
pazes, and  other  precious  stones.  Cattle,  particularly  of  the  cow 
kind,  are  numerous  and  cheap.  Elephants,  lions,  tygcrs,  and  al- 
most all  the  animals  of  the  deserts  of  Africa,  are  found  in  Cambo- 
dia. It  has  several  precious  woods,  and  a  particular  tree,  in  the 
juice  of  which  they  dip  their  arrows  ;  and  it  is  said,  that  though 
a  wound  from  one  of  the  arrows  proves  fatal,  the  juice  itself  may 
be  drank  without  danger.  The  country,  though  fertile,  is  very 
ihinly  peopled,  insomuch  that  the  king  is  hardly  able  to  assemble 
30,000  men  :  and  its  trade  is  inconsiderable.  The  inhabitants  arc 
Japanese,  Chinese,  and  Malays,  together  with  some  Portuguese, 
who  live  without  priests,  and  have  intermarried  with  the  natives- 
The  men  are  generally  well  made,  of  a  dark  yellow  complexion, 
with  long  black  hair  ;  their  dress  is  a  long  loose  robe,  the  dress 
of  the  women  is  shorter  and  closer.  They  manufacture  very  fine 
cloth,  and  the  needle  work  of  the  females  is  much  admired.  Their 
religion  is  idolatry. 

CIAMPA.* 

Ciampa,  another  province  of  this  kingdom,  lies  south  of  the  de- 
sert of  Cochin  China,  and  east  of  Cambodia,  bordering  south  on 
ihe  China  or  Indian  sea.  As  seen  from  the  ocean,  it  appears  like 
a  sandy  tract,  intersected  with  rocks.  The  inhabitants  are  said  to 
be  large,  muscular,  and  well  made,  have  reddish  complexions, 
flat  noses,  and  black  hair,  their  dress  very  slight.  Feneri  is  their 
capital,  where  their  chief  resides,  who  is  tributary  to  Cochin  Chi- 
na. The  countrv  produces  cotton,  indigo,  and  silL  Their  junks, 
or  boats,  are  weft  built,  and  employed  in  fishing. 

COCniN-CHINA. 

This  is  the  largest  and  most  important  division  of  the  kingdom 
of  Annan.  It  is  long  and  narrow,  extending  from  lat.  8  40,  to 
about  20  N.  and  from  20  to  60  miles  broad.  On  the  N.  it  is  sep- 
arated from  Tunquin  by  the  river  Sungen  ;  on  the  W.  a  range  of 
mountains  separates  it  from  the  kingdom  of  Laos  and  Cambodia. 
On  the  E.  and  S.  it  borders  on  the  China  Sea.  It  is  divided  into 
12  provinces,  which  succeed  each  other  from  N.  to  S.  all  border- 
ing E.  on  the  China  Sea.  The  whole  country  is  intersected  by 
rivers,  Avhich  facilitate  inland  commerce. 

The  ciinuite  is  healthy,  its  heat  being  tempered  by  sea  breezes. 
The  rainy  seasons  are  September,  October,  and  November,  when 
the  low  country  is  overflowed  by  torrents  from  the  mountains,  fer- 
tilizing the  soil,  which  yields  three  crops  of  grain  in  the  year.    All 

*  Ciampa,  Siampa,  or  Tjuarapa,  as  it  is  variouslj  called. 


518  TRIBUTARY  DOMINIONS  OF  CIIMtC 

the  fruits  of  India  are  found  here  in  the  greatest  perfection,  with 
many  of  those  of  China.* 

This  country  has  been  torn  for  years  past  by  divisions.  From 
the  year  1790  to  1800,t  its  rightful  sovereign,  Caun-shung^  en- 
joyed only  two  years  peace.  These,  however,  were  employed, 
under  the  auspices  of  the  excellent  bishop  Adran,  in  making  im- 
provements in  his  country.  He  established  manufactories  of  salt- 
petre, pitch,  tar,  resin,  and  fire  arms  ;  opened  roads  of  communi- 
cation between  principal  towns,  and  lined  the  roads  with  trees,  for 
shade  and  oniament.  He  encoui-aged  the  culture  of  the  areca 
nut,  betel  pepper,  silk,  and  sugar  cane  ;  opened  a  mine  of  iron 
ore,  and  erected  iron  works  ;  organized  his  military  forces,  and 
established  military  schools  on  the  European  plan  ;  constructed 
300  large  gun-boats,  5  luggers,  and  a  frigate,  on  the  French  plan, 
and  taught  his  naval  officers  the  use  of  signals.  In  1800  an  En- 
glish gentleman  saw  a  fleet  of  1200  sail,  under  the  command  of 
the  prince  of  this  country,  in  fine  order,  and  under  excellent  dis- 
cipline. During  this  interval  of  peace,  he  undertook  a  reform  in  the 
system  of  jurisprudence,  abolished  tortures,  mitigated  punishments 
which  were  too  severe  ;  established  public  schools,  to  which  pa- 
vents  Avere  compelled  to  send  their  children,  at  the  age  of  4  years ; 
issued  regulations  to  promote  commerce  ;  caused  bridges  to  be 
erected  over  rivers,  ordered  the  sea  coast  and  harbors  to  be  sur- 
veyed, and  placed  buoys  and  sea  marks,  to  guard  against  rocks 
and  shoals,  and  sent  missionaries  into  the  western,  mountainous 
districts  of  his  dominions,  to  civilize  their  barbarous  inhabitants. 

In  short,  this  excellent  prince,  by  his  own  indefatigable  appli- 
cation to  the  arts  and  manufactures,  roused,  by  his  example,  the 
energies  of  his  people,  and  has  efi'ected  an  almost  unexampled 
reformation  in  his  country.  In  10  years,  from  a  single  vessel,  he 
accumulated  a  fleet  of  1200  ships,  3  of  which  were  on  European 
construction.  This  prince  professes  a  venei'ation  for  the  doctrines 
of  Christianity,  and  tolerates  all  religions  in  his  dominions. 

The  military  strength  of  this  exemplary,  intelligent,  and  enter- 
prising prince,  in  1800,  according  to  Barrow,  consisted  of  113,000 
land  forces,  and  26,800  mariners  ;  in  the  whole  139,800  men,  who 
are  active,  vigorous,  and  well  disciplined. 

The  inhabitants  of  this  country  go  bare  legged,  and  generally 
bare  footed  ;  their  hair  is  twisted  in  a  knot,  and  fixed  on  the  crown 
of  the  head.  Their  houses,  in  general,  consist  of  4  mud  walls, 
covered  with  thatch.  These  people  are  gay  and  talkative.  The 
women  are  entrusted  with  the  chief  concerns  of  the  family,  and 
engage  in  the  various  employments  connected  with  agriculture, 
manufactures,  commerce,  and  naval  affairs,  in  all  which  they  take 
an  active  and  laborious  part.  The  men  are  employed  in  war, 
fishing,  felling  timber,  building  ships,  8cc.  but  are  addicted  to 
idleness  and  amusements.  Polygamy  is  here  practised,  and  gross 
licentiousness  prevails.  Both  sexes  are  coarsely  featured,  of  a 
dark  complexion,  with  red   lips,  and  black  teeth,  occasioned  by 

*  Asiatic  Register,  iii.  £4:  f  Barrow. 


TRIBUTARY  DOMINIONS  OF  CHINA.  519 

chewing  areca  and  betel.  They  are  fond  of  theatrical  amusements, 
and  cock-fighting,  and  are  expert  in  playing  at  foot-ball,  shuttle- 
cock, and  leaping.  They  are  sturdy  beggars,  and  addicted  to  theft. 

They  excel  in  naval  architecture,  and  have  abundance  of  the 
best  ship  timber.  Their  country  is  well  situated  for  commerce. 
The  best  harbor  is  that  of  Turon,  which  affords  a  safe  retreat  for 
ships  of  any  burden.  The  principal  exports  from^  this  country 
are  silks,  sugar  of  the  best  kind,  ebony,  Calamboe  wood,  edible 
bii'd's  nests,  which  are  found  in  plenty  on  the  islands  on  this  coast, 
gold  in  dust,  or  bars,  copper,  and  porcelain,  which  is  brought 
from  China  and  Japan.  The  articles  received  in  return,  are  salt- 
petre, sulphur,  lead,  fine  cloths,  and  chintzes.  Pearls,  amber,  and 
coral,  were  formerly  in  demand.  The  traders  of  Cochin-China 
value  themselves  on  being  able  to  cheat  an  European. 

The  written  language  of  Cochin-China  is  correctly  that  of  Chi- 
na ;  but  the  language  spoken  is  a  corruption  of  the  Chinese. 

Their  religion  is  a  modification  of  the  doctrine  of  Budha,  but 
more  simple,  and  less  involved  in  mystery.  From  a  sentiment  of 
gratitude  to  the  benevolent  spirit,  they  offer  to  the  image  of  the 
protecting  Deity,  the  firstlings  of  their  living  flocks,  and  of  the 
fruits  of  the  earth.  The  people  are  very  superstitious.  The 
priests  are  reckoned  the  best  physicians,  but  they  have  more  skill 
in  charms,  than  in  medicines.* 

December,  January  and  February,  are  cold  and  moist,  pre- 
seiiting  the  semblance  of  an  European  winter.  The  inundations 
only  last  two  or  three  days,  but  happen  once  a  fortnight  in  the 
rainy  season.  Borri's  account  is  that  the  rains  only  continue  for 
three  days  regularly  in  each  fortnight  :  if  true,  a  singular  phe- 
nomenon. March,  April,  May,  form  a  delicious  spring  ;  while 
the  heat  of  the  three  following  months  is  rather  excessive. 

The  horses  are  small,  but  active  :  there  are  also  mules  and  ass- 
es, and  innumerable  goats.  The  products  of  agriculture  are  rice 
of  different  qualities,  yams,  sweet  potatoes,  greens,  pumpkins, 
melons.  Sugar  also  abounds.  Gold  dust  is  found  in  the  rivers  ; 
and  the  mines  yield  ore  of  singular  purity.  Silver  mines  have 
also  been  lately  discovered.  Both  metals  are  used  in  ingots,  as  iii 
China. 

Mr.  Pennant  mentions  tigers,  elephants,  and  monkeys,  vls 
abounding  in  Cochin-China. 

The  Parades  form  a  long  chain  of  small  islands  with  rocks  and 
shoals,  parallel  to  the  coast  of  Cochin-China. 

4.    KINGDOM    OF    TUNQUIX. 

This  country  is  divided  from  the  former  by  a  small  river,  and 
may  at  present  be  considered  as  incorporated  with  it  by  conquest. 
It  contains  154,000  square  miles,  and  8,000,000  inhaljitants.f  The 
inhabitants  resemble  their  neighbors  the  Chinese,  but  their  man- 
ners arc  not  so  civilized.     The  products  are  numerous,  and  seem 

•  Barrow.  |  Ilasscl. 


520  JAPAN. 

to  blend  those  of  China  with  those  of  Hindoostan.  While  the  riv- 
ers in  Cochin-China  are  of  a  short  course,  those  of  Tunquin  spi'ing 
from  the  mountains  of  Yunnan  ;  and  in  the  rainy  season,  from 
May  to  September,  inundate  the  adjacent  country.  The  chief  is 
the  Holi  Kian,  which,  after  receiving  the  Lisien,  passes  by  Kesho, 
the  capital.  This  city  is  described  by  Dampier,  as  approaching 
the  Chinese  form,  with  a  considerable  population.  There  is  no 
recent  description  of  this  country. 

5.    THE    LEOO    KEOO    iSLES. 

The  isles  of  LtJoo-keoo,  between  Formosa  and  Japan,  constitute 
a  little  civilized  kingdom,  governed  by  an  hereditary  king,  tribu- 
tary to  China.  These  isles  are  said  to  be  thirty-six  in  number, 
but  very  inconsiderable,  except  the  chief,  which  is  properly  and 
peculiarly  called  Leoo-keoo  ;  by  the  Chinese  accounts  the  length 
of  it  is  about  125  miles,  nearly  twice  the  extent  which  is  assigned 
in  recent  maps.  These  isles  were  discovered  by  the  Chinese  in 
the  7th  century  ;  but  it  was  not  till  the  14th  that  they  became 
tributary  to  China.  The  emperor  Kiang-hi,  about  A.  D.  1720, 
ordered  a  temple  to  be  erected  to  Confucius  in  the  chief  island, 
with  a  literary  college.  The  language  is  said  to  differ  from  that 
of  China  or  Japan  ;  but  the  civilization  seems  to  have  proceeded 
from  the  latter  country,  as  the  Japanese  characters  are  commonly 
used.  The  people  are  mild,  affable,  gay,  and  temperate  ;  and 
the  chief  products  are  sulphur,  copper,  tin,  with  shells,  and  moth-< 
er  of  pearl.     " 


JAPAN.* 

CHAPTER  t. 

HISTORICAL  GEOGRAPHY. 

NAMES,  EXTENT,  ORIGINAL  POPULATION,  PROGRESSIVE  GEOGRA- 
PHY, HISTORICAL  EPOCHS  AND  ANTIQUITIES,  RELIGION,  GOV- 
ERNMENT, LAWS,  POPULATION,  COLONIES,  ARMY,  NAVY,  REV- 
ENUES, POLITICAL  IMPORTANCE  AND  RELATIONS,  MANNERS  AND 
CUSTOMS,  LANGUAGE,  LITERATURE,  EDUCATION,  CITIES  AND 
TOWNS,  EDIFICES,  ROADS,  INLAND  NAVIGATION,  MANUFAC- 
TURES AND   COMMERCE. 

THE  kingdom,  or,  as  it  is  by  some  styled,  the  empire  of 
Japan,  has  by  most  geographers  been  classed  among  the  Asiatic 
isles,  and  has  in  consequence  been  treated  with  more  brevity  than 

•  Having  no  new  information  of  this  Empire>  Pinkerton's  account  is  copied. 


JAPAN.  521 

its  importance  demands  ;  for,  excepting  China,  no  existing  Asiat- 
ic monarchy  can  aspire  to  superior  rank,  or  is  more  calculated  to 
excite  rational  curiosity,  from  the  singularity  of  its  government, 
abundant  population,  progress  in  the  arts  of  life,  and  peculiar 
manners  of  the  people.  The  Japanese  islands  may  in  some  meas- 
ure be  compared  with  Great  Britain  and  Ireland,  forming  a  grand 
insular  power  near  the  eastern  extremity  of  Asia,  like  that  of  the 
British  isles,  near  the  western  extremity  of  Europe.  Nor  are 
ample  modern  materials  wanting  in  the  travels  of  Ksempfer  and 
Thunberg. 

jVames.  ]  Marco  Polo,  the  father  of  modern  Asiatic  geography, 
mentions  Japan  by  the  name  of  Zipangri  or  Zipangu.  The  in- 
habitants themselves  call  it  Nipoji,  or  Nifon,  and  the  Chinese  Sip- 
pon  and  Jepuen. 

£xtent.']  This  empire  extends  from  the  30th  to  the  41st  de- 
gree of  N.  latitude  ;  and,  according  to  the  most  recent  maps,  fronm 
the  131st  to  the  142d  degree  of  E.  longitude  from  Greenwich. 
Besides  many  smaller  isles,  it  presents  two  considerable  ones  in 
the  S.  W.  that  of  Kiufiu  (also  termed  Saikokf,  or  the  western 
country),  and  that  of  Sikokf.  But  by  far  the  most  important  isl- 
and is  that  of  Nipon,  to  the  N.  E.  of  the  two  former.  The  geog- 
raphy of  Kaempfcr  has  been  corrected  by  recent  voyagers,  accord- 
ing to  which  the  length  of  Kiufiu  from  N.  to  S.  is  about  two  de- 
grees, or  140  miles  ;  the  greatest  breadth  about  90.  Sikokf  is 
about  90  miles  in  length,  by  half  the  breadth.  The  grand  isle  of 
Nipon  is  in  length  from  S-  to  N.  E.  not  less  than  730  miles  ;  but 
is  so  narrow  in  proportion,  that  the  medial  breadth  cannot  be  as- 
sumed above  80,  though  in  two  projecting  parts  it  may  double 
that  number.  The  Japanese  Empire,  according  to  Hassel,  con- 
tains 189,000  square  miles.  These  islands  are  divided  into  prov- 
inces and  districts,  as  usual  in  the  most  civilized  countries. 

To  the  N.  of  Nipon  is  another  large  isle,  that  of  Jcsso,  or 
Chicha,  which  having  received  some  Japanese  colonics,  is  gen- 
erally regarded  as  subject  to  Japan  ;  but  being  inhabited  by  a 
savage  people,  is  rather  considered  as  a  foreign  conquest,  than  as 
a  part  of  this  civilized  empire. 

Original  P ovulation. ~\  The  original  population  of  Japan  has 
been  little  illustrated ;  but  the  Japanese  seem  to  be  a  kindred  race 
with  the  Chinese,  though,  according  to  Kaempfcr,  the  languages 
be  radically  distinct.  But  if  compared  with  that  of  Corca,  the 
nearest  land,  and  the  latter  with  the  Chinese,  perhaps  a  gradation 
might  be  observable.  The  Japanese  may  have  migrated  from  the 
continent,  when  both  the  Chinese  and  themselves  were  in  the  ear- 
liest stages  of  society  ;  and  the  complete  insular  separation  may 
have  given  rise  to  a  language  rendered  peculiar  by  the  progress 
of  a  distinct  civilization. 

Progressive  Geogra/i/iy.']  Before  the  account  published  by 
Kaempfcr,  Japan  had  been  imperfectly  explored  by  the  Portu- 
guese ;  and  since  1730,  the  date  of  Kaempfer's  publication,  many 
important  improvements  have  been  made. 

Historical  Efioch9.~\    The  history  of  their  own  country  is  uni- 

\oh.  II,  66 


522  JAPAN. 

versally  studied  by  the  Japanese  ;  and  Kaempfer  has  produced  an 
elaborate  abstract,  divided  into  three  epochs,  the  fabulous,  the 
doubtful,  and  the  certain. 

The  first  is  wholly  fictitious.  The  second,  or  uncertain  epoch, 
is  by  Ka^mpfer  interwoven  with  the  Chinese  history  ;  this  part  of 
his  work,  demonstrating  that  the  Japanese  themselves  at  least  ac- 
knowledge their  government  and  civilization  to  have  been  derived 
from  China.  Sin  Noo,  one  of  these  Chinese  monarchs  admitted 
by  the  Japanese  into  their  annals,  is  represented  with  the  head  of 
a  bull,  or  with  two  horns,  as  having  taught  the  use  of  agriculture 
and  herds  ;*  perhaps  the  simple  and  natural  origin  of  the  Jupiter 
Ammon,  and  similar  images  of  classical  antiquity. 

The  third,  or  certain  period,  begins  with  the  hereditary  succes- 
sion of  the  ecclesiastical  emperors,  from  the  year  660  before 
the  Chi'istian  era,  to  the  year  of  Christ  1585,  during  which  107 
princes  of  the  same  lineage  governed  Japan.  At  the  last  period 
the  secular  princes  assumed  the  supreme  authority.  In  general 
the  reigns  are  pacific  ;  though  at  very  distant  intervals  the  Mand- 
shurs  and  Coreans  occasionally  invaded  Japan,  but  were  always 
defeated  by  the  valor  of  the  inhabitants.  In  the  reign  of  Gouda, 
tlie  nineteenth  Dairi,  or  spiritual  emperor,  the  Monguls,  under 
Mooko,  attempted  a  grand  invasion  of  Japan,  after  having  con- 
quered China,  about  fourteen  years  before.  The  number  of  small 
vessels  is  exagerated  to  4000,  and  that  of  the  army  to  240,000  ; 
and  it  is  probable  that  numerous  Chinese  junks  contained  a  for- 
midable army  of  Monguls.  But  they  were  dispersed,  and  almost 
wholly  destroyed  by  a  furious  tempest,  Avhich  the  Japanese  pious- 
ly ascribed  to  the  gods,  their  protectors.  In  1585,  the  generals 
of  the  crown,  or  secular  emperors,  who  were  also  hereditary,  as- 
sumed the  supreme  power  ;  the  Dairis  being  afterwards  confined, 
and  strictly  guarded,  that  they  might  not  reassume  their  ancient 
authority. 

jiiidquities.']  The  temples  and  palaces  being  constructed  of 
wood,  few  monviments  of  antiquity  can  remain.  Some  of  the 
castles  of  the  nobility  have  walls  of  earth  or  stone  j  but  the  most 
ancient  relics  are  probably  the  coins  and  idols. 

ReligiQn.~^  The  established  I'eligion  of  Japan  is  a  polytheism, 
joined  with  the  acknowledgment  of  a  supreme  creator.  There 
are  two  principal  sects,  that  of  Sinto  and  that  of  Budsdo.  The 
first  acknowledge  a  supreme  being,  far  superior  to  the  little  claims 
and  worship  of  men,  whence  they  adore  the  inferior  deities  as  me- 
diators, the  idea  of  a  mediator  being  indispensable  in  almost  every 
form  of  religion.  They  abstain  from  animal  food,  detest  blood- 
shed, and  will  not  touch  any  dead  body.f 

The  priests  are  either  secular  or  monastic  ;  the  latter  alone  be- 
ing entrusted  with  the  mysteries.  The  festivals  and  modes  of 
worship  are  cheerful  and  even  gay ;  for  they  regard  the  gods  as 
beings  who  solely  delight  in  dispensing  happiness.  Besides  the 
first  day  of  the  year,  and  three  or  four  other  grand  festivals,  the 

*  Ksempfer,  i.  231.    Frencli  translation.  f  Thunberg,  it.  19. 


JAPAN.  523 

first  day  of  the  month  is  always  kept  as  a  holiday.  Thevc  arc  sev- 
eral orders  of  monks  and  nuns,  as  in  the  Roman  Catholic  system  ; 
but  human  nature  is  every  where  the  same. 

The  sect  of  Budsdo  was  imported  from  Hindostan,  being  the 
same  with  that  of  Budha,  or  Boodh,  reported  to  have  been  in  Cey- 
lon about  1000  years  before  the  birth  of  Christ.  Passing  through 
China  and  Corea  it  has  been  mingled  with  foreign  maxims,  but 
the  tenet  of  the  metempsychosis  remains  :  wicked  souls  being 
supposed  to  migrate  into  the  bodies  of  animals,  till  they  have  un- 
dergone a  due  purgation. 

Soon  after  the  discovery  of  this  country  by  the  Portuguese,  mis- 
sionaries of  the  Jesuits  arrived  in  1549  ;  and  their  successors  con- 
tinued to  diffuse  their  doctrine  till  1638,  when  37,000  Christians 
were  massacred.  Several  persecutions  had  formerly  taken  place, 
and  in  1590,  upwards  of  30,000  are  said  to  have  perished.  The 
pride  and  avarice  of  the  Portuguese  conspired  with  the  vain  am- 
bition of  the  Jesuits,  (who,  not  contented  with  their  station,  en- 
deavoured to  introduce  themselves  into  the  governing  councils  of 
the  nation,)  first  to  contaminate  and  render  odious  the  religion 
which  they  professed,  in  its  pure  principles  essentially  opposite 
to  such  views,  and  afterwai'ds  to  produce  this  melancholy  catas- 
trophe ;  the  existence  of  the  Christian  faith  being  through  such 
perversion  found  incompatible  with  that  of  a  state  otherwise  uni- 
versally tolerant.  Since  that  memorable  epoch  Christianity  has 
been  held  in  supreme  detestation  ;  and  the  cross,  with  its  other 
symbols,  are  annually  trampled  under  foot  ;  but  it  is  a  fable  that 
the  Dutch  are  constrained  to  join  in  this  ceremony. 

Government.']  The  Kubo,  or  secular  emperor,  is  now  sole 
monarch  of  the  country  ;  but  till  near  the  end  of  the  17th  century, 
the  Dairis,  pontiffs,  or  spiritual  monarchs,  held  the  supreme  au- 
thority, being  appointed  by  the  high  ecclesiastical  court,  according 
to  their  laws  of  succession.  Yet  occasionally  the  appointment 
has  been  controverted  ;  and  Japan  has  been  ravaged  by  many  civ- 
il wars.  The  ecclesiastical  dignities  were  of  six  orders,  some 
belonging  to  particular  ofliccs,  others  merely  honorary.  The  sec- 
ular prince  is  accustomed  to  confer,  with  the  consent  of  the  dairi, 
two  honorary  ranks,  equivalent  to  noblemen  and  knights.  The 
ecclesiastical  court  is  chiefly  occupied  with  literary  pursuits,  the 
Dairi  residing  atMiaco  j  and  his  court  remains,  though  not  in  its 
former  splendor. 

The  government  of  each  province  is  entrusted  to  a,  resident 
prince,  who  is  strictly  responsible  for  his  administration,  his  fam- 
ily remaining  at  the  emperor's  court,  as  hostages  ;  and  he  is  him- 
self obliged  to  make  an  annual  appearance,  tlie  journey  being 
performed  with  great  pomp,  and  accompanied  with  valuable 
presents.  The  emperor,  as  in  the  feudal  times  of  Europe,  de- 
rives his  chief  revenue  from  his  own  estate,  consisting  of  five  in- 
ferior provinces,  and  some  detached  towns.  Each  prince  enjoys 
the  revenues  of  his  fief,  or  government,  with  which  he  supports 
his  court  and  military  force,  repairs  the  roads,  and  defrays  every 
civil  expense.     The  princes  of  the  first  dignity  arc  styled  Daimio, 


3.34  ■  JAPAN. 

those  of  inferior  rank  Siomio.  They  are  generally  hereditary, 
but  the  Siomios  are  not  only  obliged  to  leave  their  families  at  Je- 
do,  the  capital,  but  to  reside  there  themselves  for  six  months  in 
the  year.  The  singular  constitution  of  Japan  therefore  consists 
of  an  absolute  hereditary  monarchy,  supported  Ijy  a  number  of 
absolute  hereditary  princes  ;  whose  jealousy  of  each  other's  pow- 
er conspires,  with  domestic  pledges,  to  render  them  subservient 
to  one  supreme. 

Laios.^  The  superiority  of  the  laws  of  Japan  over  those  of 
Europe  has  been  loudly  proclaimed  by  Kaempfer.  The  parties 
themselves  appear,  and  the  cause  is  determined  without  delay. 
Yet  Kaempfer's  information  on  this  head  is  defective,  as  he  does 
not  mention  any  code  of  laws.  Thunberg  informs  us  that  the 
laws  are  few,  but  rigidly  enforced,  without  regard  to  persons,  par- 
tiality, or  violence.*  Most  crimes  are  punished  with  death,  but 
the  sentence  must  be  signed  by  the  privy  council  at  Jcdo.  Parents 
and  relations  are  made  answerable  for  the  crimes  of  those  whose 
moral  education  they  ought  to  have  superintended.  The  police 
is  excellent,  there  not  only  being  a  chief  magistrate  of  each  town, 
but  a  commissary  of  each  street,  elected  by  the  inhabitants  to 
watch  over  property  and  tranquillity.  Two  inhabitants,  in  their 
turn,  nightly  patrole  the  street  to  guard  against  fire. 

The  best  proof  that  the  laws  are  salutary  is,  that  few  crimes 
are  committed,  and  few  punishments  are  inflicted.  The  brief  code, 
according  to  Thunberg,  is  posted  up  in  every  town  and  village,  in 
large  letters,  on  a  spot  surrounded  with  rails.f 

Po/iulation.'\  The  population  of  the  Japanese  empire,  like  that 
of  other  Asiatic  states,  cannot  be  treated  with  much  precision. 
Ancient  and  modern  travellers  seem  to  have  passed  this  subject 
in  silence.  Perhaps  the  Japanese  have  some  prejudice  against 
any  enumeration,  or  choose,  from  political  views,  to  bury  it  in  ob- 
scurity ;  while  the  Chinese,  with  like  design,  may  perhaps  mag- 
nify the  population  of  their  country.  All  travellers  however 
agree  that  the  population  is  surprising,  and  though  a  great  part 
of  the  country  be  mountainous,  yet  even  the  movmtains  are  the  ob- 
jects of  obstinate  cultivation.  Tlassel  estimates  the  number  of 
inhabitants  in  this  empire  at  15,000,000  ;  and  its  army  at  100,()00. 
Thunberg  observes  that  the  capital,  Jedo,  is  said  to  be  63  miles 
in  circumference,  and  at  any  rate  rivals  Pckin  in  size.t  Many  of 
the  villages  are  three  quarters  of  a  mile  in  length  ;  and  some  so 
long  that  it  requires  several  hours  to  walk  through  them  :  and 
these  large  villages  frequently  occur  at  very  short  distances. 
Kaempfer  says  that  the  number  of  people  daily  travelling  on  the 
highways  is  inconceivable,  and  the  (okaido,  the  chief  of  the  sevt,n 
great  roads,  is  sometimes  more  crowded  than  the  most  frequented 
streets  of  European  capitals.^  Varenius,  the  geographer,  who 
justly  esteemed  this  country  so  interesting  as  to  deserve  a  partic- 
ular description,  has,  from  the  best  authorities,  estimated  the 
standing  army  maintained  by  the  princes  and  governors,  at  368,00Q 

*  iTj  64.  t  ThuQberg,  iv.  73.  i  iii.  282.  §  ii.  345,  and  ii?,  318, 


JAPAN.  525 

infantry,  and  38,000  cavalry  :  while  the  Kubo  emperor,  maintains 
100,000  foot,  and  20,000  horse  :  thus  constituting;  in  all  a  regular 
force  of  468,000  infantry,  and  58,000  cavalry.*  It  is  probable 
that  this  army  docs  not  bear'  a  greater  proportion  to  the  popula- 
tion, than  that  of  an  European  state  in  time  of  peace  ;  and  as  the 
army  doubles  that  of  France  under  the  monarchy,  so  the  popula- 
tion may  also  be  double.  Perhaps  a  more  safe  estimate  may  be 
formed,  by  supposing  the  population  of  Japan  to  equal  that  of  Chi- 
na ;  and  the  form.er  country  being  about  one  tenth  part  the  size  of 
the  latter,  the  population  will  be  about  50,000,000. 

Colonien.']  Though  the  national  laws  prohibit  emigration,  yet 
where  the  Japanese  make  conquests,  they  seem  to  regard  the 
country  as  their  ov/n,  and  to  form  settlements  without  hesitation. 
Hence  Japanese  colomes  may  be  found  in  Jesso,  and  other  adja- 
cent isles  :  nay  even  in  isles  of  the  Indian  Archipelago,  so  that 
their  laws,  as  in  China,  seem  rather  theoretic. 

Army.l^  The  army  has  been  ali'eady  mentioned  as  amounting 
to  more  than  half  a  million  ;  and  the  character  of  the  people  is 
singularly  brave  and  resolute.  The  navy,  like  that  of  the  other 
oriental  powers,  is  beneath  notice.  The  Japanese  vessels  are  open 
at  the  stern,  so  that  they  cannot  bear  a  boisterous  sea  ;  and  though, 
like  the  Chinese,  they  have  the  use  of  the  compass,  yet  it  is  in- 
conceivable how  they  could  in  former  times,  make  voyages,  as  is 
asserted,  to  Formosa,  and  even  to  Java. 

Revenuts.'\  The  revenues  of  this  empire  are  minutely  stated 
by  Varenius,  according  to  princes  and  provinces,  the  sum  total 
being  28S4  tons  of  gold,  on  the  Flemish  mode  of  computation; 
and  taking  the  ton  at  only  10,0001.  sterling,  the  amount  would  be 
28,340,0001.  sterling,  besides  the  provinces  and  cities  which  arc 
immediately  subject  to  the  emperor.f  These  revenues  must  not, 
however,  be  considered  as  national,  being  only  yielded  in  coin  to 
the  various  princes.  The  emperor,  however,  besides  the  large 
revenues  of  his  provinces,  has  a  considerable  treasure  in  gold  and 
silver,  disposed  in  chests  of  lOOOtaels,  or  thayls,  eacii being  near- 
ly in  value  to  a  Dutch  rix  dollar,  or  about  four  shillings  and  four- 
45encc  English  money.  As  the  frenzy  of  mankind  generally  ex- 
pends the  public  revenue  in  the  support  of  an  army,  the  real  weight 
of  the  Japanese  resources  may  best  be  estimated  from  the  numer- 
ous army  supported. | 

Political  hnfiortance  and  Relations^  Japan  maintains  no  polit- 
ical relations  with  any  other  state  ;  and  consisiuig  of  islands 
without  a  navy,  its  external  political  importance  is  of  course  con- 
fined, if  not  annihilated. 

Manners  and  CustomsTS^  A  recent  traveller  li^s  described  tlic 
persons  of  this  singular  people  in  the  following  tcrms.§    "  The 

•  Descr.  Jap.  cap.  ix. 

f  (last-el  sutes  the  revenue  nt  424,500,000  ^liltlcrs. 

i  riiiiiiber^iv  8,  cornputes  the  revenue  of  ilie  ci-own  Ininlsat  more  ilinn  forty-foiir 
thonssnids  ol' millions  of  sacks  of  rice,  eacii  sack  being  aliout  Iwciily  pounils  wfi^jht. 
But  this  culculatioi)  implies  nothing  to  an  t^iropean  reatftT. 

J  Thuaberg,  iii.  251. 


526  JAPAN. 

people  of  this  nation  are  well  made,  active,  free  and  easy  in  their 
motions,  with  stout  limbs,  although  their  strength  is  not  to  be 
compared  to  that  of  the  northern  inhabitants  of  Europe.  They 
are  of  a  yellowish  color  all  over,  sometimes  bordering  on  brown, 
and  sometimes  on  white.  Ladies  of  distinction,  who  seldom  go 
out  in  the  open  air  without  being  covered,  are  perfectly  white. 
It  is  by  their  eyes  that,  like  the  Chinese,  these  people  are  distin- 
guishable. These  organs  have  not  that  rotundity  which  those  of 
other  nations  exhibit ;  but  are  oblong,  small,  and  are  sunk  deep- 
er in  the  head,  in  consequence  of  which  these  people  have  almost 
the  appearance  of  being  pink-eyed.  Their  eyes  are  dark  brown, 
or  rather  black  ;  and  the  eyelids  form  in  the  great  angle  of  the 
eye  a  deep  furrow,  which  makes  the  Japanese  look  as  if  they  were 
sharp  sighted,  and  discriminates  them  from  other  nations.  The 
eyebrows  are  also  placed  somevi^hat  higher.  Their  heads  are  in 
general  large,  and  their  necks  short ;  their  hair  black,  thick,  and 
shining,  from  the  use  they  make  of  oils.  Their  noses,  though 
not  flat,  are  yet  rather  thick  and  short." 

This  highly  civilized  people  must  of  course  display  great  di- 
versity of  character,  but  the  virtues  far  preponderate  over  the 
vices  ;  and  even  their  pride  is  useful,  as  it  prevents  them  from 
stooping  to  the  mean  tricks  of  the  maritime  Chinese.  The  Jap- 
anese use  great  varieties  of  food  and  sauces.  The  master  or  mis- 
tress of  the  house  is  not  harassed  with  the  trouble  of  carving, 
the  meat  being  previously  cut  into  small  pieces,  served  up  in  ba- 
sons of  porcelain,  or  japanned  wood.  The  general  drink  is  sacki, 
or  beer  made  of  rice  ;  which  last  article  also  supplies  the  place 
of  bread.  They  use  many  kinds  of  vegetables  and  fruits.  The 
use  of  tea  is  also  universal  ;  but  wine  and  spirituous  liquors  are 
unknown.  The  use  of  tobacco  seems  to  have  been  introduced  by 
the  Portuguese  ;  and  the  practice  of  smoking  has  become  general. 

The  houses  of  the  Japenese  are  of  wood,  colored  white,  so  as 
to  resemble  stone  :  and  though  roomy  and  commodious,  never 
exceed  two  stories  in  height,  the  upper  serving  for  lofts  and  gar- 
rets, and  are  seldom  occupied.*  Each  house  forms  but  one 
room,  which  maybe  divided  into  apartments  atpleasure,  by  move- 
able partitions,  sliding  in  grooves.  They  use  neither  chairs  nor 
tables,  sitting  oh  straw  mats,  the  meal  being  served  apart  to  each 
on  a  small  square  wooden  salver.  In  Jedo,  the  houses  are  cov- 
ered with  tiles  ;  but  the  general  fabric  is  a  frame  work  of  wood, 
split  bamboos,  aftd  clay. 

The  dress  consists  of  trowsers  :  and  what  we  call  night  gowns,, 
or  loose  robes  of  silk  or  cotton,  are  universally  Avorn  by  both 
sexes.*  These  are  fastened  by  a  girdle  ;  the  number  being  in- 
creased according  to  the  coldness  of  the  weather.  Stockings  are 
not  used ;  and  the  shoes  are  commonly  of  rice  straw.  The  men 
shave  the  head  from  the  forehead  to  the  nape,  but  the  hair  on  the 
side  is  turned  up  and  fastened  at  the  crown  of  the  head  :  conical 

*  Thimberg,  iii.  Hi.  t  ^^-  '»•  267. 


JAPAX.  527 

hats  made  of  grass  are  worn  on  journeys,  but  the  fashion  of  wear- 
ing the  hair  forms  the  common  economical  covering  of  the  head. 

The  Japanese  festivals,  the  games  and  theatrical  amusements, 
equal  those  of  most  civilized  nations. 

Language.^  Thunberg  has  published  a  curious  vocabulary  of 
the  Japanese  language,  which  seems  indeed  to  have  little  connec- 
tion with  the  monosyllabic  speech  of  the  Chinese.  There  are 
also  dictionaries  drawn  up  by  the  Jesuits. 

lAtera(u7-c.~\  In  the  sciences  and  literature  the  Japanese  yield 
to  few  of  the  oriental  nations.  This  sensible  people  study  house 
keeping,  or  domestic  economy,  as  an  indispensable  science  ;  and 
next  to  this  every  Japanese  is  versed  in  the  history  of  his  country.* 
Astronomy  is  cultivated,  but  has  not  arrived  at  much  perfection. 
They  survey  with  tolerable  accuracy  ;  and  their  maps  are  as  exact 
as  their  imperfect  instruments  will  permit.  The  art  of  printing 
is  ancient,  but  they  use  blocks,  not  moveable  types,  and  only  im- 
press one  side  of  the  paper.  Some  of  their  arts  and  manufactures 
even  surpass  those  of  Europe.  There  are  excellent  workmen  in 
iron  and  copper  ;  and  to  no  eastern  country  do  they  yield  in  man-' 
ufactures  of  silk  and  cotton  ;  while  in  varnishing  wood  they  are 
well  known  to  have  no  eqvials.  Glass  is  also  common  ;  and  they 
even  form  telescopes.  The  porcelain  is  deemed  superior  to  that 
of  China.  Their  swords  display  incomparable  skill  ;  and  many 
varieties  cf  paper  are  prepared  from  the  bark  of  a  species  of  mul- 
berry tree. 

Education.~\  There  are  many  schools  in  which  the  children 
are  taught  to  read  and  write  ;  their  education  being  accomplished 
without  the  degradation  of  personal  chastisement,  while  courage  is 
instilled  by  the  repetition  of  songs  in  praise  of  deceased  heroes. 

Cities  and  TQwns.~\  The  capital  city  of  the  Japanese  empire  is 
Jedo,  centrically  situated  on  a  bay  in  the  S.  E.  side  of  the  chief 
island  Nipon.  The  houses  never  exceed  two  stories,  with  numer- 
ous shops  towards  the  streets.  The  harbor  is  so  shallow  that  an 
European  ship  would  be  obliged  to  anchor  at  the  distance  of  five 
leagues.  A  fire  happened  in  this  city  in  the  year  1772,  which  is 
said  to  have  consumed  six  leagues  in  length,  and  three  in  breadth  : 
and  earthquakes  are  here  familiar,  as  in  other  regions  of  Japan. 
The  emperor's  palace  is  surrounded  with  stone  walls,  and  ditches 
with  draw  bridges,  forming  of  itself  a  considerable  town,  said  to 
be  five  leagiies  in  circumference.!  In  this,  and  similar  instances 
of  oriental  population  and  extent,  though  the  best  authorities  be 
followed,  yet  the  reader  may,  with  the  author,  suspend  his  belief". 
The  Japanese  affirm  that  Jedo  would  occupy  a  person  twenty-one 
houi-s  to  walk  round  its  circumference,  which  might  thus  amount 
to  about  twenty-one  leagues  :  and  that  it  is  seven  leagues  in  length 
by  five  in  breadth.  A  large  river  passes  through  the  capital,  and 
besides  the  wide  ditches  of  the  palace,  supplies  several  canals. 
There  are  no  walls  nor  fortifications,  which  are  unknown  in  Jap- 
anese cities  :  but  there  arc  many  splendid  houses  of  the  numer- 
ous princes. 

•  Thunberg,  ir.  51.  t  W-  «»•  'S^* 


528  JAPAN. 

Miaco,  the  spiiiiual  capital,  and  second  city  ot  llic  empire,  is 
placed  in  an  inland  situation  about  160  miles  S.  W.  from  Jedo,  on 
a  plain.  Yet  it  is  the  first  commercial  city,  and  is  celebrated  for  its 
manufactures.  It  is  also  the  scat  of  the  imperial  mint :  and  the 
Dairi's  court  being  literary,  all  books  are  printed  here.  Kacmpfcr 
informs  us  that,  upon  an  enumeration  taken  in  1 674,  the  inhabi- 
tants were  found  to  amount  to  405,642,  of  whom  were  males 
182,070  ;  and  223,572  females,  without  including  the  numerous 
attendants  of  the  Dairi. 

Nagasaki,  being  the  nearest  city  to  the  Dutch  factory  in 
the  isle  of  Dezima,  has  of  coarse  attracted  the  particular  attention 
of  ti'avcllers.  The  harbor  is  the  only  one  in  which  foreign  ships 
are  permitted  to  anchor,  a  privilege  now  enjoyed  only  by  the  Dutch 
and  Chinese.  The  Portuguese  ti'ade  raised  this  place  from  a 
mere  village,  to  its  present  size  and  consequence. 

The  other  cities  in  the  Japanese  empire  amount  to  about  thirty 
or  forty  ;  but,  except  those  on  the  route  from  Nagasaki  to  the 
capital,  few  have  been  explored  by  European  travellers.  Osacca, 
and  Sakai,  boast  the  name  of  imperial  cities. 

Edijices.']  Of  the  principal  edifices  of  the  Japanese  some  idea 
may  be  formed  from  the  descriptions  given  by  travellers  of  the 
imperial  palace,  which,  like  those  of  the  Chinese,  consists  of  many- 
dwellings,  occupying  an  immense  space.  The  saloon  of  the  hun- 
dred mats  is  600  feet  in  length,  by  300  in  breadth.  There  is  a 
high  square  tower  (a  mark  of  dignity  not  permitted  here  to  the 
grandees,  though  usual  at  their  own  courts,)  which  consists  of 
several  stages  richly  decorated  ;  and  most  of  the  roofs  are  orna- 
mented with  golden  dragons.  The  pillars  and  ceilings  are  of  ce- 
dar, camphor,  and  other  precious  woods  ;  but  the  only  furniture 
consists  of  white  mats,  fringed  witli  gold.  The  emperor  gives 
audience  in  a  smaller  chamber,  where  he  is  seated  on  carpets. 

The  roads  seem  to  be  maintained  in  excellent  order  ;  but  the 
mountainous  nature  of  the  country  has  pi'eventcd  the  formation  of 
canals,  which  indeed  the  universal  proximity  of  the  sea  renders 
almost  imnecessary  ;  otherwise  so  sensible  and  industrious  a  na- 
tion would  doubtless  have  imitated  the  Chinese  example. 

Manufactures  and  Covvncrce.^  The  chief  manufactures  of 
Japan  have  been  already  mentioned  in  the  account  of  arts  and 
sciences.  The  inland  commerce  is  very  considerable,  being  free 
and  exempted  from  imposts.*  The  harbors  are  crowded  with 
large  and  small  vessels  ;  the  high  roads  with  various  goods  ;  and 
the  shops  well  replenished.  Large  fairs  are  also  held  in  different 
places,  to  which  there  is  a  great  concourse  of  people.  The  trade 
with  China  is  the  most  important,  consisting  of  raw  silks,  sugar, 
turpentine,  drugs.  Sec.  while  the  exports  are  copper  in  bars,  lack- 
ered ware,  8cc.  Thunberg  represents  the  profits  of  the  Dutch 
trade  as  very  inconsiderable,  so  that  the  company  only  employed 
two  ships.  The  Japanese  coins  are  of  remarkable  form,  the  gold 
being  called  Kobangs.     The   silver,  called   Kodama,  sometimes 

*  Thunberg,  iv.  lOG. 


JAPAN.  529 


represents  Daikok,  the  god  of  riches,  sluing  upon  two  barrels  of 
rice,  with  a  hammer  in  bis  right  hand,  and  a  sack  at  his  left.  The 
Seni,  of  copper  or  iron,  arc  strung  like  the  Chinese  pieces  of  a 
similar  value. 


CHAPTER  II. 


NATURAL  GEOGRAPHY. 


9I.i:y<AT£  AND  SEASONS,  FACE  OF  THE  COUNTRY,  SOIL  AND  AGRI- 
CULTURE, RIVERS,  LAKES,  MOUNTAINS,  VOLCANOES,  FORESTS,; 
BOTANY,  ZOOLOGY,   MINERALOGY,  ISLES. 

Climate  and  Seasons.']  THE  heat  of  summer  in  Japan  is  ex- 
treme, and  would  be  insupportable,  were  it  not  for  the  sea  breez- 
es. Equally  severe  is  tlic  cold  in  winter,  when  the  wind  blows 
from  the  north,  or  north-east.  The  weather  is  changeable  through- 
out tlie  year  ;  and  there  are  abundant  falls  of  rain,  especially  ia 
^he  satsaki,  or  rainy  months,  which  begin  at  midsummer.*  This 
copious  moisture  is  the  chief  cause  of  the  fertility  of  Japan,  and 
its  consequent  high  degree  of  population. 

Thunder  is  not  unfrequent ;  and  tempests,  hurricanes,  and 
earthquakes,  are  very  common.  Thunberg  has  published  lus 
thcrraometrical  obseryatioTis,  from  which  a  clear  idea  may  be 
formed  of  the  climate.  The  greatest  degree  of  heat,  at  Nagasa- 
ki, was  98°,  in  the  month  of  August ;  and  the  severest  cold  in 
January  35°.  The  thunder  in  the  summer  montlis  is  generally 
during  the  night ;  and  the  snow  will  remain  on  the  ground  some 
days,  even  in  the  south. 

Face  of  the  Country.]  Though  there  be  plains  of  considerable 
extent,  as  appears  from  the  description  of  Miaco,  yet  Thunberg 
assures  us  that  the  whole  country  consists  of  mountains,  hills,  and 
vallies,  the  coast  being  mostly  rocky  and  precipitous,  and  invest- 
ed with  a  turbulent  sea.  The  face  of  the  country  is  also  diversi- 
fied with  many  rivers,  and  rivulets,  by  numerous  singular  tribes 
gf  vegetation  ;  and  generally  excites  the  social  ideas  of  industiy, 
more  calculated  perhaps  to  delight  the  heart,  than  the  wild  ap- 
pearances of  deserted  nature.  The  soil  in  itself  may  be  said  to 
be  rather  barren  ;  but  the  prolific  showers  conspire  witli  labor 
and  manure  to  overcome  even  this  obstacle.  Agriculture  is  a 
science  in  the  highest  estimation  with  this  sensible  people,  so  that 
except  the  most  barren  and  untractable  mountains,  the  earth  is 
universally  cultivated  ;  and  even  most  of  the  mountains  and  hills. 
Free  from  all  feudal  and  other  impediments,  and  liighly 
^■espected  by  other  social  classes,  the  farmer  cultivates  the  soil 
with  freedom  and  industry.  There  are  no  commons  ;  and  if  any 
portion  be  left  uacultivated  it  may  be  seized  by  a  more  industrious 

•  ThiwLerg,  iii.  234. 
V0L>   lU  67 


SSO  JAPAN. 

neighbor.  The  Japanese  mode  of  manurinj^  is  to  form  a  mixture 
of  excrements  of  all  kinds,  with  kitchen  refuse,  which  is  carried 
in  pails  into  the  field,  and  poured  with  a  ladle  upon  the  plantSr 
when  they  have  attained  the  height  of  about  six  inches,  so  that 
they  quickly  receive  the  whole  benefit.  The  weeding  is  also 
carried  to  the  utmost  degree  of  nicety. 

The  sides  of  the  hills  are  cultivated  by  means  of  stohe  walls, 
supporting  level  plats  sown  with  rice  or  esculent  roots.  "  Thou- 
sands of  these  beds  adorn  most  of  their  mountains,  and  give  them 
an  appearance  which  excites  the  greatest  astonishment  in  the 
breasts  of  the  spectators." 

Rice  is  the  chief  grain  ;  buck  wheat,  rye,  barley,  and  wheat, 
being  little  used.  The  sweet  potatoe  is  abundant ;  with  several 
sorts  of  beans  and  pease,  turnips,  cabbage,  &c.  The  rice  is  sown 
in  April,  and  gathered  in  November  :  in  which  last  month  the 
wheat  is  sown,  and  reaped  in  June.  The  barley  also  stands  the 
Avinter.  From  the  seed  of  a  kind  of  cabbage,  lamp  oil  is  express- 
ed, and  several  plants  are  cultivated  for  dyeing  ;  there  are  also 
cotton  shrubs,  and  mulberry  trees,  which  last  feed  abundance  of 
silk  worms.  The  varnish  and  camphor  trees,  the  vine,  the  cedar, 
the  tea  tree,  and  the  bamboo  reed,  not  only  grow  wild,  but  are 
planted  for  numerous  uses. 

Rivers.^  The  rivers  of  Nipon  have  not  been  delineated  with 
much  care.  Among  the  few  named  are  the  Nogasa,  and  the  Jed- 
ogawa,  which  passes  by  Osaka,  where  it  is  crowned  with  several 
bridges  of  cedar,  from  300  to  360  feet  in  length.  The  river  Ojin- 
gawa  is  one  of  the  largest  and  most  dangerous  in  the  country, 
though  not  subject  like  the  others  to  swell  during  rains.  Fusi- 
gawa  is  also  a  large  and  rapid  river,  as  is  that  called  Sakgawa. 
The  largest  river  seems  to  be  the  Jodo,  or  Yodo,  which  flows  S. 
W.  from  the  central  lake  of  Oitz  ;  but  our  geography  of  the 
Japanese  empire  is  far  from  being  complete.  Among  the  most 
important  rivers  Kaempfer  names  the  Ujin  (the  Ojin  of  Thun- 
berg),  the  Oomi  reported  by  the  Japanese  history  to  have  burst 
from  the  ground  in  one  night,  and  the  Aska.* 

ZaXres.]  One  of  the  chief  lakes  is  that  of  Oitz,  which  emits 
two  rivers,  one  towards  Miaco,  the  other  towards  Osaka,  and  it  is 
said  to  be  50  Japanese  leagues  in  length,  each  about  an  hour's  ride 
on  horseback  ;  and  the  breadth  is  considerable. 

Mountains.^  The  principal  Japanese  mountain  is  that  of  Fusi, 
covered  with  snow  almost  throughout  the  year.  The  Faconie 
mountains  are  in  the  same  quarter,  surrounding  a  small  lake  of 
the  same  name.f  Many  of  the  mountains  are  overgrown  with 
wood  ;  and  others  cultivated  as  before  explained.  There  are 
several  volcanoes,  and  in  general  they  abound  with  evergreen  trees, 
and  crystalline  springs. 

Volcanoes.']  Near  Firando  there  is  a  volcanic  island,  nor  are 
others  unknown  in  the  surrounding  seas.|  In  the  province  of  Figo 
there  is  a  volcano,which.constantIy  emits  ilames,and  another,former- 

5  Thtinberg.i.  1G3.  t  ll^- »"•  IW.  4^  Kjempfer,  1. 106. 


JAPAN.  S31 

ly  a  coal  mine,  in  the  province  of  Tsikuser.  The  course  and  extent 
of  the  various  ranges  of  mountains  have  not  been  indicated. 

Near  the  lake  of  Oitz  is  the  delightful  mountain  of  Jesan  ; 
■which  is  esteemed  sacred,  and  is  said  to  present  not  lass  than  3000 
temples.* 

Forests:']  In  the  high  state  of  cultivation,  few  forests  can  ap- 
pear, except  those  already  mentioned,  as  decorating  the  sides  of 
mountains. 

Botany.]  The  vegetable  treasures  of  Japan  are  numerous,  and 
have  been  ably  explored  by  Kaempfer  and  Thunberg  ;  on  account 
however,  of  the  enormous  population  of  the  country,  and  tlte  ab- 
solute necessity  of  paying  the  utmost  attention  to  the  introduction 
of  whatever  may  contribute  to  human  sustenance,  it  is  not  easy  to 
ascertain  how  far  several  of  the  esculent  plants  cultivated  here 
are  truly  indigenous.  There  are  many  points  of  resemblance  be- 
tween the  floras  of  China  and  Japan,  and  this  similarity  has  prob- 
ably been  strengthened  by  a  mutual  interchange  of  useful  veget- 
ables ;  if  indeed  both  countries  have  not  rather  derived  some  of 
their  most  valuable  plants  from  Cochin-China,  or  the  Phillippine 
islands  ;  the  ginger,  the  soy-bean,  black  pepper,  sugar,  cotton, 
and  indigo,  though  pei'haps  natives  of  the  more  southern  regions 
of  Asia,  are  cultivated  here  with  great  success,  and  in  vast  abun- 
dance. The  Indian  laurel,  and  the  camphor  tree,  are  found  in  the 
high  central  parts  of  Japan,  as  is  also  the  x*hus  vermix,  from  the 
bark  of  which  exudes  a  gum  resin,  that  is  supposed  to  be  the  ba- 
sis of  the  exquisitely  beautiful  and  inimitable  black  varnish,  with 
which  the  inlaid  cabinets  and  other  articles  of  Indian  luxury  are 
covered.  Besides  the  common  sweet,  or  China  orange,  another 
species,  the  citrus  japonica  is  found  wild,  and  almost  peculiar  to 
this  country  ;  two  kinds  of  mulberry  are  met  with,  both  in  an 
indigenous  and  cultivated  stale,  the  one  valuable  as  the  favorite 
food  of  the  silk  worm,  the  other  esteemed  for  the  white  fibres  of 
its  inner  bark,  which  are  manufactured  into  paper.  The  larch, 
the  cypress,  and  weeping  willow,  found  in  all  the  warm  regions 
between  Japan  and  the  Mediterranean,  here  arrive  at  the  extrem- 
ity of  their  boundary  to  the  east ;  tlie  same  may  be  said  of  the  opi- 
um, poppy,  white  lily,  and  jalap.  The  trumpet-flower  (bignonia 
catalpa)  is  common  to  this  part  of  Asia,  and  Peru  ;  in  which  cir- 
cumstance it  resembles  the  vanilla,  whose  berries  form  an  article 
of  commeixe,  being  largely  used  in  the  preparation  of  chocolate. 
The  tallow  tree,  the  plantain,  the  cocoa-nut  tree,  and  two  other 
palms,  the  chamaerops  excelsa,  and  cycas  circinalis,  adorn  the 
woodland  tracts,  especially  near  the  shore,  by  the  variety  of  their 
growth  and  foliage,  while  the  uncultivated  swamps  by  the  sides  of 
the  rivers  are  rendered  subservient  to  the  uses  of  the  inhabitants, 
by  the  profusion  and  magnitude  of  the  bamboos  witli  which  they 
are  covered. 

Zoology.]    It  is  not  a  little  remarkable  that  neither  sheep  noi- 
goats  are  found  in  the  whole  empire  of  Japan  ;  the  latter  being 

*  Kicmprcr  ii.  28. 


$33  JAPAN. 

deemed  mischievous  to  cultivation,  while  the  abundance  of  cotton 
recompenses  the  want  of  wool.  Swine  are  also  deemed  pernicious 
to  agriculture  ;  and  only  a  few  appear  in  the  neighborhood  of 
Nagasaki,  probably  introduced  by  the  Chinese.*  There  are  in 
general  but  few  quadrupeds  ;  the  number  of  horses  in  the  empire 
being  computed  by  Thunbcrg,  as  only  equal  to  those  of  a  single 
Swedish  town.  Still  fewer  cattle  are  seen  ;  and  the  Japanese  nei- 
ther use  their  flesh  nor  their  milk,  but  employ  them  only  in 
ploughing  or  drawing  carts.  The  food  consists  almost  entirely  of 
fish  and  fowl,  with  vegetables.  Hens  and  common  ducks  are  do- 
mesticated, chiefly  on  account  of  their  eggs.  A  few  dogs  are 
kept  from  motives  of  superstition  ;  and  the  cats  are  favorites  of 
the  ladies. 

The  wolf  appears  in  the  northern  provinces,  and  foxes  in  other 
parts  ;  these  last  being  universally  detested,  and  considered  as 
demons  incarnate. 

Mineralogy .'\  "  That  the  precious  metals  of  gold  and  silver  are 
to  be  found  in  abundance  in  the  empire  of  Japan,  has  been  well 
known,  both  to  the  Portuguese,  who  formerly  exported  whole  ship 
loads  of  them,  and  to  the  Dutch  in  former  times.  Gold  is  found 
in  several  parts,  and  pei'haps  Japan  may  in  this  respect  contest  the 
palm  with  the  richest  country  in  the  world  :  but  in  order  that  this 
metal  may  not  lose  its  value,  by  becoming  too  plentiful,  it  is  pro- 
hibited to  dig  more  than  a  certain  stated  quantity  ;  not  to  mention 
that  no  metallic  mine,  of  any  kind  whatever,  can  be  opened  and 
wrought  without  the  emperor's  express  permission.  When  this 
permission  is  obtained  two  thirds  of  the  produce  are  the  portion 
of  the  emperor,  and  the  proprietor  of  the  land  receives  one  third 
for  the  expenses.  The  finest  gold,  together  with  the  richest  gold 
mines,  are  found  on  the  largest  of  the  Nipon  islands  near  Sado. 
It  is  used  for  the  mint,  gilding,  and  embroidery  ;  but  is  not  car- 
ried out  of  the  country. 

"  Silver  must  formerly  have  been  found  in  much  greater  plenty 
than  at  present,  as  a  large  quantity  of  it  was  then  exported  from 
this  country.  The  Japanese  consider  it  as  being  more  rare  than 
gold,  although  the  latter  metal  is  dearer.  It  is  said  to  be  found 
in  the  province  of  Bingo  ;  and  in  the  more  northerly  parts  towards 
Kattami,  \ery  rich  silver  mines  are  to  be  met  with.  Independ- 
ently of  these  places,  the  two  islands,  which  are  called  the  gold 
and  silver  isles,  fGinsi?na,  Kinsima,)  are  said  to  contain  a  gieat 
quantity  of  both  of  these  precious  metals.  Silver  is  used  for 
coining  and  for  plating. 

"  Copper  is  quite  common  in  every  part  of  the  empire,  and  is 
richly  impregnated  with  gold,  constituting  the  main  source  of  the 
Avealth  of  many  provinces.  It  was  not  only  formerly  exported  in 
amazing  quantities,  but  still  continues  to  be  exported  both  by  the 
Dutch  and  Chinese  merchants.  The  finest  and  most  malleable  is 
dug  in  Suruga,  Atsingo,  Kyno,  Kuni.  The  last  sort  is  esteemed 
to  be  the  most  malleable  of  any  ;  whilst  that  from  Suruga  contains 

*  Thunberg,  iv.  9J. 


BIRMAN  EMPIRE.  533 

the  greatest  quantity  of  gold.  Of  this  metal  arc  luadc  small 
pieces  of  money  for  change  ;  it  is  used  likewise  for  plating  and 
for  making  utensils,  such  as  pots,  kettles,  Sec. 

«  Iron  seems  to  be  scarcer  than  any  other  metal  in  this  coun- 
try. This  they  are  neither  fond  of  importing,  nor  yet  of  exporting 
it  for  sale.  Of  it  they  manufacture  scymitars,  arms,  scissars, 
knives,  and  various  other  implements,  of  which  they  stand  in 
need. 

"  Brimstone  is  found  in  gi-eat  abundance  in  Japan.  Pit  coal  is 
likewise  to  be  met  with  in  the  northern  pi'ovinces."* 

Here  are  several  wai'm  mineral  waters,  which  the  inhabitants 
use  for  various  diseases  ;  particularly  those  of  Ob'-imma,  and 
those  in  the  mountain  of  Omfen.  The  natural  curiosities  of 
Japan  have  been  little  investigated,  as  Europeans  have  seldom 
visited  the  interior  of  the  countiy. 

Iftlefi.~\  There  are  many  small  isles  dependent  on  Japan,  par- 
ticularly in  the  S.  and  E.  ;  among  which  is  Fatsifo,  the  place  of 
exile  for  the  grandees.  This  and  the  other  small  isles  are 
scarcely  known,  except  by  name. 


THE  BIRMAN  EMPIRE.f 

COMPRISING  THE  KINGDOMS  OF  AVA,  PEGU,  AND  ARBACAN. 
CHAPTER  I. 

HISTORICAL  GEOGRAPHY. 

NAME,  EXTENT,  BOUNDARIES,  ORIGINAL  INHABITAMTS,  PROGRES- 
SIVE GEOGRAPHY,  MODERN  HISTORY,  RELIGION,  LAWS, GOVERN- 
MENT, POPULATION,  ARMY,  NAVY,  REVENUES,  POLITICAL  IM- 
PORTANCE, MANNERS,  LANGUAGE,  LITERATURE,  CITIES,  EDI- 
FICES, MANUFACTURES,  COMMERCE. 

Mime.']  BEFORE  the  appearance  of  a  recent  in- 
teresting publication,^  scarcely  any  thing  was  known  concerning 
this  new  empire  ;  and  geographers  were  constrained  to  detail 
the  old  accounts,  vhich  are  little  satisfactory.  The  Birman  em- 
pire derives  its  name  from  the  Birmahs,  who  have  been  long 
known  as  a  warlike  nation  in  the  region  formerly  styled  India 
BEYOND  THE  Ganges  ;  thc  Capital  city  of  their  kingdom  being 
Ava,  or  Awa.     Pegu  is  by  the  natives  styled  Bagoo  ;§  being  the 

•  Thunhepg,  iv.  102. 

t  The  account  of  this  Empire,  with  Few  Mlditions,  is  from  Pinkcrlpn. 

±  Symes'a  account  of  ihe  Embassy-  to  Ava. 

§  lU.i.  0.  8vo.  edit. 


634  BIRMAN  EMPIRE. 

country  situated  to  the  south  .of  the  former,  and  justly  inferred  to 
have  been  the  Golden  Chersonese  of  the  ancients. 

Extent  and  Boundaries.  It  is  difficult  to  ascertain  with  preci- 
sion the  boundaries  of  the  Birman  empire.  Mr.  Symcs  informs 
us  that  "  it  appears  to  include  the  space  between  the  9th  and  26th 
degree  of  north  latitude,  and  between  the  92d  and  107th  degrees 
of  longitude  east  of  Greenwich  ;  about  1050  geographical  miles  in 
length  and  600  in  breadth  :  these  are  the  ascertainable  limits, 
taken  from  the  Birman  accounts.  It  should  however  be  remark- 
ed that  the  breadth  often  varies,  and  is  in  many  places  very  incon- 
siderable on  what  is  called  the  Eastern  Peninsula."*  According 
to  Hassel,  this  empire,  embracing  Ava,  Pegu,  and  Arrakan,  con- 
tains 223,750  square  miles. 

The  geography  of  what  is  called  India  beyond  the  Ganges,  a 
vague  name  for  the  wide  and  various  regions  between  Hindostan 
and  China,  is  still  defective.  To  the  north  the  Birman  empire  is 
divided  by  mountains  from  Asam,  a  country  little  visited  or 
known  ;  and  farther  to  the  east  it  borders  on  Tibet  and  China. 
On  the  west  a  range  of  mountains  and  the  little  river  Naaf  divide 
the  Birman  possessions  from  the  Britisn  dominions  in  Bengal  ; 
and  the  limit  is  continued  by  the  sea.  But  the  southern  and  east- 
ern boundaries  still  remain  obscure.  Amidst  this  uncertainty  it 
must  suffice  to  observe  that  the  Birman  empire  constitutes  the 
fifth  grand  native  power  in  Asia  since  Hindostan  and  Persia  have 
been  divided,  and  may  probably  extend  its  authoi'ity  over  Laos  and 
Cambodia,  while  it  remains  divided  bj  deserts  and  rahges  of  lofty 
mountains  from  the  united  kingUoms  of  Cochin-China  and  Tun- 
quin. 

Original  Fofiulation.']  The  original  population  of  this  region 
has  been  little  illustrated.  The  alphabet,  literature,  and  religion, 
are  derived  from  those  of  the  Hindoos ;  but  the  language,  the 
grand  criterion  of  national  origins,  has  not  been  regularly  collated 
with  those  of  the  adjacent  countries.! 

Progressive  Geography.']  Although  this  country  appears  to 
have  been  known  to  the  ancients,  constituting  the  utmost  boun- 
dary of  their  knowledge  in  this  quarter  of  the  globe,|  yet  the  first 
precise  ideas  concerning  this  part  of  the  globe  were  derived  from 
the  discoveries  of  the  Portuguese,  but  the  geography  remains  so 
imperfect  that  even  D'Anville  has  erred  in  the  delineation  ;  and 
Mr.  Symes's  work  leaves  room  for  many  illustrations  and  improve- 
mients  wlien  future  travellers  shall  investigate  with  care  the  coun- 
tries beyond  the  Ganges.§ 

History.']  The  history  of  the  Birman  empire  is  detailed  at 
some  length  in  the  introductory  part  of  the  recent  publication  ;  and 
as  it  displays  the  origin  of  a  new  and  great  Asiatic  power,  it  may 

*  Symes's  Account  of  the  Embassy  to  Ava,  ii.  411. 

•(•  See  vol.  vi.of  the  Asiatic  llesearches. 

■^  Geograpli.  des  Grecs.  Analys.  139. 

§  The  J'Vench  intercourse  with  Siara,  towards  the  end  of  the  seventeeeth  c'entuny 
occasioned  many  descriptions  of  that  kingdom  ;  but  the  accounts  of  Ava  and  Pegu  are 
rare.    Tliere  is  one  of  Tuncjviin  and  Laos,  translated  from  llje  Italian  of  Marini,  Pa- 
ris, 16C1,  4io-. 


BIRMAN  EMPIRE.  5.15 

be  interesting  to  present  an  abstract-  From  the  Portugese  ac- 
counts it  appears  that  the  Birmans,  a  brave  and  warlike  race,  for« 
merly  subject  to  the  king  of  Pegu,  became  afterwards  masters  of 
Ava,  and  caused  a  revolution  in  the  former  country  about  the  mid- 
dle of  the  sixteenth  century,  when  they  took  Martaban.  The 
Portuguese  continued  to  influence  these  countries,  till  they  wero 
expelled  by  the  Dutch,  who  obtained  settlements  in  various  parts 
of  the  Birman  territory  ;  while  the  English  had  factories  at  Sirian, 
and  even  at  Ava, 

The  Birmans  continued  to  exercise  their  supremacy  over  Pegu 
till  about  the  year  1740,  when  a  civil  war  arose,  during  which  the 
British  factory  at  Sirian  was  destroyed  in  1T44.  By  some  Euro- 
pean aids  the  Peguese  in  1750  and  1751,  gained  several  victories 
over  the  Birmans  ;  and  in  1752  Ava  was  besieged  and  taken  ;  the 
last  of  a  long  line  of  Birman  kings  being  reduced  to  captivity  ;  but 
two  of  his  sons  escaped  to  Siam. 

When  Binga  Delia,  king  of  Pegu,  had  completed  the  conquest 
of  Ava,  he  returned  to  his  own  country,  leaving  his  brother  Ap- 
poraea  to  govern  the  late  capital  of  the  Birman  king.  All  wore 
the  aspect  of  tranquil  submission,  when  there  suddenly  arose  one 
of  those  men  who  are  destined,  by  means  almost  invisible,  to  brea^ 
the  strongest  rod  of  power,  and  to  change  the  fate  of  empires. 
Alompra,  a  Birman  of  low  extraction,  was  the  chief  of  a  small  vil- 
lage, and  was  continued  in  this  petty  office  by  the  victors.  XVith 
one  hundred  devoted  followers  he  attacked  a  band  of  fifty  Peguese, 
whom  he  put  to  the  sword  ;  and  afterwards  defeated  a  small  force 
sent  against  him  ;  and  about  the  autumn  of  1753,  took  possession 
of  Ava,  while  the  Peguese  government  seems  to  have  been  lost 
by  mere  infatuation.  After  repeated  defeats  Binga  Delia  himself 
advanced  against  Alompra,  and  the  war  was  conducted  by  fleets 
on  the  great  river  Irrawady,  as  well  as  by  land,  that  of  the  Pe- 
guese being  utterly  defeated  in  close  combat  by  that  of  the  Bir- 
mans. Alompra  proceeding  in  his  conquests  founded  the  town 
now  well  known  by  the  name  of  Rangoon,  which  signifies  "  vic- 
tory atchieved ;"  and  soon  after  chastised  the  people  of  Cassay, 
who  had  revolted  from  the  Birman  authority.  In  1756  he  block- 
aded Sirian,  which  yielded  to  his  arms ;  and  after  having  dcprivetl 
the  capital  of  any  foreign  aid  by  water,  he  advanced  against  the 
city  of  Pegu,  situated  on  an  extensive  plain,  and  then  surrounded 
with  no  mean  fortifications,  while  the  stupendous  pagoda  of  Sho- 
madoo  served  as  a  citadel.  This  capital  was  invested  in  January 
1757,  and  in  about  three  months  became  a  prey  to  the  Birmans. 
Alompra  then  proceeded  to  subdue  the  countries  to  the  eastward, 
as  far  as  the  three  pagodas,  the  ancient  boundary  between  Pegu 
and  Siam.  Tavoy  has  been  since  added  to  the  Birman  possessions 
in  this  quartei*. 

Alompra  next  determined  to  chastise  the  Siamese,  for  the  en- 
couragement they  had  given  to  his  rebellious  subjects,  and  order- 
ed a  fleet  to  sail  to  Mcrghi,  a  sea-port  belonging  to  the  Siamese, 
which  vra?  easily  taken,  and  was  followed  by  the  conquest  of  Tan» 
aser.im/a*largc  and  populous  city. 


536  BIRIMAN  EMPIRE. 

The  victor  next  advanced  against  the  capital  of  Siam  ;  but  two 
days  after  the  siege  had  commenced,  Alompra  was  seized  with  a 
deadly  disease,  which  saved  the  Siamese  from  destruction.  He 
died  within  two  days  march  of  Martaban,  about  the  15  th  of  May, 
1760,  regretted  by  his  people,  who  at  once  venerated  him  as  their 
deliverer,  and  as  a  great  and  victorious  monarch.  This  founder 
of  the  Birman  empire  had  not  completed  his  fiftieth  year;  his 
person  strong  and  well  proportioned,  exceeded  the  middle  size ; 
and  though  his  features  were  coarse,  his  complexion  dark,  and  his 
countenance  saturnine,  there  was  a  dignity  in  his  deportment  that 
became  his  high  station. 

He  was  succeeded  by  his  son  Namdogee,  who  suppressed  sev- 
eral insurrections,  and  died  in  1764,  leaving  an  infant  son,  Momien, 
whose  uncle  Shembuen,  second  son  of  the  great  Alompra,  assumed 
the  regency  and  afterwards  the  diadem. 

Shembuan,  to  divert  the  national  attention,  as  usual  with  usurp- 
ers, declared  war  against  Siam  ;  and  in  1760  two  armies  entered 
that  country  from  the  N.  and  S.,  and,  being  united,  defeated  the 
Siamese  about  seven  days  journey  from  their  capital.  The  Sia- 
mese king  privately  withdrew  after  a  blockade  of  two  months,  and 
the  city  capitulated ;  a  Siamese  governor  being  appointed  who 
swore  allegiance  to  the  Birman  sovereignty,  and  engaged  to  pay 
an  annual  tribute. 

The  Chinese,  apprehensive  of  the  progress  of  these  conquests, 
advanced  an  army  from  the  province  of  Yunan,  but  were  com- 
pletely defeated  by  the  Birmans.  Policy  spared  the  captives,  who 
were  invited  to  marry  Birman  wives,  the  Hindoo  prejudices  being 
here  unknown.  Shembuan  rebuilt  Ava  Haung,  or  ancient  Ava, 
the  metropolis  of  the  empire,  which  had  fallen  to  ruin  during  the 
late  commotions.  The  Siamese  though  vanquished  remained  un- 
subdued ;  and  there  is  an  inveterate  enmity  betwixt  the  nations, 
which  will  prevent  either  servitude  or  alliance.*  A  Siamese 
prince  assumed  the  monarchy,  and  in  1771,  defeated  the  Birmans. 
Shembuan  afterwards  turned  his  arms  to  the  west,  and  forced  the 
raja  of  Cachar  to  pay  homage  to  his  power.  He  died  at  Ava,  in 
1776,  and  was  succeeded  by  his  son  Chenguza,  whose  tyrannnical 
conduct  occasioned  a  conspiracy,  at  the  head  of  which  was  Shem- 
buan Minderagee,  the  present  monai'ch,  younger  brother  of  the 
deceased  Shembuan.     Chenguza  was  slain  in  17B2. 

The  southern  conquests  of  the  Birmans  had  already  extended 
as  far  as  Merghi,  and  the  northern  provinces  formerly  belonging 
to  Siam,  had  been  reduced  to  subjection  and  tribute.  Minderagee 
determined  to  pass  the  mountains  of  Anoupec,  and  subdue  Arra- 
can,  the  raja  or  prince  being  of  a  supine  character,  and  his  sub- 
jects unwarlike,  though  they  had  never  been  reduced  to  pay  hom- 
age to  any  foreign  power.  This  conquest  was  commenced  in 
1783,  and  was  speedily  effected. 

After  this  conquest  the  Birman  arms  were  again  turned  against 
Siam,  and  in  1785  a  fleet  was  sent  to  subdue  the  isle  of  Junkseylon, . 

*  Symes,  i.  171. 


BIRMAN  EMPIRE.  537 

which  carries  on  a  considerable  trade  in  ivory  and  tin,  and  is  the 
only  remaining  mart  of  Siamese  trade  on  this  coast.  Meeting 
with  a  repulse,  the  Birman  monarch  left  his  capital  at  the  head  of 
30,000  men,  with  a  train  of  20  field  pieces ;  but  was  defeated  by 
the  king  of  Siam,  who  in  his  turn  failed  in  an  invasion  of  the  vice- 
royalty  of  Martaban,  which  comprehends  Tavoy,  Merghi,  and  all 
the  Birman  possessions  to  the  south.  In  1793  a  treaty  was  ratified 
between  the  Birmans  and  Siamese,  by  which  the  latter  ceded  the 
western  maritime  towns  as  far  S.  as  Merghi  inclusive.  But  with 
this  exception,  and  that  of  some  northern  provinces,  the  Siamese 
monarchy  retains  a  considerable  portion  of  its  ancient  fame.  Hence 
it  appears  that  the  Birman  empire  can  scarcely  be  computed  to 
extend  beyond  the  102  degree  of  longitude,  and  that  only  in  the 
part  to  the  north  of  Siam. 

Retigi-jTi.']  The  Birmans  follow  the  worship  of  Hindostan,  not 
as  votaries  of  Brahma,  but  as  disciples  of  Boodh,  which  latter  is 
admitted  by  Hindoos  of  all  descriptions  to  be  the  ninth  Avatar,  or 
descent  of  the  deity  in  his  capacity  of  preserver.*  The  Birman? 
believe  in  the  transmigration  of  souls ;  after  which  the  radically 
bad  will  be  condemned  to  lasting  punishment,  while  the  good 
shall  enjoy  eternal  happiness  in  the  mount  Meru.  They  esteem 
mercy  to  b 3  the  chief  attribute  of  the  divinity.  Of  the  religious 
buildings  appropriated  to  the  Birman  worship,  are  temples  near 
Rangoon,  at  Pegu,  and  Syi'iam. 

Laws.'^  The  laws  of  the  Birmans  are  inseparable  from  their 
religion.  The  sacred  verses  or  forgeries  of  Menu  are  illustrated 
by  numerous  commentaries  of  the  Munis,  or  old  philosophers,  and 
constitute  the  Dherma  Sastre,  or  body  of  laws.  Both  the  religion 
and  laws  proceeded  originally  from  Ceylon,  and  passed  through 
Aracan  to  Miama.  "  i  he  Birman  system  of  jurisprudence  is  re- 
plete with  sound  morality,  and  is  distinguished  above  any  other 
Hindoo  commentary  for  perspicuity  and  good  sense  ;  it  provides 
specifically  for  almost  every  species  of  crime  that  can  be  committed, 
and  adds  a  copious  chapter  of  precedents  and  decisions,  to  guide 
the  inexperienced  in  cases  where  there  is  doubt  and  difficulty. 
Trial  by  ordeal  and  imprecation  are  the  only  absurd  passages  in 
the  book  ;  but  on  the  subject  of  women  it  is  to  an  European  of- 
fensively indecent ;  like  the  immortal  Menu,  it  tells  the  prince 
and  the  magistrate  their  duty,  in  language  austere,  manly,  and  en- 
ergetic." 

Govern7ncnt.'\  Though  the  form  of  government  be  despotic, 
yet  the  king  co'^sults  a  council  of  ancient  nobles.  There  are  no 
hereditary  dignities  nor  employments  ;  but  all  honours  and  offices, 
on  the  demise  of  the  possessor,  revert  to  the  crown.  The  tsaloty 
or  chain,  is  the  badge  of  nobility,  the  number  of  strings  or  divisions 
denoting  the  rank  of  the  person,  being  three,  six,  nine,  or  twelve, 
while  the  king  alone  wears  twenty-four.  Rank  is  also  denoted  by 
the  form  and  material  of  various  rrticles  in  common  use. 

Po/iulation.']     The  number  of  cities,  towns  and  villages,  in  this 

Symcs  ii.  313. 
VOL.   II.  68 


5S»^  BIRMAN  EMPIRE. 

empire,  accoi'cling  to  Col.  Symes,  is  8000.  lie  states  its  popuhi- 
tioa  at  17,000,000,  confessedly  ho^7ever  the  result  of  a  very  vague 
estimate.  Of  these  1 4,000,000  are  in  Ava  and  Pegu,  and  3,000,000 
in  Arracan.* 

Army  and  JVax'y.~\  Every  man  in  the  empire  is  liable  to  mili-, 
tary  service,  but  the  regular  army  is  very  inconsiderable.  Dur- 
ing war  the  viceroys  raise  one  recruit  from  every  two,  three,  or 
four  houses,  which  otherwise  pay  a  fine  of  about  <C40.t  sterling. 
The  family  of  the  soldier  is  detained  as  hostages ;  and  in  case  of 
cowardice  or  desertion  suffer  death,  a  truly  tyrannic  mode  of  se- 
curing allegiance.  The  infantry  are  not  regularly  clothed,  but 
are  armed  with  muskets  and  sabres ;  while  the  cavalry  carry 
spears,  about  seven  or  eight  feet  in  length.  The  royal  magazines 
are  said  to  contain  about  20,000  indifferent  firelocks.  But  the  war 
boats  form  the  chief  military  establishment,  consisting  of  about 
500,  formed  out  of  the  solid  trunk  of  the  teak  tree,  the  length  be- 
ing from  80  to  100  feet,  but  the  breadth  seldom  exceeding  eight. 
They  carry  from  50  to  60  rowers,  the  prow  being  solid,  with  a  flat 
surface,  on  which  a  piece  of  ordnance  is  mounted.  Each  rower  is 
provided  with  a  sword  and  lance,  and  there  are  30  soldiers 
armed  with  muskets.  The  attack  is  imi^etuous,  and  chiefly  con- 
ducted by  grappling  ;  but  the  vessels  being  low  in  the  water,  the 
greatest  danger  is  that  of  being  run  down  by  a  larger  boat  striking 
the  broad  side.  Their  naval  actions  thus  recal  to  remembi'ance 
those  of  classical  antiqviity. 

Revenues.^  The  revenue  arises  from  one  tenth  of  all  produce, 
and  of  foreign  goods  imported ;  but  the  amount  is  uncertain.  Yet 
as  grants  are  commonly  made  in  land  or  offices,  and  no  money 
leaves  the  royal  treasury  except  in  cases  of  great  emergency, 
it  is  supposed  that  the  monarch  possesses  immense  treasures. 

Potitical  Imjiortance  and  Relations.^  The  political  importance 
and  relations  of  the  Birman  empire  may  considerably  influence 
the  commerce  of  the  east,  and  may  be  considered  as  a  barrier 
against  the  ambition  of  the  Chinese,  who  might  perhaps  be  in- 
duced to  extend  their  possessions  in  this  quarter,  and  might,  in 
-to-operation  with  the  native  princes,  endanger  the  British  posses- 
sions in  Hindostan.  Such  is,  however,  the  superiority  of  European 
arms,  that  this  event  is  little  to  be  apprehended.  But  if  the  Birmans, 
as  is  not  improbable,  wei'e  to  extend  their  authority  over  the 
whole  of  that  part  called  India  beyond  the  Ganges,  they  might,  as 
being  a  most  brave  and  determined  nation,  prove  dangerous  neigh- 
bors to  the  English  possessions  in  Bengal,  especially  if  so  far 
advanced  in  policy  as  to  co-operate  with  the  western  princes  of 
Hindostan.  The  temporary  disgusts  therefore  between  the  British 
and  Chinese  ought  not  to  induce  the  former  to  forget  the  greater 
danger  from  the  Birmans,  whose  empire  it  cannot  be  for  the  Brit- 
ish interest  to  enlarge,  though  policy  will  prevent  their  offering 
?ii>y  open  obstruction. 

Manners  and  Custojns.^  The  general  disposition  of  the  Birmans 
iS-strikingly  contrasted  with  that  of  the  Hindoos,  from  whom  they 
*  liassel,  f  Symes,  ii.  35-2. 


BIRMAN  EMPIRE.  539 

are  separated 'only  by  a  narrow  range  ofmountains,  in  many  places 
admittinc^  of  an  easy  intercourse.*  Notwithstanding  the  small 
extent  of  this  barrier,  the  physical  difference  between  the  nations 
could  scarcely  be  greater,  had  they  been  situated  at  the  opposite 
extremities  of  the  globe.  The  Birmans  arc  a  lively,  inquisitive 
race,  active,  irascible,  and  impatient ;  the  unworthy  passion  of 
jealousy,  which  prompts  most  nations  of  the  east  to  immure  their 
women  within  the  walls  of  an  haram,  and  surround  them  with 
guards,  seems  scarcely  to  have  any  influence  over  tlie  minds  of 
this  extraordinary  and  more  liberal  people.  Birman  wives  and 
daughters  are  not  concealed  from  the  sight  of  men,  and  are  suf- 
fered to  have  as  free  intercourse  with  each  other,  as  the  rules  of 
European  society  admit ;  but  in  other  respects  women  have  just 
reason  to  complain  of  their  treatment,  they  are  considei'ed  as  not 
belonging  to  the  same  scale  of  the  nation  as  men,  and  even  the 
law  stamps  a  degrading  distinction  between  the  sexes ;  the  evi- 
dence of  a  woman  being  not  received  as  of  equal  weight  with  that 
of  a  man. 

Tiie  women  though  frce  are  generally  too  much  occupied  in 
the  labors  of  the  loom  to  admit  of  infidelity,  the  offspring  of  idle- 
ness. In  war  the  men  display  the  ferocity  of  savages,  while  in 
peace  they  can  boast  a  considerable  degree  of  gentleness  and  civ- 
ilization. The  Birman  year  comprises  twelve  months  of  29  or  30 
days  alternately,  a  month  being  interposed  every  third  year.  The 
subdivision  of  the  month  is  peculiar,  as  they  number  the  days  not 
only  from  the  new  moon,  but  from  the  full,  which  last  is  called  the 
decreasing  moon.  They  are  fond  of  poetry  and  music,  and  among 
their  instruments  is  the  heem,  resembling  the  ancient  pipe  of 
Pan,  formed  of  several  reeds  neatly  joined  together,  and  sounded 
by  a  common  mouth-piece,  so  as  to  produce  a  plaintive  melody. 

Language  and  Literature. ~\  The  alphabet  represents  53  simple 
sounds,  and  is  written  from  left  to  right  like  the  European.  The 
Birman  books  are  more  neatly  executed  than  those  of  the  Hindoos, 
and  in  every  kioul  or  monastery,  there  is  a  library  or  repository  of 
books.  Colonel  Symes  was  surprised  at  the  number  contained  in 
the  royal  library,  in  which  the  large  chests  amounted  to  about  loo.f 
The  books  were  regularly  classed,  and  the  contents  of  each  chest 
were  written  in  gold  letters  on  the  lid. 

The  study  of  the  laws  and  national  religion  must  of  course  con- 
stitute a  considerable  branch. of  education  among  the  great  ;  that 
of  the  poor  seems  to  be  utterly  neglected. 

Cities.']  Ava,  the  ancient  capital,  has  been  permitted  to  sink 
into  ruin  since  the  recent  fovmdation  of  Ummerapoora,  on  the 
eastern  side  of  a  great  river  which  flows  into  the  Irrawady.  The 
new  capital,  with  its  spires,  turrets,  and  lofty  piasath,  or  obelisk, 
denoting  the  royal  presence,  seems  to  rise,  like  Venice,  from  the 
waters,  being  placed  between  a  lake  on  the  S.  E.  and  tiic  large 
river,  with  numerous  isles,  on  the  N.  W.  The  lake  is  called 
Tounzemahn,  from  a  village  on  the  opposite   side,  ornamented 

•  Symes,  ii.  583.  f  '*»•  '"'•  P"^- 


540  BIRMAN  EMPIRE. 

with  tall  groves  of  mango,  palmyra,  and  cocoa  trees.  The  mim- 
ber  and  singularity  of  the  boats  that  were  moored  in  the  lake,  and 
the  surrounding  amphitheatre  of  lofty  hills,  conspired  to  render 
the  scene  grand  and  interesting.  The  fort  is  an  exact  square, 
with  public  granaries  and  store  rooms  ;  and  there  is  a  gilded  tem- 
ple at  each  corner,  nearly  100  feet  in  height,  but  far  inferior  to 
others  in  the  vicinity  of  the  capital.  In  the  centre  of  this  fort 
stands  the  royal  palace,  with  a  wide  court  in  front,  beyond  which 
is  the  Lotoo,  or  hall  of  council,  supported  by  77  pillars,  disposed 
in  eleven  rows.  The  extent  and  population  of  this  city  have  not 
been  accurately  stated,  but  are  probably  inconsiderable. 

Ava,  formerly  the  capital,  is  also  styled  Aungwa,  but  is  in  a 
state  of  ruin.  *' The  walls  are  now  mouldering  into  decay,  ivy 
clings  to  the  sides,  and  bushes,  suffered  to  grow  at  the  bottom, 
undermine  the  foundation,  and  have  already  caused  large  chasms 
in  the  different  faces  of  the  fort.  The  materials  of  the  houses, 
consisting  chiefly  of  wood,  had,  on  the  first  order  for  removing, 
been'transportcd  into  the  new  city  of  Ummerapoora :  but  the  ground, 
unless  where  it  is  covered  with  bushes  or  rank  grass,  still  retains 
traces  of  former  buildings  and  streets.  The  lines  of  the  royal 
palace,  of  the  Lotoo,  or  grand  council  hall,  the  apartments  of  the 
women,  and  the  spot  on  which  the  piasath,  or  imperial  spire  had 
stood,  were  pointed  out  to  us  by  our  guide.  Clumps  of  bamboos, 
a  few  plantain  trees,  and  tall  thorns,  occupy  the  greater  part  of 
the  area  of  this  lately  flourishing  capital.  We  observed  two 
dwelling  houses  of  brick  and  mortar,  the  roofs  of  which  had  fallen 
in  ;  these  our  guides  said  had  belonged  to  Colars,  or  foreigners. 
On  entering  one  we  found  it  inhabited  only  by  bats,  which  flew 
in  our  faces,  whilst  our  sense  of  smelling  was  offended  by  their 
filth,  and  by  the  noisome  mildew  that  hung  upon  the  walls.  Nu- 
merous temples,  on  which  the  Birmans  never  lay  sacrilegious 
hands,  were  dilapidating  by  time.  It  is  impossible  to  draw  a 
more  striking  picture  of  desolation  and  ruin."* 

Pegu,  formerly  the  capital  of  a  kingdom,  is  also  in  ruins,  having 
been  razed  by  Alompra,  in  1757,  the  praws  or  temples  being  spar- 
ed ;  and  of  these  the  vast  pyi'amid  of  Shomadoo  has  alone  been 
reverenced,  and  kept  in  repair.  The  present  Birman  monarch 
has  endeavored  to  conciliate  the  Taliens,  or  native  Peguese,  by- 
permitting  them  to  rebuild  their  ancient  city,  within  the  site  of 
which  a  new  town  has  accordingly  been  reared.  The  city  occu- 
pies about  half  its  former  extent,  and  is  the  residence  of  the  May- 
woon,  or  governor  of  Pegu.  It  is  decorated  with  that  extraordi- 
nary edifice  the  Shomadoo,  seated  on  a  double  terrace,  one  side  of 
the  lower  being  1391  feet,  of  the  upper  684.  The  building  is 
composed  of  brick  and  mortar,  octagonal  at  the  base,  and  spiral 
at  the  top,  without  any  cavity  or  aperture.  At  the  summit  is  a 
Tec,  or  sacred  umbrella,  of  open  iron  work,  gilt,  56  feet  in  circum- 
ference ;  the  height  of  the  whole  being  361  feet,  and  above  the 
inner  terrace,   331    feet.     Tradition  bears   that  it   was   founded 

•  Sjmes,  iL  270. 


BIRMAN  EMPIRE.)  541 

about  500  years  before  Christ.  A  more  complete  idea  of  this 
very  sinsa^ular  edifice  may  be  obtained  from  the  print  published  by 
colonel  Symes,  than  any  verbal  description  can  convey. 

One  of  the  chief  ports  of  the  Birman  empire  is  Rangoon,  which, 
though  like  the  capital,  of  recent  foundation,  is  supposed  to  eon- 
tain  30,000  souls.  Towards  the  mouth  of  the  river  Pegu,  stands 
Sirian,  formerly  one  of  the  chief  ports  of  tliat  kingdom,  and  of 
considerable  commerce  when  in  possession  of  the  Portuguese.  It 
was  particularly  celebrated  for  the  export  of  rubies,  and  other 
precious  stones,  which  seem,  however,  to  be  chiefly  found  in  the 
northern  mountains. 

'  Martaban  was  another  sea  port  of  considerable  eminence,  till 
the  harbor  was  impeded  by  order  of  the  Birman  emperor.  Of 
Tavoy  and  Merghi,  little  is  known ;  but  Tanaserim  maintains  the 
dignity  of  a  city. 

The  grand  river  of  Irrawady  is  bordered  with  numerous  towns 
and  villages.  Persain,  or  Bassien,  stands  on  its  western  branch. 
At  a  considerable  distance  to  the  north  is  Prome,  celebrated  as 
the  scene  of  many  long  sieges  and  bloody  conflicts.  The  number 
of  inhabitants  exceeds  that  of  Rangoon.  Pagahm  is  also  a  con- 
siderable place.  Nor  must  Aracan,  a  I'ccent  acquisition,  be  for- 
gotten, which  is  divided  by  several  canals,  derived  from  a  river  of 
the  same  name. 

Towards  the  Chinese  frontier  are  Quangtong,  corresponding  in 
name  with  the  distant  province,  called  Canton,  by  Europeans  j 
Bamoo,  and  in  the  county  of  Cassay,  Munnipora.  Monchaboo  is 
a  considerable  town  to  the  north  of  the  capital. 

Edijices.l^  The  most  remarkable  edifice  is  the  Shomadoo,  be- 
fore de&cribed.  The  Kioums  are  often  of  singularly  rich  and  fan- 
tastic architecture,  as  may  be  observed  in  the  delineation  given 
by  colonel  Symes ;  who  has  also  published  a  view  of  the  grand 
hall  of  audience,  perhaps  as  splendid  an  edifice  as  can  well  be  ex- 
ecuted in  wood.  His  reception  at  the  "  golden  feet,"  such  is  the 
term  used  for  the  imperial  presence,  was  also  remarkably  grand, 
the  pomp  in  some  degree  corresponding  with  that  of  the  ancient 
Byzantine  emperors. 

Inland  J^ravigationJ]  Nature  has  so  amply  provided  the  means 
of  inland  navigation,  by  the  numerous  mouths  and  streams  of  the 
grand  river  Irrawady,  that  additional  industry  seems  superfluous. 

Manufactures.']  The  Birmans  excel  in  gilding,  and  several 
other  ornamental  manufactures.  The  edifices  and  barges  arc 
constructed  with  singular  oriental  taste  and  elegance  ;  and  at 
Chagain  is  a  manufacture  of  marble  divinities,  the  material  being 
remarkably  fine,  and  almost  transparent. 

Commerce.]  A  considerable  trade  is  carried  on  between  the 
capital  and  Yunan,  the  nearest  province  of  China,  consisting  cliicf- 
ly  in  cotton,  with  amber,  ivory,  precious  stones,  and  betel  nut ; 
the  returns  being  raw  and  wrought  silks,  velvets,  gold  leaf,  pre- 
serves, paper,  and  some  utensils  of  liard  ware.  Several  thousand 
boats  are  annually  employed  in  transporting  rice  from  the  lower 
provinces,  to  supply  Ummerapoora,  and  the  northern  disiricis. 


542      .  BIRMAN  EMPIRE. 

Salt  and  gnapee,  a  kind  of  fish  sauce,  used  with  rice,  are  also  ar- 
ticles of  internal  commerce.  European  broad  cloth  and  hard 
•ware,  coarse  Bengal  muslins,  China  ware,  and  glass,  are  imported 
by  foreigners.  The  Birmans,  like  the  Chinese,  have  no  coin  ; 
but  silver  in  bullion,  and  lead,  are  current. 


CHAPTER  II. 


NATURAL  GEOGIIAPHY. 

CLIMATE  AND  SEASONS,  FACE  OF     THE  COUNTRY,    lilVERS,  LAKES, 
MOUNTAINS,  FORESTS,  BOTANY,  ZOOLOGY,  MINERALOGY,  ISLES. 

Climate  and  Seasons.']  THE  vigorous  health  of  the  natives 
attests  the  salubrity  of  the  climate,  the  seasons  being  regular,  and 
the  extremes  of  heat  and  cold  little  known. 

I^ace  of  the  Country.]  The  face  of  the  country  affords  almost 
every  variety,  from  the  swampy  Delta  of  the  Irrawady  to  pleasant 
hills  and  dales,  and  considerable  ranges  of  mountains.  "  The  soil 
of  the  southern  provinces  of  the  Birman  empire  is  remarkably 
fertile,  and  produces  as  luxuriant  crops  of  rice  as  are  to  be  found 
in  the  finest  parts  of  Bengal.  Farther  northward  the  country  be- 
comes irregular  and  mountainous  ;  but  the  plains  and  vallies, 
particularly  near  the  river,  are  exceedingly  fruitful  ;  they  yield 
good  wheat,  and  the  various  kinds  of  small  grain  which  grow  in 
Hindostan  ;  as  likewise  legumes,  and  most  of  the  esculent  veget- 
ables of  India.  Sugar  canes,  tobacco  of  a  superior  quality,  indi- 
go, cotton,  and  the  different  tropical  fruits  in  perfection,  are  all 
indigenous  products  of  this  favorite  land."*  Agriculture  seems 
to  be  pursued  with  considerable  avidity,  but  the  mode  has  not  been 
particularly  illustrated. 

Rivers.]  The  chief  river  of  the  Birman  empire  is  the  Irrawa- 
dy, which,  probably  passes  by  Moguang  to  Bamoo,  and  thence  by 
Ummerapoora,  and  Prome,  towards  the  sea,  which  it  joins  by  ma- 
ny mouths,  after  a  comparative  course  of  near  1200  British  miles. 
The  Keen  Duem  seems  to  rise  in  the  mountains  towards  Asam,  be- 
ing of  much  inferior  size  where  it  joins  the  Irrawady. 

The  river  Sitang  is  the  next  on  the  east,  after  passing  the  small 
river  of  Pegu,  but  seems  to  be  a  kind  of  remote  branch  of  the  Ir- 
rawady. 

The  Thaluan  enters  the  sea  near  Martaban,  the  length  of  its 
course  exceeds  that  of  the  Irrawady,  though  not  being  fed  by  such 
numerous  streams,  it  cannot  equal  it  in  size.  The  river  of  Siam, 
or  Maygue,  also  pervades  a  part  of  the  Birman  territory.  The 
fyeography  of  all  these  rivers  remains  imperfect. 

MouJitains.]  It  is  probable  that  the  highest  range  of  mountains 
is  on  the  frontiers  of  Tibet.     The  other  ranges  are  delineated  as 

*  Symes,  it.  Sr2; 


BIRMAN  EMPIRE.  -      54S 

passing  N.  and  S.,  but  the  names  are  not  indicated,  except  those 
of  Anoupec,  between  Ava  and  Arracan,  and  a  small  rang^e  running 
E.  and  W.,  which  supplies  the  sources  of  the  river  of  Pegu. 

J''oreats.^  The  forests  are  large  and  numerous,  many  parts  re- 
maining in  a  state  of  nature.  They  supply  almost  every  descrip- 
tion of  timber  that  is  known  in  Hindostan  ;  and,  about  four  days 
journey  to  the  N.  of  the  capital,  firs  grow  in  abundance.  But  the 
lord  of  the  Birman  forest  is  the  teak  tree,  superior  to  the  Euro- 
pean oak,  which  is  there  unknown :  the  teak  flourishes  in  many 
pai'ts  of  the  empire,  to  the  N.  of  the  capital  as  well  as  to  the  S. 

Botany.']  AH  the  countries  that  compose  the  rich  and  exten- 
sive territory  of  India  beyond  the  Ganges,  includiiig  the  Binnau 
empire,  and  the  dominions  of  Pegu,  Siam,  Cambodia,  Cochin- 
China,  and  Malacca,  bear  such  a  similarity  to  each  other  in  their 
vegetable  productions  as  far  as  they  have  been  investigated,  as 
renders  it  impossible  to  give  a  general  and  separate  view  of  their 
respective  floras  without  continual  repetitions.  Certain  districts 
also  in  farther  India  have  been  examined  with  considerable  atten- 
tion, while  others  similarly  situated  have  remained  almost  wholly 
overlooked  :  it  is  only  therefore  from  analogy  (a  highly  probable 
one  indeed)  that  we  can  conjecture  the  most  characteristic  species 
of  their  indigenous  plants.  The  mountains  of  the  interior,  and  in 
general  the  whole  northern  frontier,  are  still  totally  unexplored, 
and  the  deep  forests  infested  with  tigers,  must  ever  continue,  even 
in  the  more  accessible  parts,  to  oppose  no  trifling  obstacles  to  the 
spirit  of  scientific  adventure. 

It  is  in  those  parts  cf  the  torrid  zone  that  abound  with  water, 
and  where,  from  the  influence  of  the  monsoons,  the  country  is  ex- 
tensively flooded  every  year,  that  vegetation  assumes  a  vigor  and 
sublimity  wholly  inconceivable  by  the  native  of  more  temperate 
climates  :  everlasting  verdure,  grace,  and  majesty  of  form,  height 
and  amplitude  of  growth,  are  the  distinguishing  attributes  of  their 
trees,  compared  with  which  the  monarchs  of  oxir  forests  sink  into 
vegetables  of  an  inferior  order  :  the  same  exuberance  of  nature 
is  conspicuous  in  their  shrubs  and  herbaceous  plants,  in  their  blos- 
soms and  their  fruits,  whose  vivid  brilliancy  of  color,  singularity 
of  shape,  aromatic  fi'agrancc,  and  exalted  flavor,  reduce  to  rela- 
tive insignificance  the  puny  produce  of  European  sumn^ers. 

Here  rises  in  proud  magnificence  the  white  sandal  tree,  whose 
fragrant  wood  is  in  high  request  through  the  whole  east  for  tlic, 
grateful  odour  of  its  smoke.  The  teak  tree  (tectona  theca)  is  al 
least  equal  even  to  British  oak  as  a  dUi-able  material  for  shin- 
building  :  the  true  jet  black  ebony  wood  is  the  produce  of  one  of 
the  indigenious  trees  of  Cochin  China.  The  sycamore  fig,  the 
Indian  fig,  and  the  banyan  tree,  itself  a  grove,  by  the  breadth  of 
their  leaves  and  the  luxuriance  of  their  foilage,  afford  a  most  de- 
licious shelter,  impenetrable  even  by  the  meridian  ardor  of  an  In- 
dian sun. 

Of  the  plants  that  are  used  in  medicine  or  the  arts  some  of  the 
anost  important  are  natives  of  farther  India  :  the  nature  of  this 
work  docs  not  admit  cf  specifying  the   whole,  but  those  of  most 


544.  BIRMAN  EMPIRE. 

consequence  are  the  following.  The  ginger  and  cardamon,  two 
pleasant  aromatics,  are  found  wild  on  the  river  sides,  but  are  also 
cultivated  in  great  abundance  ;  the  turmeric,  whose  principal  use 
in  Europe  is  as  a  dying  drug,  is  largely  used  by  the  natives  of 
the  coast  to  tinge  and  flavor  their  rice  and  other  food  :  the  leaves 
of  the  betel  pepper,  with  the  fruit  of  the  black  and  long  pepper, 
are  the  most  favorite  of  their  native  spices,  to  which  may  also  be 
added  three  or  four  kinds  of  capsicum.  The  cinnamon  laurel 
grows  in  abundance  on  each  side  of  the  Malayan  peninsula,  and 
sometimes,  as  it  is  said,  accompanied  by  the  nutmeg.  The  su- 
gar cane,  the  bamboo,  and  the  spikenard,  the  three  most  cele- 
brated plants  of  the  grass  tribe,  are  found  throughout  the  whole 
country  ;  the  two  former  in  rich  swamps,  and  the  latter  on  dry  hills. 
The  sweet  potatoe,  mad  apple  and  loveapple,  gourds,  melons,  wa- 
ter melons,  and  a  profusion  of  other  esculent  plants,  enrich  this  fa- 
vored country  ;  all  these  however  require  cultivation  :  but  the  plan- 
tain, the  cocoa  nut,  the  sago  palm,  furnished  by  the  free  unstinted 
bounty  of  nature,  contribute  most  plentifully  to  satisfy  the  wants 
of  the  inhabitants.  Of  native  fruits  they  possess  a  vast  variety 
and  an  inexhaustible  abundance.  The  vine  grows  wild  in  the 
forests,  but  from  excessive  heat  and  want  of  cultivation  its  fruit 
is  far  inferior  to  that  of  the  south  of  Europe  :  to  compensate  how- 
ever for  this  deficiency,  they  have  the  luscious  mango,  the  pine 
apple,  the  sapindus  edulis  (the  li-tschi  of  the  Chinese,)  the  man- 
gosteen  plum,  the  custard  apple,  the  papaw  fig,  the  orange,  the 
lemon  and  lime,  and  a  multitude  of  other  exquisite  fruits,  whose 
very  names  are  scarcely  known  in  Europe. 

Zoology.^  The  animals  in  general  correspond  with  those  of 
Hindostan.  Elephants  principally  abound  in  Per;u.  The  horses 
are  small,  but  spirited.  A  kind  of  wild  fowl  called  the  hcnza,  and 
by  the  Hindoos  the  braminy  goose,  has  been  adopted  as  the  symbol 
of  the  empire,  like  the  Roman  eagle. 

Mineralogy.^  The  mineralogy  of  this  region,  the  Golden  Cher- 
sonese of  the  ancients,  is  rich,  and  sogie  products  rather  singu- 
lar. While  Malacca,  which  has  hitherto  been  supposed  the 
Golden  Chersonese,  scarcely  produces  any  mineral,  except  tin, 
and  is  in  truth  a  poor  country,  celebrated  chiefly  as  an  emporium 
of  Portuguese  trade  with  ChJna  ;  the  rivers  of  Pegu,  on  the  con- 
trary, still  continue  to  devolve  particles  of  gold  ;  and  their  sands 
must  in  ancient  times  have  been  yet  more  prolific  of  that  precious 
metal.  Nor  is  it  irapi'obable  that  the  practice  of  gilding  the  roofs 
and  spires  of  temples  and  palaces  is  very  ancient,  as  we  are  told 
that  the  Shomadoo  was  built  about  500  years  before  the  Christian 
era  ;  in  which  case  the  splendid  appearance  might  naturally  give 
rise  to  the  classical  appellation  of  the  country.  In  many  regions 
gold  is  found  intermingled  with  silver  ;  and  six  days  journey 
from  Bamoo  (probably  towards  the  north)  there  are  mines  of  gold 
and  silver  at  Badouem,  near  the  frontiers  of  China.  By  a  singu- 
lar conjunction,  there  are,  according  to  the  same  authority,  mines 
ftf  gold,  silver,  rubies,  and  sapphires,  at  present  open  on  a  moun- 
tain called  Wooboloo-taun,  near  the  river  Keen  Duem. 


MALAYA,  OR  MALACCA.  545 

There  is  also  abundance  of  inferior  minerals,  as  tin,  iron,  lead,' 
antimony,  arsenic,  and  sulphur ;  and  amber,  a  rare  and  singular 
product,  is  not  only  dug  up  in  large  quantities  near  the  river  Irra- 
wady,  but  is  uncommonly  pure  and  pellucid. 

The  most  singular  product  of  Pegu  is  the  ruby,  a  stone  next  to 
the  diamond  in  value,  and  which  is  found  in  a  mountain  between 
Sirian  and  Pegu,  this  substance  being  almost  as  peculiar  as  the 
diamond  is  to  Hindostan.  Rubies  and  sapphires  are  also  found 
in  the  north  western  part  of  the  empire  ;  but  the  most  valuable 
mines  are  in  the  vicinity  of  the  capital,  or  rather  about  30  miles  to 
the  north. 


MALAYA,  OR  MALACCA. 


PROGRESSIVE  GEOGRAPHY,  NAME  AND  EXTENT,  LANG.UAGE,  PRO- 
DUCTS, CITY  OF  MALACCA,  GENERAL  REMARKS  ON  THE  MA- 
LAYS, ISLES  OF  ANDAMAN  AND  NICOBAR. 

THE  peninsula  appended  to  the  Birman  territories  on 
the  south  is  styled  Malaya  or  Malacca. 

Progressive  Geof^rafihy.']  This  Chersonese  was  certainly  un- 
known to  the  ancients,  and  seems  to  have  escaped  the  knowledge 
of  Marco  Polo,  if  this  be  not  his  Maletur,  where  he  says  there 
was  abundance  of  spices,  and  the  natives  had  a  proper  and  pecu- 
liar speech. 

However  this  be,  the  Portuguese  are  regarded  as  the  first  dis- 
coverers of  Malacca  in  1509,  to  which  they  were  led  by  the  vain 
idea  of  finding  the  golden  Chersonese  of  the  ancients.  In  1511 
the  Portuguese  conquered  the  peninsula. 

JVa/we.j  The  name  is  derived  from  the  Malaya,  who  are  most- 
ly Mahometans,  and  in  some  degree  civilized  ;  but  the  inland 
parts  seem  to  be  possessed  by  a  more  rude  na{ive  race,  little 
known  amidst  the  imperfection  of  materials  concerning  this  coun- 
try. The  northern  limits  are  not  strictly  defined ;  but  Malacca 
is  about  8°,  or  near  560  miles  in  length,  by  about  150  miles  of  me- 
dial breadth,  a  territory  sufficiently  ample  for  a  powerful  mon- 
archy, had  its  native  productions  corresponded  with  its  extent. 

Lans^uageJ]  The  Malayan  language  has  been  called  the  Ital- 
ian of  the  east,  from  the  melody  of  frequent  vowels  and  liquids. 

The  Arabic  character  is  made  use  of  ;  and  an  influx  of  words  of 
that  language  has  followed  the  adoption  of  the  Mahometan  reli- 
gion. 1  hey  write  on  paper,  using  mk  of  their  own  composition, 
and  pens  made  of  the  twigs  of  a  tree.  The  purest  Malay  is  still 
supposed  to  be  spoken  in  the  peninsula,  and  has  no  inflexion  of 
nouns  or  verbs. 

JDivisions.'\     Malacca  is  represented  as  divided  into  the  king- 

VOL.   II.  69 


546  MALAYA,  OR  MALACCA. 

clom  of  Patani  in  the  north,  and  that  of  Yohor  or  Jor  occupying  tlic 
southci'n  extremity  of  the  peninsula,  the  cliief  towns  being  Batu- 
saber  the  capital,  Linga,  Bintam,  and  Carimon. 

I'roducts.']  The  inland  parts  of  the  Malayan  peninsula 
seems  to  remain  full  of  extensive  aboriginal  forests  ;  nor  do  the  an- 
cient or  modern  maps  indicate  any  towns  or  villages  in  these  parts. 
The  indolence  of  the  inhabitants  has  prevented  the  country  from 
being  explored  ;  but  it  produces  pepper,  and  other  spices,  with 
some  precious  gums  and  woods.  The  wild  elephants  supply 
abundance  of  ivory ;  but  the  tin,  the  only  mineral  mentioned,  may 
perhaps  be  the  produce  of  Banka. 

The  city  of  Malacca,  which  seems  to  have  been  founded  by  Ma- 
Jiometana-in  the  thirteenth  century,  was  held  by  the  Portuguese 
till  1641,  when  it  was  seized  by  the  Dutch.  It  was  considered  as 
situated  in  the  southern  kingdom  of  Yohor  ;  and  in  the  last  cen- 
tury was  supposed  to  contain  12,000  inhabitants,  of  which  how- 
ever only  3000  dwelt  within  the  Avails.  Not  above  300  were  na- 
tive Portuguese,  the  others  being  a  mixed  race  of  Mahometan 
Malays,  accounted  among  the  chief  merchants  of  the  east.  The 
Portuguese  settlement  did  not  extend  above  five  leagues  around  ; 
yet  became  highly  important  from  its  advantageous  position  for 
Indian  and  Chinese  commerce.* 

The  disgraceful  jealousy  of  the  Dutch  concerning  their  oi'iental 
possessions  renders  the  recent  accounts  of  this  city  imperfect. 

In  general  the  Malays  are  a  well  made  people,  though  rather 
below  the  middle  stature,  their  limbs  well  shaped,  but  small,  and 
particularly  slender,  at  the  wrists  and  ancles.  Their  complexion 
is  tawney,  tlieir  eyes  large,  their  noses  seem  rather  flattened  by  art 
than  nature  ;  and  their  hair  is  very  long,  black,  and  shining. 

Besides  the  tiger  and  elephant,  Malacca  produces  the  civet  cat 
described  by  Sonnerat,  who  also  mentions  that  wild  men  are 
found  in  this  peninsula,  perhaps  the  noted  Orang  Outang. 

They  are  restless,  fond  of  navigation,  war,  plunder,  emigrations, 
colonies,  desperate  enterprizes,  adventures,  and  gallantry.  They 
talk  incessantly  of  their  honor  and  their  bravery,  whilst  they  are 
universally  considered  by  those  with  whom  they  have  intercourse, 
as  the  most  treacherous,  ferocious  people  on  the  globe  j  and  yet, 
they  speak  the  softest  language  of  Asia. 

This  ferocity  is  so  well  known  to  the  European  companies,  who 
have  settlements  in  the  Indies,  that  they  have  universally  agreed 
in  prohibiting  the  captains  of  their  ships,  who  may  put  into  the 
Malay  islands,  from  taking  on  board  any  seamen  of  that  nation, 
except  in  the  greatest  distress,  and  then  on  no  account  to  exceed 
two  or  three. 

It  is  nothing  uncommon  for  a  handful  of  these  savages  suddenly 
to  embark,  attack  a  vessel  by  surprize,  poniard  in  hand,  massacre 
the  people,  and  make  themselves  masters  of  her,  Malay  barks, 
■with  25  or  30  men,  have  been  known  to  board  European  ships 
of  30  or  40  guns,  in  order  to  take  possession  of  them,  and  murder 

*  MandeUlo,  i.  Col  337. 


SIAM.  5«r. 

with  their  poniards  great  part  of  the  crew.  The  Malay  history  is' 
full  of  such  enterprizes,  which  mark  the  desperate  ferocity  of 
these  barbarians. 

Opposite  to  the  coast  of  Malacca,  though  at  a  considerable  dis- 
tance, are  the  islands  of  Andaman  and  of  Nicobar.     The   great 
Andaman  is  about  140  miles  in  length,  but  not  more  than  20  in 
the  greatest  breadth,  indented  by   deep  bays  affording  excellent 
harbors,  and  intersected  by  vast  inlets  and  creeks,  one  of  which, 
navigable  for  small  vessels,  passes  quite  through  the  isle.*     The 
soil  is  chiefly  black  mould,  the  cliffs  of  a  white  arenaceous  stone. 
The  extensive  forests  afford  some  precious  trees,  as  ebony,  and 
the  Nicobar  bread  fruit.     The  only  quadrupeds  seem  to  be  wild 
hogs,  monkeys,  and  rats.     The  sea  supplies  numerous  fish,  and- 
excellent  oysters.     The  people  of  the   Andamans  are  as  little' 
civilized  as  any  in  the  world,  and  are  probably  cannibals.     They 
have  woolly  heads,  and  perfectly  resemble  negroes.     Their  char- 
acter is  truly  brutal,  insidious,  and  ferocious,  and  their  canoes  of 
the  rudest  kind.     On  Barren  isle,  about    15   leagues   east  of  the 
Andamans,  is  a  violent  volcano,  which  emits  showers  of  red  hot' 
stones  ;  and  the  whole  island  has  a  singular  and  volcanic  appear- 
ance.    A   British  settlement   has   been  recently  formed  on  the' 
Greater  Andaman,  and  some  convicts  sent  thither  from  Bengal. 
The  natives,  about  2000,  have  already  profited  by  the  example  of 
English  industr3''. 

The  Nicobars  are  three  ;  the  largest  being  about  five  leagnes 
Jn  circumference. t  They  produce  cocoa  and  areca  trees,  with- 
yan\s  and  sweet  potatoes  ;  and  the  eatable  bird's  nests,  so  highly 
esteemed  in  China,  abound  here  as  well  as  in  the  Andamans. 
The  people  are  of  a  copper  colour,  with  small  oblique  eyes  and 
other  Tartar  features.  In  their  dress  a  small  stripe  of  cloth 
hangs  down  behind  ;  and  hence  the  ignorant  tales  of  seamen, 
which  led  even  Linnaeus  to  infer,  that  some  kind  of  men  had  tails. 
The  only  quadrupeds  are  swine  and  dogs.  The  traffic  is  in  cocoa 
nuts,  of  which  one  hundred  are  given  for  a  yard  of  blue  cloth. 


SIAM. 

CHAPTER  I. 

HISTORICAL  GEOGRAPIIV, 

NAMK,  EXTENT,  BOUNDARIES,  ORIGINAL  POPULATION,  PROGREiv- 
SIVE  GEOGRAPHY,  HISTORICAL  EPOCHS,  RELIGION,  GOVERN- 
MENT, LAWS,  POPULATION,  ARMY,  NAVY,  REVENUES,  POLITICAL 
IMPORTANCE,  MANNERS,  LANGUAGE,  LITERATURE,  CITIES, 
EDIFICES,  MANUEACTURE5,  COMMERCE. 

TILL  the  recent  extension  of  the  Birman  empire,  tlie 
rich  and  flourishing  monarchy  of  Siam  was  to  be  regarded  as  the 

*  A*.  ]{es.iv.  385.  f  II>i<I-  >>*•  ^^^- 


548  SIAM. 

chief  state  of  exterior  India.  This  kingdom,  with  Malacca,  con- 
tains, according  to  Hassel,  about  143,000  square  miles. 

Aa7nc.]  The  name  of  this  celebrated  country  is  of  uncertain 
origin,  and  in  appearance  first  delivered  by  the  Portuguese,in  whose 
orthography  Siam  and  Siao  are  the  same,  so  that  Sian,  or  Siang, 
might  be  preferable  to  Siam  ;*  and  the  Portuguese  writers  in 
Latin  call  the  natives  Sioncs.  The  Siamese  style  themselves  Tai, 
or  freemen ;  and  their  country  Mena7ig  Tai,  or  the  kingdom  of 
freemen.  It  is  probable  that  the  Portuguese  derived  the  name 
Sian  from  intercourse  with  the  Peguesc.f 

Extent  and  Boundaries.~\  The  extent  of  the  Siamese  dominions 
has  been  recently  restricted  by  the  encroachments  of  the  Birmans, 
nor  can  some  of  the  limits  be  accurately  defined.  On  the  west  of 
the  Malaian  peninsMla  a  few  possessions  may  remain,  to  the  south 
of  Tanaserim  ;  and  on  the  eastern  side  of  that  Chersonese  Ligor 
may  mark  the  boundary.  On  the  west  a  chain  of  mountains  seems 
to  divide  Siam,  as  formerly,  from  Pegu, — but  the  northern  prov- 
ince of  Yunshan  would  appear  to  be  in  the  hands  of  the  Birmans, 
who  here  seem  to  extend  to  the  river  Maykang.  To  the  south 
iind  east  the  ancient  boundaries  are  fixed  ;  the  ocean,  and  a  chain 
of  mountains,  dividing  Siam  from  Laos  and  Cambodia.  Thus  the 
ancient  idea  may  be  retained,  that  this  kingdom  is  a  large  vale  be- 
tween two  ridges  of  mountains. 

The  length  of  the  kingdom  may  be  about  ten  degrees,  or  near 
700  British  miles  :  but  of  this  about  one  half  is  not  above  70  miles 
in  medial  breadth. 

Original  Population.']  The  original  population  of  Siam,  and 
other  regions  of  exterior  India,  can  only  be  traced  by  affinity 
of  language  :  and  the  topic  has  been  little  illustrated. 

Progressive  Geography. ~\  The  progressive  geography  of  Siam 
ascends  to  classical  antiquity,  if  the  people  be,  as  is  resonably  in- 
Ijprred,  the  Sinae  of  Ptolemy.  In  the  reign  of  the  emperor  Justin- 
ian, Cosmas,  called  Indicopleustes,  mentions  the  silk  of  the  Sinje, 
as  imported  into  Taprobana;  which  he  also  calls  Sielediva,  coin- 
ciding with  Selendid,  the  oriental  name  of  Ceylon:  and  when  he 
adds  that  this  isle  was  at  an  equal  distance  from  the  Persian  gulf, 
and  the  region  of  the  Sinae,  he  affords  an  additional  proof  that  the  lat- 
ter was  Siam.  This  country  is  not  indeed  at  present  remarkable  for 
the  production  of  silk,  the  staple  article  of  the  ancjent  Sinae;  but  it 
appears  that  the  silk  of  the  early  classics  was  the  growth  of  a  tree, 
a  kind  of  silky  cotton,  still  abundant  in  Siam ;  and  perhaps,  as 
Malacca  afterwards  became  famous  for  products  not  its  own,  so 
Siam,  in  a  similar  centrical  position  between  China  and  Hindostan, 
might,  in  ancient  times,  be  the  mart  of  this  and  other  more  oriental 
articles. 

Some  faint  notices  concerning  Siam  may  probably  occur  in  the 
oriental  geographers  of  the  middle  ages ;  but  such  inquiries  are 
more  proper  for  an  antiquarian  dissertation.     Suffice  it  to  observe 

*  Louberc,  i.  16.  edit.  Amst.  1714. 

■j-  iS'Aft?j  is  the  oriental  tcrni,  as  f.ppears  from  several  papen  in  the  Asiatic  Re- 
searches. 


SIAM.  549 

that,  till  the  Portuguese  discoveries,  Slam  may  be  said  to  have  re- 
mained unknown  to  Europeans.  In  the  middle  of  the  seventeenth 
century  Mandelslo*  has  compiled  a  tolerable  account  of  this 
country ;  but  the  French  descriptions  present  more  precision  of 
knowledge,  as  well  as  more  extent  of  information.  By  the  latter 
was  reformed  a  singular  error  in  the  geography,  which  deduced 
the  great  rivci-s  of  Ava,  Pegu,  and  Siam  from  a  large  inland  lake, 
called  Chiamai,  in  lat.  30,  while  Tibet  is  placed  in  lat.  40.  But  on 
comparing  the  maps  of  Asia  in  the  beginning  of  last  century,  the 
reader  will  be  sensible  of  the  great  progress  of  geography  in  re- 
cent times. 

Historical  Efiochs.']  The  Siamese  history  is  imperfect,  and 
abounds  with  fables.  By  Loubcre's  account  their  first  king  began 
to  reign  in  the  year  1300  of  their  epoch,  or  about  756  years  after 
the  Christian  era.  Wars  with  Pegu,  and  occasional  usurpations 
of  the  throne,  constitute  the  hinges  of  Siamese  history  siuce  the 
Portuguese  discovery.  In  1568  the  Peguese  king  declared  Avar  on 
account  of  two  white  elephants,  which  the  Siamese  refused  to  sur- 
.  render,  and  after  prodigious  slaughter  on  both  sides,  Siam  became 
♦  tributary  to  Pegu.  But  about  1 620,  Raja  Hapi  delivered  his  crown 
from  this  servitude.!  In  1680,  Phalcon,  a  Greek  adventurer,  be- 
ing highly  favored  by  the  king  of  Siam,  opened  an  intercourse 
with  France,  in  the  view  of  supporting  his  ambitious  designs  ;  but 
they  were  punished  by  his  decapitation  in  1 689,  and  the  French  con- 
nexion ceased  in  censequence.  The  latter  events  of  Siamese 
history  may  partly  be  traced  in  that  of  the  Birman  empire.  In 
1775,  Siam  regained  its  freedom,  having  lost  much  of  its  former 
grandeur.! 

Heliffion.']  The  religion  of  the  Siamese,  like  that  of  the  Bir- 
mans,  resembles  that  of  the  Hindoos  ;  and  the  transmigration  of 
souls  forms  an  essential  part  of  their  doctrine  ;  but  they  imitate 
the  Chinese  in  their  festival  of  the  dead,  and  in  some  other  rites 
of  that  singular  nation. 

Governvient.']  The  government  of  Siam  is  despotic  ;  and  the 
sovereign,  as  among  the  Birmans,  revered  with  honors  almost  di- 
vine.    The  succession  to  the  crown  is  hereditary  in  the  male  line. 

Laivs.^  The  Laws  are  represented  by  all  writers  on  this  country 
as  extremely  severe,  death  or  mutilation  being  punishments  even 
of  unimportant  offences. 

Population.']  Concerning  the  population  of  Siam  there  are  no 
adequate  documents.  If  the  Birman  empire  contain,  as  is  assert- 
ed, more  than  fourteen  millions,  it  might  perhaps  be  resonable  to 
conclude  that  the  Siamese  dominions  may  be  peopled  by  about 
eight  millions.  Yet  Lofubere  assures  us,  that  from  actual  enume- 
ration, there  were  only  found  of  men,  women,  and  children, 
1 ,900,000.§  This  last  estimate  corresponds  with  that  of  Bruns. 
So  uncei'tain  are  the  computations  in  oriental  countries  ! 

Jrinri.~\  Loubcre  says  that,  in  his  time,  there  was  no  army  ex- 
cept a  few  royal  guards ;  but  Mandelslo  estimated  the  army,  which 

*CoI.  301— 351.       t  ^r.tndcHo,  .-jSa.        ^Hassd.  $  ^lanJcUlo,  i.  3C», 


550  SIAM. 

may  be  occasionally  raised,  at  60,000,  with  not  less  than  3000  or 
4000  elephants.  The  manner  of  raising  this  army  resembles  that 
alrealdy  described,  as  practised  in  the  Birman  empire. 

JVavy.~\  The  navy  is  composed  of  a  number  of  vessels  of  va- 
rious sizes,  some  of  which  are  richly  decorated.  Hence,  as  in  the 
Birman  history,  naval  engagements  are  .not  uncommon;  and  the 
large  rivers  of  exterior  India  are  often  reddened  with  human  gore. 
Both  the  Birman  and  Siamese  vessels  frequently  display  a  singu- 
lar, fantastic  elegance. 

Revenues.~\  The  revenues  of  this  sovereignty  arc  of  uncertain 
computation.  There  is  a  royal  treasury,  as  in  most  other  eastern 
states,  but  voyagers  have  not  attempted  to  define  its  probable 
amount. 

Political  Imjiortance  and  Relations^  Siam  appeared  of  consid- 
erable political  importance  to  the  French  in  the  reign  of  Louis 
the  XIV.,  v/ho  aspired  to  form  lasting  settlements,  and  render  it 
a  mart  of  Indian  commerce,  and  a  source  of  great  opulence  to 
themselves.  Were  the  Birmans  to  become  dangerous  to  the  Brit- 
ish possessions  in  Bengal,  a  firm  alliance  with  Siam  might  be 
highly  serviceable  to  that  nation.  In  a  merely  commercial  point 
of  view,  as  it  may  be  difficult  to  preserve  the  frcndship  both  of  the 
Birmans  and  the  Siamese,  it  is  matter  of  calculation  from  which 
state  superior  advantages  may  be  derived. 

Manners  and  CiLstQmsr\^  There  is  a  considerable  similitude  in 
the  manners  and  customs  of  all  the  states  between  the  vast  coun- 
tries of  China  and  Hindostan  ;  with  shades  of  diiFerence,  as  they 
approximate  to  either  of  these  foci  of  civilization.  Siam,  though 
centrical,  has  embraced  a  branch  of  Hindoo  faith,  and  the  manners 
are  rather  Hindostanic  than  Chinese. 

The  women  are  under  few  restraints,  and  are  married  at  an  ear- 
ly age.  The  espousals  are  concluded  by  female  mediation  ;  and 
on  the  third  visit  the  parties  are  considered  as  wedded,  after  the 
exchange  of  a  few  presents,  without  any  farther  ceremony,  civil 
er  religious.  Polygamy  is  allowed  ;  and  one  wife  is  always  ac- 
knowledged  as  supreme. 

The  Siamese  funerals  considerably  resemble  those  of  the  Chi- 
nese.* The  body  is  enclosed  in  a  wooden  bier,  or  varnished  cof- 
fin ;  and  the  monks,  called  Talapoins,  (perhaps  from  their  talepan^ 
©r  peculiar  umbrella,)  sing  hymns  in  the  Bali  tongue.  After  a 
solemn  procession  the  body  is  burnt  on  a  funeral  pile  of  precious 
woods,  erected  near  some  temple  ;  and  the  spectacle  is  often  ren- 
dered more  magnificent  by  the  addition  of  theatrical  exhibitions. 
The  tombs  are  in  a  pyramidal  form,  and  those  of  the  kings  large 
and  lofty.  Mourning  is  not  prescribed  by  the  laws,  as  in  China  : 
and  the  poor  are  buried  with  little  ceremony. 

The  common  nourishment  of  the  Siamese  consists  in  rice'and 
fish,  both  which  articles  are  abundant.  They  also  eat  lizards, 
i-ats,  and  several  kinds  of  insects. 

The  houses  are  small,  and  constructed  of  bamboos,  upon  pillars, 
to  guard  against  inundations,  which  are  common  in  this  country. 

•  LoUbere,  i.  3'!. 


SIAM.  551 

They  are  speedily  destroyed  and  replaced  ;  and  a  conflagration, 
if  a  common,  is  at  the  same  time  a  slight,  calamity.  Even  the 
palaces  only  exceed  the  common  habitations  by  occupying  a  more 
extensive  space,  and  being  constructed  of  timber,  with  a  few  or- 
naments ;  they  are  also  of  a  greater  height,  but  never  exceed  one 
floor. 

In  person  the  Siamese  are  rather  small,  but  well  made.*  "  The 
figure  of  the  countenance,  both  of  men  and  women,  has  less  of  the 
oval  than  of  the  lozenge  form,  being  broad,  and  raised  at  the  top 
of  the  cheeks  :  and  the  forehead  suddenly  contracts,  and  is  al- 
most as  pointed  as  the  chin.  Besides,  their  eyes  rising  somewhat 
towards  the  temples,  are  small,  and  dull :  and  the  •ivhite  is  com- 
monly completely  yellow.  Their  checks  are  hollow,  because  the 
upper  part  is  too  high  ;  the  mouth  is  very  large,  with  thick  pale 
Jips,  and  teeth  blackened  by  art.  The  complexion  is  coarse,  be- 
ing brown,  mixed  with  red,  to  which  the  climate  greatly  contrib- 
utes."! 

Hence  it  would  appear  that  the  Siamese  are  much  inferior  in 
personal  appearance  to  the  Birmans  ;  and  rather  approach  to  the 
Tartaric  or  Chinese  features. 

The  dress  is  very  slight,  the  warmtl\of  the  climate  rendering 
clothes  almost  unnecessary. 

The  Siamese  excel  in  theatrical  amusements.  The  subjects 
»re  often  taken  from  their  mythology,  and  from  traditions  con- 
cerning their  ancient  heroes.  They  have  also  races  of  oxen,  and 
those  of  boats,  combats  of  elephants,  cock-fighting,  tumbling, 
wrestling,  and  rope-dancing,  religious  processions,  and  illumina- 
tions, and  beautiful  exhibitions  of  fire-works.  The  men  are  gen- 
erally indolent  to  excess,  and  fond  of  games  of  chance,  while  the 
women  are  employed  in  works  of  industry. 

Language.~\  Like  the  other  languages  of  farther  India,  the  Si- 
amese has  not  been  completely  investigated,  and  compared  with 
the  adjacent  tongues.  There  are  thirty -seven  letters,  all  conso- 
nants ;  the  vowels  and  diphthongs  constituting  a  distinct  alpha- 
bet. The  R  appears,  which  is  not  known  to  the  Chinese,  and  the 
W.  There  is  a  considerable  chant  in  the  enunciation,  as  in  other 
ancient  languages.  There  are  no  inflexions  of  verbs  or  nouns  ; 
and  the  idioms  being  very  remote  from  those  of  Europe,  any 
translation  becomes  very  difficult.  The  words  seem  mostly  mon- 
osyllabic, like  the  Chinese. 

The  Bali  of  the  Siamese  resembles  that  of  the  Birmans,  and  has 
thirty-three  letters. 

Literature.']  In  literature  the  Siamese  are  far  from  being^  de- 
ficient, and  Loubere  has  well  explained  their  modes  of  education.| 
At  the  age  of  seven  or  eight  years  the  children  are  often  placed 
in  the  convents  of  the  Talapoins,  where  ihcy  are  instructed  in 
reading,  writing,  and  accompts  ;  for  the  mercantile  profession  is 
very  general.     They  are  also  taught  precepts  of  morality  :  but  it 

•  Loub.  i.  81. 

t  Kscm]ifei',  i.  29,  calls  them  negrocii,  so  dark  did  theif  comi-lexion  appear  to  him  ; 
and  he  comiiare*  their  persons  to  apes. 
+  i.  180. 


552  SIAM. 

is  to  be  regretted  that  Booilh  is  not  only  the  god  of  wisdom,  but  of 
cunning,  which  is  esteemed,  if  not  a  positive  virtue,  yet  a  proof  of 
superior  abilities.  Books  of  history  are  not  unknown,  and  there 
is  an  excelleent  code  of  laws.  Poetry,  tales,  and  mythologic  fa- 
bles, seem  to  constitute  the  other  departments  of  Siamese  litera- 
ture. 

Cities  and  TotvJis.']  The  capital  city  of  the  kingdom  has  been 
called  Siam,  by  the  vague  ignorance  of  the  Portuguese  navigators. 
In  the  native  language,  the  name  approaches  to  the  European  enun- 
ciation of  Yuthia.  It  is  situated  in  an  isle  formed  by  the  river 
Meinam.  The  walls,  in  Loubere's  time,  were  extensive  ;  but 
not  above  a  sixth  part  was  inhabited.  Its  condition,  since  it  was 
delivered  from  the  Birman  conquest  in  1766,  has  not  been  de- 
scribed. 

The  other  chief  towns  in  the  Siamese  dominions,  are  Bankok, 
at  the  mouth  of  the  Meinam  ;  with  Ogmo  and  others  on  the  east- 
ern coast  of  the  gulf  of  Siam.  In  general  these  towns  were  only 
collections  of  hovels,  sometimes  surrounded  with  a  wooden  stock- 
ade, and  rarely  with  a  brick  wall.  As  there  is  no  recent  descrip- 
tion of  the  country,  it  would  be  superfluous  to  dwell  on  old  de- 
scriptions of  places,  perhaps  ruined  in  the  frequency  of  oriental 
revolutions ;  while  other  cities  may  have  arisen  as  yet  unknown  iu 
geography. 

Edijices.']  Kasmpfei',  in  1690,  visited  Siam  ;  and  his  account, 
though  brief,  is  solid  and  interesting.  He  minutely  dcsci'ibes  two 
remarkable  edifices  near  the  capital.*  The  first  is  the  famous 
pyramid,  called  Puka  Thon,  on  a  plain  to  the  N.  W.  erected  in 
memory  of  a  victory  there  obtained  over  the  king  of  Pegu.  It  is 
a  massy,  but  magnificent  structure,  about  1 20  feet  in  height,  in  a 
square  spot,  enclosed  by  a  wall.  The  first  stage  is  square,  each 
side  being  about  115  paces  long.  The  others  vary  in  form  ;  and 
there  are  open  galleries,  ornamented  with  columns.  At  the  top 
it  terminates  in  a  slender  spire. 

The  second  edifice  consists  of  tw6  squares  to  the  east  of  the 
city,  each  surrounded  with  a  fair  wall,  and  separated  by  a  channel 
of  the  river.  They  contain  many  temples,  convents,  chapels,  and 
columns,  particularly  the  temple  of  Berklam,  with  a  grand  gate, 
ornamented  with  statues  and  other  carvings  :  the  other  decora- 
tions were  also,  by  his  account,  exquisite. 

That  intelligent  voyager  also  describes  some  other  edifices  ; 
and  his  ideas  on  the  subject  deserve  to  be  contrasted  with  those 
of  Loubere,  who,  accustomed  to  the  pomp  of  Louis  XIV.  or  dis- 
gusted by  the  massacre  of  his  countrymen,  may  in  this,  and  some 
other  instances,  have  perhaps  given  unfavorable  representations 
of  this  celebrated  country. 

Manufactures.~\  Though  the  Siamese  are  an  indolent,  yet  they 
are  an  ingenious  people,  and  some  of  their  manufactures  deserve 
praise.  They  are  little  skilled  in  the  fabrication  of  iron  or  steel  ; 
but  excel  in  that  of  gold,  and  in  miniature  painting.     The  com- 

*  i.  50. 


SIAM.  55S 

mon  people  are  mostly  occupied  in  procuring  fish  for  their  daily 
food,  while  the  superior  classes  are  engaged  in  a  trifling  traffic. 

Commerce.']  The  commercial  relations  are  chiefly  with  Hindos- 
tan,  China,  Japan,  and  the  Dutch. 

The  productions  of  the  country  are  grain  in  prodigious  quanti- 
ties, cotton,  benjamin  ;  sandal,  aguallo,  and  sapan  woods  ;  antimo- 
ny, tin,  lead,  iron,  load-stone,  gold,  and  silver  ;  sapphires,  eme- 
ralds, agates,  crystal,  marble,  and  tombac* 


CHAPTER  il. 


NATURAL  GEOGRAPHY. 

CLIMATE  AND  SEASONS,  FACE  OF  THE  COUNTRY,  SOIL  AND  AGRI- 
CULTURE, RIVERS,  LAKES,  MOUNTAINS,  BOTANY,  ^.OOLOGY,  MIN- 
ERALOGY. 

Climate  and  Seasons."]  THE  two  first  months  of  the  Siam- 
ese year,  which  correspond  with  our  Decembertuid  January,  fomn 
the  whole  winter  of  this  country  :  the  third,  fourth,  and  fifth,  be- 
long to  what  is  called  their  little  summer  ;  the  seven  others  to 
their  great  summ.er.t  Being  on  the  north  of  the  line,  their  win- 
ter of  coarse  corresponds  with  ours  ;  but  is  almost  as  warm  as  a 
French  summer.  The  little  summer  is  their  spring;  but  autumn 
is  absolutely  vmknown  in  their  calendar.  The  winter  is  dry  ;  the 
summer  moist ;  the  former  is  distinguished  by  the  course  of  the 
wind,  which  blows  almost  constantly  from  the  north,  refreshed 
with  cold  from  the  snowy  mountains  of  Tibet,  and  the  bleak  wastes 
of  Mongolia. 

Fac^  of  the  Country.']  This  country,  as  already  mentioned,  is 
a  wide  vale  between  two  high  ridges  of  mountains,  thus  somewhat 
resembling  Egypt,  on  a  wider  scale.  Compared  with  the  Birman 
empire,  the  cultivated  level  is  not  above  half  the  extent  either  ia 
breadth  or  length.  Nor  do  the  Siamese  seem  so  industi'ious  as 
the  Birmans,  as  their  agriculture  does  not  appear  to  extend  far 
from  the  banks  of  the  river  and  its  branches  ;  so  that  towards  the 
mountains  there  are  vast  aboriginal  forests,  filled  with  wild  ani- 
mals, whence  the  numbers  of  deer  and  other  skins,  exported  as 
merchandise.  The  rocky  and  variegated  shores  of  the  noble  gulf 
of  Siam,  and  the  size  and  inundations  of  the  Mcinam,  conspire 
with  the  rich  and  picturesque  vegetation  of  the  forests,  illumined 
at  night  with  crowds  of  brilliant  fire-flies,  to  impress  strangers 
with  delight  and  admiratio;i. 

Soil.]  The  soil  towards  the  moimtains  is  parched  and  barren, 
but  the  shores  of  the  river  consist,  like  that  of  Egypt,  of  a  very 
rich  and  pure  mould,  in  which  it  is  even  difficult  to  find  a  pebble. 
It  is  in  fact  a  muddy  deposit,  accumulating  from  early  ages,  and 
manured,  as  it  were,   by  regular  inundations,  so  as  to  produce 

•  DalrympJe's O.icDtsI  Rcpertorv,  p.  118.  f  LouLere,  i.  53. 

VOL.   II.  70 


5541  SIAM. 

abundance  of  rice.  The  country  would  be  a  terrestrial  paradise, 
were  it  not  subject  to  the  most  absurd  despotism,  which  impov- 
erishes itself,  and  may  perhaps  be  classed  among  the  worst  of 
governments,  being  far  inferior  to  that  of  their  neighbors,  the  Bir- 
mans. 

Agriculture .~\  Agriculture,  as  usual  in  the  east,  is  simple  and 
primitive.  The  chief  product  is  rice  of  excellent  quality  ;  but 
wheat  is  not  unknown,  in  lands  at  a  distance  from  the  inundations. 
Peas,  and  other  vegetables,  also  abound.  Maize  is  confined  to 
their  gardens.  From  indolence  or  prejudice,  seldom  more  than 
one  crop  in  a  year  is  taken  from  the  same  land.* 

Rivers.'\  The  grand  river  Meinam,  a  name  which  signifies  the 
mother  of  nuater^  is  the  largest  among  the  Siamese  streams.  It  is 
very  deep  and  rapid,  always  full,  and,  according  to  Kaempfer,  larg- 
er than  the  Elbe.f  He  adds  that  the  inhabitants  suppose  its  source 
to  be  in  the  mountains,  which  give  rise  to  the  Ganges,  and  that  it 
branches  through  Cambodia  and  Pegu.  The  inundations  are  in 
September,  after  the  snows  have  melted  in  the  northern  mountains, 
and  the  rainy  season  has  commenced.  In  December  the  waters 
decline,  and  sink  by  degrees  to  their  former  level.  The  water, 
though  muddy,  is  pleasant  and  salutary. 

The  banks  of  the  Meinam  are  generally  low  and  marshy,  but 
thickly  peopled  from  Yuthiato  Bankok,  beloAV  which  are  wild  des- 
erts, like  the  Sunderbunds  of  the  Ganges.  Monkeys,  fire-flies, 
and  musketoes,  swarm  on  the  fertile  shores. 

To  the  north  of  the  Siamese  dominions,  some  rivers  join  the 
Meinam  ;  but  their  names  are  unknown,  and  they  belong  to  the 
Birman  territories. 

ic/tc*.]  In  the  east  of  the  kingdom  a  small  lake  is  delineated, 
giving  source  to  a  river  which  flows  into  that  of  Cambodia  ;  and 
it  is  probable  that  others  may  exist  near  the  mountains,  though 
unknown  to  geographers. 

Mountains.^  The  extensive  ranges  of  mountains,  which  en- 
close this  kingdom  on  the  east  and  west,  have  been  repeatedly 
mentioned.  These  may  be  called  the  Siamese  chains,  till  the 
native  names  be  ascertained.  A  small  ridge  also  passes  east  and 
west,  not  far  to  the  north  of  Yuthia.  In  the  north  Siam  terminates 
in  plains  ;  nor  does  it,  even  by  conquest,  seem  ever  to  have  reach- 
ed the  mountains  on  the  Chinese  frontier. 

Forests.']  The  forests  are  numerous  and  large,  and  produce 
many  kinds  of  valuable  woods. 

Zoology.]  The  chief  animals  of  Siam  are  elephants,  buffaloes, 
and  deer.  Horses  seem  little  known  or  used,  though  found  wild 
in  Tibet ;  yet  there  are,  or  were,  a  few  ill-mounted  cavalry.  The 
elephants  of  Siam  are  of  distinguished  sagacity  and  beauty  ;  and 
those  of  a  white  color  are  treated  with  a  kind  of  adoration,  as  the 
Siamese  believe  the  souls  of  such  are  royal.  Wild  boars,  tigers, 
and  monkeys,  are  also  numerous.  The  Meinam  is,  at  distant  in- 
tervals of  time,  infested   with  small  poisonous  serpents  ;  and  the 

•  Loubcre.  i.  5o.  t  '■  ^^>  ^''-  €'''*• 


LAOS.  555 

trees  on  its  banks  arc,  as  already  mentioned,  bcaiuifully  illumin- 
ated with  swarms  of  fire-flies,  which  emit  and  conceal  their  light 
as  uniformly,  as  if  it  proceeded  ivonx  a  machine  of  the  most  exact 
contrivance. 

Mineralogy J^  There  are  some  mines  of  gold,  and  others  of 
copper,  mixed  with  a  variable  proportion  of  gold;  but  the  mines 
chiefly  wrought  by  the  Siamese  are  of  tin  and  lead.  The  tin, 
called  calin,  by  the  Portuguese,  was  sold  throughout  the  Indies, 
but  was  soft  and  ill  refined  ;  all  of  it,  except  that  of  Junkseylon, 
was  a  royal  perquisite.* 

Near  Louvo  was  a  mountain  of  load-stone :  fine  agates  abounded 
in  the  mountains,  nor  were  sapphires  unknown. 

Isles.']  Among  the  numerous  and  minute  isles,  Avhich  owe  a 
doubtful  subjection  to  Siam,  Junkseylon  alone  deserves  mention. 
By  Captain  Foi-est's  account,  who  visited  this  isle  in  1784,  it  annu- 
ally exports  about  500  tons  of  tin,  and  contains  1  2,000  inhabitants. 


LAOS. 


LAOS,  a  country  of  Asia,  bounded  N.  by  the  Chinese  prov- 
ince of  Yun-nan,  E.  by  Tunquin,  S.  by  Cambodia,  W.by  Siam  and 
Ava.  It  is  a  flat  country,  surrounded  by  mountains,  covered  with 
forests,  which  serve  as  barriers  against  the  potent  kingdoms  in  its 
neighborhood,  and  difficult  of  access  by  water.  From  these  moun- 
tains descend  many  streams,  which  form  the  large  river  Mecon, 
or  Meinamkong,  that  crosses  the  whole  region,  from  N.  to  S.  In 
INIr.  Dalrymple's  valuable  map  of  exterior  India  this  grand  stream 
is  called  the  Kiou  Long,  or  Maykaung;  and  Mr.  Arrowsmith  de- 
rives it  from  the  Tibetian  alps,  where  it  is  styled  the  Satchou,  and 
afterwards  by  D'Anville,  the  Lan-tsan  Kiang  ;  which  seems  to 
identify  it,  as  implying  the  river  of  Lan-tsang,  orLeng,  the  capital 
of  Laos. 

The  climate  is  temperate  and  healthful ;  the  soil  generally  very 
good,  rendered  fruitful  by  a  number  of  canals  cut  from  the  great 
river  Mecon.  The  principal  drugs  are  benjamin  and  lak.  The 
soil  is  fertile  in  rice.  It  furnishes  Cambodia  with  the  best  ben- 
zoin and  lacca  ;  also  with  musk.  The  forests  are  of  great  extent ; 
on  the  plains  are  many  flowers,  which  yield  abundance  of  honey 
and  wax.  Here  are  mines  of  iron,  lead,  tin,  gold,  silver,  rubies, 
and  the  fresh  water  mya,  which  yields  pearls  ;  the  inhabitants  col- 
lect those  metals  out  of  the  river.  The  inhabitants  are  well-shap- 
ed and  robust,  and  of  an  olive  color.  They  are  good  natured,  af- 
fable, courteous,  upright,  faithful,  and  obliging.  When  they  see 
what  pleases  their  fancy,  they  seldom  cease  importuning  the 
owner  till  they  obtain  it.     In  case  of  a  refusal,  they  never  use 

•  Loubere,  i.  287. 


556  LAOS. 

force.  The  country  is  very  populous,  containing  3,000,000,*  and 
the  inhabitants  live  to  a  great  age.  The  Laos  are  not  of  a  warlike 
disposition,  nor  expert  in  the  use  of  fire-arms.  If  enemies  make 
an  inroad  upon  them,  they  poison  their  rivers.  It  was  thus  that 
the  king  of  Tunquin  was  obliged  to  retreat,  after  having  lost  a 
great  part  of  his  ai'my,  with  which,  about  the  year  1 650,  he  pro- 
posed to  annex  this  monarchy  to  his  own. 

The  Laos,  or  Lanjans,  apply  themselves  to  nothing  but  agricul- 
ture and  fishing,  neglecting  all  arts  and  sciences.  They  are  idle 
and  amorous  ;  their  belief  in  witchcraft  and  magic  is  still  more 
pernicious.  They  have  a  notion  that  if  the  head  of  an  elephant 
be  rubbed  with  wine,  enriched  with  a  drop  or  two  of  human  gall, 
the  beast  Avill  become  moi'c  robust,  and  his  owner  more  coura- 
geous. In  this  ridiculous  conceit,  the  governors  sometimes  em- 
ploy desperate  fellows,  who  for  25  or  30  crowns,  will  go  into  the 
forests  to  hunt  men  ;  and  the  first  they  meet  with,  they  open  his 
belly  and  stomach,  while  alive,  and  taking  out  the  gall  bladder, 
cut  off  his  head,  to  convince  the  more  savage  purchaser  he  has 
not  deceived  him.  In  case  the  assassin  does  not  perform  his  en- 
gagement in  the  limited  time,  he  is  obliged  to  kill  himself,  his 
wife,  or  child,  that  his  employer  may  take  out  the  gall  of  the  un- 
happy victim. 

The  food  of  the  Laos  consists  of  rice,  fish,  legumes,  and  the 
flesh  of  buffaloes.  They  wear  gowns  close  to  their  bodies.  They 
go  with  their  feet  bare,  and  the  head  commonly  uncovered.  Their 
hair  is  clipped  round,  and  short,  excepting  one  lock  on  the  tem- 
ples, which  is  left  to  grow  and  run  through  holes  made  in  the 
ears  for  that  purpose.  The  Laos  approve  of  having  only  one  wife  ; 
but  they  make  their  female  slaves  subject  to  their  pleasure,  whom 
they  maiTy  ;  they  choose  the  oldest  married  couple  they  can  find, 
who  have  lived  happily  togethei",  and  promise  before  them  to  fol- 
low their  example  till  death.  But  they  often  separate  and  marry 
others.  When  any  of  their  relations  die,  they  make  a  feast, 
which  lasts  a  month  ;  and  celebrate  the  funeral  with  great  mag- 
nificence. The  corpse  is  put  in  a  coffin,  daubed  with  bitumen. 
They  employ  great  part  of  their  time  in  repeating  certain  hymns, 
adapted  to  the  occasion  ;  by  means  of  which  the  soul,  as  they  say, 
is  taught  the  way  to  heaven.  After  this  ceremony  the  relations 
think  no  more  of  the  defunct,  nor  ever  name  him  :  because,  ac- 
cording to  the  doctrine  of  the  transmigration,  which  is  received  in 
this  country,  they  believe  the  soul  is  gone  to  the  place  destined 
for  it,  consequently  belongs  no  longer  to  them. 

The  language  of  the  Laos  is  like  that  of  the  Siamese  ;  who, 
they  say,  have  had  the,  art  of  writing,  and  their  sacred  language, 
from  them  :  but  they  cannot  pronounce  the  letters  L  and  R.  They 
write  on  the  leaves  of  trees,  like  the  Pcguese  and  Malabars  ;  but 
matters  relating  to  civil  affairs,  are  inscribed  on  a  sort  of  coarse 
paper,  with  earthern  pins. 

The  religion  of  the  Laos,  resembles  that  which  prevails  in  all 

*  Hassel. 


HINDOSTAN.  557 

the  countries  comprised  in  the  Farther  Peninsula  of  the  Indies. 
They  lived  a  long  lime  in  form  of  a  republic,  and  observed  the 
laws  of  nature,  rather  than  those  of  the  Chinese,  their  neighbors. 
They  were  formerly  a  powerful  state.*  The  open  sky  was  their 
temple  ;  and  they  adored  one  being,  whom  they  esteemed  above 
all  things,  under  the  name  of  commander.  Presently  after  the 
disciples  of  Shaka  arrived  in  this  kingdom,  the  Laos  saw  them- 
selves surrounded  with  temples  consecrated  to  idols,  and  priests, 
named  talapoy,  destined  to  their  service.  The  king  of  Laos  is  an 
absolute  independent  prince,  and  acknowledges  no  superior,  ei- 
ther in  temporal  or  spiritual  affairs.  The  property  of  lands  lies 
wholly  in  him,  who  disposes,  at  pleasure,  of  the  effects  belonging 
to  his  subjects  ;  nor  can  any  family  in  the  kingdom  inherit  or 
possess  any  thing  left  them  by  will.f 

The  description  of  the  various  kingdoms  of  exterior  India  be- 
ing thus  completed,  as  far  as  the  present  design  and  the  imperfect 
materials  would  admit,  the  geographical  progress  must  return  id 
the  westward,  and  discuss  the  wide  regions  ofHindostan. 


H1ND0STAN.+ 


INTRODUCTIOX. 


GENERAL  OBSERVATIONS,  ARRANGEMENT,  NATURAL    AND    POLIT- 
ICAL   DIVISIONS,  PLAN    OF    THIS    DESCRIPTION. 

General  Geografihy.~\  THE  description  of  this  interesting 
portion  of  Asia  is  not  a  little  difficult,  from  its  vast  and  irregular 
extent,  from  the  want  of  grand  subdivisions,  from  the  diversity  of 
nations  and  powers,  large  foreign  settlements,  and  other  causes, 
so  that  the  first  object  must  be  to  determine  a  clear  and  natural 
arrangement. 

Mr.  Pennant,  who  often  excels  in  geographical  delineation,  has, 
in  his  view  of  Hindoston,  been  contented  with  the  vague  divisions 
of  Western,  Eastern,  and  Gangetic,  or  that  part  which  is  pervaded 
by  the  Ganges,  and  its  tributary  streams.  Major  Rennell,to  whom 
we  are  indebted  for  an  excellent  map  and  memoir,  which  have 
thrown  great  light  on  Indian  geography,  first  considers  the  sea 
coast  and  islands  ;  as,  in  the  corfstruction  of  a  map,  the  outline  of 
the  coast  is  the  earliest  object.  He  then  describes  Hiiidostan  in 
four  other  sections  :  \.  That  part  occupied  by  the  Ganges  and  its 
principal  branches  :  2.  That  occupied  by  the  course  of  the  Sinde, 
Sindch,  or  river  Indus :  3.  The  tract  situated  between  the  river 

•  Kncmpfer.  f  Gaz.  of  Eastern  Continent. 

i  We  copy  Pinkerton's  account  of  this  country,  interweaving  such  later  inforniationf 
as  has  come  to  our  kno\i  ledge. 


558  HINDOSTAN. 

Kistna  and  the  two  former  divisions :  4.  The  countries  to  the  south 
of  the  Kistna,  or  what  is  perhaps  improperly  called  the  southern 
peninsula,  as  no  part  of  Hindostan  can  be  styled  a  peninsula,  in  the 
modern  acceptation  of  being  nearly  surrounded  by  the  sea. 

General  Divisions.']  The  general  plan  adopted  by  Major  Ren- 
nell  seems  to  be  best,  not  only  in  itself,  as  was  to  have  been  ex- 
pected from  his  profound  acquaintance  with  the  subject,  but  as 
having  the  advantage  of  being  familiar  to  the  public,  from  the 
■^videly  diffused  reputation  of  his  work.  Amidst  the  want  of  im- 
portant ranges  of  mountains,  rivers  alone  can  be  assigned  as  nat- 
ural divisions  :  and  as  in  Hindostan  they  do  not  form  limits,  the 
countries  pervaded  by  their  courses  and  tributary  streams  may  be 
considered  as  detached  by  the  hand  of  nature.  Hence  the  Gan- 
getic  part  of  Hindostan,  to  use  Mr.  Pennant's  term,  includes  the 
space  from  the  confines  of  Tibet  to  the  sources  of  the  Chumbul 
and  Sippra,  and  from  the  mountains  near  Agimere  and  Abugur 
hills,  to  the  most  eastern  boundary  of  Hindostan. 

That  portion  watered  by  the  Sinde  or  Indus,  and  its  subsidiary 
streams,  may  in  like  manner  be  termed  Sindetic  Hindostan  ;  and 
as  a  supplement  to  this  division  may  be  considered  the  country  of 
Sirhind,  and  other  tracts  to  the  west  of  Gangetic  Hindostan. 

The  southern  part  is  encompassed  by  the  sea,  except  on  the 
north,  where  the  River  Kistna  and  its  subsidiary  streams  form  the 
boundary.  In  ancient  times  this  portion  was  styled  Deccan,  a 
native  term  implying  the  south.  But  the  Deccan  of  the  Hindoos 
extended  twice  as  far  in  a  northerly  direction,  even  to  the  river 
Nerbudda  ;  so  that  it  would  in  fact,  with  the  Gangetic  and  Sin- 
detic divisions,  nearly  complete  the  whole  of  Hindostan.  The 
term  Deccan  is  therefore  here  used  for  the  portion  to  the  south  of 
the  Kistna. 

That  portion  on  the  north  of  the  Kistna,  reaching  to  Gangetic 
Hindostan  on  the  north  and  east,  and  the  Sindetic  with  its  supple- 
mentary provinces  on  the  north  and  west,  may  be  styled  Interior  or 
Central  Hindostan. 

In  this  arrangement  the  Gangetic  part  will  include  Bengal, 
Bahar,  Allahabad,  Oude,  Ayra,  and  a  part  of  Delhi  and  Agimere. 
The  Sindetic  contains  Kuttore,  Cashmir,  Cabul,  Candahar,  Lahore, 
Moultan,  and  Sinde. 

The  central  division  represents  Guzerat  in  the  west,  with  Can- 
deish,  Berar,  Orissa,  the  Sircars,  the  chief  part  of  Golconda,  Vi- 
siapour,  Dowlatabad,  and  Concan, 

The  southern  division  includes  a  small  portion  of  Golconda, 
Mysore,  the  extensive  region  called  in  modern  times  the  Camatic, 
with  Madura,  and  other  smaller  districts,  the  western  coast  being 
called  that  of  Malabar,  and  the  eastern  that  of  Coromandel.  In 
this  part  is  naturally  included  the  island  of  Ceylon. 

Political  Divisions.]  The  next  topic  to  be  considered,  in  a  gen- 
eral view  of  Hindostan,  is  its  political  situation  as  divided  among 
various  powers.  Of  these  the  English  is  at  present  preponderant, 
not  only  from  European  tactics,  but  from  an  actual  extent  of  ter- 
ritory at  least  equal  to  that  of  any  native  power.     To  their  former 


HINDOSTAN.  559 

wide  possessions  in  Gangetic  Hindostan,  Avith  a  large  portion  of 
the  eastern  coast  from  below  the  estuary  of  the  Kistna  to  the  lake 
of  Chilka,  and  the  detached  government  of  Madras,  have  been 
recently  added  extensive  regions  in  the  south  and  west  of  Mysore, 
with  Seringapatam,  the  capital,  not  to  mention  Bombay  and  other 
detached  establishments.  And  the  large  and  important  island  of 
Ceylon  has  been  taken  from  the  Dutch. 

Next  in  consequence  are  the  Maratta  states,  chiefly  comprised 
in  the  central  division  of  Hindostan. 

The  Nizam,  or  Soubah  of  the  Deccan,  the  firm  ally  of  the  Eng- 
lish, has  considerably  enlarged  his  territory  in  the  south  at  the 
expense  of  Tippoo  ;  the  central  part  of  whose  dominions,  except 
Seringapatam,  is  subject  to  the  raja  of  Mys«re,  a  descendant  of 
the  race  dethroned  by  Hyder,  an  usurper. 

The  British,  the  Marattas,  and  the  Nizam,  may  be  regarded  as 
the  three  leading  powers,  to  which  may  be  added  on  the  west,  or 
on  the  Sindetic  division,  the  Seiks,  and  Zemaun  Shah,  or  whatever 
prince  holds  the  eastern  division  of  Persia. 

The  following  table,  extracted,  with  a  few  alterations,  from 
major  Rennell's  memoir,  will  convey  a  more  complete  and  satis- 
factory idea  of  this  important  topic. 

I.  British  Possessions. 

1.  Bengaland  Bahar  with  the  Zemindary  of  Benares. 

2.  Northern  Sircars,  including  Guntoor. 
*3.  Barra-Mahal,  and  Dindigul. 

4.  Jaghire  in  the  Carnatic. 
*5.  The  Calicut,  Palicaud,  and  Coorga  countries. 

II.  British  Allies. 

1.  Azuph  Dowlah.      Oude. 

2.  Mahomed  AUi.      Carnatic. 

3.  Travancore,  and  Cochin. 

III.  Maratta  States. 
PooNA  Marattas.  Tributariks. 

1.  Malwa.  '  I.  Rajah  of  Jyenagur. 

2.  Candeish.  2. Joodpour. 

3.  Part  of  Amednagur,  or  Dowla-   _  ^    ,. 

tabad.  ^  3 Oudipour. 

4.  Visiapour.  4. Narwah. 

5.. Part  of  Guzerat.  5 Gohud. 

6. Agra.  6.  Part  of  Bundelcund. 

''•  ■ Agimere.  7.  Mahomed  Hyat.  BopaltoJ. 

8.  Allahabad.  8.  Futty  Sing.  Amedabad. 

The  conntrics  thus  marke<1,  are  acquisitions  from  Tippoo  Sultan  under  the  late 
treaty  of  SeiingapHlum.  To  which  must  now  be  a(Kle«l  Coimhetore,  Canara,  8n»t 
other  districts ac(iuiivl  in  1799.    See  KeDuel's  Supplemeutan-  Map,  dated  5lh  April, 


560  IIINDOSTAN. 

9.  Shanoor,  or  Sanore,  Bancapour,   9.  Gurry  Mundella,  &c.  &c. 
Darwar,  &c.  situated  in  the 
Dooab,or  country  between  the 
Kistna  and  Tombudra  rivers. 

Berar  Marattas.  Tributary. 

1.  Berar.  Bembajee. 

2.  Orissa. 

IV.  Nizam  Ali,  Soubah  of  the  Deccan. 

1 .  Golconda.  bani)  and  Gandicotta  or 

2.  Aurungabad.  (Ganjccotta.) 

3.  Beder.  7.  Part  of  Gooty,  Adoni,  and 

4.  Part  of  Berai\  Canoul. 

5. Adoni,  Rachore,  and         8.  Part  of  the  Dooab. 

Canoul.  [9.  Other  districts  acquired 

6.  Cuddapali.     Cummum  (or  Com-  in  1 799.] 

V.  Seiks. 
Lahore,  Moultan,  and  the  western  parts  of  Delhi. 

As  the  other  great  power  chiefly  extends  over  Persia,  and  may 
be  regarded  as  foreign,  it  only  remains  to  mention  the  small  states. 

1.  Successors  of  Zabeda  Cawn.     Sehaurunpour. 

2.  Jats. 

3.  Pattan  Rohillas.     Furruckabad. 

4.  Adjig  Sing.     Rewah,  Sec. 

5.  Bundelcund,  or  Bundela. 

6.  Little  Ballogistan. 

To  which  may  now  be  added  the  Raja  of  Mysore. 

The  British  possessions  prior  to  the  fall  of  Tippoo,  1799,  were 
supposed  to  contain  197,496  square  British  miles,  being  about 
60,000  more  than  are  comprized  in  the  united  kin»gdoms  of  Great 
Britain  and  Ireland  :  the  number  of  inhabitants  was  computed  at 
ten  millions.  The  acquisition  in  1799  probably  adds  15,000  square 
miles,  and  the  population  subject  to  Great  Britain  is  supposed  to 
be  12  or  14,000,000.  The  net  revenue  exceeded  three  millions 
before  the  cessions  of  Tippoo  in  1792  computed  at  400,0001.; 
while  those  in  1799  do  not  appear  much  to  exceed  half  that  sum. 
This  great  power  and  revenue  of  so  distant  a  country,  maintained 
in  the  midst  of  a  highly  civilized  foreign  nation,  is  perhaps  unex- 
ampled in  ancient  or  modern  times. 

The  Marattas  are  divided  into  two  states  or  empires,  that  of 
Poona,  or  the  western,  and  Berar,  or  the  eastern  ;  each  ruled  by 
a  number  of  chiefs  or  princes,  who  pay  a  nominal  obedience  to  the 
paishwa,  or  sovereign.  An  account  of  the  Marattas  belongs  to  the 
central  division  of  Hindostan.  The  Seiks,  a  new  religious  sect, 
first  appeared  in  the  middle  of  the  17th  century,  and  have  gradu- 
ally become  formidable  to  the  neighboring  states.  The  Jats,  or 
Jets,  were  a  tribe  of  Hindoos,  who  about  a  century  ago  erected  a 
state  around  the  capital  Agra.  The  Afghans,  another  peculiar 
people,  originated  from  the  mountains  between  Persia  and  India. 


HINl>OSTAN.  561 

Before  closing  these  general  considerations  with  regard  to  this 
extensive  country,  it  may  be  proper  to  observe,  that  the  name  of 
Hindostan  has  been  considered  as  synonymous  with  the  empire  of 
the  great  Mongul.  But  the  power  of  the  Monguls,  which  com- 
menced under  Baber,  1518,  was  most  eminent  in  the  northern  parts, 
theDeccan,  or  south,  remaining  unsubdued  till  the  time  of  Aurun- 
zeb,  1 678,  when  that  region,  with  what  is  called  the  peninsula,  a  few 
jTiountainous  and  inaccessible  tracts  only  excepted,  were  cither 
vanquished  or  rendered  tributary  to  the  throne  of  Delhi.*  When 
Aurunzeb  died  in  1707,  in  his  90th  year,  the  Mongul  empire  had 
obtained  its  utmost  extent  from  the  10th  to  the  35th  degree  of  lat- 
itude, (about  1750  miles,)  and  about  as  much  in  length  :  the  rev- 
enue exceeding  thirty-two  millions  sterling,  in  a  country  where 
provisions  are  about  four  times  as  cheap  as  in  England,  or  Amer- 
ica. The  number  of  his  subjects  may  be  computed  at  about 
60,000,000.  But  this  great  power  declined  to  rapidly  that,  within  50 
years  after  his  death,  it  may  be  said  to  have  been  annihilated,  and 
the  empire  of  the  great  Mongul  has  vanished  from  modern  geog- 
raphy. 

The  plan  to  be  pursued,  in  the  subsequent  brief  account  of  Hin- 
dostan, has  been  above  indicated,  as  divided  into  four  parts  ;  the 
region  on  the  Ganges,  those  on  the  Indus,  the  central,  and  the 
southern.  In  three  of  these  divisions  the  British  possessions  are 
powerful,  if  not  predominant  ;  and  it  is  difficult  to  connect  the  po- 
litical with  the  natural  geography.  Doubts  may  justly  arise, 
whether  the  British  territories  ought  not  to  form  a  separate  and 
distinct  portion  in  a  perspicuous  arrangement,  this  being  another 
of  the  peculiar  difficulties  which  attend  the  geography  of  Hindos- 
tan. But  as  the  grand  mass  of  the  population  in  these  settlements 
consists  of  native  Hindoos,  and  the  natural  geography  of  the  coun- 
try must  not  be  sacrificed  to  any  extraneous  consideration,  it  still 
seems  preferable  to  abide  by  the  division  already  laid  down. 
Hence  that  form  of  description  must  be  chosen,  which,  resting  on 
the  perpetual  foundations  of  nature,  cannot  be  injured  or  obliter- 
ated by  the  destinies  of  man. 

These  considerations  being  premised,  a  similar  arrangement 
shall  here  be  followed  in  describing  Hindostan,  a  labyrinth" 
of  eastern  geography,  with  that  used  in  delineating  Germany, 
that  labyrinth  of  European  geography.  A  general  view  of  the 
whole  region  shall  be  followed  by  successive  chapters  on  each  of 
the  above  divisions  ;  in  which  the  several  states,  chief  cities,  and 
other  geographical  topics  shall  be  briefly  illustrated. 

*  Kenneirs  Memoir,  page  l:^i. 


VOL.   ir.  71 


562  HINDOSTAN. 

CHAPTER  I. 

GENERAL  VIEW  OF  HINDOSTAN. 

NAME,  EXTENT,  BOUNDARIES,  ORIGINAL  POPULATION,  PROGRES- 
SIVE GEOGRAPHY,  HISTORY,  CHRONOLOGY,  HISTORICAL  EPOCHS, 
ANCIENT  MONUMENTS,  MYTHOLOGY,  RELIGION,  GOVERNMENT, 
LAWS,  POPULATION,  GENERAL  REVENUES,  POLITICAL  IMPOR- 
TANCE, MANNERS  AND  CUSTOMS,  LANGUAGES,  LITERATURE, 
ANCIENT  CIVILIZATION,  UNIVERSITIES,  INLAND  NAVIGATION, 
MANUFACTURES,  NATIVE  PRODUCTS,  CLIMATE  AND  SEASONS, 
GENERAL  FACE  OF  THE  COUNTRY,  SOIL,  RIVERS,  LAKES,  MOUN- 
TAINS, DESERTS,  FORESTS,  BOTANY,  ZOOLOGY,  MINERALOGY, 
MINERAL  WATERS,  NATURAL  CURIOSITIES. 

JSTameJ]  THE  original  name  of  this  celebrated 
country  is  said  to  be  in  the  ancient  Sanscrit  language  Bharata.* 
That  of  Hindostan  seems  to  have  been  imposed  by  the  Persians, 
and  derived,  like  the  classical  name  India,  from  the  great  western 
river,  with  the  Persian  termination  Tan,  or  Stan.^  which  signifies  a 
country.  It  was  long  known,  as  already  mentioned,  by  the  name 
of  the  Empire  of  the  Great  Mongul,  because  it  was  then  subject  to 
Mongul  emperors  successors  of  Timur. 

Extcnt.~\  This  portion  of  Asia  extends  from  cape  Comari, 
called  by  navigators  Comorin,  in  the  south,  to  the  mountains 
which  form  the  northern  boundary  of  Cashmir  ;  that  is,  according 
to  the  most  recent  maps,  from  about  the  8th  to  about  the  35th  de- 
gree of  northern  latitude,  being  27  degrees,  or  1620  g.  miles, 
nearly  equal  to  1890  British.  The  northern  boundary  may  be  yet 
farther  extended  to  the  Hindoo  Koh,  and  mountains  running  E.  and 
W.  on  the  north  of  the  province  of  Kuttore. 

From  the  river  Araba,  on  the  west  of  the  province  of  Sinde,  to 
the  movintains  which  divide  Bengal  from  Cassay  and  the  Birman 
dominions,  that  is  from  about  the  66th  to  the  92nd  degree  of  east 
longitude  from  Greenwich,  there  are  26°  which  in  the  latitude  of 
25°  constitute  a  breadth  of  more  than  1400  g.  miles,  or  1600  Brit- 
ish. Comparatively  if  we  exclude  Scandinavia,  the  former  king- 
dom of  Poland  and  the  Russian  empire,  the  extent  may  be  consid- 
ered as  equal  to  that  of  the  remainder  of  Europe. 

Bou7idaries.~\  The  boundaries  are  marked  on  the  north  by  the 
mountains  above  mentioned.  On  the  west,  towards  Persia,  other 
ranges  and  deserts  constitute  the  frontier  till  the  southern  separa- 
tion ends  in  the  river  Araba.  The  other  boundaries  are  supplied 
by  the  Indian  ocean,  and  Bay  of  Bengal,  where  xhe  eastern  ex- 
tremity is  limited  by  the  little  river  Naaf,  and  those  mountains 
which  divide  the  British  possessions  from  Aracan,  Cassay,  and 
Cashur.     The  northern  boundai'y  generally  consists  of  the  south - 

*  RenneJI,xx.  from  Wilkiiis :  but  the  proper  native  term  seems  to  be  Medhyama, 
and  Bharat  was  the  first  kin;?.    As.  Res.  i.  4iy. 


HINDOSTAN.  565 

Crn  ridges  of  the  Tibetian  Alps.  On  the  N.  E.  of  Bengal  a 
similar  ridge  divides  Hindostan  from  the  small  territory  of  Asam, 
which  seems  an  independent  state,  never  having  formed  a  portion, 
of  Hindostan,  of  dubious  connection  with  Tibet,  and  as  yet  unsub- 
dued by  the  Birmans. 

Original  Pofiulation.']  The  original  population  may  be  gener- 
ally considered  as  indigenous,  or  in  other  words  peculiar  to  the 
country.  Yet  in  so  extensive  a  region,  and  amidst  the  great 
diversity  of  climate  and  situation,  the  native  race  presents 
considerable  varieties,  especially  as  being  fairer  in  the  northern 
parts,  and  in  the  southern  almost  or  wholly  black,  but 
without  the  negro  wool  or  features.  Still  the  tinge  of  the 
women  and  superior  class  is  deep  olive,  with  sometimes  a  slight 
and  agreeable  mixture  of  the  ruddy,  and  the  Hindoo  form  and  fea- 
tures may  be  said  to  approach  the  Persian  or  European  standard. 
The  sole  ancient  conquests  of  Hindostan  having  proceeded  from 
the  N.  W.  and  W.  there  may  be  some  slight  admix itire  of  the 
Persians,  of  the  Greeks  of  Bactriana,  and  of  the  ancient  Scythians. 
More  recently  Mahmud  of  Ghizni,  introduced  a  group  of  Mahom- 
etans of  various  origins.  The  Patans  or  Afghans  proceeded  from 
the  mountains  toward  Persia,  being  asserted  to  be  a  tribe  of  Alba- 
nians, who  emigrated  to  the  eastward.  The  Monguls  are  well 
known  to  have  included  many  Tartars,  and  Mahometan  tribes 
from  the  east  of  the  Caspian.  These,  with  the  Arabs  and  Per- 
sians, are  generally  called  Moors. 

Progressive  Geography. ']  The  progressive  geography  of  Hin- 
dostan may  be  said  to  begin  with  the  victories  of  Alexander  the 
Great.  After  the  age  of  this  prince  many  Greek  and  Roman  au- 
thors, particularly  Strabo,  Arrian,  and  Pliny,  have  left  information 
concerning  the  state  of  India.  One  of  the  most  important  ancient 
records  is  the  description  and  map  of  Ptolemy,  but  they  are  so 
much  distorted  as  to  embarrass  the  most  learned  inquirer. . 

This  celebrated  country  received  little  farther  illustration  till 
the  6th  century  :  the  intelligence  however  of  Cosmas  is  of  no  con- 
sequence, except  as  it  elucidates  the  Persian  traffic  with  India. 
Some  materials  may  also  be  derived  from  the  accounts  of  the  Ma- 
hometan travellers  in  the  9th  century,  and  the  oriental  works  of 
geography  ;  nor  was  the  great  English  king,  Alfred,  incurious  con- 
cerning this  celebrated  region.*  Marco  Polo,  the  father  of  eastern 
geography  as  known  to  Europeans,  was  followed  by  other  travel- 
ers ;  and  at  length  the  Portuguese  discovery  of  the  Cape  of  Good 
Hope,  gradually  led  the  way  to  the  precision  of  modern  knowledge, 
to  which  Major  Rennell,  has  contributed  with  great  success  and 
deserved  celebrity. 

History.')^  The  history  of  Hindostan,  is  obscure  andembarras3ed, 
aseitherno  native  chronicles  were  written,  or  they  were  destroyed 

•  The  Saxon  chronicle,  and  other  English  writei-s,  mention  that  Suilhelm  bishop  of 
Shireburn  carried  a  present  from  Alfred  to  the  shrine  of  St.  Thomas  iu  India,  and  re- 
turned in  safety  with  some  curiosities  from  the  country.  This  Thom.is  was  not  the 
apostle,  but  some  Nestoriau  missionary  ;  and  i»i^  shrine  is  at  Melapour,  near  Madras, 
on  llie  coast  of  Coromandel.  Allied  little  foresaw  that  au  English  settlement  wa«  to 
iudude  this  hoi*'  ground. 


564  HINDOSTAN. 

by  the  Bramins,  anxious  to  obliterate  the  memory  of  former  and 
happier  ages,  when  their  inordinate  power  was  not  established. 
Sir  William  Jones,  and  Anquetil  du  Perron,  have  bestowed  some 
attention  on  this  subject;  but  their  investigations  arc  more  inter- 
esting to  the  antiquary,  than  to  the  general  reader.*  The  native 
traditions  seem  to  describe  the  northern  part  of  Hindostan,  as  sub- 
ject to  one  rajah  or  sovereign,  which  is  little  probable,  as  the  most 
ancient  extraneous  accounts  represent  this  wide  country  divided, 
as  was  to  be  expected,  into  many  monarchies.  By  all  accounts, 
however,  the  Deccan,  or  southern  part,  was  subject  to  a  distinct 
emperor,  even  to  modern  times.  "  Its  emperors  of  the  Bahmineah 
dynasty,  (which  commenced  with  Hassan  Caco,  A.  D.  1347,)  ap- 
pear to  have  exceeded  in  power  and  splendor  those  of  Delhi,  even 
at  the  most  flourishing  periods  of  their  histoiy.  The  seat  of  gov- 
ernment was  at  Calberga,  which  was  centrical  to  the  great  body  of 
the  empire,  and  is  at  this  day  a  considerable  city.  Like  other 
overgrown  empires,  it  fell  to  pieces  with  its  own  w^eight,  and  out 
of  it  were  formed  four  potent  kingdoms,  under  the  names 
of  Visiapour  (properly  Bcjapour),  Golconda,  Berar,  and  Amed- 
nagur,  df  whose  particular  limits  and  inferior  members  we  are  not 
well  informed.  Each  of  these  subsisted  Avith  a  considerable  de- 
gree of  power  until  the  Mongul  conquest ;  and  the  two  first,  as  we 
have  seen  above,  preserved  their  independency  until  the  time  of 
Aurungzebe."t 

Chronology.']  The  Hindoo  chronology  published  by  Anquetil 
du  Perron,  is  that  of  the  rajas  or  sovereigns  of  Bengal ;  and  the 
most  remarkable  facts  are  repeated  invasions  by  the  Persians,  one 
of  them  supposed  to  be  fourteen  centuries  before  the  Christian  era. 
This  kingdom  of  Bengal  seems  to  have  included  almost  the  whole 
of  Gangetic  Hindostan.  But  the  names  and  extent  of  the  early 
kingdoms  of  Hindostan  are  little  known  or  investigated. 

Historical  jEfioc/is.]  The  Hindoo  epochs  consisting  of  millions 
of  years,  and  other  fabulous  circumstances,  have  hitherto  attracted 
more  attention  than  a  clear  arrangement  of  the  Hindoo  sovereign- 
ties, and  an  account  of  the  most  authentic  facts  that  can  be  recovered 
concerning  them.  While  these  chronologies  differ  by  one  or  two 
thousand  years  concerning  the  incarnation  of  Buddha,  we  may 
judge  of  their  exactness  in  less  important  events. 

The  Hindoos  never  seem  to  have  boasted  of  one  native  historian, 
and  the  best  materials  are  derived  from  Persian  memoirs ;  from 
which  Ferishta  himself,  a  Persian,  compiled  his  histories  of  Hin- 
dostan towards  the  beginning  of  the  seventeenth  century.  Indeed 
in  the  whole  complex  maze  of  Hindoo  literature  there  is  a  striking 
dej&ciency  of  good  sense. :f     In  this   defect  of  native  records  we 

*  Asiatic  Researches,  vol.  ii.  and  Bernoullis's  collection  concerning  India.  Berlinj 
1786,  4to.  tome  ii.  f  Rennell,  Ixxix. 

^  Mr.  Bentley  observes,  As.  Res.  v.  315,  that  the  Hindoo  eras  and  dates  are  all 
blended  together  into  one  mass  of  absurdity  and  contradiction.  A  curious  instance  of 
this  appears  with  regard  to  tlie  celebrated  temples  of  Ellora,  and  the  singular  fortress 
of  Deoghir,  or  Dowaiabad,  formed  on  a  high  conic  rock  ;  for  the  Mahometans,  whom 
we  Europeans  regard  as  rather  extravagai\t  in  chronology,  say  that  they  were  erected 
900  years  ago ;  while  the  Bramins  afiirra  that  they  have  stood  not  less  than  78y4 
vears  !  As.  ilea.  \i.  385, 


niNDOSTAN.  565 

must  be  contented  with  the  epochs  derived  from  foreign  sources. 

1.  The  invasion  by  Alexander  the  Great,  who  found  western 
India  divided  among  numerous  potentates,  though  he  advanced 
little  farther  than  Lahore.  If  even  the  northern  half  of  Hindos- 
tan  had  been  subject  to  one  sovereign,  as  fabled  in  the  native  tales, 
the  circumstance  would  have  been  clear  and  apparent. 

2.  At  a  long  interval  appears  the  conquest  of  the  north-western 
part  by  Mahmoud  of  Ghizni,  A.  D.  1000. 

3.  The  dynasty  of  the  Patau,  or  Afghan  emperors  begins  with 
Cuttub,  A.  D.  1205,  and  ends  with  Mahmoud  III.   1393. 

4.  The  great  Moguls  or  Mongul  emperors  begin  with  Babar, 
1525  ;  and  continued,  with  a  short  interruption,  by  the  Patans  to 
Shah  Aulum,  to  1760. 

The  invasion  by  Timur,  and,  at  a  distant  interval,  that  by  Nadir, 
also  form  remarkable  epochs  in  the  history  of  this  passive  coun- 
try. The  latter  may  be  said  to  have  virtually  dissolved  the  Mo- 
gul empire.  The  Portugese  settlements  were  followed  by  those 
of  the  Dutch.  The  French  power  began  to  predominate  in  1749, 
but  speedily  closed  in  1761,  with  the  loss  of  their  principal  settle- 
ment Pondicherry.  As  merchants  the  English  had  long  held 
small  settlements  in  Hindostan  ;  but  the  expedition  into  Tanjore, 
1749,  was  the  first  enterprise  against  a  native  prince.  Other  con- 
tests followed  concerning  Arcot,  in  the  kingdom  of  Carnada,  or 
Avhat  we  call  the  Carnatic.  In  1756,  the  fort  of  Calcutta,  the 
chief  settlement  of  the  English  in  Bengal,  was  taken  by  the  na- 
bob, and  many  of  their  brave  countrymen  perished  in  a  shocking 
manner,  from  being  confined  in  a  small  chamber.  The  battle  of 
Plassey,  fought  in  June,  1757,  laid  the  foundation  of  the  subse- 
quent power  of  Britain.  Lord  Clive,  governor  of  Bengal,  1765, 
obtained  a  grant  from  the  nominal  Mogul,  of  Bengal,  Bahar,  and 
part  of  Orissa,  on  condition  of  an  annual  tribute.  Soon  after  tlie 
English  were  engaged  in  a  contest  with  Hyder  AUi,  a  soldier  of 
fortune,  who  had  dethroned  the  lineal  sovereign  of  Mysore,  and 
extended  his  conquests  to  the  adjacent  territories.  Some  conflicts 
followed  on  the  confines  of  Carnada  and  Mysore  ;  but  the  event 
was  little  advantageous  to  either  party.  Hyder,  dying  in  1783, 
was  succeeded  by  his  son  Tippoo,  who  seems  to  have  been  a 
prince  of  inferior  abilities,  and  expiated  his  ill  arranged  plans  by 
his  death,  and  the  partition  of  his  territories,  in  1799. 

The  Bengal  provinces  have  been  in  possession  of  the  British 
since  1765  ;  and  Benares  was  added  in  1775.  This  portion  might 
constitute  a  considerable  kingdom,  and  is  suflicicntly  compact  and 
secure  by  natural  advantages,  independently  of  a  formidable  force. 
The  Sircars,  or  detached  provinces,  partly  belong  to  Golcon- 
da,  and  partly  to  Orissa,  forming  a  long  narrow  slip  of  country 
from  twenty  to  seventy-five  miles  wide,  but  about  three  hundred 
and  fifty  in  length.  The  word  Sircar  is  aJmost  synonymous  witl\ 
an  English  county,  implying  a  division  of  a  Souba,  or  great  prov- 
ince ;  and  these  detached  Sircars,  or  counties,  being  to  the  north 
of  Madras,  on  which  they  are  dependent,  arc  commonly  styled  the 


S6Q  HINDOSTAN. 

northern  Sircars.*  In  1754,  they  were  acquired  by  the  French  ; 
and  conquered  by  the  English,  under  Colonel  Clive,  in  1759. 

The  English  settled  at  Madras  about  the  year  1640  ;  and  their 
territory  here  extends  about  108  miles  along  the  shore,  and  47  in 
breadth,  in  the  centre  of  the  ancient  kingdom  of  Carnada.  The 
recent  and  extensive  acquisitions  in  the  south  have  been  already 
mentioned. 

Nor  among  the  modern  historical  epochs  of  Hindostan  must  the 
celebrated  battle  of  Panniput,  not  far  to  the  N.  W.  of  Delhi,  be 
omitted,  which  was  fought  in  1761,  between  the  Mahometans  un- 
der Abdalha,  king  of  Candahar,  and  the  Marattas,  in  which  the 
latter  were  defeated :  the  Mahometans  were  computed  at  15T),000, 
and  the  Marattas  at  200,000. 

Ancient  Monuments.']  The  ancient  monuments  of  Hindostan 
are  very  numerous,  and  of  various  descriptions,  exclusive  of  the 
tombs  and  other  edifices  of  the  Mahometan  conquerors.  Some 
of  the  most  remarkable  are  excavated  temples,  statues,  relievos, 
&c.  in  an  island  near  Bombay.f  The  idols  represented  seem 
clearly  to  belong  to  the  present  mythology  of  Hindostan  ;  but  at 
what  period  these  edifices  were  modelled,  must  be  left  in  the 
darkness  of  Hindoo  chronology.  Several  ancient  grants  of  land, 
some  coins,  and  seals,  have  also  been  found.  Yet  all  these  re- 
mains little  correspond  with  the  exaggerated  ideas  entertained 
concerning  the  early  civilization  of  this  renoAvned  country  ;  while 
the  Egyptian  pyramids,  temples,  and  obelisks,  strongly  confirm 
the  accounts  preserved  by  the  ancient  historians. 

Mythology.]  Though  the  mythology  of  the  Hindoos  may  pre- 
tend to  great  antiquity,  yet  their  present  form  of  religion  is  sup- 
posed to  vary  considerably  from  the  ancient.  It  is  inferred  that 
while  the  religion  of  Boodha,  still  retained  by  the  Birmans  and 
other  adjacent  nations,  was  the  real  ancient  system  of  Hindostan, 
the  artful  Bramins  have  introduced  many  innovations  in  order  to 
increase  their  own  power  and  influence.  In  a  system  so  full  of 
imagination  it  is  no  wonder,  that  the  analyses  are  sometimes  dis- 
cordant, but  it  appears  that  the  fabric  rests  on  that  almost  univer- 
sal system  of  the  east,  the  belief  in  a  supreme  Creator  too  ineifa- 
fele  and  sublime  for  human  adoration,  which  is  therefore  address- 
ed to  inferior,  but  great  and  powerful,  divinities. 

Religion.]  The  religion  of  the  Hindoos  is  artfully  interwoven 
with  the  common  offices  of  life  ;  and  the  different  casts  are  sup- 
posed to  originate  from  Brahma,  the  immediate  agent  of  creation, 
under  the  supreme  power,  in  the  following  manner  : 

The  Brahmin  from  the  mouth  (wisdom)  :  To  pray,  to  read,  to 
instruct. 

The  Chehteree,  from  the  arms  (strength)  :  To  draw  the  bow,  to 
fight,  to  govern. 

The  Brice,  from  the  belly  or  thighs  (nourishment)  :  To  provide 
the  necessaries  of  life  by  agriculture  and  traffic. 

The  Sooderj  from  the  feet  (subjection)  :  To  labour,  to  serve.J 

•  Rennell,  cxxxiy.      ■\  As.  Rca.  vol.  i.  and  vi.      i  Robertson's  Disquisition,  p.  338. 


HINDOSTAN.  567 

The  ancients  sometimes  enlarged  the  number  of  these  casts,  or 
perpetual  orders  of  men,  by  an  erroneous  subdivision  of  two  or 
more,  yet  it  is  impossible  to  read  their  accounts  without  perceiv- 
ing that  the  casts  themselves  existed  from  time  immemorial,  but 
with  one  important  variation.  For  it  would  appear  that  in  ancient 
limes  the  Bi*ahmans,  like  the  priests,  or  monks  of  Ava,  Siam,  and 
other  states,  which  still  follow  the  worship  of  Boodh,  were  not 
hereditary  or  a  distinct  levitical  tribe,  but  that  any  member  of  the 
other  casts  might  enter  into  this  order,  which  was  of  course  deem- 
ed inferior  to  the  chief  secular  or  military  cast.  At  present  the 
meanest  Brahmin  will  not  condescend  to  eat  with  his  sovereign. 
Setting  the  ridiculous  and  fanciful  tales  of  this  interested  tribe 
wholly  out  of  the  question,  it  would  appear  that  in  the  usual  circle 
of  human  affairs,  a  conte3t  had  arisen  between  the  regal  and  eccle- 
siastical powers.  The  latter,  instead  of  being  subdued,  as  in 
China  and  Japan,  acquired  the  superiority,  as  in  Tibet.  But  in 
Hindostan,  from  a  most  refined  and  cunning  policy,  the  priesthood 
asserted  the  divine  institution  of  the  several  casts,  and  as  was  nat- 
ural, pronounced  their  own  to  be  the  supreme,  and  possessed  of 
innate  and  hereditary  sanctity. 

Go-vern7nent.~\  Hindostan  is  now  divided  into  many  govern- 
ments, the  form  of  which  must  be  considered  in  describing  the 
several  states.  Suffice  it  here  to  observe,  that  though  the  Bra- 
mins  be  the  most  dignified  cast,  yet  there  do  not  seem  to  have 
been  one  or  more  high  priests,  as  in  the  surrounding  countries. 
The  sovereignty  w^as  abandoned  to  the  military  cast,  and  the  mon- 
arch was  presumed  to  be  the  proprietor  of  all  the  lands,  except 
those  belonging  to  the  church.  The  Ryots  held  their  possessions 
by  a  lease,  at  a  fixed  rate,  and  considered  as  perpetual.  The  Ze- 
mindars were  in  the  opinion  of  some,  only  collectors  of  the  royal 
tents  from  the  Ryots  or  farmers;  but  according  to  others,  the 
Zemindars  were  landed  gentlemen,  Avho  had  a  hereditary  right  to 
these  rents,  upon  paying  a  settled  proportion  to  the  crown. 

LawsJ]  The  laws  of  the  Hindoos  are  intimately  blended  with 
their  religion,  and  the  curious  reader  may  consult  the  code,  trans- 
lated and  published  by  the  direction  of  Mr.  Hastings. 

PofiulationJ]  The  population  of  this  extensive  part  of  Asia,  is 
supposed  to  amount  to  sixty  millions,  of  which  the  British  pos- 
sessions may  now  perhaps  contain  a  quarter,  especially  as  fre- 
quent recent  conflicts  have  thinned  the  population  in  many  other 
parts  of  Hindostan.  When  it  is  considered  that  China  is  about 
one  quarter  less  than  Hindostan,  and  yet  is  said  to  contain  SSJ 
millions,  we  may  judge  of  the  boasted  effects  of  Hindoo  philoso- 
phy, more  fit  for  the  visionary  call  of  the  recluse,  than  to  promote 
enterprise  and  industry. 

General  Revenues.~\  The  general  revenues  of  Hindostan  were 
computed  in  the  time  of  Aurunzeb,  as  already  mentioned,  by  a 
precise  calculation  of  those  of  the  several  provinces,  at  thirty-two 
millions  sterling  ;  equal  perhaps,  considering  the  comparative 
price  of  products,  to  one  hundred  and  sixtv  millions  sterling  in 
modern  England. 


568  HINDOSTAN. 

Political  Imji07-tance.~\  The  poliiical  importance  an,d  relations 
of  Hindostan  are  now  divided  among  many  powers.  So  miserable 
Avas  the  internal  constitution  that  this  wide  and  populous  country, 
defended  on  all  sides  by  ranges  of  mountains,  has  in  all  ages  fallen 
a  prey  to  every  invader.  The  fantastic  institutions,  like  those  of 
the  ancient  Persians,  prevent  the  Hindoos  from  forming  a  mari- 
time power  ;  and  even  the  small  fleets  of  Siam  and  Pegu,  which 
follow  the  more  libei^al  doctrines  of  Boodh,  seem  unrivalled  in  the 
history  of  Hindostan. 

Manners  and  Customs.']  The  manners  and  customs  of  the  Hin- 
doos are  intimately  blended  with  their  religion,  and  are  univer- 
sally similar,  with  a  few  exceptions  in  mountainous  and  other  pe- 
culiar districts.  One  of  the  most  singular  begins  to  expire,  that 
of  giving  the  living  widow  to  the  same  flames  with  her  husband's 
corpse.  The  ancients  represent  the  Bramins  as  accustomed  to 
terminate  their  own  lives  on  funeral  piles  lighted  by  themselves. 
But  by  what  refinement  of  cruelty  this  custom  was  extended  to 
involuntary  and  helpless  females,  has  not  appeared  ;  perhaps  the 
cause  was  to  enforce  the  preservation  of  their  husband's  health, 
by  making  their  life  depend  on  his.  But  this  and  other  monstrous 
institutions  of  the  Bramins  are  treated  with  lenity,  and  even  re- 
spect, by  many  authors,  who  seem  to  inherit  the  Greek  astonish- 
ment at  these  fanatics. 

The  other  manners  and  customs  of  the  Hindoos  have  been  il- 
lustrated by  many  travellers.  As  soon  as  a  child  is  born,  it  is 
carefully  registered  in  its  proper  cast,  and  astrologers  are  con- 
sulted concerning  its  destiny  ;  for  the  Hindoos,  like  the  Turks, 
are  strict  predestinarians.  A  Bramin  imposes  the  name.  The 
infant  thrives  by  what  we  should  call  neglect ;  and  no  where  are 
seen  more  vigor  and  elegance  of  form.  The  boys  are  generally 
taught  reading  and  writing  by  Bramins,  but  the  girls  are  confined 
at  home  till  their  twelfth  year.*  Polygamy  is  practised,  but  one 
wife  is  acknowledged  as  supreme.  It  is  well  known  that  the  Hin- 
doos are  extremely  abstemious,  and  wholly  abstain  from  animal 
food  and  intoxicating  liquors  ;  yet  if  we  judge  from  the  fanatic 
penances,  suicides,  and  other  superstitious  frenzies,  no  where  on 
earth  is  the  mind  so  much  disordered.  The  houses  are  built  of 
earth  or  bricks,  covered  with  mortar,  and  sometimes  with  ex- 
cellent cement,  with  no  windows,  or  only  small  apertures.  There 
is  generally  only  a  ground  floor,  inclosing  a  court,  with  a  small 
gallery,  supported  by  slight  wooden  pillars.  The  amusements 
consist  of  religious  processions  ;  but  though  dancing  girls  abound, 
yet  theatrical  exhibitions  da  not  seem  so  common,  as  in  the  coun- 
tries farther  to  the  east. 

Languages.']  The  general  ancient  language  of  Hindostan  is 
believed  tojiave  been  the  Sanscrit,  an  original  and  refined  speech, 
compared  by  Sir  William  Jones  with  the  Greek  and  Latin.  The 
more  common  dialects  are  chiefly  the  following.! 

•  See  a  voyage  to  the  East  Indies  by  Vra.  Paolino  da  San  BartolonieO,  1800,  8vo 
The  author's'lay  iianie  was  Wesdin,  an  Austrian. 
I  Wesdin,  3ir. 


HINDOSTAN.  •    569 

1.  That  of  Kandi,  in  the  interior  of  Ceylon,  which  is  said  nearly 
to  resemble  the  Sanscrit. 

2.  The  Tamulac,  used  in  the  Deccan,  or  southern  part,  in  Ma- 
dura, Mysore,  and  some  parts  of  the  Malabar  coast. 

3.  The  Malabar  language,  extending  from  cape  Comari  to  the 
mountain  lUi,  which  divides  Malabar  from  Canara. 

4.  That  of  Canara,  which  extends  as  far  as  Goa. 

"  5.  The  Marashda  language.  It  is  prevalent  throughout  the 
whole  country  of  the  Maras/idi,  who  are  very  improperly  called 
Maraitas. 

"  6.  The  Talr^nga,  an  harmonious,  nervous,  masculine,  copi*- 
ous,  and  learned  language,  which,  like  the  Sanscrit,  has  fifty-two 
characters  ;  and  these  are  sufficient  to  write  the  latter.  It  is- 
spoken  on  the  coast  of  Orixa,  in  Golconda,  on  the  I'iver  Kishna, 
and  as  far  as  the  mountains  of  Balangat.  All  these  languages 
have  their  own  alphabets  :  so  that  in  every  province  you  must 
make  yourself  acquainted  with  a  distinct  kind  of  characters,  if 
you  wish  to  express  your  thoughts  in  the  dialect  common  in  each. 

"  7.  The  common  Bengal  language  :  a  wretched  dialect,  cor- 
rupted in  the  utmost  degree.  It  has  no  V,  and  instead  of  it  em- 
ploys the  B.  It  is  spoken  at  Calcutta,  and  in  Bengal,  on  the  banks 
of  the  Ganges. 

"  8.  The  Devangaric,  or  Hindostan  language,  called  by  ,^ome 
Nagru,  Nagari,  and  also  Devanagari.  It  is  spoken  at  Benares,  or 
Venares,  and  consists  of  fifty-two  characters,  with  which  the  Sans- 
crit may  be  written. 

"  9.  The  Guzaratic,  which  has  been  introduced  not  only  into 
the  kingdom  of  Guzarat,  but  also  at  Barsche,  Surat,  Tatta,  and 
the  neighborhood  of  the  Balangat  mountains.  Its  characters  are 
little  different  from  those  of  the  Devanagaric. 

"  10.  The  Nepalic,  which  is  spoken  in  the  kingdom  of  Nepaul, 
and  has  a  great  similarity  to  the  Devanagaric." 

Literature.']  The  literature  of  Hindostan  doubtless  contains 
several  valuable  and  curious  monuments  ;  but  their  epochs  are 
extremely  uncertain.  There  seems  no  chronology  of  authors, 
who  successively  quote  or  mention  each  other  ;  and  there  is  not 
even  any  great  land  mark,  like  the  age  of  Confucius,  among  the 
Chinese.  Hence  little  else  than  confusion  and  contradiction  are 
to  be  found  in  the  numerous  accounts  published  of  Hindoo  litera- 
ture. 

The  most  important  books  are  the  Vedas  ;  there  are  also  some 
epic  poems,  which  pretend  to  contain  fragments  of  genuine  his- 
tory. "  The  most  ancient,  called  Ramayna,*  was  written  by  Val- 
mccki,  and  next  in  celebrity,  is  the  Mahabarat  of  Vyasa,  who  is 
said  to  have  been  the  author  of  some  Puranas,  and  of  course  could 
not  have  flourished  above  seven  hundred  years  ago  ;  and  it  is 
probable  that  the  more  ancient  poem  cannot  aspire  to  a  much 
higher  date.     It  is  a  great  singularity  that  the  old  Hindoo  grants 

•  This  work  haa  been  translated  by  Rev.  Drs.  Carey,  and  Marshroan,  and  printed 
at  Seranipore,  in  180G. 

VOL.    11.  72 


570  HINDOSTAK. 

of  land,  many  of  which  have  been  translated  and  published,  are 
extremely  long,  and  in  a  strange  poetical  or  inflated  style,  some 
of  the  compound  words  consisting  of  not  less  than  one  hundred 
and  fifty  syllaljles  !  When  we  compare  these  singularities  with 
the  brevity  and  clearness  of  the  Greek  and  Roman  inscriptions, 
and  the  unbiassed  dictates  of  plain  good  sense,  we  are  led  to  con- 
clude that  the  Hindoos  are  the  puerile  slaves  of  a  capricious  im- 
agination. And  though  some  translations  of  their  best  works 
have  already  appeared,  they  have  not  acquired  the  smallest  de- 
gree of  European  reputation  ;  and  have  very  little  interested  a 
few  curious  ijiquirers,  though  eager  to  be  pleased.  To  compare 
such  tedious  trifles,  alike  destitute  of  good  sense,  vigorous  genius, 
or  brilliant  fancy,  with  the  immortal  productions  of  Greece  or 
Romcj  would  only  confirm  the  idea,  that  the  climate  itself  impairs 
judgment,  while  it  inflames  imagination. 

The  Hindoos  are  ignorant  of  the  Chinese  art  of  printing,  nor 
have  we  any  rules  for  determining  the  antiquity  of  their  manu- 
scripts. To  an  exact  inquirer  this  would  have  been  the  first  topic 
of  investigation  ;  but  it  has,  on  the  contrary,  bten  completely  neg- 
lected. We  have  merely  the  bold  assertions  of  Bramins,  eagerly 
imbibed  by  Eui'opean  credulity,  instead  of  successive  arguments 
and  proofs. 

Ancient  Civilization. "^  The  ancient  civilization  of  the  Hindoos 
has  probably  been  greatly  exaggerated,  both  with  regard  to  its 
degree,  and  its  duration  ;  they  are  nevertheless  at  present  in  gen- 
eral highly  civilized,  and  of  gentle  and  amiable  manners.  But 
perhaps  in  no  art  nor  science  are  they  equal  to  the  Chinese  or 
Japanese  ;  and  in  most  are  confessedly  greatly  inferior. 

Universities.']  The  chief  university  in  the  north,  is  that  of  Be- 
nares, a  most  celebrated  and  ancient  school,  now  included  in  the 
English  possessions  In  the  Deccan,  the  academy  of  Triciur,  on 
the  Malabar  coast,  is  also  in  great  repute.  "  At  Cangiburam,  in 
Carnate.,  there  is  still  a  celebrated  Brahman  school,  which,  ac- 
cording to  the  testimony  of  Ptolemy,  existed  in  the  first  century 
of  the  Christian  era  ;  and  its  members  are  certainly  equal  in  ce- 
lebrity to  the  Brahmans  of  Fanares,  or  Benares.*  It  is  to  be  hop- 
ed that  the  recent  acquisitions  in  the  south  will  lead  to  the  dis- 
covery of  new  literary  treasures  in  that  quarter,  where  it  is  to  be 
expected  that  native  knowledge  is  more  perfect,  than  in  the  north, 
where  it  was  so  long  U'ampled  under  foot  by  the  Mahometan  con- 
querors. 

Inland  JVavigation.']  With  respect  to  inland  navigation,  Hin- 
dostan  forms  a  striking  contrast  with  China.  In  the  14th  centu- 
ry, Feroz  III.  of  the  Patau  dynasty,  ordered  some  short  canals  to 
be  dug  in  the  neighborhood  of  Delhi  ;  and  had  an  intention  of 
uniting  the  Ganges  with  the  Indus,  or  Setlege.  This  intended 
canal,  which  would  not  have  been  above  one  quarter  the  length  of 
the  great  canal  of  China,  has  been  praised,  as  a  wonderful  design  ; 
a  sufficientproof  of  the  great  inferiority  of  the.  Hindoos,  and  their 
Mahometan  victors,  in  the  solid  and  useful  arts. 
•  Wesdin,  2S3. 


HINDOSTAN.  571 

Manufactnre!i.'\  The  manufactures  of  Hindostan  have  been 
celebrated  from  early  antiquity,  particularly  the  muslins  and  other 
fabrics  from  cotton.  Piece  goods  are  mentioned  by  the  author  of 
the  Periplus,  and  other  ancient  writers,  who  praise  the  manufac- 
ture and  its  beautiful  colors.  The  Hindoos,  in  the  time  of  Stra- 
bo,  were  also  noted  for  elegant  works  in  metals  and  ivory.  Nor 
is  Hindostan  celebrated  at  this  day  for  any  manufacture,  except 
those  of  muslins  and  calicoes,  the  other  exports  consisting  of  dia- 
monds, raw  silks,  with  a  few  wrought  silks,  spices,  drugs,  Sec. 
The  shawls  ofCashmir  are  also  deservedly  esteemed ;  being  there 
woven  from  a  material  chiefly  supplied  by  Tibet.  Painting  is  in 
its  infancy  ;  and  they  are  strangers  to  shade  and  perspective. 
Sculpture  is  as  little  advanced  as  painting,  the  design  and  execu- 
tion being  alike  bad  ;  yet  the  temples  are  sometimes  majestic  and 
solemn.  In  most  trades  very  few  tools  are  employed.  The  sim- 
ple loom  is  reared  in  the  morning  under  a  tree,  and  carried  home 
in  the  evening. 

JYative  Products.']  It  is  the  abundance  of  native  products, 
which  has  in  all  ages  rendered  Hindostan  the  centre  of  great  trade. 
Diamonds,  and  some  other  precious  stones,  are  products  almost 
peculiar  ;  as  well  as  many  spices,  aromatics,  and  drugs.  In 
modern  times  the  tea  and  porcelain  of  China,  and  other  oriental 
articles,  have  been  vaguely  included  among  those  of  the  East  In- 
dies. But  rice,  sugar,  and  many  articles  of  luxury,  are  products 
of  Hindostan. 

Climate  and  Seasons.]  The  climate  and  seasons  are  consid- 
erably diversified  by  difference  of  latitude,  and  local  situation. 
Yet  in  general,  though  the  northern  Alps  of  Tibet  be  covered 
Avith  perpetual  snow,  there  is  some  similarity  of  climate  through 
the  wide  regions  of  Hindostan.  In  Bengal  the  hot,  or  dry  season, 
begins  with  March,  and  continues  to  the  end  of  May,  the  ther- 
mometer sometimes  rising  to  110°:  this  intense  heat  is  some- 
times interrupted  by  violent  thunder  storms  from  the  northwest, 
the  seat  of  the  grand  Alps  of  Asia.  The  rainy  season  continues 
from  June  to  September  :  the  three  last  months  of  the  year  are 
generally  pleasant  ;  but  excessive  fogs  often  prevail  in  January 
and  February.  The  periodical  rains  are  also  felt  in  Sindetic  Hin- 
dostan, except  in  Cashmir,  where  they  seem  to  be  excluded  by 
the  surrounding  mountains.  In  the  rest  of  Hindostan  they  al- 
most deluge  the  country,  descending  like  cataracts  from  the  clouds, 
and  the  Ganges  and  other  rivers  spread  to  a  wide  cxtcnH  the  in- 
undation ceasing  in  September.  By  the  latter  end  of  June  the 
Ganges  has  risen  fifteen  feet  and  a  half,  out  of  thirty-two,  which 
is  the  total  of  its  overflow.*  In  the  mountains  the  rainy  season 
begins  early  in  April  ;  but  rarely  in  the  plains  till  the  latter  end 
of  June.  «  By  the  latter  end  of  July  all  tiic  lower  parts  of  Bengal, 
contiguous  to  the  Ganges  and  Burampooter,  are  overflowed,  and 
form  an  inundation  of  more  than  a  hundred  miles  in  width  ;  noth-r 
ing  appearing  but  villages  and  trees,  excepting  very   rarely  the 

•  Itennel',  549. 


5!r2  HINDOSTAN. 

top  of  an  elevated  spot  (the  artificial  mound  of  some  deserted  vil- 
lage) appearing  like  an  island." 

In  the  southern  division  the  chains  of  the  Gauts,  or  mountains 
of  Malabar  and  Coromandel,  supporting  the  high  table  land  in  the 
centre,  intercept  the  groat  mass  of  clouds  ;  and  the  alternate  S, 
W.  and  N.  E.  winds,  called  the  Monsoons,  occasion  a  rainy  season 
on  one  side  of  the  mountains  only,  that  is,  on  the  windward  side. 
Yet  it  appears  that  during  the  first  part  of  the  rainy  monsoon,  in  May 
and  Jiu;e,  on  the  coast  of  Malabar,  a  considerable  quantity  of  rain 
falls  in  the  upper  region,  or  table  land,  of  Mysore.  The  monsoon 
is  from  the  N.  E.  from  October  to  April  ;  and  from  May  to  Sep- 
tember in  the  opposite  direction.  The  rainy  season  on  the  coast 
of  Coromandel  is  with  the  N.  E.  monsoon  ;  and  on  that  of  Mala- 
bar with  the  S.  W.  :  in  general  March,  April,  May,  and  June,  are 
the  dry  months. 

Hence,  while  in  Tibet  the  winter  nearly  corresponds  with  that 
of  Switzerland  and  the  rest  of  Europe,  in  the  whole  extent  of  Hin- 
dostan,  except  in  Cashmir,  thei-e  can  hardly  be  said  to  be  a  vr^st- 
ige  of  wintei',  except  the  thick  fogs  of  an  English  November  : 
and  excessive  rains,  or  excessive  heats,  form  the  chief  varieties  of 
the  year. 

General  Face  of  the  Count ry."^  The  aspect  of  this  wide  coun- 
try is  greatly  diversified ;  but  in  general  there  are  no  mountains 
of  any  considerable  height,  the  highest  Gauts  in  the  south  not  be- 
ing estimated  at  above  three  thousand  feet.  The  frontier  moun- 
tains of  Tibet  are  of  small  elevation,  compared  with  those  of  the 
interior  of  that  country  ;  and  the  wonderful  extent  of  Hindostau 
consists  chiefly  of  extensive  plains,  fertilized  by  numerous  rivers 
and  streams,  and  interspersed  with  a  few  ranges  of  hills.  The 
periodical  rains  and  intense  heats  produce  luxuriance  of  vegeta- 
tion, almost  unknown  to  any  other  country  on  the  globe  ;  and  the 
variety  and  richness  of  the  vegetable  creation  delight  the  eye  of 
every  spectator. 

Soil.~\  The  soil  in  some  places  consists  of  black  vegetable 
mould,  to  the  depth  of  six  feet.  Rice  is  the  chief  grain  ;  and  on 
the  dry  sandy  lands  of  the  coast  of  Coromandel,  great  industry  is 
displayed  in  watering  it.* 

Maize  and  the  sugar-cane  are  also  favorite  products.  Great 
attention  to  manure  seems  far  from  being  so  general  as  in  China, 
or  Japan  ;  nor  perhaps  is  it  necessary.  The  cultivation  of  cotton 
is  also  widely  diffused  ;  and  this  plant  particularly  thrives  on  the 
dry  coast  of  Coromandel. 

Rivers.']  In  describing  the  large  and  numerous  rivers  of  Hin- 
dostau, the  Ganges  and  Indus  shall  be  first  considered,  with  their 
chief  tributary  streams  ;  and  a  short  account  of  the  principal 
rivers  in  the  central  part  shall  be  followed  by  those  in  the  south- 
ern division.  This  arrangement  naturally  arises  from  the  four 
grand  divisions  formerly  mentioned. 

The  Ganges  must  still  be  considered  as  the  sacred  sovereign  of 

*  Sonnerat,  i.  106. 


HINDOSTAN.  573 

the  Hindoo  rivers,  an  attribute  not  infringed  by  the  recent  discov- 
ery of  the  Burrampooter.  It  receives  such  a  number  of  important 
tributary  streams,  that  its  magnitude  exceeds  what  might  have 
been  expected  from  the  comparative  length  of  its  course  ;  which 
may  however  be  estimated  at  about^  fourteen  hundred  British 
miles,  while  the  Hoan-ho  of  China  has  been  computed  at  two 
thousand,  and  the  Kian-ku  at  two  thousand  two  hundred.  The 
source  of  the  Ganges  remains  a  curious  object  of  investigation  ; 
nor  can  much  reliance  be  placed  on  its  delineation  in  the  map  of 
Tibet,  by  the  Chinese  Lamas,  published  by  Du  Halde,  and  follow- 
ed by  all  succeeding  geographers.  Tieffenthaler  has  laid  down 
the  latitude  of  the  noted  Gangoutra,  or  Cow's  mouth,  in  lat.  33°, 
being  a  celebrated  cataract,  where  the  Ganges  is  said  to  pass 
through  a  vast  cavern  in  a  mountain,  falling  into  a  large  bason, 
which  it  has  worn  in  the  rock.  At  Hurdwar,  about  two  hundred 
and  eighty  miles  to  the  south  of  the  Cow's  mouth,  (if  this  last  be 
not  a  dream  of  the  fabling  Hindoos,)  the  Ganges  enters  the  wide 
plains  of  Hindostan  ;  and  pursues  a  south-east  direction  by  the 
ancient  city  of  Canoge,  once  the  capital  of  a  kingdom,  by  Allaha- 
bad, Benares,  Patna,  &c.  till  dividing  into  many  grand  and  capa- 
cious mouths,  it  forms  an  extensive  delta  at  its  egress  into  the 
gulf  of  Bengal.  The  extreme  mouths  of  the  Ganges  are  inter- 
sected witn  isles,  called  the  Sunderbunds,  overgrown  with  tali 
bamboos  and  other  luxuriant  vegetation,  the  impenetrable  haunts 
of  the  royal  tiger,  and  other  beasts  of  prey.  On  the  westernmost 
outlet  of  the  Ganges,  called  the  Hoogley,  or  Ugli,  stands  Calcut- 
ta, the  capital  of  British  Hindostan.  This,  and  the  most  eastern, 
which  receives  the  Burrampooter,  are  the  widest  and  most  im- 
portant branches. 

The  noblest  tributary  stream  of  the  Ganges  is  the  Burrampoo- 
ter, or  as  styled  by  the  people  of  Asam,  the  Burrampoot,  being 
the  Sampoo  of  the  Tibetans.  The  course  of  the  river,  and  its 
junction  with  the  Ganges,  were  first  ascertained  by  Major  Ren- 
nell.  This  noble  river  runs  for  four  hundred  miles  through  the 
British  territory  ;  and  for  the  last  60  miles  before  its  junction 
with  the  Ganges,  is  from  four  to  five  miles  wide.  On  their  union 
below  Luckipour,  they  form  a  body  of  runnhig  fresh  water,  re- 
sembling a  gulf  of  the  sea,  interspersed  with  islands,  some  of 
which  rival  in  size  and  fertility  the  Isle  of  Wight.  In  the  mouths 
of  the  Ganges,  and  the  Megna,  or  Burrampoot,  the  bore  or  sud- 
den influx  of  the  tide  Avill  rise  instantaneously  to  the  height  offr.om 
five  to  twelve  feet.*  Between  Bengal  and  Tibet,  the  Burram- 
poot passes  through  the  country  of  Asam,  a  region  hitherto  little 
known,  and  which  may  be  here  briefly  described.  It  is  divided  into 
two  parts  by  the  river ;  the  northern  being  called  Uttcrcul,  and 
the  southern  Dachincul.  The  mountains  of  Dulch,  and  Landa, 
divide  Asam  from  Tibet-t  Asam  is  intersected  by  several  streams 
which  run  into  the  Burrampoot ;  among  which  is  the  Donee,  in 
the  south,  the  environs  of  vrhich  present  fields,  groves,  and  gar- 

•  Rennell,  358.  f  Af.  Res.  ii.  I7t. 


574  HINDOSTAN. 

dens.  Among  the  products  are  many  kinds  of  valuable  fruits, 
with  pepper,  cocoa  nuts,  sugar,  and  ginger.  The  silk  is  said  to 
equal  that  of  China ;  nor  are  the  musk  deer  unknown.  The 
northern  province,  Uttarcul,  surpasses  the  southern  in  tillage  and 
population  ;  gold  and  silver  are  said  to  be  found  in  the  sand  of  the 
rivers,  and  to  furnish  employment  to  many  of  the  natives.  The 
Hindoo  tenets  are  not  known  by  the  generality,  though  there  be 
some  Bramins,  and  the  vulgar  dialect  somewhat  resembles  that  of 
Bengal.  The  raja,  or  king,  resides  at  Ghargon,  the  capital,  which, 
by  this  account,  stands  on  the  south  of  the  great  river  :  it  is  fenced 
with  bamboos,  and  has  four  gates,  constructed  of  stone  and  earth. 
The  palace,  public  saloon,  8cc.  seem  rudely  to  I'esemble  those  of 
the  Birmans.  The  natives  are  a  stout  and  brave  race  ;  and  re- 
peatedly foiled  the  invasions  of  the  Moguls. 

The  course  of  the  Burrampoot  is  supposed  to  be  nearly  equal 
in  length  to  that  of  the  Ganges.  The  sources  of  these  great  riv- 
ers are  stated  to  be  very  near,  yet  they  separate  to  the  distance  of 
3nore  than  a  thousand  miles,  and  afterwards  join  in  their  termina- 
tion. 

The  most  important  tributary  streams  which  swell  the  Ganges, 
are  the  Gagra,  also  called  Sarjoo,  (a  great  part  of  whose  course, 
like  those  of  the  Cosa  and  Teesta,  belong  to  Tibet)  ;  the  Jumna, 
or  Yumena,  which  receives  many  considerable  rivers  from  the 
south,  particularly  the  Chumbul  and  the  Betwa  :  and  lastly  the 
Soan. 

The  Gagra,  after  pursuing  a  long  course  from  the  mountains 
of  Tibet,  pervades  the  province  of  Oude. 

The  Jumna  rises  from  the  mountains  of  Sirinagur,  pursuing 
nearly  a  parallel  course  to  the  Ganges,  on  the  west,  as  the  Gagra 
does  on  the  east  ;  but  its  comparative  course  has  not  exceeded 
five  hundred  miles  when  it  flows  into  the  Ganges  at  Allahabad. 
By  receiving  numerous  and  extensive  streams  from  the  south, 
the  Jumna  contributes  greatly  to  increase  the  breadth  of  Gangetic 
Hindostan  ;  and  the  Chumbul,  which  joins  the  Jumna,  is  itself 
swelled  with  many  tributary  streams. 

The  Soan  is  said  to  spring  from  the  same  lake  with  the  Nerbu- 
da  (which  flows  in  an  opposite  direction  to  the  gulf  of  Cambay,) 
and  joins  the  Ganges  not  far  below  its  union  with  the  Gagra. 
Several  streams  of  smaller  account  fall  into  the  Hoogley,  or  v/est- 
ern  branch  of  the  Ganges. 

The  Indus,  and  its  confluent  streams,  form  the  next  object. 
This  celebrated  river  is  by  the  natives  called  Sende,  or  Sindeh, 
and  in  the  original  Sanscrit,  Seendho.  It  is  also  called  Nilab,  or 
the  Blue  River.  The  source,  like  that  of  the  Ganges,  remains 
unknown.  Fiomthemapof  Islenieff,  1777,  it  appears  thai  the 
chain  of  mountains  which  gives  source  to  the  Amu,  or  Gihon,  on 
one  side,  and  on  the  other  to  the  rivers  of  Little  Bucharia,  is  that 
of  the  Belur  Tag,  or  Cloudy  mountains  ;  from  the  eastern  side  of 
which  chain  the  Indus  seems  to  arise.  Its  compai'ative  course 
may  be  about  a  thousand  British  miles,  when  it  forms  a  delta  in 
the  province  of  Sinde,  entering  by  many  mouths  into  the  Indian 
sea. 


illNDOSTAN.  573 

The  tributary  rivers  of  the  Sinde  cliiefly  join  it  in  the  northern 
half  of  its  course,  where  they  form  the  Pan  jab,  or  country  of  five 
rivers.  From  the  west  run  into  the  Indus  the  Kameh,  with  its 
tributary  streams,  and  the  Comul  :  from  the  east  the  Behut,  or 
Hydaspes  ;  the  Chunab,  or  Acesinas;  tiie  Rauvec,  or  Hydrastes; 
and  the  Setlege,  or  Hesudrus,  v/ith  a  tributary  stream  on  the 
west,  the  Hyphasis  ;  the  Panjab  country  being  on  the  east  of  the 
Sinde.  The  whole  of  this  part  of  Hindostan  is  little  known  to  the 
moderns  ;  and  it  is  uncertain  whether  the  Caggar,  a  considerable 
and  distant  river  to  the  east,  join  the  Sinde,  or  fall  into  the  gulf  of 
Cutch.* 

Having  thus  briefly  described  the  most  important  rivers  in  the 
two  first  grand  divisions  of  Hindostan,  those  of  the  central  part 
must  next  be  considered,  being  chiefly  the  Pudda,  Nerbudda,  and 
Taptee,  on  the  west  ;  and  on  the  east  the  Subanrceka,  or  Subun- 
reka,  which  joins  the  sea  about  thirty  miles  to  the  west  of  that 
mouth  of  the  Ganges  called  the  Hoogley,  or  more  properly,  from 
a  city  on  its  shore,  the  Ugli.  The  Subunreka  being  here  consid- 
ered as  the  N.  E.  boundary  of  Central  Hindostan,  is  followed  by 
the  Bramnee,  the  Mahanada  ;  and  after  passing  the  little  streams 
of  the  Sircars  by  the  Godaveri,  the  last  and  most  important  stream 
of  Central  Hindostan. 

The  Godaveri  rises  at  Trimbuck  Nassor,  in  the  western  Gauts, 
more  properly  called  the  Suckhien  mountains,  from  several 
sources,  about  seventy  miles  to  the  N.  E.  of  Bombay .f  This 
great  river  was  little  known  in  Europe  till  recent  times  ;  and  is 
also  called  the  Ganga,  a  Hindoo  term  for  a  river  in  general,  though 
applied  by  pre-eminence  to  the  Ganges.^:  About  ninety  miles 
from  its  egress  into  the  sea,  the  Godaveri  receives  a  large  river, 
the  Bain  Gonga,  which  pervades  immense  teak  forests  in  a  singu- 
lar wild  country  inhabited  by  savages,  in  the  centre  of  Hindostan, 
and  as  yet  little  known  or  explored.  The  Bain  Gonga  was  first 
discovered  to  Europeans  by  the  late  Colonel  Camac,  its  course 
being  about  four  hundred  miles,  while  that  of  the  Godaveri  may 
be  seven  hundred.  This  last  great  river,  like  another  Nile  or 
Ganges,  fertilizes  the  country  ;  and  from  the  benefits  which  it 
confers  is  esteemed  sacred.  Besides  the  Bain  or  Baun  Gonga,  it 
receives  many  tributary  streams,  as  the  Burda  and  others  from 
the  north  ;  and  from  the  south  a  circuitous  large  river,  the  Mun- 
zora,  which  passes  by  Beder. 

The  next  in  consequence,  in  the  central  division  of  Hindostan,  is 
the  Nerbudda,  which  may  be  called  a  solitary  stream,  as  it  receives 
so  few  contributions.  Its  course  is  almost  due  west,  and  about 
equal  to  that  of  the  Godaveri.  The  Taptee,  which  passes  by  Su- 
rat,  is  also  a  considerable  river,  about  four  hundred  milts  in  length. 
To  the  south  of  this  river  the  superior  elevation  of  the  Sukhien 
mountains,  or  western  Gauts,  diffuses  all  the  rivers  towards  tlie 
east. 

•  Major  Rennell's  excellent  map  may  here  l>e  compared  with  tli.nl  of  tie  la  Ro- 
chette,  iiublishcil  bv  Faden,  1788,  which  is  well  executed,  ami  compiled  w.th  great 
•:ai«-  t  -'^s.  lies.  V.  1.  5.  4  Kuuicll,  2i4. 


$76  HINDOSTAN. 

In  tlic  arrangement  here  ibllovvcd,  the  Deccan,  or  most  south- 
ern part  of  Hindostan,  is  considered  as  bomided  and  enriched  by 
tlie  Kistna,  and  its  tributary  streams.  The  Kistna,  a  sacred  river, 
rises  at  Balisur  in  the  chain  of  Sukhien,  not  far  to  the  south  of 
Prona,  and  forms  a  delta  near  Masulipatam,  after  a  comparative 
course  of  about  500  hundred  miles.  This  river  rivals  any  Indian 
stream  in  the  fertility  diffused  by  its  inundations ;  and  the  richest 
diamond  mines  in  the  world  are  in  the  neighboring  hills  to  the 
north.  The  chief  tributary  streams  in  that  quarter  are  the  Bee- 
ma;  passing  near  the  diamond  mines  of  Visiapour,  and  the  Musi, 
or  Moussi  by  those  of  Golconda.  But  the  most  considerable  river 
joins  the  Kistna  from  the  south,  being  the  Toombuddra  of  Ren- 
nell's  last  map,  the  Tunge-badra  of  D'Anville  ;  on  the  banks  of 
which  have  been  recently  discovered  many  populous  provinces, 
and  flourishing  towns. 

To  the  south  of  the  Kistna  appear  the  Pennar,  the  Paliar,  and 
above  all  the  Caveri,  another  large  and  sacred  stream,  which  pas- 
ses by  Seringapatam  the  capital  of  Mysore,  and  forms  a  wider  del* 
ta  than  any  other  southern  river,  when  it  enters  the  sea  after  a 
course  of  about  three  hundred  miles.  The  Caveri  in  general  per* 
rades  a  country  in  which  public  monuments,  unequivocal  marks  of 
civilization  and  opulence,  are  more  common  than  in  the  northern 
parts  of  Hindostan.*  As  the  course  of  the  Caveri  is  compartively 
short,  its  tributary  streams  are  unimportant. 

Lakes.~\  The  lakes  seem  to  be  few.  Rennell  mentions  that  of  Co- 
lair,  during  the  inundations  about  forty  or  fifty  miles  in  extent, 
and  a  considerable  piece  of  water  in  all  seasons,  lying  about  mid- 
way between  the  Godaveri  and  Kistna,  in  the  new  soil  gradually 
formed  by  the  inundations  of  these  rivers,  about  twelve  miles 
north  of  Masulipatam,  That  of  Chilka  bounds  the  British  Sircara 
on  the  N.  being  a  kind  of  a  salt  creek  communicating  with  the  sea. 
The  lake  of  Pulicat  is  of  a  similar  kind.  One  or  two  lakes  may 
also  be  traced  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Ganges  and  the  Indus.  The 
country  of  Cashmir  is  supposed  to  have  been  originally  a  large 
lake,  as  reported  in  the  native  traditions  ;  and  a  considerable  ex- 
panse of  water  still  remains  in  the  northern  part  of  this  delightful 
country,  called  the  lake  of  Duller  or  Tal,  bemg  about  fifty-three 
British  miles  in  circuit. 

Mountains.'^  The  mountains  chiefly  celebrated  by  the  Hindoos 
may  be  said  to  be  only  visible  from  their  country,  being  the  north- 
ern chain  of  the  Tibetian  Alps,  covered  with  perpetual  snow. 
Hence  they  are  called  Himmala  from  a  word  denoting  snow.  This 
name  may  perhaps  be  the  source  of  the  Imaus  of  the  ancients. 
Ptolemy  not  only  describes  an  Imaus  as  running  north  and  south, 
or  the  Belur  Tag  of  the  Russians  and  Tartars,  with  its  ridges  to  the 
west,  now  called  Argun,  Ak  Tau,  8cc.  but  another  Imaus  pass- 
ing E.  and  W.  to  the  N.  of  Hindostan. 

As  the  northemi  Imaus  of  Ptolemy  is  clearly  the  Belur  Tag,  so 
his  southern  Imaus  may  be  fafely  regarded  as  the  Himmala  of  the 

*  Rennell,  e/o. 


HINDOSTAN.  577 

Hindoos,  which  may  be  admitted  to  have  been  known  to  the  an- 
cients, who  were  no  strangers  to  the  rich  Gangetic  regions  of 
Hindostan. 

It  must  be  observed  however  that  there  is  no  small  confusion, 
even  in  the  most  recent  delineations,  of  the  Indian  ranges  of 
mountains,  or  rather  hills,  and  their  exact  denominations.  The 
ridges  to  the  south  of  Nepaul  and  Bootan  are  far  inferior  in 
height  to  the  Himmala,  or  snowy  ridge ;  nor  can  we  much  depend 
on  the  Tibetian  names  given  by  Du  Halde.  An  equal  defect  at- 
tends the  mountains  from  Sirinagur  to  Cashmir.  The  ridge  of 
Kuttore  is  properly  on  the  north  of  that  province,  running  east 
and  west :  and  is  followed  by  the  Hindoo  Koh  of  oriental  geogra- 
phers. 

The  mountains  to  the  west  of  the  Indus,  or  on  the  Persian  fron- 
tier, seem  to  be  the  Becius  and  Parvetius  of  Ptole.my  ;  but  the 
modern  names  arc  little  known. 

In  Major  Rennell's  excellent  map  of  Hindostan  the  ridges  are 
rather  inserted  in  the  minute  and  antiquated  manner  of  D'Anville, 
than  treated  with  a  bold  and  scientific  discrimination. 

The  Gauts,  are  ranges  which  run  along  tlie  western  and  eastern 
coasts  of  the  Deccan.  The  former  is  by  the  natives  called  the 
mountains  of  Sukkien.* 

The  chains  of  mountains  rise  abruptly  on  each  side,  but  partic- 
ularly the  west,  forming  as  it  were  enormous  walls,  supporting  a 
high  terrace  or  table  land  in  the  middle.  This  elevated  tract, 
passing  through  a  great  part  of  the  Maratta  territories  to  the  north 
of  Mysore,  is  termed  in  general  the  Balla  Gaut,  through  its  whole 
extent,  while  low  passes  arc  called  Puyen  Gaut.f  Opposite  to 
Paniany,  on  the  western  coast,  there  is  a  break  or  interruption  of 
the  mountains,  about  sixteen  miles  in  breadth,  chiefly  occupied  by 
a  forest ;  exclusive  of  this  gap  the  mountains  of  Sukhien  extend 
from  Cape  Comorin  to  Surat,  at  the  distance  of  from  forty  to  sev- 
enty miles  from  the  shore4  Tlieir  effect  on  the  seasons  has  been 
already  mentioned  ;  and  it  ceases  at  Surat,  where  the  S.  W.  wind 
carries  uninterrupted  moisture  over  Hindostan.  The  high  ter- 
race in  the  middle  of  the  Deccan  receives  little  rain ;  and  the 
coast  of  Coromandel,  which  receives  its  rain  from  the  N.  E.  mon- 
soon, is  also  of  a  dry  soil,  as  already  described. 

The  sandy  desert  on  the  east  of  the  Indus  njust  not  be  omitted, 
extending  in  length  between  four  and  live  hundred  miles,  and  in 
breadth  from  sixty  to  a  hundred  and  fifty.  Of  this  great  desert 
the  accounts  are  imperfect ;  but  it  is  styled  that  of  Agimerc,  and 
seems  to  have  been  known  to  Herodotus.  Such  wide  expanses  of 
barren  sand  form  features  peculiar  to  Asia  and  Africa. 

jp'orest8.~\  Of  this  extensive  portion  of  Asia  a  great  part  re- 
maining in  primitive  wildness,  there  arc  large  forests  in  various 
quarters,  particularly  near  the  mouth  of  the  Ganges,  and  in  the 
wide  unexplored  regions  on  the  west  of  the  Sircars.     These  forests 

•  As.  Re«.  V.  1.5.  I  Rcnnell,  cxx\ii. 

^  Reniidl,  27C,  and  his  map  of  the  DeccRti  ISCX),  in  nhicli  the  southern  mountains 
are  well  exjiresseil. 

VOL.   II.  73 


5.78  IIINDOSTAN. 

surpass  in  ejiuberance  of  vegetation  any  idea  which  Europeans 
can  imagine  ;  creeping  plants  of  prodigious  size  and  length,  ex- 
tended from  tree  to  tree,  forming  an  impenetrable  gloom,  and  a 
barrier,  as  it  were,  sacred  to  the  first  mysteries  of  nature. 

jBo^an//.]  The  general  observations  which  were  made  on  India 
beyond  the  Ganges,  apply  with  still  greater  propriety  to  the  botany 
of  Hindostan.  A  more  fertile  soil,  and  a  climate  better  adapted 
to  the  most  profuse  luxuriance  of  vegetation  than  the  well-watered 
tracts  in  this  vast  peninsula,  cannot  possibly  be  found  in  any  part 
of  the  known  world.  The  liberality  with  which  nature  has  scat- 
tered over  this  favored  country  the  choicest  of  those  plants  that 
contribute  to  the  sustenance,  the  convenience,  and  elegance  of  hvi- 
man  life,  is  boundless,  and  almost  without  competition  :  double 
harvests,  two  crops  of  fruit  from  many  of  the  trees,  and  from  most 
of  the  rest  a  copious  and  regular  supply  during  the  greater  pai't 
of  the  year,  are  the  bases  that  support  its  swarming  population, 
while  its  timber  of  every  quality,  its  plants  of  medicinal  virtue, 
its  .numerous  and  exquisite  dyeing  drugs,  and  its  cottons  and  other 
vegetable  articles  of  clothing,  offer  to  its  inhabitants  the  materials 
of  enjoyment  and  civilization. 

The  most  distinguished  feature  in  tropical  landscapes  is  the 
multitude  of  lofty  trees  of  the  palm  kind  ;  all  these  rise  with  a 
•simple  trunk  to  a  considerable  height,  terminated  by  a  tuft  of 
large  leaves,  and  wholly  destitute  of  branches  except  while  they 
are  in  fruit  :  of  these  many  species  are  natives  of  India.  The  co- 
coa nut  tree,  perhaps  the  most  widely  diffused  of  any,  is  found  in 
abundance  on  the  coasts  of  Malabar  and  Coromandel  ;  its  fruit 
supplies  an  agreeable  nutriment,  and  the  fibrous  covering  of  the 
nut  is  manufactured  into  the  most  elastic  cables  that  are  known. 
The  areca  palm  is  another  of  this  family,  of  rare  occurence  in  a 
truly  wild  state,  but  cultivated  over  all  India  for  its  nuts,  which, 
mixed  with  the  leaves  of  the  betel  pepper  and  a  little  quick-lime, 
are  in  general  request  for  chewing  as  tobacco  is  used  in  Europe. 
The  smaller  fan-palm  (borassus  flabelliformis)  is  distinguished 
for  its  broad  fan-shaped  leaves,  which  are  used  for  writing  on  and 
for  thatching :  its  wood  is  in  high  esteem  for  rafters  ;  and  of  its 
juice  the  best  palm  toddy,  the  common  distilled  spirit  of  the  coun- 
try, is  made.  This,  although  a  large  tree,  is  far  inferior  to  the 
greater  fan-palm  (corypha  umbraculifera)  which  abounds  on  the 
lower  mountains  of  the  Carnatic  ;  each  leaf  of  this  vast  tree  is 
capable  of  covering  ten  or  a  dozen  men,  and  two  or  three  of  them 
are  sufficient  to  roof  a  cottage.  The  most  beautiful  of  all,  the 
sago  palm,  is  also  found  here,  though  not  so  plentifully  as  in  some 
of  the  Indian  islands.  Besides  these  may  be  mentioned  the  elate 
sylvestris,  whose  sweet  mealy  fruit  is  the  favorite  repast  of  the 
elephant ;  and  the  plantain,  distinguished  by  its  tuft  of  broad,  sim- 
ple, light,  green  leaves,  and  its  wholesome  farinaceous  fruit. 

Of  the  other  fruit  bearing  trees  the  number  is  so  great,  and 
they  are  for  the  most  part  so  little  known,  even  by  name,  to  Euro- 
peans, that  only  a  few  of  the  principal  need  be  here  mentioned  : 
these  arc,  the  papaw  fig  ;  two  species  of  the  genus  known  to  bot- 


HINDOSTAN.  579 

anists  by  the  name  of  eugenia,  and  remarkable  for  the  sweetness 
and  rose  flavor  of  their  fruit ;  and  the  spondius  dulcis,  whose 
sweetness,  pleasantly  tempered  with  acid,  renders  it  peculiarly 
agreeable  in  this  hot  climate.  The  pillaw  is  a  tree  of  equal  sin- 
gularity and  use :  from  its  trunk  and  larger  branches  are  pro- 
duced fibrous  bags,  sometimes  of  the  weight  of  25  pounds,  which 
arc  filled  with  nuts  like  the  chestnut,  and  resembling  the  almond 
in  flavor.  The  dillenia  indica  is  I'emarkable  for  its  beauty, 
and  valuable  for  its  large  pomaceous  fruit  of  a  pure  acid,  and 
equal  to  the  white  lily  in  fragrance.  The  averrhoa  carambola 
produces  three  crops  of  fruit  in  the  year,  and  another  of  the  same 
genus,  the  a.  bilimbi,  is  in  a  manner  covered  with  large  juicy  ber- 
ries of  the  size  of  a  hen's  egg,  and  resembling  the  grape.  The 
mango  however  is  reckoned  the  most  exquisite  of  the  Indian  fruits, 
and  is  found  in  considerable  abundance,  both  wild  and  cultivated 
through  the  whole  peninsula,  nor  ought  the  elephant  apple,  (fero- 
nia  elephantum,)  to  be  emitted,  almost  equally  a  favorite  with  the 
animal  whose  name  it  bears,  and  with  the  native  Hindoos. 

Of  the  trees  whose  produce  is  used  in  medicine  or  the  arts,  the 
most  worthy  of  notice  are  the  cassia  fistula  ;  the  tamarind  ;  the 
gambogia,  from  whose  bark  exudes  the  gum  of  the  same  name  ; 
the  laurus  cassia,  whose  bark  is  a  common  substitute  for  cinna- 
mon ;  caesalpina  sappan,  a  red  wood  used  in  dyeing  ;  sandal 
wood;  strychnos  potatorum,  the  fruit  of  which,  called  the  charing 
nut,  is  in  general  use  for  clearing  muddy  water  ;  and  semecar- 
pus  anarcardium,  or  marking  nut  used  for  giving  a  durable  black 
stain  to  cotton.  The  chief  timber  trees  are  the  teak,  used  espe- 
cially for  ship-building  ;  a  large  tree  called  by  botanists  gyro- 
carpus,  whose  strong  light  wood  is  in  great  request  for  rafts,  or 
catamarans  ;  the  ebony  ;  the  ferreola,  the  hardest  of  all  the  In- 
dian woods  ;  and  the  dalbergia,  a  dark  grey  wood  with  light  col- 
ored veins,  very  heavy,  and  capable  of  a  most  exquisite  polish ;  it 
is  much  used  for  furniture. 

A  few  other  trees  require  notice  from  their  size  or  beauty,  such 
as  the  banyan  tree  and  Indian  fig;  the  hibiscus  ficulneus  is  re- 
markable by  its  magnitude,  and  the  profusion  of  its  elegant  blos- 
soms, and  is  of  peculiar  value  in  a  tropical  climate,  as  hardly  any 
insects  are  found  under  its  shade.  The  cotton  tree  rises  with  a 
thorny  trunk  eighteen  feet  in  circumference  to  the  height  qf  fifty 
feet  without  a  branch,  it  then  throws  out  numerous  boughs,  which 
are  adorned  in  the  rainy  season  with  purple  blossoms  as  large  as 
the  open  hand,  and  these  are  succeeded  by  capsules  filled  with  a 
fine  kind  of  cotton.  The  shrubs  and  herbaceous  plants  are  innu- 
merable, and  multitudes  would  be  well  worth  recording  for  their 
beauty  or  use,  if  the  nature  of  this  work  allowed  an  opportunity  ; 
we  cannot  however  omit  the  indigo  and  the  Indian  madder, 
whence  the  beautiful  colors  of  the  Indian  chintzes  arc  procured. 
The  nyctanthes  hirsuta,  and  the  jasniinum  grandidorum,  boast 
the  most  fragrant  blossoms  of  the  whole  east,  the  former  perfum- 
ing the  night,  and  the  latter  scenting  the  day.  The  gloriosa  su- 
perba,  cecropegia  candelabrum,  and  Indian  vine,  form  by  their 


S^^Q  HINDOSTAN. 

\inion  bowers  worthy  of  Paradise  ;  and  the  butca  superba,  a  small 
tree,  by  the  striking  contrast  of  its  green  leaves,  its  black  flower- 
stalks,  and  its  large  scarlet  papilionaceous  blossoms,  attracts  with 
its  ostentatious  charms  the  notice  and  admiration  of  the  most  in- 
curious. 

Zooloi^y.']  For  an  ample  account  of  the  zoology  of  Hindostan, 
the  curious  I'cader  may  consult  Mr,  Pennant's  view  of  this  country, 
this  being  the  peculiar  province  of  that  great  naturalist.  The 
numerous  cavalry,  which  form  the  armies  of  the  Hindoo  princes^ 
suppose  great  numbers  of  horses ;  and  the  breeds  most  celebrated 
•are  those  of  Lahore  and  Turkistan,  but  the  grandees  are  supplied 
from  Persia  and  Arabia.  The  inferior  breeds  though  ugly,  arc 
active,  and  in  some  regions  there  are  poneys  not  exceeding  thirty 
inches  in  height.*  The  horses  of  Tibet,  generally  pyed,  are 
often  used  in  Gangetic  Hindostan.  The  animal  called  the  wild 
mule,  and  the  wild  ass,  sometimes  pass  in  herds  to  the  northern 
mountains,  from  the  centre  of  Asia  and  the  desert  of  Gobi. 

The  cattle  of  Hindostan  are  numerous,  and  often  of  a  large  size, 
with  a  hunch  on  the  shoulders.  The  sheep  are  covered  with  hair 
instead  of  wool,  except  in  the  most  northern  parts. 

Antelopes  abound,  of  various  beautiful  kinds,  particularly  that 
called  the  Nilgau,  which  is  of  a  considerable  size.  Bernier,  the 
most  intelligent  of  travellers  in  India,  gives  an  account  of  the  chase 
of  the  antelopes  by  means  of  the  hunting  leopard,  trained  as  in 
Persia  to  this  sport.f 

The  Arabian  camel,  or  that  with  a  single  hunch,  is  not  unfre- 
quent  about  Patna.  The  elephant  has  been  frequently  described  ; 
the  usual  height  of  this  intelligent  animal  is  about  ten  feet.  Apes 
and  monkeys  abound  in  various  regions  of  Hindostan ;  and  the 
orang  outang  is  said  to  be  found  in  the  vast  forests  on  the  W.  of 
the  Sircars.  The  dogs  are  generally  of  the  cur  kind,  with  sharp 
erect  ears  and  pointed  noses :  the  smallest  size  is  that  kept  by  the 
Pariars,  or  degraded  poor,  rendered  doubly  miserable  by  the  fan- 
atic prejudices  of  the  abominable  system  of  the  Bramins.  The 
other  animals  are  wild  boars,  bears,  wolves,  foxes,  jackals,  hyenas^ 
leopards,  panthers,  lynxes  :  in  the  north,  musk  weasels,  and  many 
other  quadrupeds  of  infei'ior  size. 

The  lion  seems  to  have  been  always  unknown  in  Hindostan, 
where  the  ancient  sculptors  have  attempted  in  vain  to  represent  an 
animal  -svhich  they  never  saw ;  but  Mr.  Pennant  assures  us  that 
they  are  found  near  the  celebrated  fortofGwalior,  about  Marvvah, 
and  near  Cashrair.  The  royal  tiger  of  Bengal  is  however  a  far 
more  terrible  animal  than  the  stoutest  lion,  and  was  known  in  clas- 
sical limes,  as  Seneca  the  poet  calls  it  Gangctlca  tigris,  or  the 
Gangetic  tiger.  Such  is  their  size  and  strength  that  they  are  said 
to  carry  off  IjuUocks,  the  height  of  some  being  said  to  be  five  feet, 
and  the  length  in  proportion.  Parties  of  pleasure  on  the  isles  at 
the    mouth  of    the  Ganges   have  often   been  shockingly  inter- 

*  Penniuit,  vol.  ii.  259. 

f  Those  of  Tippoo  are  in  the  Tower  of  London;  their  legs  are  ranch  higher  ih 
p.ro(joi'tion  than  those  of  any  other  Sfiliiie  aHinaal. 


HINDOSTAN.  381 

nipted  by  the  sudden  appearance  of  the  tiger,  prepared  for  his 
fatal  spring,  which  is  said  to  extend  a  hundred  feet,  not  improba- 
ble when  compared  with  that  oPthe  cat.  Such  is  the  nature  of  the 
animal,  that  if  disappointed  in  this  first  leap,  he  couches  his  tail 
and  retreats.  The  rhinoceros  with  one  horn,  an  animal  of  the 
swamps,  also  abounds  in  the  Gangctic  isles.  Wild  peacocks  abound 
in  Tibet  and  Ceylon  ;  our  common  fowl  arc  also  fo\md  wild  in  the 
jungles,  whence  they  are  called  jungle  fowl.  Hence  it  seems 
reasonable  to  conclude,  that  as  these  animals  have  been  diffused 
over  the  civilized  world  from  time  immemorial,  they  must  have 
passed  from  Hindostan  to  Persia,  whence  they  were  distributed  to 
the  western  countries. 

Mineralogy .~\  The  mineralogy  of  Hindostan  may  be  opened  by 
its  most  distinguished  and  peculiar  product,  celebrated  in  all  ages 
of  the  world,  that  of  diamonds,  which  are  indeed  also  found  in 
Brazil,  but  of  far  inferior  quality.  This  substance  is  the  most 
hard,  transparent,  and  brilliant  of  all  minerals  ;  and  is  commonly 
colourless,  but  is  found  occasionally  of  a  citron  yellow,  grey,  brown, 
or  black.  It  is  found  in  beds  of  torrents,  or  in  yellow  ferruginous 
earth,  under  rocks  of  quartz  or  sand  stone. 

The  chief  and  most  celebrated  diamond  mines  are  those  near 
Visiapour  and  Golconda,  both  near  streams  that  flow  into  the  Kist- 
na  in  the  southern  division  of  Hindostan,  Golconda  being  in  the 
territory  of  the  Nizam,  while  Visiapour  belongs  to  the  Marattas.* 

Raolconda,  a  famous  diamond  mine  in  the  territory  of  Visiapour, 
about  forty  British  miles  N.  W.  from  the  junction  of  the  Beema 
and  Kistna,  seems  to  be  the  most  noted  of  those  in  that  quarter.f 
A  district  on  the  river  Mahanada,  to  the  S.  of  Sumboulpour,  is  also 
celebrated  for  this  rich  product ;  as  is  Gandicotta,  on  the  southern 
bank  of  the  river  Pennar.t 

The  mine  near  the  Mahanada  is  not  the  sole  example  of  the 
diamond  being  found  to  the  north  of  the  Deccan,  for  this  mineral 
unexpectedly  occurs  so  far  north  as  Penna,  in  the  territory  of  Bun- 
delcund,  about  sixty  miles  south  of  the  river  Jumna,  which  flows 
into  the  Ganges.§ 

Next  in  value  to  the  diamond  are  the  sapphire  and  the  ruby, 
which  are  chiefly  found  in  the  Birman  territories ;  but  the  ruby 
also  occurs  in  Ceylon,  which  likewise  produces  an  inferior  kind 
ef  sapphire,  the  topaz,  and  other  precious  stones. 

Among  the  metals  gold  is  found  in  the  rivers,  which  flow  from 
Tibet  into  the  Ganges  and  Indus  ;  but  no  gold  mines  scein  ever  to 
have  been  known  in  Hindostan,  which  has  rather  been  celebrated 
for  attracting  this  metal  in  commerce  from  other  countries.  On 
the  other  hand  Tibet,  a  mountainous  country,  abounds  in  this  pre- 
cious metal.  Silver  seems  rare  in  general  throughout  the  oriental 
regions,  and  there  is  no  indication  of  this  mineral  thi"oughout  all  In- 
dia. Thunberg  mentions  iron  ore  and  plumbago  among  the  min- 
erals of  Ceylon  ;  but  says  nothing  of  copper,  which  seem  also  little 
known  in  Plindostan. 

•  Colore,  another  diamond  mine,  b  on  the  southci-n  bank  of  the  Kistna,  not  lif 
from  Condavir.     Rennell,  200, 

tReDnen,a53.  t  lb.  240.  §  lb.  25J. 


682  HINDOSTAN. 

Mineral  Waters^  The  natives  sometimes  seek  for  the  cure  of 
diseases  by  bathing  in  the  sacred  streams  ;  and  their  devotion  to 
water  in  general  seems  to  prevent  their  exploring  any  medicinal 
sources.  Yet  there  are  a  few  exceptions,  and  several  warm 
springs  are  reputed  saci-ed. 

Natural  Curiosities.']  Among  the  singular  features  of  nature 
may  be  mentioned  the  appearance  of  the  provinces  on  the  rivers, 
during  the  season  of  inundation,  when  an  access  is  opened  by  nu- 
merous channels  to  places  before  inland.  The  grand  aspect  of 
the  northern  mountains  covered  with  snow,  and  the  wide  desert  on 
the  cast  of  the  Indus,  are  also  grand  features ;  as  is  the  high  table 
land  of  Mysore,  supported  by  natural  buttresses  of  mountains.  The 
Sunderbunds,  and  prodigious  forests,  have  been  already  mentioned. 
The  detached  ridges  of  rock,  sometimes  crowned  with  strong  for- 
tresses, may  also  be  named  among  the  natural  curiosities.  But 
one  of  the  most  noted  in  the  Hindoo  tradition  is  the  Gangoutra,  or 
fall  of  the  Ganges,  sometimes  called  the  Cow's  Mouth.  Accord- 
ing to  the  repoi't  of  a  Bramin,  who  pretended  to  have  visited  the 
spot,  the  Ganges  springs  from  the  peak  of  Cailasa,  seven  days 
journey  to  the  south  of  Ladac,  or  Latac,  the  capital  of  a  small  Ti- 
betian  principality.*  This  peak  is  about  two  miles  to  the  south 
of  Mansaror  ;  and  the  river  thence  flows,  for  about  seven  or  eight 
miles,  when  it  finds  a  subterranean  passage,  until  it  again  emerges 
in  the  country  of  Kedar  Nauth,  at  the  place  called  Gungowtry. 

Adam's  bridge  is  also  a  noted  fable  of  the  Bramins,  for  in  their 
strong  imaginations  and  weak  judgments  every  thing  assumes  a 
fabulous  tinge.  It  is  a  kind  of  sand  bank,  with  some  isles  stretch- 
ing from  a  promontory  to  the  opposite  isle  of  Ceylon  ;  but  the 
name  of  Rama  has  been  exchanged  by  the  Mahometans,  for  that 
of  Adam. 

CHAPTER  II. 

GANGETIC  HINDOSTAN,  OR  THE  COUNTRIES  ON  THE  GANGES. 

EXTENT  AND  DIVISIONS,  BRITISH  POSESSIONS,  REVENUE,  GOVERN- 
MENT, COLLEGE,  ARMY,  NAVY,  CITIES  AND  TOWNS,  SURROUND- 
ING STATES. 

Extent  and  Divisions.']  THIS  grand  division  of  Hindos- 
tan  extends  from  the  eastern  boundaries  of  Bengal,  to  the  country 
of  Sirhind,  a  length  of  about  1000  miles.  The  greatest  breadth, 
fi'om  the  sources  of  the  Chumbul  to  the  mountains  of  Sewalik,  is 
about  450  ;  and  the  least,  on  the  west  of  the  province  of  Bengal, 
about  2S0  miles.  It  comprises  the  provinces  of  Bengal,  Bahar, 
Allahabad,  Oude,  Agra,  with  part  of  Delhi  and  Agimere,  and  of 
Malwa  in  the  south  ;  most  of  them  equal  in  celebrity  to  any  in 
Hindostan,  and  the  chosen  seats  of  the  power  of  the  Monguls,  as 
v/ell  as  of  mighty  kingdoms,  even  in  classical  times. 

*  As.  Res.  V.  45,  vi.  102. 


HINDOSTAN.  5«3 

British  Posessions.^  Bengal,  Bahar,  with  Benares,  and  some 
other  districts  to  the  west,  forming  the  chief  basis  and  centre  of 
English  power  in  this  country,  it  is  proper  first  to  consider  them 
apart,  and  then  proceed  to  some  account  of  the  other  provinces. 
The  British  settlements  here  extend  about  550  miles  in  length  by 
300  in  breadth,  in  themselves  a  powerful  kingdom.  The  native 
population  is  computed  at  ten  or  eleven  millions  of  black  subjects, 
exclusive  of  the  English,  whose  number  seems  not  authenticated. 

jRe-venue.~\  The  revenue  of  these  British  provinces  is  computed 
at  4,210,0001.  sterling;  the  expense  of  collection,  military  and 
civil  charges,  8cc.,  2,540,0001. ;  so  that  the  clear  revenue  is  1,670- 
OOOl.*  They  are  well  situated  in  respect  to  security  from  foreign 
invasion  ;  and  since  they  were  in  posession  of  the  British  have  en- 
joyed more  tranquility  than  any  part  of  Hindostan  has  known  since 
the  reign  of  Aurungzeb. 

Government.']  The  government  of  Bengal  and  its  wide  depen- 
dencies, was  first  vested  in  a  governor  general  and  a  supreme 
council,  consisting  of  a  president  and  eleven  counsellors  :  but  in 
1773  these  were  restricted  to  four,  with  Warren  Hastings  the 
governor  general,  Avho  were  to  dii'ect  all  affairs,  civil  and  military, 
in  the  kingdoms  of  Bengal,  Bahar,  and  Orissa  ;  and  to  controul 
the  inferior  governments  of  Madras  on  the  E.  and  Bombay  on  the 
W.  with  Bencoolen  in  the  island  of  Sumatra.f  The  court  of 
judicature  consists  of  a  chief  justice  and  three  other  judges,  with 
civil,  ci'iminal,  naval,  and  ecclesiastical  jurisdiction.  The  Hin- 
doos are  governed  by  their  own  laws  ;  but  it  is  to  be  wished  that 
in  these  and  the  other  British  possessions  the  abominable  influence 
ol'  the  Bramins  were  extinguished,  and  the  casts  totally  abolished, 
as  the  most  shocking  obstacle  to  all  the  best  feelings  and  exertions 
of  human  nature,  that  ever  was  imposed  by  crafty  superstition 
upon  consummate  ignorance. 

College,]  The  College  of  Fort  William,  at  Calcutta,  in  Bengal, 
was  founded  on  the  fourth  of  May  1800.  During  the  seven  first 
years  of  its  establishment  it  produced  nearly  one  hundred  volumes 
in  Oriental  literature.  This  College,  after  encountering  several 
difficulties,  is  now  in  a  flourishing  condition,  and  has  received  the 
sanction  and  patronage  of  the  East-India  Company.  The  benefit 
of  this  institution  consists  principally  in  diff'using  a  knowledge  of 
the  Scriptures  over  the  East.  There  is  a  department  for  the 
translation  of  the  Bible  into  the  Oriental  languages.  And  a  com' 
mencement  had  been  made,  in  1805,  hi  five  languages.^; 

jirmy.]  The  military  establishment  in  Bengal  is  always  re- 
spectable, but  varies  according  to  the  situation  of  affairs.  The 
British  troops  are  supported  by  the  Sepoys,  a  native  militia,  who 
are  accustomed  to  have  numerous  idle  followers,  so  that  the  effect- 
ive men  seldom  constitute  more  than  a  quarter  of  the  nominal  army. 
A  force  of  20,000  British  soldiers  might  probably  encounter  and 
vanquish  200,000  blacks  or  Hindoos,  The  decisive  battle  of  Plas- 
sey,  which  secured  to  the  British  the  possession  of  these  opulent 

•  Pennant,  iL  327.  f  Renoell,  cxiv.  t  Buchannan's  Researches. 


S84.  HINDOSTAN". 

provinces,  was  gained  by  the  formidable  array  of  nine  hundred 
Europeans.* 

dries  and  Tonuns.']  The  chief  city  of  Bengal,  and  of  all  the 
British  possessions  in  Hindostan,  is  Calcutta.  The  latitude  is  22 
S3  north,  and  the  longitude  88°  28'  east  from  Greenwich. 

"  Generally  speaking,  the  description  of  one  Indian  city  is  a 
description  of  all ;  they  being  all  built  on  one  plan,  with  exceedingly 
narrow,  confined,  and  crooked  streets ;  with  an  incredible  number  of 
reservoirs  and  ponds,  and  a  great  many  gardens,  interspersed. 
A  few  of  the  streets  are  paved  with  brick.  The  houses  are  vari- 
ously built,  some  of  brick,  others  with  mud,  and  a  still  greater 
proportion  with  bamboos  and  mats  :  and  these  different  kinds  of 
fabrics,  standing  intermixed  with  each  other,  form  a  motley  ap- 
pearance :  those  of  the  latter  kind  are  invariably  of  one  story,  and 
covered  with  thatch.  Those  of  brick  seldom  exceed  two  floors,  and 
have  flat  terraced  roofs.  The  two  former  classes  far  outnumber 
the  last,  which  are  often  so  thinly  scattered,  that  fires,  which  often 
happen,  do  not  sometimes  meet  with  the  obstruction  of  a  brick 
house  through  a  whole  street. 

"  Calcutta  is,  in  part,  an  exception  to  this  rule  of  building  ;  for 
there  the  quarter  inhabited  by  the  English  is  composed  entirely  of 
brick  buildings,  many  of  which  have  more  the  appearance  of  pala- 
ces, than  of  private  houses  ;  but  the  remainder  of  the  city,  and  by 
much  the  greatest  part,  is  built  as  above  described.  Calcutta  is 
the  emporium  of  Bengal,  and  the  seat  of  the  Governor  General  of 
India.  It  is  a  very  extensive  and  populous  city,  being  supposed 
at  present  to  contain  at  least  500,000  inhabitants.  Calcutta  is  sit- 
uated on  the  western  arm  of  the  Ganges,  about  100  miles  from 
the  sea  ;  and  the  river  is  navigable  up  to  the  town  for  the  largest 
ships  that  visit  India.  It  is  a  modern  city,  having  risen  on  the  site 
of  the  village  of  Govindpour,  about  ninety  years  ago.  The  citadel 
is  superior  in  every  point,  as  to  strength  and  correctness  of  design, 
to  any  fortress  in  India  ;  but  on  too  extensive  a  scale  to  answer  the 
useful  purpose  intended,  that  of  holding  a  post  in  case  of  extrem- 
ity.t" 

In  this  grand  capital  of  British  Asia,  the  mixture  of  people  and 
mannei-s  presents  a  picturesque  and  interesting  scene.  The  black 
Hindoo,  the  olive-coloured  Moor  or  Mahometan,  contrasted  with 
the  fair  and  florid  countenances  of  the  English  ;  and  the  charms 
of  the  European  damsel  receive  a  foil  from  the  dark  Hindoo  beau- 
ties. The  luxuries  of  the  Asiatic  are  added  to  the  elegance  and 
science  of  the  English  life.  Even  the  newspapers  are  drawn  up 
■with  care,  and  printed  with  elegance  ;  and  the  Asiatic  society,  in- 
stituted by  the  late  excellent  Sir  William  Jones,  forms  a  noble 
monument  of  science  in  a  distant  covmtry. 

The  commerce  of  Calcutta  is  very  great  in  salt,  sugar,  opium, 
silks,  and  muslins,  &c.  The  poppy  which  yields  the  opium  is 
particularly  cultivated  in  the  province  of  Bahar.  On  the  Ganges 
are  transported  to  Asam  cargoes  of  salt,  in  exchange  for  gold,  sil- 

*  Rennnell,  xcv  f  Rennell,  58,  59. 


HINDOSTAN.  f§$ 

ter,  ivory,  tnusk,  and  a  particular  kind  of  silky  cott6n.  The  cowff 
shells,  used  as  a  small  coin,  are  imported  from  the  Maldives  in 
exchange  for  rice.  The  fine  muslins  are  chiefly  fabricated  in  the 
rainy  season  from  May  to  September,  and,  with  calicoes,  form  a 
great  part  of  the  exports  to  Europe. 

In  the  eastern  part  of  the  British  possessions  the  most  consider- 
able town  is  Dacca,  beyond  the  principal  stream  of  the  Ganges,  but 
defended  on  the  east  by  the  Megna  or  Burrampoot.  Dacca  is 
celebrated  for  manufactures  of  the  most  delicate  muslins,  so 
much  in  request  in  the  European  market,  and  which  are  made 
from  the  cotton  of  the  district.  It  was  once  the  capital  of  Bengal, 
and  was  succeeded  by  Moorshedabad,  a  modern  city.  Hoogley, 
or  Ugli,  is  a  small  but  ancient  city,  about  26  miles  above  Calcutta, 
on  the  grand  western  branch  of  the  Ganges,  Mhich  thence  receives 
its  name. 

Patna  is  the  capital  of  the  province  of  Bahar,  situated  about  400 
miles  N.  W.  from  Calcutta,  being  tolerably  fortified,  and  a  place 
of  considerable  trade  ;  most  of  the  saltpetre  in  particular,  exported 
to  England,  is  made  in  the  province  of  Bahar. 

Benares  approaches  to  the  western  frontier  of  the  British  pos- 
sessions, the  district  having  been  ceded  to  the  East  India  Company 
in  the  year  1 755.  It  is  a  rich,  populous,  and  compact  city,  on  the 
northern  bank  of  the  Ganges,  about  460  miles  from  Calcutta.  Be- 
nares, anciently  called  Kasi,  was  the  most  early  seat  of  Bramin- 
ical  knowledge  in  the  north. 

On  leaving  the  British  posisessions,  and  proceeding  towards  the 
west,  first  occurs  Allahabad,  in  the  province  so  called,  at  the  con- 
fluence of  the  Jumna  and  the  Ganges,  a  city  belonging  to  the  na- 
bob of  Oude,  but  of  little  consequence.  Not  far  to  the  S.  W.  of 
Allahabad,  are  the  diamond  mines  of  Penna,  in  the  small  detached 
province  of  Bundelcund. 

Lucknow  is  the  present  capital  of  Oude,  having  superseded 
Fyzabad,  a  city  on  the  Gogra,  near  the  ancient  city  of  Aiudh, 
which  seems  to  have  given  name  to  the  province.  At  a  consider- 
able distance  to  the  N.  W.  is  Borilli,  a  small,  but  noted  town, 
near  the  northern  frontier. 

The  great  and  good  emperor  Acbar  constituted  Agra,  the  capi- 
tal of  the  Mogul  empire,  about  A.  D.  1566.  It  was  then  a  small 
fortified  town,  but  it  soon  became  an  extensive  and  magnificent 
city,  and  has  as  rapidly  declined. 

To  the  N.  W.  of  Agra,  near  the  confines  of  Sindetic  Hindostan, 
stands  the  celebrated  city  of  Delhi,  the  Mahometan  capital  of  In- 
dia, said  to  be  of  considerable  antiquity,  by  the  name  of  Indarput. 
That  intelligent  traveller,  Bcrnier,  computes  the  extent  of  Delhi, 
ill  1663,  at  three  leagues,  exclusive  of  the  fortifications  ;  and  he 
represents  Agra  as  of  wider  circuit.  This  jnetropoiis  may  be 
said  to  be  now  in  ruins  ;  but  there  are  many  noble  and  splendid 
remains  of  palaces,  with  baths  of  marble.*  The  grand  mosque  is 
a  magnificent  edifice,  of  marble  and  red  free-stone,  with  highmin- 

•  As.  Res.  iv.  417. 
VOL.  II.  74 


586  HINDOSTAN. 

afets,  and  domes  richly  gilt.  One  of  the  quarters  of  the  city  has 
been  very  thinly  inhabited  since  the  dreadful  massacre  by  Nadir 
Shah,  in  which  one  hundred  thousand  people  are  said  to  have 
perished. 

The  city  of  Agimere,  or  Ajimer,  may  be  more  properly  allotted, 
with  the  greater  part  of  that  province,  to  Sindetic  Hindostan  :  but 
Oujein  may  be  considered  as  the  farthest  city  in  the  south  of  that 
portion  now  under  view.  Oujein  is  about  six  miles  in  circumfe- 
rence, surrounded  by  a  strong  wall,  with  round  towers.  The 
houses,  partly  brick,  partly  wood,  covered  with  lime,  tarass,  or 
tiles  :  the  bazar,  or  market,  is  spacious,  and  paved  with  stone  : 
there  are  four  mosques,  and  several  Hindoo  temples,  with  a  new 
palace  built  by  Sindia.  On  the  south  runs  the  river  Sip  para, 
which  here  suddenly  turns  north,  pursuing  its  course  into  the 
Chumbul,  the  last  a  large  river,  not  less  than  three  qaarters  of  a 
mile  in  breadth,  at  some  distance  from  its  egress  into  the  Jumna.* 

Turning  to  the  east,  the  river  Nerbudda  may  for  a  part  be  con- 
sidered as  the  most  southern  limit  of  Gangetic  Hindostan  ;  yet 
concerning  Gurrah,  a  city  or  town  of  some  note,  there  are  no  de- 
tails ;  and  the  other  names  are  too  unimportant  for  general  geog- 
raphy. But  the  noted  fort  of  Gwalior  must  not  be  omitted,  being 
a  striking  object  in  Hindoo  topography.  The  insulated  rock  on 
which  it  stands,  is  about  four  miles  in  length,  but  narrow  :  the 
sides  are  almost  perpendicular,  from  two  to  three  hundred  feet 
above  the  surrounding  plain.f  On  the  top  there  is  a  town,  with 
wells  and  reservoirs,  and  some  cultivated  land.  This  celebrated 
fortress,  which  is  about  80  miles  to  the  south  of  Agra,  was  taken 
by  surprise  by  a  few  English,  under  Major  Popham,  in  1779. 
Such  isolated  forts  on  rocks,  were  not  uncommon  in  ancient  In- 
dia ;  and  that  of  Aornos  is  distinguished  in  the  history  of  Alex- 
ander. 

Surrounding  States.']  Before  closing  this  brief  delineation  of 
Gangetic  Hindostan,  the  most  large,  celebrated,  and  best  known 
quarter  of  that  extensive  region,  it  may  be  proper  to  offer  some 
remarks  on  the  surrounding  states  on  the  E.  and  N.  The  Ro- 
shawnof  Rennell  is  the  same  with  Aracan,  being  merely  a  Hindoo 
term  for  that  country.  His  Cossay  is  only  another  name  for  Meek- 
ley,  or  the  country  of  the  Muggaloos,  a  people  between  Asam  or 
the  north,  and  Aracan  on  the  south,  whose  chief  town  is  Munni- 
pura.|  These  eastera  tribes  of  rude  mountaineers  are  little 
known,  but  approach  to  the  savage  state.  Asam  has  been  al- 
ready briefly  described  iu  the  account  of  the  river  of  Burrampoot  ; 
but  to  the  west  open  the  wide  and  obscure  regions  of  Tibet. 

Of  Sirinagur,  laid  down  iu  the  maps  as  the  most  northern  fron- 
tier country,  an  interesting  account  has  recently  appeared.§  To 
the  north  is  seen  the  lofty  chain  of  snowy  mountaiusj  passing  in  an 
extensive  line  from  east  to  west  at  the  distance  of  about  80  miles 
to  the  N.  of  the  town  of  Sirinagur. 

•  As.  Res.  vi.  40.  t  Hodges,  139. 

^  As.  Kes.  V.  226,  and  230.  $  As.  lies.  vi.  309. 


HINDOSTAN.  587 

One  of  the  most  conspicuous  summits  is  that  of  Hem,  rising  in 
four  or  five  conical  peaks  ;  and  near  its  base  is  a  place  of  Hindoo 
worship,  called  Buddrinaut.  Several  rivulets  descend  into  the 
Aliknundra,  here  acknowledged  by  the  Hindoos  as  the  genuine 
and  divine  Ganges.  The  raja  and  natives  are  of  the  Hindoo 
faith  ;  but  the  country,  a  mass  of  mountains,  extremely  poor. 
The  channel  of  the  river  is  here  not  less  than  250  yards  in  breadth. 
The  sands  are  washed  for  gold  ;  and  about  forty  miles  to  the 
north  of  the  town  are  two  copper  mines,  with  one  of  lead,  about 
fifty  miles  to  the  east. 


CHAPTER  rn. 


•SINDETIC  HINDOSTAN ;  OR  THE  COUNTRIES  ON  THE  RIVER  SJX- 
DEH,  OR  INDUS. 


EXTENT,  WESTERN  BOUNDARY  OF  HINDOSTAN,    CHIEF  CITIES  AN"!) 

TOWNS. 

Extent.']  THIS  part  extends  from  the  northern  mountains 
of  Cashmir,  and  the  Hindoo  Koh,  in  the  north  of  Cabul,  to  the 
mouth  of  the  Indus,  a  length  of  about  900  miles,  and  about  350 
in  medial  breadth.  Besides  part  of  the  provinces  of  Delhi  and 
Agimer,  it  contains  the  extensive  province  of  Moultan,  with  La- 
hore, Cashmir,  Cabul,  the  frontier  region  of  Candahar,  and  that 
of  Sindi,  at  the  mouth  of  the  Indus.  These  provinces  arc  the 
most  remote  from  the  seat  of  British  power,  and,  the  greater  part 
of  modern  travellers  having  visited  Hindostan  by  sea,  they  ai« 
less  accurately  known  than  any  other  quarter. 

The  chief  cities  which  occur  in  this  extensive  region,  are  La- 
hore, Cashmir,  Cabul,  Ghisni,  or  Gasna,  Candahar,  IMoultan,  and 
Tatta,  in  the  Sindean  Delta.  On  the  east  of  the  Indus,  or  in  Pan- 
jab,  the  Seiks,  a  new  religious  sect,  form  the  leading  power  ; 
-while  on  the  west,  and  even  as  far  as  Cashmir,  the  dominions  of  a 
Persian  Shah,  whose  seat  of  empire  is  at  Candahar,  comprise  all 
the  provinces,  with  several  in  the  east  of  Persia,  and  to  him  even 
Sindi  is  tributary. 

This  brief  account  of  Sindetic  Hindostan  shall  begin  with  the 
N.  E.  and  end  with  the  S.  W.  after  mentioning  that  Agimer, 
which  may  be  regarded  as  the  most  eastern  city  of  this  division, 
is  little  remarkable,  except  for  a  strong  fortress  on  a  hill. 

Chief  Cities  and  Towns.']  The  town  of  Sirhind  is  placed  by 
modern  maps  on  the  river  Caggar,  which  D'Anville  bends  west 
into  the  Indus,  but  Major  Rennell  supposes  it  to  follow  a  detached 
course  into  the  gulf  of  Cutch  :  perhaps  it  may  be  lost  in  the  great 
sandy  desert. 

Lahore,  now  the  capital  of  the  Seiks,  was  the  residence  of  the 
first  Mahometan  conquerors  before  they  advanced  to  the  more 
central  parts  ;  and,  including  the  suburbs,  was  supposed  to  be 


SS8  HINDOSTAN. 

three  leagues  in  length.  From  Lahore  to  Agra,  near  500  English 
miles,  there  was  an  avenue  of  shady  trees.*  The  river  Rauv^ec 
passes  by  Lahore,  being  the  Reva  of  the  Hindoos,  said  by  them  to 
derive  its  source  from  the  mountain  Vindhia,  as  the  Sarjou  from 
the  Himar,  or  Himala.f 

Nearly  north  from  Lahore,  at  the  supposed  distance  of  about 
200  miles,  stands  Cashmir,  the  capital  of  the  delightful  province, 
so  called.  This  city  is  said  to  be  also  called  Sirinagur,  having 
been  confoxmded  with  the  town  of  the  same  name,  already  men- 
tioned in  the  account  of  Gangetic  Hindostan.  To  avoid  the  con- 
fusion arising  from  identity  of  names,  it  is  better  to  follow  the  au- 
thorities of  Bernier  and  Forster,  Avho  denominate  the  capital  of 
Cashmir  by  the  same  term  as  the  country.  "  The  city,  which  in  the 
ancient  annals  of  India  was  known  by  the  name  of  Siringnaghur, 
but  now  by  that  of  the  province  at  large,  extends  about  three  miles 
on  each  side  of  the  river  Jalum,  over  which  are  four  or  five 
•wooden  bridges,  and  occupies  in  some  part  of  its  breadth,  which  is 
irregulai',  about  two  miles.  The  houses,  many  of  them  two  and 
three  stories  high,  are  slightly  built  of  brick  and  mortar,  with  a 
large  interrnixture  of  timber.  On  a  standing  roof  of  wood  is  laid  a 
covering  of  fine  earth,  which  shelters  the  building  from  the  great 
quantity  of  snow  that  falls  in  the  winter  season.  This  fence  com- 
municates an  equal  warmth,  in  winter  as  a  refreshing  coolness  in 
the  summer  season,  when  the  tops  of  the  houses,  which  are 
planted  with  a  variety  of  flowers,  exhibit  at  a  distance  the  spacious 
view  of  a  beautifully  checkered  parterre.  The  streets  are  narrow, 
and  choaked  with  the  filth  of  the  inhabitants,  who  are  proverbially 
unclean.  No  buildings  are  seen  in  this  city  worthy  of  remark  ; 
though  the  Kasmirians  boast  much  of  a  wooden  mosque,  called  the 
Jumah  Mussid,  erected  by  one  of  the  emperoi's  of  Hindostan  ; 
but  its  claim  to  distinction  is  very  moderate.":}:  The  country  of 
Cashmir  is  a  delicious  vale,  extending  in  an  oval  form,  about  90 
miles  from  S.  E.  to  N.  W.  It  was  subject  to  the  Zagathai  prin- 
ces (a  Tartaric  race,  Avho  speak  the  same  language  with  the 
Turks,)  till  A.  D.  1586,  when  it  became  subject  to  the  Monguls, 
and  afterwards  to  the  Afghans.  Rice  is  the  common  product  of 
the  plains  :  while  the  surrounding  hills  yield  wheat,  barley,  and 
other  crops.  The  celebrated  shawls  are  only  manufactured  here  ; 
the  material  being  from  Tibet,  especially  those  districts  which  He- 
at a  month's  journey  to  the  north-east.  The  price,  at  the  loom, 
is  from  26s.  to  5l.  and  th«  revenue  is  transmitted  to  the  Afghan 
capital  in  this  fabric.  The  Cashmirians  are  stout  and  well  form- 
ed, but  their  features  often  coarse  and  broad,  even  those  of  the 
women,  v/ho  in  this  northern  part  of  India  are  of  a  deeper  brown 
complexion  than  those  of  southern  France  or  Spain.  The  dres^ 
is  inelegant,  but  the  people  gay  and  lively,  and  fond  of  parties  of 
pleasure,  on  their  delicious  lake.  The  Afghan  government  has, 
Jiowevcr,  somewhat  crushed  their  spirit.     The  language  is^de- 

•  Kennell,  82  ;  but  others  onI>'  extend  it  to  Dellii,  f  Wesdiii,  232. 

^f  Forster,  vol.  ii. 


HINDOSTAN.  589 

rived  from  die  Sanscrit,  but  the  Persian  is  chiefly  used  in  elegant 
composition.  During  the  summer  heats,  the  great  Moguls  used 
to  retire  tp  Cashmir,  where  they  enjoy  a  cool  and  refreshing  cli- 
mate. 

The  wide  space  from  Cashmir  to  Cabul,  is  more  remarkable 
for  numerous  streams  an.d  mountains  than  any  other  circumstance  ; 
and  the  conquerors  of  India  preferred  the  south.  Even  in  Cabul 
the  mountains  are  said  to  be  covered  with  perpetual  snow  ;  but 
the  country  is  diversified  with  gentle  hills,  fertile  vales,  and  state- 
ly forests.  It  is  also  intersected  by  many  streams,  and  besides 
delicate  fruits  and  flowers,  is  abundant  in  otlier  productions. 
Ghizni  was  the  ancient  capital  of  the  country,  of  which  Candahar 
was  then  reckoned  a  part.*  The  city  of  Cabul  is  the  capital  of 
the  dominions  of  the  Persian  Shah,  usually  styled  king  of  Canda- 
har, whose  dominions  extend  westward  beyond  the  sea  of  Durrah, 
including  a  great  part  of  Corasan,  with  the  large  Persian  province 
of  SegLstan,  being  about  800  miles  in  length  by  about  half  that 
breadth.  Cabul  is  esteemed  a  considerable  city,  in  a  romantic 
and  healthy  situation. 

Ghizni,  or  Gasna,  is  remarkable  asihe  seat  of  the  first  Mahom- 
etan conquerors  of  Hindostan,  whose  empire  almost  corresponds 
with  the  modern  kingdom  of  Candahai'. 

The  city  which  gives  name  to  the  last  is  of  small  account,  ex- 
cept as  a  noted  pass  from  Persia  into  Hindostan. 

Having  thus  reached  the  most  western  frontier,  and  nothing 
farther  worthy  of  observation  arising  on  that  side  of  the  Sindeh, 
it  will  be  proper  to  pursue  the  course  of  that  grand  stream  to- 
wards the  south.  The  small  city  and  fortress  of  Attock  were 
built  by  Acbar,  1581  ;  but  the  vicinity  was  memorable  in  ancient 
times  as  the  general  passage  from  India  to  the  west.  The  Indus* 
about  twenty  miles  above  Attock,  is  a  rough,  rapid  stream,  about 
a  mile  in  breadth,  where  not  interrupted  by  isles.  This  size  indi- 
9ates  a  remote  source,  and  many  tributary  streams. 

Moultan,  the  capital  of  the  province,  so  called,  is  about  170 
raiiles  to  the  south  of  Attock,  on  the  large  river  Chunab,  not  far 
from  its  junction  with  the  Indus,  along  which  there  is  an  unin- 
terrupted navigation  for  vessels  of  200  tons,  not  only  to  this  city, 
but  ai  far  as  Lahore.f  Moultan  is  a  small  city,  and  of  little  con- 
sequence, except  for  its  antiquity  and  cotton  manufacture. 

The  last  remarkable  city  on  the  Indus  is  Tatta,  the  capital  of 
the  province  of  Sindi,  and  situated  within  the  Delta,  the  upper 
part  of  which  is  well  cultivated,  while  the  lower,  instead  of  the 
lofty  forests  of  the  Gangetic  Sunderbunds,  presents  only  low 
brushwood,  swamps,  and  lakes.  In  the  months  of  July,  August, 
and  September,  when  the  S.  W.  monsoon  brings  rain  in  most 
parts  of  India,  the  atmosphere  is  here  often  clouded,  but  no  rain 
falls  except  near  the  sea.  At  Tatta  the  heats  arc  so  vioKnt,  and 
the  winds  from  the  sandy  deserts  on  the  E.  and  N.  W.  so  pcrni- 

•  Rennell,  152. 

fib- 178;  yetjpnsc  91,  he  mentions  the  river  of  MouKan  iia  Idhg  choakfed  Up 
ahput  1665. 


590  ttlNDOSTAN. 

cious,  that  many  precautions  arc  used.  The  manufactures  of  this 
eity  in  silk,  wool  from  Kerman,  and  cotton,  have  greatly  decjined. 
The  Mahometan  prince  of  Sindi  is  tributary  to  Candahar. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

CEXTRAL  HINDOSTAN,  OR  THE  MIDDLE  PROVLVCES.. 
BOTJNDARIES,  CHIEF    CITIES,  SIRCARS,  ANCIENT    TRADE,  PIRATES. 

Boundaries.^  THIS  division  is  chiefly  bounded  by 
Gangetic  Hindostan  on  the  north,  and  on  the  west  by  the  sandy 
desert  and  the  ocean.  The  southern  limit  is  the  river  Kistna, 
•with  its  tributary  stream  the  Beema,  while  the  E.  is  washed  by  the 
bay  of  Bengal.  The  length  from  E.  to  W.  from  Jigat  point  to  Cape 
Palmiras,  is  little  less  than  1200  miles  ;  while  the  medial  breadth 
is  about  400.  In  it  are  comprehended  the  province  of  Orissa,  with 
part  of  Golconda,  Berar,  Dowlatabad,  Candeish,  and  Guzerat, 
and  other  districts  of  inferior  name ;  and  on  the  eastern  shore  are 
the  British  provinces  of  the  Sircars. 

Chief  Cities.']  In  a  natural  transition  from  the  division  of  India 
last  described,  the  province  of  Guzerat  first  presents  itself,  like  a 
large  promontory,  but  the  shores  seem  little  adapted  to  commer- 
cial purposes.  The  chief  city,  Amedabad,  is  considerable,  and 
well  fortified,  taken  by  the  English  under  General  Goddard  in 
1780,  restored  to  the  Marattas  in  1783.  Cambay,  at  the  distance 
of  more  than  50  miles,  may  be  called  the  sea  port  of  this  capital  ; 
itself  a  handsome  city,  formerly  of  great  trade  in  spice,  ivory, 
silk,  and  cotton  cloths ;  but  the  harbor  was  impeded  with  sand 
and  mud,  and  is  now  little  frequented,  the  trade  Ijeing  chiefly 
transferred  to  Surat.  The  sovereigns  of  Guzerat  were  formerly 
powerful,  and  long  withstood  the  power  of  the  Monguls. 

Surat  was  formerly  more  celebrated  as  the  port  whence  the  Ma-v 
hometans  of  India  embarked  on  their  pilgrimage  to  Mecca,  than 
for  any  other  circumstance,  though  reported  to  have  been  an  im- 
portant city  in  ancient  times.  The  Portuguese  seized  Surat  soon 
after  their  arrival  in  Hindostan  ;  and  it  was  among  the  first  places 
in  this  country  frequented  by  the  English.* 

Bombay,  at  a  considerable  distance  to  the  south,  is  a  well  known 
English  settlement,  on  a  small  island  about  seven  miles  in  length, 
containing  a  very  strong,  capacious  fortress,  a  large  city,  a  dock 
yard,  and  a  mai-ine  arsenal.f  It  was  ceded  to  the  English  in  1662 
by  the  Portuguese,  as  part  of  the  dower  of  the  queen  of  Charles  II. 

•  For  a  recent  account  of  Surat  see  Stavorinus,  vol.  ii.  p.  479.  The  inhabitants  are 
said  to  be  500,000,  a  considernljle  part  of  whom  are  Jlloors,  that  is  Arabs,  Persians, 
jNIongiils,  'I'urks,  professing  Mahometanism,  but  retaining  soirie  Pagan  riles. 

t  Jtennel;  3K;  the  name  in  Portuguese,  Biioti  bahia,  a  good  bay, 


HINDOSTAN.  591 

In  ihe  same  sound,  or  small  bay,  are  the  isles  of  SaJsette  and  EI- 
ephanta,  in  which  are  subterraneous  temples. 

Ju.^gernaut  in  the  province  of  Orissa,  is  noted  for  being  the 
seat  of  a  famous  idol  of  the  Hindoos.  At  the  celebration  of  the 
annual  festival  the  multitude  collected  at  this  spot  is  immense. 
The  natives  when  speaking  of  the  number  say,  that  100,000 
would  not  be  missed.  The  pilgrims  are  from  all  parts  of  India, 
of  all  characters  and  all  ages.  Multitudes  perish  on  their  jour- 
ney, and  for  the  distance  of  50  miles  from  Juggernaut  the  ground 
is  strewed  with  human  bones  and  skulls.  1  he  fatigue  of  long 
journies  in  tlie  hottest  season  of  the  year,  together  with  extreme 
famine,  but  above  all  the  immense  number  of  voluntary  human 
sacrifices,  has  occasioned  so  large  a  collection  of  dead  bodies, 
that  the  vultures,  dogs  and  jackalls,  seem  to  live  on  human  prey. 
The  vicinity  of  Juggernaut  to  the  sea  probably  prevents  the  con- 
tagion, which  otherwise  would  be  produced  by  the  putrefactions 
of  the  place.* 

On  leaving  the  shore  and  proceeding  towards  the  east  of  central 
Hindostan,  first  occurs  the  city  of  Burhampour,  of  small  note. 
Ellichpour  is  of  considerable  importance,  being  the  chief  city  of 
Berar.  Nagpour  is  the  capital  of  the  eastern  division  of  the  Ma- 
ratta  empire,  as  Poona  is  of  the  western,  being  a  modern  city  of 
small  size.  At  Nagpour,  which  may  he  called  the  central  city  of 
Hintlostan,  the  rainy  season  commences  with  the  S.  W.  monsoon. 

Not  far  to  the  east  of  this  city  begins  that  extensive  and  unex- 
plored wilderness,  which  is  pervaded  by  the  great  river  Bain  or 
Baun  Gonga,  and  terminates  in  the  mountains  bounding  the  En- 
glish Sircars.f  The  acquisition  of  these  provinces  has  been  al- 
ready menlioned  in  the  first  chapter.  They  present  little  worthy 
pf  notice.  Nor  does  tliere  appear  to  be  any  capital  city,  or  chief 
town,  in  the  Delta  of  the  Godaveri,  or  throughout  the  Sircars,  the 
wide  tract  of  forest  on  the  N.  W.  having  prohibited  inland  trade 
or  intercourse.  Masulipatam  is  indeed  a  place  of  some  account ; 
but  standing  on  the  northern  branch  of  the  Kistna,  may  be  arrang- 
ed in  the  southern  division  of  Hindostan. 

On  turning  towards  the  west,  few  places  of  note  arise,  except 
Aurungabad,  a  modern  city,  deriving  its  name  from  Aurungzeb, 
in  whose  time  it  was  the  capital  of  the  Deccan,  or  parts  to  the  S. 
of  Hindostan  proper.  It  was  afterwards  the  metropolis  of  the 
Nizam's  territory,  till  the  preference  was  given  to  Hydrabad. 
Near  this  city  is  Dowlatabad,  which  gives  name  to  the  province, 
with  a  singular  fortress  on  a  peaked  rock.^ 

This  central  part  of  Hindostan  nearly  corresponds  with  the  Dec- 
can,  or  southern  countries  of  the  Monguls,  who  did  not  pass  the 
Kistna  till  a  recent  period  j  and,  instead  of  using  the  term  in  its 

*  Biichannan. 

•f  Sec  Mr.  Blunt'3  journey,  above  quoted,  for  minute  details  concerning  this  tor- 
merly  obscure  region.  A&int.  Reg.  ii.  12S— 2()0.  This  importaiit  journey  appear*  to 
have  been  un(it;rtaken  solely  with  geo<;iapiiical  views  ;  and  it  is  said  that  the  Eastludia 
Company  entertain  the  highly  laudable  iutention  of  publishing  an  entirely  new  mai» 
of  Uindostaa. 

i  See  the  print,  BsraouHi,  i.  480. 


3^2  UINDOSTAN. 

just  acceptation,  applied  it  to  the  southern  provinces  of  their  cm* 
pire.  Though  formerly  the  seat  of  great  power,  and  the  westeni 
coasts  greatly  frequented  by  foreign  merchants  of  all  nations,  the 
harbors  have  since  been  impeded,  and  the  commerce  has  declined, 
being  now  chiefly  transferred  to  the  Ganges,  which  presents  such 
superior  advantages  as  amply  compensate  for  the  greater  distance 
of  the  voyage.  The  Roman  and  Arabian  fame  of  the  western 
shores  has  vanished  ;  and  silence  prevails  in  the  streets  of  Bary- 
gaza  or  Baroach,  the  port  of  the  great  inland  city  Tagara,  whence 
the  products  of  India,  gems,  ivory,  myrrh,  pepper,  ginger,  and 
cotton  cloths,  plain  or  ornamented  wirh  flowers,  were,  in  the  time 
of  Arrian,  exported  to  the  western  world. 

In  later  times  the  southern  part  of  this  coast  was  remarkable 
upon  another  account,  being  the  chosen  residence  of  daring  pirates. 
Yet  these  freebooters  were  known  even  to  Pliny  and  Ptolemy, 
being  stimulated  in  all  ages  by  the  richness  of  the  commerce. 
They  resembled  on  a  small  scale  the  piratical  states  of  Barbary,- 
and  a  succession  of  Angrias  was  continued  till  1756,  when  the 
English  seized  Gheriah,  the  principal  fortress. 


CHAPTER  V. 

THE  SOUTHERN  DIVISION  OF  HINDOSTAN. 
BOUNDARIES,    BRITISH    POSSESSIONS,    CHIEF    CITIES    AND    TOWNS. 

Boundaries.']  THIS  part,  which  may  also  be  called  the 
Deccan  or  South,  in  the  most  proper  acceptation  of  the  term,  is 
bounded,  as  already  explained,  by  the  river  Kistna,  and  its  most 
northern  subsidiary  streams  flowing  into  the  Beema.  Hence  it 
will  extend  from  the  latitude  of  Bombay,  to  the  southern  point  of 
Cape  Comorin,  about  830  miles  in  length,  and  about  350  of  medial 
breadth.  It  contains  nearly  the  whole  of  the  province  of  Visia- 
pour,  and  the  most  important  part  of  that  of  Golconda,  with  the 
central  kingdom  of  Mysore,  the  long  eastern  province  of  Carnada, 
or  the  Carnatic,  the  principalities  of  Tanjore,  Travancore,  and 
the  Samorins  of  Calicut,  the  pepper  coast  of  Canara,  and  other 
districts,  of  which  Conam  is  supposed  to  be  the  Kamkam,  which 
the  Arabian  authors  mention  as  adjoining  to  the  territory  of  the 
Balhara.  In  this  division  of  Hindostan  may  also  be  included  the 
island  of  Ceylon,  the  coasts  of  which  are  now  possessed  by  the  En- 
glish, who  have  supplanted  the  Dutch  ;  while  the  native  princes 
retain  the  extensive  inlai>d  parts. 

British  Possessions.]  In  addition  to  the  district  around  Mad- 
ras, the  British  power  was,  in  1792  and  1799,  extended  over  wide 
provinces  in  the  south  and  west  of  Mysore,  and  Seringapatam, 
the  capital,  is  also  in  their  possession,  so  that  their  territories  in 
this  portion  of  Hindostan  only  yield  in  extent  and  consequence  to 


HINDOSTAN.  693 

those  on  the  Ganges.  Seringapatam  is  not  only  detached,  but  is 
by  its  inland  situation  little  adapted  for  a  commercial  cspital ;  it 
may  therefore  be  perhaps  expected  that  Calicut,  an  ancient  and 
celebrated  emporium,  or  some  other  place  on  that  coast,  will  be 
selected  as  a  metropolitan  town  of  the  new  acquisitions. 

Chief  Cities.'\  In  recent  times  Seringapatam  may  be  regarded 
as  the  most  important  city  in  this  portion  of  Hindostan.  It  is  sit- 
uated in  an  isle,  surrounded  by  the  river  Caveri,  which  is  even 
here  about  five  feet  deep,  and  runs  over  a  rocky  channel.  The 
length  of  this  isle  is  about  four  miles,  and  the  breadth  about  a  mile 
and  a  half;  the  western  side  being  allotted  to  the  fortress,  distin- 
guished by  regular  out-works,  magnificent  palaces,  and  lofty 
mosques ;  for  '1  ippoo  and  his  father  were  Mahometans.  The  en- 
virons were  decorated  with  noble  gardens  ;  and  among  the  means 
of  defence  was  what  is  called  the  bound  hedge,  consisting  of  every 
thorny  tree  or  caustic  plant  of  the  climate,  planted  to  the  breadtft 
of  from  thirty  to  fifty  feet. 

In  this  central  territory  the  British  also  possess  several  consider- 
able towns,  Salem  and  Attore  in  the  E. ;  Dindigul,  Coimbetore,  Pa- 
licaud,  on  the  south  ;  and  on  the  western  coast,  Paniany,  Feroka- 
bad,  Calicut,  now  nearly  deserted,  Tellicherri,  Mangalore,  and 
the  northern  British  possession  of  Carwar  is  within  forty  miles  of 
the  Portuguese  settlement  of  Goa  ;  while  on  the  S.  they  approach 
within  a  like  distance  of  Cochin.  Of  shese  places,  Calicut  is  me- 
morable as  the  first  Indian  port  visited  by  the  Portuguese  under 
Vasco  de  Gama,  and  as  the  seat  of  the  Zamorins,  who  at  that  pe- 
riod appear  to  have  possessed  the  whol.e  Malabar  coast  from  Goa 
to  Cochin. 

The  native  rajahs  of  Mysore,  a  part  of  whose  dominions  have 
been  conquered  by  the  British,  were  princes  of  some  eminence, 
supplanted  by  the  Mahometan  usurpation  of  Hyder.  In  the  Car- 
natic  the  British  have  long  held  Madras,  where  they  settled 
about  1640  ;  but  the  fortress,  which  is  strong,  and  includes 
a  regular  well  built  city  is  of  modern  date.  Unhappily  there  is  no 
port,  nor  is  there  indeed  one  haven  for  large  vessels,  from  the 
mouth  of  the  Ganges  to  Trincomali,  on  the  eastern  side  of  Ceylon, 
which  rendei's  this  last  of  singular  benefit  to  the  English  com- 
merce. Through  this  wide  extent  of  fifteen  degrees,  or  more 
than  1000  miles,  the  coast  forms  nearly  an  uniform  line,  infested 
with  a  dangerous  surf,  and  scarcely  accessible  except  in  the  flat- 
bottomed  boats  of  the  country.  But  if  found  necessary,  European 
industi'y  might  certainly  form  a  port  at  the  wide  but  impeded 
mouths  of  tne  Godaveri,  the  Kistna,  or  the  Caveri ;  and  when  the 
British  colonies  shall  have  assumed  a  permanent  and  steady  prog- 
ress of  population,  it  is  probable  that  such  designs  may  be  ex- 
ecuted. 

Not  far  from  the  western  frontier  of  the  British  settlement  at 
JVIadras  stands  Arcot,  esteemed  the  capital  of  Carnada  or  the  Car- 
natic.     The  Nabob*  otten  resides  at  Madras.     In  his  dominions 

"  This  word,  also  written  .Vat^oA,  implies  Keutewot-governor,  «r  »i«troy  :  \mX  UR 
title  becKine  herCflit.iry, 

VOL.    II.  75 


^Mr  HINDOSTAN. 

there  arc  several  celebrated  temples,  visited  by  numerous  pil- 
grims ;  and  in  general  the  southern  parts  of  Hindostan  display- 
more  numerous  edifices,  and  other  marks  of  civilization,  than  the 
northern. 

Having  thus  briefly  mentioned  the  British  possessions  in  this 
quarter  of  Hindostan,  and  their  nearest  ally,  it  m^.y  be  proper  to 
indicate  a  few  other  remarkable  places  to  the  south  of  these  pos- 
sessions. Tranquebar  is  a  noted  Danish  settlement  in  the  king- 
dom of  Tanjore,  which  embraces  the  widt  Delta  of  the  Caveri. 
This  settlement  was  formed  about  1617,  and  has  been  chiefly  re- 
markable on  account  of  the  Lutheran  missionaries,  who  resorted 
hither  to  convert  the  Hindoos,  and  have  sometimes  contributed  to 
illustrate  natural  history.  Pondicherri  was  the  principal  settle- 
ment of  the  French,  founded  in  1674,  and  before  the  war  of  1756, 
was  a  large  and  beauiiful  city. 

On  the  western  coast,  or  that  of  Malabar,  stands  Cochin,  on  the 
northern  point  of  a  long  tract  of  land,  forming  a  kind  of  island, 
surrounded  on  the  east  by  a  creek  of  the  sea,  which  receives 
several  streams.  But  this  seemingly  ample  harbor  is  obstructed 
by  a  dangerous  bar.  When  the  Portuguese  first  visited  Hindos- 
tan, Cochin  and  the  surrounding  territory  were  possessed  by  a 
native  rajah,  and  the  celebrated  Vasco  de  Gama  died  here  1525. 
This  city  remained  subject  to  the  Portuguese  till  1660,  when  it 
Avas  taken  by  the  Dutch.  The  surrounding  creeks  and  marshes 
of  this  low  and  unhealthy  shoi'e  abound  witjpi  fish  and  game.* 

About  a  mile  from  the  city  of  Cochin,  is  a  town  called  Jews'- 
Town.  It  is^ilmost  wholly  inhabited  by  Jews,  who  have  two  re- 
spectable synagogues.  There  are  Jews  here  from  remote  parts 
of  Asia,  so  that  this  is  the  fountain  of  intelligence  concerning  that 
people  in  the  East.  The  resident  Jews  are  divided  into  two  class- 
es, called  the  Jerusalem,  or  white  Jews,  and  the  ancient  or  black 
Jews.  The  white  Jews  reside  at  Jews'-Town.  The  black  Jews 
have  a  synagogue  there,  but  the  great  body  of  that  tribe  inhabit 
towns  in  the  interior  of  the  province.  The  black  Jews  have  been 
settled  here  much  the  longest.f 

To  the  north  of  the  British  territories  first  occurs  Goa,  for- 
merly a  capital  settlement  of  the  Portuguese,  and  a  noted  seat  of 
their  Inquisition.  This  city,  once  magnificent,  stands  on  a  small 
isle  in  the  midst  of  a  beautiful  bay,  which  i-eceives  a  rivulet  called 
the  Gonga,  and  two  or  three  others  from  the  Balagauts,  or  highest 
mountains  of  Suckhien,  which  form  a  grand  distant  prospect, 
while  the  intervening  scene  is  variegated  with  hills,  woods,  con- 
vents, and  villas.  It  was  seized  by  the  celebrated  Albuquerque, 
the  greatest  of  the  Portuguese  commanders  in  India,  A.  D.  1513. 
It  afterwards  became  another  Malacca,  another  centre  of  Portu- 
guese trade. I  The  harbor  is  I'anked  among  the  first  in  India,  and 
if  in  the  hands  of  the  English,  would  probably  resume  its  former 
consequence. 

There  is  an  Old  and  New  Goa  on  the  W.  coast  of  Hindostan. 

*  Wesdin,  130.  gives  a  gooii  account  of  Cochin.  f  Buehannan. 

t   Pennant,  112. 


IIINDOSTAN.  595 

The  old  city  is  about  8  miles  up  the  river  Mandova.  The  Viceroy 
and  chief  Portuguese  inhabitants  reside  at  New  Goa,  which  is  at 
the  mouth  of  the  river,  within  tlve  forts  of  the  harlwr.  The  old 
city,  where  the  inquisition  and  churches  are,  is  now  almost  en- 
tirely deserted  by  the  secular  Portuguese,  and  is  iiihabited  by  the 
priests  alone.  The  unheallhiness  of  the  place,  and  the  ascenden- 
cy of  the  priests,  are  the  causes  assigned  for  abandoning  the  an- 
cient city.  The  churches  of  Old  Goa,  are  remarked  for  their 
magnificence.  Old  Goa  is  properly  a  city  of  churches  ;  and  the 
wealth  of  provinces  appear  to  have  been  expended  in  their  execu- 
tion. The  chapel  of  the  palace  is  built  after  the  plan  of  St.  Peter's 
at  Rome.  The  cathedral  of  Goa  is  worthy  of  one  of  the  principal 
cities  of  Europe.  In  this  place  is  the  noted  inquisition,  so 
remarkable  for  its  secret  and  excessive  cruelty  towards  the  ene- 
mies of  the  Romish  church.  This  inquisition  was  suppressed  by 
Royal  Edict  in  the  year  1775,  and  established  again  in  1779.  There 
are  upwai-ds  of  three  thousand  priests  belonging  to  Goa,  who  are 
resident  at  the  place,  or  reside  with  their  cures  at  a  distance.* 

The  other  parts  of  the  coast  presenting  few  remarkable  objects, 
it  will  be  proper  to  pass  the  mountainous  ridge,  and  first  visit 
Porna,  the  capital  of  the  western  empire  of  the  Marattas,  but  a 
mean,  defenceless  city  ;  the  archieves  of  the  government,  and  in 
all  appearance  the  chief  seat  of  power,  being  at  Poorunder,  a  for- 
tress about  eighteen  miles  to  the  south-east. 

Visiapour,  in  the  IVkiratta  territory,  also  called  Bcjapour,  is  a 
considerable  city,  and  was  once  the  capital  of  a  large  kingdom  of 
the  same  name.     In  the  vicinity  are  celebrated  diamond  mines. 

Hydrabad  is  the  metropolis  of  the  Nizam's  territory,  and  par- 
ticularly of  the  celebrated  kingdom  or  province  of  Golconda,  but 
seems  otherwise  little  remarkable.  Betwixt  these  two  last-named 
cities  stands  Calberga,  formerly  the  capital  of  a  powerful  kingdom, 
that  of  the  Deccan,  under  the  Bamineah  dynasty,  as  already  men- 
tioned in  the  general  view  of  Hindostan.  On  passing  the  Kistna, 
few  places  of  distinguished  note  occur.  The  regions  on  the  great 
river  Toombuddra,  which  rises  nearly  in  the  parallel  of  Seringapa- 
tam,  and  pursues  a  northern  course  of  about  350  miles  till  it 
joins  the  Kistna  after  passing  Canoul,  have  been  delineated  with 
superior  accuracy  in  Rennell's  last  map,  April  1800. 

In  the  interior  of  Travancore  and  Malabar,  on  the  S.  point  of 
Hindostan,  near  Ceylon,  arc  the  Syrian  Christians  ;  a  people  who 
have  been  settled  here,  though  long  unknown  to  Europeans,  from 
the  first  ages  of  Christianity.  The  Portuguese,  in  their  discove- 
ries of  the  sixteenth  century,  make  the  first  mention  of  them. 
Since  that  time  little  notice  has  been  taken  of  their  accounts,  and 
in  modern  times  their  existence  began  to  be  questioned.  Dr.  Bu- 
channan,  however,  in  the  year  1 806,  travelled  into  their  country,  and 
confirms  the  Portuguese  accounts.  He  says,  that  their  churches 
bear  some  resemblance  to  the  old  parish  churches  in  England. 
In  the  articles  of  their  faith,  and  in  their  church  government,  they 

*  Dr.  Bucihannnn 


596  CEYLON. 

agree  in  every  material  point  with  the  church  of  England.  Their 
archbishops,  bishops,  deacons,  and  other  inferior  officers,  arc  the 
same.  They  have  a  Liturgy,  from  Avhich  they  read  prayers 
in  public  :  and  their  manner  of  performing  divine  service  agrees 
with  that  of  the  Episcopal  church.  Their  churches  are  55  in 
number.  Among  these  Christians  have  been  preserved  in  manu- 
script the  ancient  copies  of  the  Bible,  which  will  probably  be  of 
essential  service  in  throwing  light  upon  many  disputed  passages. 


ISLAND  OF  CEYLON. 


EXTENT  AND  NAME,  RELIGION,  POPULATION,  MANNERS  AND 
CUSTOMS,  TOWNS,  MANUFACTURES,  CLIMATE,  PRODUCTIONS, 
RIVERS,  MOUNTAINS,  FORESTS,  ZOOLOGY,  MINERALOGY,  PEARL 
FISHERY,   OTHER    ISLES. 

Extent  and  J\/'anie.~\  THOUGH  this  island  be  not  above 
a  fifth  part  of  the  size  ascribed  to  it  by  the  strange  exaggeration 
of  the  ancients,  it  still  approaches  to  that  of  Ireland,  being  gen- 
erally supposed  to  be  about  260  miles  in  length  by  about  150  in 
breadth :  but  in  the  wide  continent  of  Asia,  territory  is  on  so  large 
a  scale,  that  what  in  Europe  would  constitute  a  kingdom,  is  here 
scarcely  a  province.  This  isle  is  the  Trapobana,  Salice,  and  Sie- 
ledeba  of  the  ancients,  the  Serendib  of  the  Arabians ;  in  the  Hindoo 
language  it  is  called  Lanca ;  and  the  people  are  doubtless  of  Hin- 
doo origin.  Its  history  is  little  known.  In  the  reign  of  Claudius, 
ambassadors  were  sent  to  Rome  by  a  Singalese  rajia,  raja,  or  king, 
whom  Pliny,  mistaking  his  title  for  his  name,  has  called  Rachia.* 
When  the  Portuguese  seized  this  island,  1506,  the  chief  monarch 
was  the  king  of  Cotta ;  but  the  central  province  of  Candea,  or 
Candi,  afterwards  appears  as  the  leading  principality.  The  Por- 
tuguese retained  possession  of  the  shores  (the  inland  parts  rising 
to  a  high  table  land,  bounded  by  forests  and  difficult  passes,)  till 
about  1660,  when  they  were  expelled  by  the  Dutch,  between  wnom 
and  the  king  of  Kandi  a  war  arose  1759,  which  terminated  1766  by 
the  submission  of  the  latter,  who  surrendered  all  the  coasts,  and 
agreed  to  deliver  yearly  a  quantity  of  cinnamon  at  a  low  rate.f 
From  the  sordid  domination  of  the  Dutch  it  has  recently  passed 
under  the  more  liberal  banner  of  British  power. 

Religion.'\  The  religion  of  Ceylon  is  the  ancient  worship  of  Boodh, 
whose  images  appear  with  short  and  crisped  hair,  because  it  is 
fabled  that  he  cut  it  with  a  golden  sword,  which  produced  that  ef- 
fect.|     The  worship  of  Boodh  is  supposed  to  have  originated  in 

•  Pilny,  vi.  23v  j  Wesdin,  -43,  i  As,  Res.  vi.  4S3# 


CEYLON.  597 

Ceylon  ;  and  thence  to  have  spread  to  ancient  Hindostan,  to  exte- 
rior India,  Tibet,  and  even  to  China  and  Japan.  Such  are  the  tra- 
ditions in  Siam,  Pegu,  See.  which  suppose  that  Boodh,  probably  a 
kind  of  Confucius  or  deified  philosopher,  flourished  about  540 
years  before  the  Christian  era  ;  and  as  the  Boodhis  in  general 
shew  a  prodigious  superiority  of  good  sense  to  the  visionary  Brah- 
mins, tneir  accounts  deserve  more  credit  than  the  idle  dreams  and 
millionary  chronology  of  the  Pundits.  Others  however  suppose 
that  the  worship  of  Boodh  originated  in  exterior  India.* 

Ceylon  is  believed  by  some  of  the  Easterns,  both  Mahomedans 
and  Hindoos,  to  liave  been  the  residence  of  the  first  man,  because 
it  abounds  in  trees  pleasant  to  the  eyes,  and  good  for  food,  and  is 
famous  for  its  rare  metals,  and  precious  stones.  There  is  gold, 
bdellium  and  the  onyx  stone.  The  rocky  ridge,  which  connects 
this  happy  island  with  the  mainland,  is  called  ./fi/a/n'*  Bridge ;  the 
lofty  mountain  in  the  middle  of  the  island,  and  visible  fi'om  all 
parts  of  it,  is  called  Adam's  Peak,  and  there  is  a  sepulchre  of  im- 
mense length,  called  Abel's  tomb.  All  these  names  were  given 
many  ages  before  Christianity  was  introduced  from  Europe. 

Pofiulation.~\  In  this  island  the  population  under  the  British 
government  amounts  to  upwards  of  500,000  ;  one  third  of  which 
profess  Christianity.    The  number  of  natives  is  unknown. 

The  hundreds  of  cities  mentioned  by  ancient  writers  are  now  es- 
teemed completely  fabulous  ;  nor  does  there  seem  to  be  one  place 
deserving  the  name  of  a  city,  mentioned  either  in  ancient  or  mo- 
dern record.  This  island  is  only  important  in  a  commercial  view, 
from  its  celebrated  products  of  cinnamon  and  gems.  The  harbor 
of  Trincomali  on  the  E.  is  to  the  British  of  great  consequence,  be- 
cause there  is  none  on  the  eastern  coast  of  Hindostan :  and  it  has 
even  been  suggested  that  in  case  any  revolution,  to  which  all  hu- 
man affairs  ai'e  subject,  should  expel  the  British  from  the  conti- 
nent of  Hindostan,  this  island  might  afford  an  extensive  and  grand 
asylum,  where  the  Britisn  name  and  commerce  might  be  perpet- 
uated. 

Manners  and  CuatomsT^  The  natives  of  Ceylon,  called  Singalese, 
either  from  a  native  or  Portuguese  term,  are  not  so  black  as  those 
of  Malabar,  and  have  a  few  manners  and  customs  distinct  from 
other  Hindoos.  It  is  said  that  several  brothers  may  have  one  wife 
ill  common,  as  in  Tibet,  but  the  polygamy  of  males  is  also  allow- 
ed.f  In  general,  chastity  is  little  esteemed  in  the  oriental  coun- 
ti'ies  ;  and  the  morality  of  many  nations  is  so  lax  in  this  respect, 
tliat  the  intercourse  of  the  sexes  is  considered  as  far  more  indif- 
ferent than  the  use  of  certain  foods.  The  language  is  rather  pe- 
culiar; but  some  of  the  natives  unckrstand  botli  the  Tamulic  and 
that  of  Malabar. 

7'own«.]  The  native  town  Kandi,  in  the  centre  of  the  ij>le, 
seems  to  be  of  small  size  and  consequence,  and  probably  only  dis- 

•  Tliei-e  are  three  chiet' dislinclions  between  tlie  priests  of  Boodh  and  the  Bi-ainius: 
thelonnet  may  lay  down  tht-  priesthood  ;  they  eat  llesh,  but  will  not  kill  tlie  animal; 
andtl.ey  form  nocait  nor  tribe,  but  are  from  the  nia-is  of  tin-  in-oph-. 

t  Weadir),  4j5-. 


■me  CEYLON. 

tinguished  by  a  palisade  and  a  few  temples.*  It  was  taken  by  the 
Portuguese  in  1590  ;  but  no  recent  traveller  appears  to  have  visited 
this  deep  recess  of  sovereign  power. 

The  chief  town  of  the  Portuguese,  Dutch,  and  English  posses- 
sions, is  Colombo,  on  the  VV.  side  of  the  Island,  a  handsome  place, 
and  well  fortified  ;  the  residence  of  the  governor  is  elegant,  but 
only  consists  of  one  floor,  with  a  balcony  to  receive  the  cool  air.f 
Ceylon  being  exposed  on  all  sides  to  the  sea  breezes,  the  climate 
is  not  so  hot  as  that  of  Hindostan  ;  far  less  pestiferous,  like  the 
marshy  exhalations  of  Batavia.  At  Colombo  there  is  a  printing 
press,  where  the  Dutch  published  religious  books  in  the  Tamulic, 
Malabar,  and  Singalese  languages.  The  name  of  Colombo  seems 
indigenous,  as  well  as  that  of  Nigombo,  a  fortress  a  few  miles  to 
the  N.  of  this  capital. 

The  northern  parts  of  Ceylon  are  chiefly  left  to  the  natives,  but 
the  town  of  Jafnapatam,  or  Jafna,  was  a  Dutch  settlement  in  a 
detached  isle.  The  grand  pearl  fishery  is  conducted  in  the  gulf 
of  Manar,  near  Condatchey,  a  miserable  place  in  a  sandy  district, 
to  which  water  is  brought  from  Aripoo,  a  village  four  miles  to  the 
south  :  the  shoals  near  Rama's  bridge  supply  inexhaustible  stores 
of  this  valued  production. | 

On  pursuing  the  shore  towards  the  east,  it  is  mostly  guarded 
by  sandbanks,  or  rocks  ;  but  the  whole  harbor  of  Trincomali  opens 
at  the  mouth  of  the  Mowil  Ganga,  the  Ganges  of  Ptolemey's  large 
map  of  Taprobana  ;  and  was  defended  by  a  strong  fortress.  Ba- 
tacola  is  an  inferior  haven  on  the  same  side  of  the  Island. 

But  the  southern  side  of  Cey]on  hasbeenchiefly  visited,  abound- 
ing with  gems  and  other  rich  productions.  Matura  was  a  Dutch 
factory  near  the  most  southern  promontory  called  Dondra,  where 
excellent  kinds  of  cinnamon  were  collected,  and  varieties  of  pre- 
cious stones  abound  in  the  vicinity.§  Not  far  to  the  W.  of  Matura 
is  Gale,  or  Galle,  near  a  point  so  called,  a  handsome  town,  strongly 
fortified,  on  the  projecting  angle  of  a  rock.lF 

Manufactures.^  There  is  little  mention  of  any  :manufactures 
conducted  in  this  island  ;  but  the  natives  seem  not  unskilled  in 
the  common  works  in  gold  and  iron.  The  Dutch  ships  used  to 
sail  from  Galle,  laden  with  cinnamon,  pepper,  and  other  spices  ; 
nor  must  pearls  and  precious  stones  be  forgotten  among  the  arti- 
cles of  export.  The  Colombo  wood,  a  bitter  in  recent  use,  receives 
its  name  from  the  capital ;  but  its  native  country  or  district  seems 
still  unknown. 

Climate.']  The  climate  and  seasons  correspond  in  some  degree 
with  the  adjacent  continent ;  yet  the  exposure  on  all  sides  to  the 
sea  renders  the  air  more  cool  and  salubrious.  The  general  aspect 
of  the  country  somewhat  resembles  that  of  southern  Hindostan  ;  a 
high  table  land,  in  the  centre,  being  surrounded  with  low  shores, 
about  six  or  eight  leagues  in  breadth.  High  mountains,  prodi- 
gious forests,  fall  of  aromantic  trees  and  plants,  and  many  pleas- 
ant rivers  and  streams  diversify  this  country,  which  by  the  Hin- 

•  Mandelslo,  279.  who  gives  a  list  of  the  other  towns.  t  Thunbei^,  iv.  175. 

t  As.  Res.  V.  397.  §  Thunberg,  iv.  195. 231.  %  lb,  194. 


CEYLON.  599 

doos  is  esteemed  a  second  paradise.  The  vales  are  of  a  rich  fat 
soil ;  and,  when  cleared,  amazingly  fertile  in  rice,  and  other  useful 
vegetables. 

Productions.']  Ceylon  is  chiefly  distinguished  for  its  spices. 
The  groves  of  cinnanion  are  sometimes  a  mile  in  length.  The 
soil  is  very  sandy,  and  in  this  respect  favorable  to  the  growth  of 
flie  cinnamon  trees. 

Fivers.^  There  are  five  considerable  rivers  desci'ibed  by  Ptol- 
emy ;  of  which  the  chief  is  the  Morvil  Ganga,  on  which  stood 
Maagramum,  the  capital  in  his  time,  and  modern  Kandi  stands  on 
the  same  stream,  one  of  the  royal  palaces  being  on  an  isle  in  that 
river,  where  the  monarch  keeps  a  treasure  of  gems  ;  and  his  offi- 
cers, like  those  of  exterior  India,  are  decorated  with  slight  chains 
of  gold. 

Mojintains.^  The  chain  or  chains  of  mountains  run  N.  and  S. 
These  mountains  seem  granitic  ;  and  are  peculiarly  rich  in  pre- 
cious stones  imbeded  in  primitive  quartz.  What  the  Mahometans 
have  tenned  Adam's  Peak  is  esteemed  the  highest ;  and  is  in  San- 
scret  called  Salmala,  Boodh  being  fabled  to  have  ascended  from  it 
to  heaven. 

Forests.']  The  forests  are  numerous  and  large,  the  haunts  of 
innumerable  elephants,  like  the  Gauts  of  southern  Hindostan. 
An  ample  account  of  the  botany  of  this  island  is  given  by  the  skil- 
ful Thunberg  :  one  of  the  most  peculiar  and  precious  trees  is  that 
producing  the  best  cinnamon. 

Zoology.^  The  elephants  of  Ceylon  are  supposed  only  to  yield 
i^  beauty  to  those  of  Siam,  and  chiefly  frequent  the  southern  part 
of  the  island.  Buffaloea,  are  also  found  in  a  wild  state,  while  the 
tame  are  used  in  rural  economy.  The  wild  boars  are  numerous 
and  extremely  fierce  ;  nor  is  the  tiger  unknown.  Bears,  chakals, 
and  many  tribes  of  deer  and  monkeys  are  also  natives  of  Ceylon- 
The  alligator,  frequent  in  the  Hindoo  rivers,  here  sometimes 
reaches  the  length  of  eighteen  feet.  Among  a  vast  variety  of  el- 
egant birds,  the  peacock,  that  rich  ornament  of  the  Hindoo  forests, 
swarms  in  this  beautiful  island. 

Mineralogy.']  Ceylon,  opulent  in  every  department  of  natural 
history,  presents  many  minerals  of  uncommon  beauty.  Not  to 
mention  iron,  gold,  plumbago.  Sec,  Thunberg  has  given  a  list  of 
the  precious  stones,  among  Avhich  are  the  genuine  ruby,  sapphire, 
and  topaz.  The  finest  rock  crystals,  both  the  colorless,  and  those 
of  a  violet  color  called  amethysts,  are  found  here  in  abundance,  and 
are  generally  dark  brown  or  yellowish  ;  while  those  of  other  col- 
ors come  from  Brazil  and  Tyrol.  It  is  also  asserted  that  this  island 
produces  the  genuine  emerald,  which  is  commonly  esteemed  pe- 
culiar to  Peru.  The  cat's  eye  seems  the  characteristic  mineral  of 
Ceylon,  as  the  noble  or  genuine  opal  is  of  Hungary. 

Pearls.']  Nor  must  the  pearl  fishery  be  forgotten,  which  com- 
monly begins  on  the  N.  W.  shore  about  the  middle  of  Februar)-, 
and  continues  till  about  the  middle  of  April,  when  the  S.  W.  mon- 
soon commences.*     The  village  of  Condatchey  is  then  crowded 

•  As.  Res.  V.  39  i. 


600  PERSIA. 

with  a  mixture  of  thousands  of  people  of  different  colors,  coun- 
tries, casts,  and  occupations  ;  with  numerous  tents  and  huts,  and 
bazars,  or  shops  ;  while  the  sea  presents  many  boats  hastening  to 
the  banks,  or  returninjj;  with  the  expected  riches.  The  divers  are 
chiefly  Christians  or  Moslcms,who  descend  from  five  to  ten  fathoms, 
and  remain  under  water  about  two  minutes  each,  bringing  up  about 
a  hundred  oysters  in  his  net.  These  pearls  are  always  formed  like 
the  coats  of  an  onion,  around  a  grain  of  sand  or  some  other  extran- 
eous particle.  The  yellow  or  gold  colored  are  most  esteemed  by 
the  natives  ;  and  some  are  of  a  bright  red  lustre  ;  the  dull  grey 
and  blackish  are  of  no  value. 

Other  Jsles.']  There  are  no  other  isles  of  any  consequence  near 
the  coast  of  Hindostan.  Those  called  Lacadives  and  Maldives 
scarcely  merit  a  particular  description  in  a  work  of  this  general 
nature,  and  the  Andaman  and  Nicobar  isles  properly  belong  to 
exterior  India,  where  a  short  account  of  them  may  be  found  after 
the  peninsula  of  Malacca,  to  which  coast  they  are  the  nearest.  It 
may  here  sufiice  to  observe  that  in  the  Hindoo  language  dive  im- 
plies an  isle  :  and  Ptolemy  imputes  those  which  mariners  saw 
before  they  reached  Ceylon,  that  is  the  Maldives,  at  more  than 
thirteen  hundred.  They  form  as  it  were  an  oblong  inclosure  of 
small  low  regular  isles,  around  a  clear  space  of  sea  with  very 
shallow  water  between  each.  They  are  governed  by  a  chief  call- 
ed Atoll,  and  the  trade  is  in  cowrie  shells,  with  cocoa  nuts  and 
fish.t  The  language  is  Singalese,  and  there  are  some  Mahome- 
tans. The  Lacadive  islands  form  a  more  extended  group,  though 
only  thirty  in  number.  They  also  trade  in  cocoa  nuts  and  fish  ; 
and  ambergris  is  often  found  floating  in  the  vicinity 

Goa  is  a  small  fertile  island  8  leagues  in  circumference  N.  of 
the  Lacadives,  on  the  W.  coast  of  Hindostan,  lat.  15  30  N. 


PERSIA.+ 

CHAPTER  I. 

HISTORICAL  GEOGRAPHY. 

DIVISIONS,  NAME,  EXTENT,  POPULATION,  PROGRESSIVE  GEOGRA- 
PHY, PROVINCES,  HISTORICAL  EPOCHS,  ANCIENT  MONUMENTS, 
MODERN  HISTORY,  EASTERN  PERSIA,  RELIGION,  GOVERNMENT, 
POPULATION,  ARMY,  NAVY,  REVENUES,  POLITICAL  IMPORTANCE 
AND  RELATIONS,  MANNERS  AND  CUSTOMS,  LANGUAGE,  LITERA- 
TURE, EDUCATION,  CITIES,  MANUFACTURES  AND    COMMERCE. 

Divisions.']  THE  ancient  and  powerful  monarchy  of  Persia 
has,  during  the  greater  part  of  me  last  century,  been  in  a  most 
distracted  and  divided  condition,  and  the  inhabitants,   formerly 

-j-  Pennaot,  i.  3  k  +  From  Pinkerton's  Abridgnvent,  with  improvements. 


PERSIA.  601 

renowned  foi'  wisdom  and  benignity,  have  been  degraded  by  civil 
discord,  and  mutual  enmity  and  distrust,  into  a  temporary  debase- 
ment both  moral  and  political.  This  empire  seems  at  length,  in 
some  degree,  to  have  settled  in  two  divisions,  the  eastern  and  the 
western  ;  while  the  provinces  near  the  Caspian,  secured  by  moun- 
tains and  fastnesses,  have  asserted  a  kind  of  independence.  These 
circumstances  are  unfavorable  to  a  just  and  exact  delineation  of 
the  present  state  of  the  country  ;  but  the  chief  limits  and  many  of 
the  most  important  geographical  topics  have  been  inviolably  fixed 
by  the  hand  of  nature  ;  and  the  following  description  shall  embrace 
modern  Persia  in  general  as  it  was  in  the  time  of  Chardin,  com- 
bined with  the  most  recent  and  authentic  information. 

JVame.']  The  name  of  Persia  spread  from  the  province  of  Pars 
or  Fars  throughout  this  mighty  empire.  Thb  name,  has,  howev- 
er, been  little  known  to  the  natives,  who  in  ancient  and  modem 
times,  have  termed  their  country  I?-an,  under  which  denomination 
were  included  all  the  wide  regions  to  the  S.  and  W.  of  the  river 
Oxus,  or  Gihon,  the  Amu  of  the  Russians  and  Tartars  ;  while  the 
countries  subject  to  Persia  beyond  that  celebrated  river  were  in 
ancient  times  styled  jlniran. 

Extent. ~\  From  the  mountains  and  deserts,  which,, with  the 
river  Araba,  constitute  the  eastern  frontier  towards  Hindostan, 
Persia  extends  more  than  1 200  miles  in  length,  to  the  western 
mountains  of  Elevend,  and  other  limits  of  Asiatic  Turkey.  From 
south  to  north,  from  the  deserts  on  the  Indian  sea,  in  all  ages  left 
to  the  wild  tribes  of  Arabs,  who  live  on  fish,  to  the  other  deserts 
near  the  sea  of  Aral  are  about  1000  miles.  It  lies  between  lat.  25 
and  44  N.  and  Ion.  44  and  70  W-  and  is  estimated  to  contain 
about  1,300,000  square  miles.* 

The  limits  of  Persia,  according  to  Sir  John  Chardin,  differ  from 
those  of  other  countries,  which  are  separated  from  their  neighbors 
by  a  line,  a  rivulet,  or  some  other  such  artificial  or  natural  boun- 
dary. "  Persia  has,  on  almost  eveiy  side  of  it,  a  space  of  three  or 
four  days'  journey,  uninhabited,  though  the  soil  be,  in  many  places, 
the  best  in  the  v/orld,  particularly  on  the  sides  of  the  east  and  the 
west.  The  Persians  look  upon  it  as  a  mark  of  true  grandeur,  to 
leave  thus  abandoned  the  countriesthat  lie  between  great  empires, 
which  prevents,  they  say,  contests  about  their  limits,  these  desert 
countries  serving  as  walls  of  separation  between  kingdoms."t 

Original  Pojiulation.']  The  original  population  of  the  moun- 
tainous country  of  Persia  appears  to  have  been  indigenous,  that  is, 
no  preceding  nation  can  be  traced  ;  and  in  the  opinion  of  all  the 
most  learned  and  skilful  inquirers,  this  nation  is  Scythic  or  Goth- 
ic, and  the  very  source  and  fountain  of  all  the  celebrated  Scythian 
nations.  While  the  southern  Scythians  of  Iran  gradually  became 
a  settled  and  civilized  people,  the  barbarous  northern  tribes  spread 
around  the  Caspian  and  Euxine  seas  ;  and  besides  the  powerful 
settlements  of  the  Getse  and  Massagetae,  the  Gog  and  Magog  of 
oriental  authors,  and  others  on  the  north  and  east  of  the  great  ridge 

•  Hwel.  I  HarnHU^s  Obserr,  vol.  iv.  p.  276. 

VOL.   ir.  76 


6«3  PERSIA. 

of  mountains  called  Imaus,  orBelur  Tag,  they  detached  victorious 
colonies  into  the  greater  part  of  Europe  many  centuries  before 
the  Christian  era.  The  ancient  Medes  and  Parthians,  in  the  north 
of  Persia  appear  however  to  have  been  of  Sarmatic,  or  Slavonic  or- 
igin, and  to  have  spread  from  their  native  regions  on  the  Volga, 
towards  the  Circassian  mountains,  along  which  ridge  they  passed 
to  the  south  of  the  Caspian,  the  ancient  site  of  Media  and  Par- 
thiene.  The  grand  chain  of  Caucasus  forms  a  kind  of  central 
point  of  immigration  and  emigration  from  the  E.  and  W.  whence 
the  great  variety  of  nations  and  languages  that  are  traced  even  in 
modern  times.  The  late  very  learned  and  excellent  Sir  William 
Jones,  who  did  honor  to  his  country  and  century,  has  repeatedly 
expressed  his  opinion,  that  while  the  Parsi  and  Zend,  or  proper 
and  peculiar  Persian  language,  is  of  the  same  origin  with  the 
Gothic,  Greek,  and  Latin  ;  the  Pehlavi  is  Assyrian  or  Chaldaic. 

Progressive  Geogra/i/ir/.']  The  contests  of  ancient  Persia  with 
Greece  and  the  Greek  colonies  established  in  Asia  Minor,  then 
within  the  -wide  limits  of  the  Persian  empire,  have  rendered  the 
ancient  geography  of  this  country  not  a  little  luminous.  Hero- 
dotus, the  father  of  history,  was  born  at  Halicarnassus,  one  of 
these  colonies  ;  and  his  account  of  the  twenty  satrapies,  or  great 
provinces  of  the  Persian  empire,  in  the  reign  of  Darius  Hystaspes, 
has  been  ably  illustrated  in  a  late  work  of  Major  Rennell.  The 
present  design  however  only  embraces  the  modern  provinces  and 
limits ;  and  the  former  may  be  thus  arranged,  proceeding  from 
the  W.  towards  the  N.  E.  after  remarking  that  the  limits  of  the 
ancient  and  modern  provinces  often  coincide,  as  they  consist  of 
rivers  and  ranges  of  mountains. 

I'rovi?ices.']  1.  Georgia,  or  more  properly  Gurgustan,  in  which 
may  be  included  Daghistan  and  Shirvan.  These  may  be  consid- 
ered as  constituting  the  Albania  of  the  ancients  ;  a  name  applied 
in  different  quarters  to  mountainous  regions. 

2.  Erivan,  a  large  portion  of  ancient  Armenia,  betAveen  the  riv- 
er Kur,  or  Cyrus,  on  the  north,  and  the  Aras,  or  Araxes,  on  the 
south. 

3.  Aderbijan,  including  Mogan,  the  Atropatena  of  the  ancients. 

4.  Ghilan,  to  the  east  of  the  last,  on  the  Caspian  sea,  and  sy- 
nonymous with  the  ancient  Gela. 

5.  To  close  the  list  of  countries  on  the  Caspian,  Mazendran  ap- 
pears encircled  on  the  south  by  a  lofty  branch  of  the  Caucasian 
chain,  the  seat  of  the  Mardi  of  antiquity  ;  to  the  E.  of  which  was 
the  noted  province  of  Hyrcania,  now  Corcan  and  Dahistan. 

6  Returning  to  the  W.  frontier,  you  come  to  Irac  Ajemi, 
chiefly  corresponding  with  the  ancient  Ecbatana.  In  the  south  of 
this  province  is  Ispahan,  the  modern  capital  of  Persia. 

7.  Chosistan,  extending  to  the  river  Tigris  ;  but  the  capital, 
Bussora,  or  Basea,  after  a  recent  vain  attempt  of  the  Arabs,  re- 
mains subject  to  the  Turks.  This  province  corresponds  with 
the  ancient  Susiana. 

8.  The  celebrated  province  of  Ears,  Persis,  or  Persia  proper, 
surrounded  with  mountains  on  the  N.  the  W.  the  S.,  and  on  the  E. 


PERSIA.  603 

separated  by  a  desert  from  Kerman.     Pars  contains  ilie  beautiful 
city  of  Shiraz,  with  Istakar,  and  the  ruins  of  Perscpolis. 

9.  Kerman,  the  ancient  Carmania. 

10.  Laristan,  a  small  province  on  the  Persian  gulf,  to  the  S.  E. 
of  Pars,  of  which  some  regard  it  as  a  part  ;  nor  docs  the  subdi- 
vision seem  to  be  known  in  ancient  times,  though  the  long  ridges 
of  mountains  on  the  S.  of  Pars,  and  generally  about  GO  miles 
from  the  Persian  gulf,  seem  here  naturally  to  iudicate  a  maritime 
province  ;  which,  if  the  ancient  Persians  had  been  addicted  to 
commerce,  would  have  been  the  seat  of  great  wealth  by  inter- 
course with  Arabia,  Africa,  and  India. 

11.  To  the  E.  of  Kerman  is  the  large  province  of  Mekran, 
■which  extends  to  the  Indian  deserts,  and  is  the  ancient  Gadrus- 
tan,  or  Gedrosia.  This  province  has  always  been  unfertile  and 
full  of  deserts  ;  and  classical  geography  here  presents  only  one 
mean  town,  called  Pura,  probably  Borjian,  on  the  W.  frontier. 

12.  Segistan,  anotljer  wide  frontier  province  towards  India,  was 
chiefly  the  Araghosia  and  Saranga  of  antiquity  ;  while  the  prov- 
ince of  Paropamisus,  in  the  N.  E.  encroached  on  Candahar,  and 
the  modern  limits  of  Hindostan. 

13.  The  grand  and  terminating  division  of  modern  Persia  in  the 
N.  E.  is  Corasan,  bounded  by  the  Gihon,  or  Oxus,  on  the  N.  E. 
and  on  the  S.  by  the  lake  of  Zere,  or  Zurra,  the  grand  Aria  Pa- 
lus  of  antiquity.  The  classical  provinces  comprised  within  Co- 
rasan, are,  in  the  N.  Margiana,  and  in  the  S.  Aria. 

Besides  these  provinces,  and  exclusive  of  Asiatic  Turkey  on 
the  W.  the  ancient  Persian  empire  comprised  Bactriana  or  Balk, 
which  may  be  termed  a  wide  and  well  watered  kingdom,  of  be- 
tween 300  and  400  miles  square  ;  and  on  the  other  side  of  the 
Oxus,  Sogdiana,  or  the  country  on  the  river  Sogod,  which  passes 
by  modern  Samarcand.  The  fifteenth  satrapy  of  Herodotus  com- 
prises the  Sacae  and  Caspii,  probably  the  country  of  Shash,  and 
some  other  tribes  nearer  the  Caspian  sea.  This  province  ad- 
joined on  the  VV  to  Corasmia,  which  belonged  to  the  sixteenth 
satrapy,  and  is  now  the  desert  space  of  Kharism;  Avith  the  small 
territory  of  Khiva. 

The  countries  last  mentioned  form  so  considerable  a  part  of 
what  is  called  Independent  Tartary,  and  have  in  all  ages  been  so 
intimately  connected  with  Persian  history,  that  some  account  of 
them  shall  be  annexed  to  this  article  ;  which,  joined  with  that  in 
the  Chinese  empire,  will  complete  the  description  of  thecounti'ies 
between  the  dominions  of  that  great  state  and  those  of  Russia  aiid 
Persia,  so  far  as  the  very  imperfect  materials  will  allow.  The 
progressive  geography  of  Persia  may  be  traced  through  Strabo, 
Pliny,  the  historians  of  Alexander,  and  other  classical  sources  ; 
and  afterwards  thi-ough  the  Arabian  authors,  Ebn  Haukal,  Abul- 
feda,  8cc.  &c.  to  the  modem  labors  of  Chardin,  and  other  intelli- 
gent travellers. 

Historical  Efiochs.']  The  chief  historical  epochs  of  the  Persian 
empire  may  be  arranged  in  the  following  order  : 

1.  The  Scythians,  or  barbarous  inhabitants  of  Persia,  according 


604  PERSIA. 

to  the  account  of  Justin,  conquered  a  great  part  of  Asia,  and  at- 
tacked Eitjjrpt,  about  1500  years  before  the  reign  ofNinus,  the 
founder  of  the  Assyrian  monarchy  ;  that  is,  so  far  as  the  faint 
light  of  chronology  can  pretend  to  determine  such  remote  events, 
about  3660  years  before  the  Christian  era.  The  Egyptians,  a 
people  of  Assyrian  extract,  as  the  Coptic  language  seems  to  evince, 
■vvei'e  from  superior  local  advantages  civilized  at  a  more  early 
period,  and  their  genuine  chronology  seems  to  begin  about  400 
years  before  Christ.  The  venerable  historical  records  contained 
in  the  scriptures  attest  the  early  civilization  and  ancient  polity  of 
the  Egyptians.  The  first  seat  of  the  Persian  monarchy  was 
probably  in  the  N.  E.  on  the  river  Oxus  ;  while  the  Assyrians 
possessed  the  Euphrates  and  the  Tigris,  and  the  S.  W.  of  Persia. 
The  history  of  the  Assyrian  empire  begins  with  Ninus,  about 
2 1 60  years  before  Christ,  who  is  said  to  have  formed  an  alliance 
with  the  king  of  Arabia,  and,  in  conjunction  with  him,  to  have 
subdued  all  Asia,  except  India  and  Bactriana  ;  that  is,  according 
to  the  ancient  knowledge,  he  subdued  Asia  Minor  and  the  west 
of  Persia. 

2.  Zoroaster,  king  of  Bactriana,  is  said  to  have  been  contem- 
porary with  Ninus,  and  to  have  invented  magic  ;  that  is,  he  was 
a  wise  man,  who  could  produce  uncommon  effects  by  common 
causes.  But  the  history  of  this  Persian  lawgiver  is  lost  in  remote 
antiquity. 

3.  Cyrus  founds  what  is  called  the  Persian  empire,  557  years 
before  the  Christian  era,  and  soon  after  takes  Babylon.  This 
great  event  may  be  said  only  to  have  disclosed  the  Persians  to  the 
civilized  nations  of  the  west,  for  the  native  Persian  histories  as- 
cend to  Kayumarras,  great  grandson  of  Noah,  and  the  ancient 
traditions  chiefly  refer  to  Avars  against  Touran  and  India,  which 
indicate  the  primitive  eastern  position  of  the  people. 

4.  The  overthrow  of  the  first  Persian  empire  by  Alexander,  B. 
C.  328,  followed  by  the  Greek  monarchs  of  Syria,  and  the  Grecian 
kingdom  of  Bactriana,  of  which  last  an  interesting  history  has 
been  compiled  by  the  learned  Bayer.  It  commenced  about  248 
years  before  Christ,  and  contained  several  satrapies,  among  which 
was  Sogdiana. 

5.  1  he  Parthian  empire,  which  likewise  began  about  248  years 
B.  C.  This  was  a  mere  revival  of  the  Persian  empire,  under  a 
new  name. 

6.  Ardshur,  or  Artaxcrxes,  about  the  year  220  of  the  Christian 
era,  restores  the  Persian  line  of  kings  ;  this  dynasty  being  called 
Sassanidcs. 

7.  The  conquest  of  Persia,  by  the  Mahometans,  A.  D.  636. 
The  native  kingdom  was  revived  in  Corasan,  A.  D.  820  ;  and  after 
several  revolutions  resumed  its  former  situation. 

8.  The  accession  of  the  house  of  Boniah,  A.  D.  934. 

9.  '1  hat  of  the  house  of  Sefi,  or  Sofi,  A.  D.  1301,  whence  the 
title  of  Sofis  of  Persia,  for  it  is  unnecessary  here  to  repeat  the  con- 
quests of  Zingis  and  Timur,  and  the  subsequent  divisions  and 
revolutions. 


PERSIA.  605 

10,  The  reign  of  Shah  Abas,  surnamed  the  Great,  A.  D.  1586. 

11.  The  bi'ief  conquest  by  the  Afgans,  1722  ;  and  consequent 
extinction  of  the  house  of  Scfi,  and  elevation  of  Nadir,  surnamed 
Thamas  Kouli  Khan,  A.  D.  1736.  This  ferocious  chief  Avas  born 
in  Corasan  ;  and  after  a  reign  of  eleven  years  was  slain,  20th 
June,  1747,  near  the  city  of  Meshid,  in  the  same  country. 

Ancient  Monuments.']  Some  account  of  the  modern  history 
and  state  of  Persia  shall  be  given,  after  a  very  brief  view  of  the 
ancient  monuments.  Of  these  the  ruins  of  Persepolis  are  the 
most  celebrated  and  remarkable.  They  are  situated  at  the  bot- 
tom of  a  mountain,  fronting  S.  W.  about  forty  miles  to  the  north 
of  Shiraz.  They  command  a  view  of  the  extensive  plain  of  Mer- 
dasht,  and  the  mountain  of  Rehumut,  encircles  them  in  the  form 
of  an  amphitheatre  ;  the  nature  of  these  ruins  may  be  seen  in  the 
numerous  plates  which  have  been  published  ;  and  it  wou4d  be  an 
idle  attempt  to  describe  in  few  words  the  grand  portals,  halls,  and 
columns,  and  numerous  relievos  and  devices.  There  are  many 
inscriptions  in  a  character  not  yet  explained,  the  letters  of  which 
somewhat  resemble  nails,  disposed  in  various  directions. 

Several  small  edifices  and  caverns  of  similar  architectui'e,  are 
found  in  various  parts  of  Persia,  all  which  undoubtedly  preceded 
the  Mahometan  conquest,  but  it  is  difficult  to  ascertain  their  pre- 
cise era. 

In  many  parts  of  Persia  there  must  remain  sevei'al  curious 
monuments  of  antiquity,  which  might  well  excite  the  curiosity  of 
the  learned  traveller  to  investigate  this  interesting  coimtry.  The 
design  of  the  present  work  rather  requires  some  information  con- 
cerning the  modern  state  of  this  once  powerful  monarchy,  which 
shall  be  chiefly  derived  from  Mr.  Franklin's  view  of  the  transac- 
tions in  Persia  from  the  death  of  Nadir  Shah,  1747,  to  1788  ;  com- 
bined with  the  accounts  of  Gmelin,  who  by  command  of  the  Em- 
press of  Russia  inspected  the  northern  provinces  and  Ghilan  ; 
and  those  of  Pallas,  in  his  last  travels,  during  the  years  1793  and 
1794. 

Modern  History.']  Nadir  Shah  was  succeeded  by  his  nephew, 
Adil,  who,  after  a  transitory  reign,  was  followed  by  his  brother 
Ibrahim.  Mean  while  Timur  Shah  reigned  in  Cabul,  Candahar, 
and  the  Persian  provinces  adjacent  to  Hindostan  ;  and  availing 
himself  of  the  confusion  in  Persia,  he  besieged  Meschid,  which  he 
took  after  a  blockade  of  eight  months. 

This  event  was  followed  by  such  anarchy  and  confusion,  that  it 
seems  impossible  to  settle  the  chronology  of  the  crimes  which 
were  committed  during  the  contests  of  numerous  chiefs,  which 
desolated  almost  every  province  from  Gombroon  to  Russia,  leav- 
ing indelible  marks  of  destruction  throughout  the  kingdom,  and 
clianging  even  the  very  character  of  the  people,  whose  prudence 
is  degenerated  into  cunning,  and  their  courage  into  ferocity. 

At  length  the  government  of  western  Persia  was  happily  settled 
for  a  considerable  space  of  time  in  the  person  of  Kcrini  Khan,  who 
however  never  assumed  the  title  of  Shah,  but  was  contented  with 
that  of  Vakeel,  or  regent.     This  great  and  mild  prince  had  bcdn  a 


606  PERSIA. 

favorite  officer  of  Nadif  ;  and  at  the  time  of  that  tyrant's  death 
was  in  tne  southern  provinces,  where  he  assumed  the  power  at 
Shiraz,  and  .was  warmly  supported  by  the  inhabitants  of  that  city, 
who  had  observed  and  revered  his  justice  and  beneficence.  In  re- 
ward he  embellislied  this  city  and  its  environs  with  noble  palaces, 
gardens  and  mosques,  improved  the  highways,  and  rebuilt  the  car- 
avanseras.  Ilis  reign  was  established  by  the  sword,  but  was  af- 
terwards unsullied  by  blood  ;  and  its  chief  peril  arose  from  ex- 
treme mercy.  His  charity  to  the  poor,  and  his  attempt  to  restore 
the  commerce  of  the  country  are  gratefully  remembered  by  na- 
tives and  Europeans. 

Another  unhappy  period  of  confusion  followed  the  death  of  Ke- 
rim ;  his  relation  Zikea  or  Saki  seized  the  government,  which 
was  contested  by  another  kinsman,  Ali  Murad.  The  detestable 
cruelty  of  Zikea  led  to  his  own  destruction,  and  he  was  massacred 
by  his  troops  at  Yezdekast,  about  six  days  journey  N.  of  Shiraz,  on 
the  road  to  Ispahan. 

Abul  Futtah  was  then  proclaimed  king  by  the  soldiers,  and  to 
him  Ali  Murad  submitted  ;  but  Sadick,  brother  of  Kerim,  opposed 
his  nephew's  elevation.  Sadick  marched  from  Bussora  at  the 
head  of  an  army,  dethroned  the  young  monarch,  and  after  depriv- 
ing him  of  his  sight,  ordered  him  into  strict  confinement. 

Ali  Murad,  then  at  Ispahan,  rebelled  against  this  usurper,  and 
with  an  army  of  12,000  men  besieged  and  took  Shiraz,  and  put  Sa- 
dick to  death  with  three  of  his  children.  A  son  Jaafar  was  ap- 
pointed by  the  new  king  governor  of  Kom,  a  city  or  province  to 
the  N.  W.  of  Ispahan. 

Ali  Murad  was  now  regarded  as  peaceable  possessor  of  the 
Persian  throne  ;  but  an  eunuch  called  Aga  Mamet  or  Akau,  had, 
since  the  death  of  Kerim,  assumed  an  independent  sway  in  the 
Caspian  province  of  Mazendran.  When  advancing  against  him, 
Ali  Murad  fell  from  his  horse  and  instantly  expired.  Jaafar  hav- 
ing assumed  the  sceptre,  was  defeated  by  Akau  at  Yezdekast, 
and  retired  to  Shiraz. 

In  1792,  Akau  again  collected  an  army,  and  conquered  the 
cities  of  Kasbin  and  Tekheran  or  Tahiran.  Having  then  rein- 
forced his  troops  with  those  of  Ali  Khan  of  Hamfa,  a  prince  who 
had  asserted  a  kind  of  independency  since  the  death  of  Ali  Mu- 
rad, he  advanced  against  Jaafar,  who  retreated  to  Shiraz,  whe<'e 
he  perished  in  an  insurrection,  and  his  son  Lutuf  fledto  the  south. 

Akau  had  now  no  rival  except  Hidaet,  khan  of  Ghilan,  who 
was  forced  to  fly  from  Rasht  his  place  of  residence,  but  was  killed 
near  the  port  of  Sinfili.  In  consequence  of  these  events  Akau  be- 
came monarch  of  all  western  Persia  ;  and  being  an  eunuch,  had 
nominated  for  his  successor  his  nephew  Baba  Serdar. 

Eastern  Persia.']  Having  thus  as  briefly  as  possible  discussed 
the  recent  history  of  western  Persia,  the  eastern  half  yet  remains, 
being  unhappily  separated  in  a  great  degree  by  high  ridges  of 
mountains  and  sandy  deserts,  a  circumstance  which  has  been  re- 
peatedly productive  of  great  disasters  to  this  wide  empire. 

This  natural  separation  has  occasioned  great  obscurity  in  the 


PERSIA.  60f 

ancient  history  of  Persia,  the  eastern  half  remaining  a  distinct  and 
independent  country,  of  the  same  general  name  with  the  western, 
but  with  limits  and  history  totally  distinct. 

The  best  materials  concerning  the  kingdom  of  Cahdahar  seem 
to  be  those  collected  by  Rennell  ;  and  they  are,  if  possible,  yet 
more  scanty  than  those  concerning  the  western  half.  Ahmed  Ab- 
dalla,  first  king  of  Candahar,  was  originally  the  chief  of  an  Afgan 
tribe,  conquered  by  Nadir  Shah,  on  whose  death  he  suddenly  ap- 
peared among  his  former  subjects,  and  soon  erected  a  considera- 
ble kingdom  in  the  eastern  part  of  Persia,  including  most  of  the 
Indian  provinces  ceded  by  the  Mogul  to  Nadir.  He  established 
the  capital  at  Cabul,  at  a  secure  distance  behind  the  mountains  of 
Hindoo  Koh. 

Ahmed  died  about  the  year  1773,  and  was  succeeded  by  Timur, 
who  continued  to  reside  at  Cabul ;  but  the  monarchy  has  been 
styled  that  of  Candahar  from  a  central  province.  The  successor 
of  Timur  was  Zemaun,  who  probably  still  rules  this  extensive 
country,  which  has  happily  been  free  from  the  intestine  commo- 
tions which  have  desolated  western  Persia.  Since  the  great  bat- 
tle of  Panniput,  fought  by  Ahmed  Ab dalla  against  the  Marattas 
1761,  the  kingdom  of  Candahar  seems  to  have  remained  in  a  pa- 
cific state,  and  the  government  is  of  applauded  lenity. 

The  farthest  extent  of  this  monarchy  on  the  east  comprizes 
Cashmir,  which  was  probably  subdued  about  1754.*  In  the  west, 
according  to  the  opinion  of  Rennell,t  it  extends  to  the  vicinity  of 
the  city  of  Tershiz,  or  Turshiz,  in  the  same  line  of  longitude  with 
Meshid,  a  length  of  about  900  miles.  The  province  of  Sindi,  at 
the  mouth  of  the  Indus,  is  also  subject  to  Zemaun,  with  the  west- 
ern part  of  Moultan  ;  bu»>.  the  remainder  on  the  east  bank  of  that 
river,  and  the  wide  and  fertile  province  of  Lahore,  are  possessed 
by  the  Seiks,  a  warlike  nation.  The  other  provinces  are  Kuttore, 
Cabul,  Candahar,  and  within  the  Persian  boundary  Segistan,  and 
probably  Mekran,  with  the  eastern  part  of  Corasan,  and  the  prov- 
ince of  Gaur,  the  medial  breadth  being  probably  about  500  miles. 
The  remainder  of  Balk  and  Great  Bucharia  belong  to  Independent 
Tartary.  The  chief  subjects  of  Zemaun  are  the  Afgans,  or  peo- 
ple of  the  mountains  between  Persia  and  Hindostan,  who  may  be 
considered  as  the  founders  of  the  empire  ;  the  others  are  Hindoos, 
Persians,  and  a  few  Tartars. 

J^elig-ion.']  The  Persians  are  Mahometans  of  the  sect  of  Ali ; 
for  which  reason  the  Turks,  who  follow  the  succession  of  Omar 
and  Abu  Bekr,  call  them  heretics.  Their  religion  is,  if  possible^ 
in  some  things  more  fantastical  and  sensual  than  that  of  the 
Turks  ;  but  in  many  points  it  is  mingled  with  some  Bramin  su- 
perstitions. When  they  are  taxed  by  the  Christians  with  drink- 
ing strong  liquors,  as  many  of  them  do,  they  answer  very  sensibly, 
"  You  Christians  whore  and  get  drunk,  though  you  know  you  are 
committing  sins,  which  is  the  very  case  with  us." 

In  one  point  they  far  excel  many  professing  christians,  who 

•  Forster,  JL  14.  j-  Page  152. 


«08  PERSIA. 

would  be  as  ashamed  to  be  seen  at  prayer,  or  attending  the  ordi* 
nances  of  Christ,  as  in  the  commission  of  some  disgraceful  crime. 
The  Persians  have  no  marks  of  this  false  modesty.  If  a  bold, 
masculine  piety,  and  a  sincere,  awful  sense  of  the  Deity  are  very 
consistent  things,  then  this  fear  of  man  among  Christians  must  be 
owing  to  an  error  in  education.* 

Having  mentioned  the  Bramins,  the  comparison  between  them 
and  the  Persian  i^uebres,  or  gaurs^  who  pretend  to  be  the  disci- 
ples and  successors  of  the  ancient  magi,  the  followers  of  Zoroas- 
ter, may  be  highly  worth  a  learned  disquisition  :  That  both  of 
them  held  originally  pure  and  simple  ideas  of  a  Supreme  Being, 
may  be  easily  proved  ;  but  the  Indian  bramins  and  parsees  accuse 
the  gaurst  who  still  worship  the  fire,  of  having  sensualized  those 
ideas,  and  of  introducing  an  evil  principle  into  the  government  of 
the  world.  A  combustible  ground,  about  10  miles  distant  from 
Baku,  a  city  in  the  noi'fei)  of  Persia,  is  the  scene  of  the  guebres  de- 
votion. It  must  be  admitted,  that  this  ground  is  impregnated 
with  very  surprising  inflammatory  qualities,  and  contains  several 
old  little  temples  ;  in  one  of  which  the  guebres  pretend  to  pre- 
serve the  sacred  flame  of  the  universal  fire  which  rises  from  the 
end,  and  a  large  hollow  cane  stuck  in  the  ground,  resembling  a 
lamp,  burning  with  very  pure  spirits.  If  any  tube  be  inserted  in 
the  ground,  and  the  top  of  the  ground  touched  with  a  coal,  a 
flame  bursts  forth.  They  have  no  floors  ;  this  is  the  mode  of 
their  lighting  their  rooms,  of  cooking  their  victuals,  and  by  these 
tubes,  piling  the  stones  over  them,  they  burn  their  lime.  Their 
springs,  particularly  on  the  isle  of  Wetoy,  furnish  a  black  naph- 
tha in  great  quantities.  When  scattered  on  the  sea  it  burns  ; 
the  flame  is  often  wafted  to  a  great  distance. 

The  Mahometans  are  the  declared  enemies  of  the  gaurs,  who 
were  banished  out  of  Persia  by  Shah  Abbas.  Their  sect  is  said 
to  be  numerous,  though  tolerated  in  very  few  places. 

The  long  wars  between  the  Persians  and  the  Romans,  seem 
early  to  have  driven  the  ancient  Christians  into  Persia  and  the 
neighboring  countries.  Even  to  this  day,  many  sects  are  found 
that  evidently  have  Christianity  for  the  ground-work  of  their  re- 
ligion. Some  of  them,  called  Souffees,  who  are  a  kind  of  quiet- 
ists,  sacrifice  their  passions  to  God,  and  profess  the  moral  duties. 
The  Sabean  Christians  have,  in  their  religion,  a  mixture  of  Juda- 
ism and  Mahometanism  ;  and  are  numerous  towards  the  Persian 
gulf.  We  have  already  mentioned  the  Armenian  and  Georgian 
Christians,  who  are  very  numerous  in  Persia.  The  present  race 
of  Persians  are  said  to  be  very  cool  in  the  doctrines  of  Mahomet, 
owing  chiefly  to  their  late  wars  with  the  Turks, 

Govern7ne?it.^  The  government  of  Persia,  like  that  of  all  other 
oriental  states,  appears  to  have  been  always  despotic  ;  but  its  ad- 
ministration in  Eastern  Persia,  or  the  kingdom  of  Candahar,  is 
represented  as  mild.  The  state  of  the  people  seems  to  be  de- 
plorable, being  subject  to  the  arbitrary  power  and  extortions  of 

•  Ilanwav. 


PERSIA.  e(i>9 

tlie  numerous  Khans,  or  chiefs.  These  are  sometimes  governors 
of  provinces,  sometimes  only  possessors  of  small  districts,  and 
pretend  to  hereditary  succession,  though  liable  to  be  forfeited  or 
put  to  death  by  the  arbitrary  mandate  of  the  sovereign.  The 
great  Khans  are  sometimes  styled  Beglerbegs,  or  lord  of  lords  ; 
and  in  time  of  war  Serdars,  or  generals.  Those  who  command 
cities  are  commonly  styled  Darogas,  or  governors.* 

Pofiulation.']  The  present  state  of  the  population  of  Persia  is 
reckoned  by  Hassel  at  22,000,000,  of  which  3,000,000t  are  in  W. 
Persia,  and  19,000,000|  in  E.  Persia.  Pinkerton  strangely  re- 
duces the  number  in  both  to  only  10,000,000. 

Though  Mr.  Franklin  have  supposed  that  the  rival  kings  in 
western  Persia  could  not  muster  more  than  twenty  thousand  men 
each,  yet  from  the  account  of  Pallas,  Aga  Mamet  raised  an  army 
of  seventy  thousand.  But  supposing  western  Persia  united,  and 
somewhat  reinstated  in  prosperity,  it  is  not  probable  that  the  army 
could  exceed  100,000  effective  men,  which  may  probably  also  be 
the  amount  of  that  of  Candahar.  Yet  the  Afgans  alone,  who  are 
a  brave  people,  ai'e  supposed  by  Hassel,  able  to  raise  an  army  of 
300,000  men  ;  and  Western  Persia,  in  the  opinion  of  the  same  au- 
thor, can  raise  100,000  men. 

JVavy.~\  From  some  particular  precepts  in  the  laws  of  Zoroas- 
ter, which  it  was  impossible  to  observe  at  sea,  the  ancient  Persians 
were  never  a  maritime  people,  though  they  commanded  an  am- 
ple gulf  with  the  mouths  of  the  Euphrates  and  the  Tigris.  The 
commerce  on  the  Indian  ocean,  as  well  as  on  the  Caspian  sea,  has 
been  always  chiefly  conducted  by  the  Armenians,  a  most  industri- 
ous and  respectable  people.  Hence  the  commerce  of  this  coun- 
try, so  advantageously  situated,  has  always  been  in  the  hand  of 
sti-angers  ;  while  the  natives,  Avith  feudal  pride,  attend  to  their 
horses  and  the  chace,  and  lead  what  is  called  the  life  of  a  gentle-* 
man,  neither  improving  their  own  property  nor  the  country  in 
general  ;  scarcely  one  Persian  vessel,  therefore,  has  in  aiiy  ago 
navigated  the  sea. 

Revenues^]  The  actual  revenues  of  Persia  it  is  impos.sible  to 
estimate  ;  but  the  ruinous  state  of  the  country  must  render  it  un- 
productive. The  Turkish  revenue  has  been  computed  at  seven 
millions  sterling  ;  and  it  may  perhaps  be  conjectured  with  some 
show  of  probability,  that  the  monarch  of  Candahar  may  draw  from 
liis  various  and  extensive  provinces  about  three  millions  sterling ; 
while  western  Persia  scarcely  supplies  two  millions.  Chardiu 
says  that  the  ancient  revenue  consisted  partly  in  contributions  in 
kind  ;  Kurdistan,  for  instance,  furnishing  butter,  while  Georgia 
supplied  female  slaves  ;  and  partly  arose  from  the  royal  domains, 
with  a  third  of  metals,  precious  stones,  and  pearls  ;  and  a  few  du- 
ties and  taxes.  The  whole  revenue  was  by  some  estimated  at 
700,000  tomans,§  or  about  thirty-two  millions  of  French  livrcs. 

*  Chanlin,  vi.  41.  -j-  Schalzuug.  ♦  Olivier. 

§  The  toman  is  computed  at  about  31.  7s.  Iwing  ratlicr  more   than   eoual  to  two 
gold  roohurs-,  a  gold  com  of  Iliiidostao,  ^»orth  abogt  thirly-two  sliiUijigs.    Cbardio  «Oia- 
|»utes  the  toman  at  forty  .five  livres  of  bis  tinte. 
VOL.  11".  77 


610  PERSIA. 

Political  Imfiortanc'e  and  Relatio7is.'\  The  political  importance 
and  relations  of  Persia  are  now  greati/  restricted.  Were  the 
western  part  united  under  one  sovereign,  it  might  lend  effectual 
assistance  to  the  Russians  in  any  design  against  the  Turks.  But 
in  its  recent  distracted  state,  Persia  has  heen  little  formidable, 
even  to  the  declining  power  of  Turkey  ;  and  the  Russians  seem 
to  entertain  no  desire  of  extending  their  conquests  over  the  moun- 
tainous Caspian  provinces,  which  Peter  the  Great  once  held  and 
abandoned,  so  that  Persia  seems  secure  on  the  side  of  Russia,  as 
well  as  on  that  of  Turkey  and  Arabia ;  this  unhappy  security  be- 
ing in  fact  one  grand  cause  of  the  civil  anarchy.  This  part  of 
Persia  is  in  confederacy  Avith  France.* 

Eastern  Persia,  or  the  kingdom  of  Candahar,  appears  to  have 
little  to  apprehend  from  the  Seiks  on  the  other  side  of  the  Indus  ; 
and  die  Uzbek  Khans  of  Balk,  Bucharia,  and  Kharism,  are  disunit- 
ed and  little  formidable,  though  they  command  a  warlike  people. 
It  is  therefore  more  probable  that  these  countries  may  be  van- 
quished by  the  kings  of  Candahar,  than  that  any  danger  should 
arise  from  the  Uzbeks.  A  contest  may  probably  happen  between 
eastern  and  western  Persia  ;  but  even  if  united  under  one  sove- 
reign, it  would  be  long  before  this  country  could  resume  her  rank 
among  powerful  nations. 

Manners  and  Customs.']  The  manners  and  customs  of  the  Per- 
sians, in  the  17th  century,  have  been  amply  detailed  by  Chardin, 
Thevenot,  Sanson,  and  other  travellers. 

More  modern  ideas  of  Persian  manners  may  be  derived  from 
the  travels  of  Gmelin,  in  Ghilan.f  The  Persians  still  pride  them- 
selves in  universal  politeness,  and  are  hospitable,  not  however 
■without  the  expectation  of  presents  in  I'eturn.  They  seem  to  con- 
sider themselves  as  more  wise  and  sagacious  than  other  nations, 
yet  are  passionate  ;  and  the  recent  commotions  have  imparted  a 
taint  of  cruelty  to  the  national  character.:}:  Of  a  sanguine  temper- 
ament, both  rich  and  poor  are  generally  gay  ;  and  immoderate 
mirth  will  succeed  the  most  violent  quarrels.  They  are  extreme- 
ly attached  to  the  fair  sex,  and  not  averse  to  wine.  The  general 
complexion  is  fair,  somewhat  tinged  with  olive ;  but  those  in  the 
south  about  Shiraz,  of  Candahar,  and  the  provinces  towards  India, 
are  of  a  dark  brown.  They  are  commonly  fat,  with  black  hair, 
high  foi'ehead,  aquiline  nose,  full  cheeks,  and  a  large  chin,  the 
form  of  the  countenance  being  frequently  oval.  The  men  are 
generally  strong  and  robust,  and  inclined  to  martial  exercises,  but 
they  are  particularly  subject  to  disorders  of  the  eyes.  They  gen- 
erally shave  the  head,  and  wear  high  crimson  bonnets  ;  but  the 
beard  is  sacred,  and  tended  with  great  care.  They  often  wear 
three  or  four  light  dresses,  one  above  the  other,  fastened  with  a 
belt  and  sash  ;  and  they  are  fond  of  large  cloaks  of  thick  cloth. 
The  women  wrap  around  their  heads  pieces  of  silk  of  different 

/  •  Hassel. 

f  Histoire  des  Decouvertes  faites  par  divers  savans  Voyagcnrs  dans  pluaeurs  coi^-- 
trees  de  la  Russic  et  <le  ia  Perse.    Six  vols.  8vo.  Berne,  1779 — 1787. 
1=  Decmiv.  Russ.  ii.  276. 


PERSIA.  611 

colors  ;  and  their  robes  are  rather  shorter  than  those  of  the  men. 
The  Persians  eat  twice  or  thrice  a  day,  dining  about  noon,  but 
the  chief  repasi  is  the  supper,  as  ■with  the  ancient  Greeks  and  Ro- 
mans. The  most  usual  dish  is  boiled  rice,  variously  prepared. 
The  meat  is  boiled  to  excess,  and  the  meal  is  enlarged  with  pot- 
herbs, roots,  and  fruit,  cakes,  hard  eggs,  and  above  all  sweet- 
meats, of  which  they  are  extremely  fond.  They  are  rcmai'kable 
for  cleanliness,  both  in  their  persons  and  habitations. 

Marriages  are  conducted  by  female  mediation  ;  and  the  pomp 
and  ceremonies  somewhat  resemble  the  Russian.  Polygamy  is 
allowed  ;  but  the  first  married  is  the  chief  wife.  The  tombs  of 
the  rich  are  often  grand,  as  are  the  cenotaphs  of  the  twelve  Imams, 
or  vicars  of  the  prophet,  regarded  by  the  Chias,  as  his  only  lawful 
successors. 

Language.']  The  language  of  Persia  is  perhaps  the  most  cele- 
brated of  all  the  oriental  tongues,  for  strength,  beauty,  and  melo- 
dy. The  excellent  work  of  Sir  William  Jones,  on  oriental  poetry, 
discloses  part  of  the  treasures  to  be  found  in  this  language.  In 
general,  the  Persian  literature  approaches  nearer  to  the  Europe- 
an, in  solid  good  sense,  and  clearness  of  thought  and  expression, 
than  that  of  any  other  Asiatic  nation  ;  as  the  language  itself  has 
been  long  known  to  bear  a  strong  affinity  to  the  German,  though 
softened  by  the  long  usage  of  a  polished  people.  One  of  the  old- 
est remains  of  Persian  literature  is  the  famous  Sha  Nama,  or  his- 
tory of  kings,  a  long  heroic  poem  of  Fei'dusi.  Sadi,  an  excellent 
and  enceriaining  moralist,  writes  in  prose,  mingled  with  verse, 
like  several  of  the  Icelandic  Sagas. 

Hafiz  is  the  Anacrcon  of  the  cast,  and  his  tomb  is  venerated  in 
the  vicinity  of  Shiraz,  being  itself  the  cliosen  shrine  of  parties  of 
pleasure,  who  proceed  thither  to  enjoy  the  delicious  situation,  and 
offer  libations  of  the  rich  Shirazian  wine,  to  the  memory  of  their 
favorite  bard,  a  splendid  copy  of  whose  works  is  chained  to  his 
monument.  But  the  sciences  in  general  are  little  cultivated  by 
the  Persians,  who  are  lost  in  abject  superstition,  and  fond  believ- 
ers in  astrology  ;  a  proud  sophistry,  which  connects  the  little 
brief  destiny  of  man  with  the  vast  rotation  of  innuraei-able  suns 
and  worlds. 

The  Persian  language  is  known  far  beyond  the  limits  of  Per- 
sia Proper.  It  is  spoken  at  all  the  Mussulman  Courts  in  India, 
and  is  the  usual  language  of  judicial  proceedings  under  the  British 
government  in  Hindostan.  It  is  next  in  importance  to  the  Ara- 
bic and  Chinese,  in  regard  to  the  extent  of  territory  through  which 
it  is  spoken,  being  generally  understood  from  Calcutta  to  Da- 
mascus.* 

Education.]  The  education  of  the  modern  Persians  is  chiefly 
military;  and  their  gross  flatteries,  and  obliquity  of  expression^ 
evince  that  tliey  have  totally  forgotten  the  noble  system  of  their  an- 
cestors, who  in  the  first  place  taught  their  children  to  speak  truth. 

Cities.]     The  capital   city   of  modem  Persia  is  Ispahan.     In- 

*  Buchannan's  Researches. 


612  PERSIA. 

eluding  the  suburbs,  its  circuit  is  computed  by  Chardin*  at  aboui 
24  miles,  and  the  inhabitants  at  600,000.  It  stands  on  the  small 
river  Zenderud,  which  rises  in  the  mountains  of  Yaibat,  three 
days  journey  towards  the  north  ;  but  Abas  the  Great,  at  a  pro- 
digious expense,  pierced  some  mountains,  about  30  leagues  from 
Ispahan,  and  introduced  another  stream,  so  that  the  Zenderud 
was  as  large  during  the  spring,  as  the  Seine  at  Paris  in  the  Avin- 
tcr  ;  for  in  that  season  the  melting  of  the  snows,  in  the  high 
range  of  mountains,  greatly  swelled  the  river.  The  walls  are  of 
earth,  and  ill  repaired,  with  eight  gates-,  and  the  streets  nari'ow, 
devious,  and  badly  paved.  But  the  royal  square,  and  its  grand 
market,  the  palace  of  the  Sefi,  and  those  of  the  Grandees,  the 
mosks,  the  public  baths,  and  other  edifices,  are  for  the  most  part 
splendid.  The  suburb  of  lulfa,  or  Yulfa,  is  very  large,  and  pos- 
sessed by  the  Armenians.  The  environs  of  Ispahan  are  pleasant, 
and,  like  most  other  Persian  towns  and  cities,  diversified  by  the 
neighborhood  of  mountains.  This  capital,  after  the  visit  of  Char- 
din,  was  greatly  reduced,  insomuch  that  a  Persian  merchant  as- 
serted to  Mr.  Hanway,  that  not  above  5000  houses  were  inhabited, 
having  been  taken  and  plundered  by  the  Afgans,  in  1722. 

The  second  city,  at  least  in  fame,  is  Shiraz,  which  has  been  re- 
cently visited  and  described.  This  capital  of  Farsistan,  or  Per- 
sia, is  situated  in  a  fertile  valley,  about  26  miles  in  length,  and  12 
in  breadth,  bounded  on  all  sides  by  lofty  mountains  :  the  circuit 
of  the  city  is  about  4  miles,  surrounded  with  a  wall  25  feet  high, 
and  10  thick,  with  round  towers  at  the  distance  of  80  paces.  The 
citadel  is  built  of  brick ;  and  before  it  is  a  great  square,  with  a 
park  of  miserable  artillery.  The  mosk  of  the  late  Kerim  is 
splendid  but  unfinished.  The  tomb  of  Hafiz  is  on  the  N.  E.  side, 
about  2  miles  distant  from  the  walls,  and  at  the  foot  of  the  moun- 
tains, in  the  same  direction,  is  the  tomb  of  Sadi,  with  a  remarka- 
ble channel  for  water  hollowed  in  the  rock.  Many  summer 
houses  with  gardens,  in  the  vicinity  of  Shiraz,  were  built  by  the 
late  regent  Kerim,  the  plantations  being  avenues  of  cypress  and 
sycamore,  leading  to  parterres  of  flowers,  and  refreshed  with  foun- 
tains. The  neighboring  fields  are  fertile  in  rice,  wheat  and  bar- 
ley, the  harvest  beginning  in  May,  and  ending  in  the  middle  of 
July.  Provisions  are  cheap,  and  the  mutton  excellent.  The  fa- 
mous horses  of  Fars  now  yield  greatly  to  those  of  Dush  Tistan,  a 
province  to  the  S.  W.  At  Shiraz  there  is  a  glass  manufactory  ; 
but  woollen  goods  and  silks  are  brought  from  Yezd  and  Kerman, 
copper  from  Tauriz,  swoi'd-blades  from  Kom.  Abu  Shehai',  or 
Busheer,  supplies  Indian  articles.  The  climate  of  this  celebrated 
city  is  very  pleasant,  particularly  in  the  spring,  when  numerous 
flowers  perfume  the  air  ;  and  the  Boolbul,  or  oriental  nightin- 
gale, the  goldfinch,  linnet,  and  other  warblers,  delight  the  ear.f 

Having  thus  briefly  described  the  two  most  celebrated  cities, 
the  others  shall  be  mentioned  in  a  geographical  progress  from  the 
north,  beginning  with  those  of  western  Persia.     Teffiiz,  the  cap- 

•  Chardin,  torn. ill!,  i  Franklin,  passini. 


PERSIA.  "      QIC. 

ital  of  Georgia,  is  a  large  and  populous  town,  but  meanly  built, 
rising  from  the  river  Kur  along  the  side  of  a  hill,*  There  are 
fine  springs  of  hot  water,  a  favorite  resort  of  the  inhabitants. 
The  chief  trade  is  in  furs,  sent  to  Turkey  and  the  south  of  Per- 
sia. The  present  circuit  is  about  2  English  miles,  and  it  is  sup- 
posed to  contain  20,000  inhabitants,  more  than  half  being  Arme- 
nians.! It  must  not  be  forgotten,  that  during  the  late  confusion  in 
Persia,  Georgia  has  effected  at  least  a  temporary  independence, 
supported  by  Russia  ;  so  that  the  dominion  of  prince  Heraclius  is 
only  nominally  included  within  the  Persian  boundary. 

Derbent  was  formerly  a  place  of  noted  strength  on  the  Caspian 
sea,  but  was  taken  by  Peter  the  Great  of  Russia,  and  afterwards 
by  Catherine  II.  in  1780.  Gmelin  visited  this  city  a  few  years 
before,  and  describes  it  as  situated  on  the  side  of  a  mountain,  ex- 
tending almost  to  the  sea.  The  shores  are  unfit  for  anchorage, 
so  that  there  is  little  commerce,  except  inland  with  Ghilan  prin- 
cipally in  saffron.  The  gardens  near  the  town  are  productive  of 
excellent  grapes,  and  most  kinds  of  European  fruits. 

Westward  on  the  Turkish  frontier,  stands  the  city  of  Erivan,  of 
considerable  extent,  and  the  capital  of  Persian  Armenia,  but  the 
houses  are  meanly  built,  like  most  of  those  in  Persia.:!  Provisions 
are  plentiful,  and  good  wine  is  produced  in  the  neighborhood. 
After  repeated  contests  with  the  Turks,  the  Persians  have  remain- 
ed masters  of  Erivan  since  1635.  Not  far  to  the  S.  W.  is  the  cel- 
ebrated Armenian  monastery  of  the  three  churches  :  and  the  noted 
mount  Arai'at,  on  which  Noah's  ark  rested,  which  may  be  regard- 
ed as  a  kind  of  frontier  between  the  Turkish  and  Persian  domin- 
ions, rises  about  30  miles  to  the  south  of  Erivan.  The  summit  is 
inaccessible. 

The  province  of  Aderbijan  contains  few  places  of  note,  except 
Tebriz,  or  Tauriz,  a  considerable  city,  which  was  however  greatly 
injured  by  an  earthquake  toward  the  beginning  of  the  last  centu- 
ry. The  bazars  or  market  places,  and  other  public  edifices,  are 
grand  and  spacious ;  and  it  is  said  that  the  great  square  has  held 
30,000  men  drawn  up  in  order  of  battle.  In  the  neighborhood 
there  are  quarries  of  white  marble  ;  and  there  was  a  mine  of  gold, 
now  abandoned  ;  but  copper  is  still  wrought.  Being  situated  on 
the  west  side  of  the  great  Caucasian  mass  of  mountains,  on  which 
the  snow  remains  for  nine  months  of  the  year,  the  climate  is  ex- 
tremely cold,  but  dry  and  healthy. 

The  Caspian  provinces  of  Ghilan  and  Mazendran  present  their 
capitals,  Rasht  and  Sari.  The  former,  though  the  residence  of 
an  independent  Khan,  has  neither  walls  nor  gates,  but  is  the  seat 
of  considerable  commerce,  and  the  number  of  houses  may  amount 
to  2000.  The  palace  of  the  Khan  was  composed  of  several  large 
pavilions,  arranged  in  the  form  of  a  square,  and  communicating 
with  each  other  by  handsome  galleries.  In  the  midst  was  a  gar- 
den with  fountains,  and  behind  was  the  haram  with  anotlier  gar- 
den, the  apartments  being  richly  furnished  with  tapestry,  mirrors, 

•  Tonmefort,  li.  235.       f  Ellis,  Memoir,  p.  49.        [*  Toumefort,  ii.25S. 


614  PERSIA. 

and  other  elegant  articles.  Rasht  is  the  staple  of  the  silk,  which 
is  produced  in  great  abundance  in  this  province.  Sari,  the  resi- 
dence of  the  Khans  of  Mazcndran,  is  of  small  account,  when  com- 
pared with  Aschraff,  a  favorite  residence  of  Abas  the  Great  ;  its 
splendid  palaces  and  gardens  have  however  become  ruinous,  since 
the  commotions  that  followed  the  death  of  Nadir. 

On  returning  towards  the  S.  W.  there  appears  Bistan,  a  small 
city  on  the  north  of  the  great  salt  desert,  rarely  visited  by  travel- 
lers ;  and  to  the  W.  Chover  or  Khaver,  with  a  pass  of  the  same 
name,  through  a  branch  of  the  Caucasian  mountains  of  Mazendran, 
■which  is  preferred  to  the  passage  tiu'ough  the  desert.  Kom,  or 
Khums,  was  visited  by  Chardin,  who  in  travelling  from  Sava  pass- 
ed a  wide  plain,  with  a  hill  in  the  middle,  called  the  mountain  of 
the  Talifman.  He  represents  Kom  as  a  considerable  city,  at  the 
foot  of  high  mountains,  and  near  a  river,  which  is  lost  in  the  great 
salt  desert.  The  houses  were  computed  at  15,000  ;  and  the  chief 
•manufactures  were  white  earthen  ware,  soap,  and  sword  blades. 
Here  are  the  supei'b  tombs  of  Scfi  I.  and  Abas  H. 

Towards  the  Turkish  frontier,  one  of  the  largest  rivers  of  Per- 
sia, the  Ahwaz,  or  Ancient  Choaspes,  flows  into  the  Tigris  ;  but 
though  the  ancient  Susa  decorated  its  banks,  the  modern  towns  of 
Kiab  and  Ahwaz  are  of  small  account. 

The  celebrated  Persian  gulph  has  been  always  more  remarka- 
ble for  the  factories  of  foreigners,  than  for  native  establishments. 
Bander  Abassi  was  a  port  opposite  to  the  isle  of  Ormus,  or  rather 
on  the  coast  between  Ormus  and  Kishmish,  or  Kishma,  and  is 
now  more  commonly  known  by  the  name  of  Gombroon.  The 
trade,  once  considerable,  is  now  greatly  declined  ;  and  even  the 
Dutch  left  it,  and  settled  in  the  isle  of  Karek  or  Garak.  The 
French  Indian  commerce  has  failed  ;  and  the  English  staple  is 
Bussora. 

In  the  small  isle  of  Ormus,  at  the  entrance  of  the  Persian  gulph, 
was  formerly  a  celebrated  mart  of  Portuguese  trade,  established 
there  by  consent  of  the  petty  king  of  the  country,  who  also  pos- 
sessed some  districts  on  the  opposite  coast.  But  the  Portuguese 
were  expelled  by  Abas  the  Great,  with  the  assistance  of  the  Eng- 
lish, A.  D.  1622. 

The  province  of  Kerman  contains  a  city  of  the  same  name  ;  but 
some  late  authors  represent  Yezd,as  the  capital,  though  genei'ally 
supposed  to  belong  to  the  province  of  Ears.  This  city  is  cele- 
brated for  the  manufacture  of  carpets,  and  stuffs  made  of  camel 
hair  :  but  the  chief  manufactures  of  carpets  are  in  the  fertile  vale 
of  Segistan,  in  eastern  Persia. 

In  passing  to  the  eastern  division,  or  kisigdom  of  Candahar,  it 
may  be  proper  to  observe  that  Cabul,  the  metropolis,  is  situated 
within  the  limits  of  Hindostan  ;  but  Candahar  is  by  D'Anville  and 
others  ascribed  to  Persia,  being  however  a  city  of  small  size, 
and  chiefly  memorable  as  the  grand  passage  between  these  exten- 
sive empires. 

The  dominion  of  Zemaun  Shah  comprises  a  considerable  por- 
tion of  Corasan.    The  eity  of  Herat  stajnds  oh  a  spacious  plain,  in- 


PERSIA.  615 

tersected  with  many  vivulets,  which,  with  the  bridges,  villages, 
and  plantations,  delight  the  traveller,  fatigued  in  passing  the 
eastern  deserts  of  Afgai.istan,  or  the  country  of  the  Algans,*  It 
is  a  smaller  city  than  Candahar,  but  maintains  a  respectable  trade, 
and  provisions  arc  cheap  and  abundant.  Some  European  goods 
pass  hither  from  the  gulph  of  Persia;  but  coarse  strong  woollens 
are  manufactured  in  the  adjacent  districts.  This  city  was  the 
capital  of  Corasan,  till  the  first  Sefi  of  Persia  transferred  this  rank, 
to  the  northern  city  of  Mcshid,  which  contained  the  tomb  of  Mu- 
za,  his  supposed  ancestor,  and  one  of  the  twelve  great  Imams  of 
Persia. 

Edifices.']  In  the  recent  desolation  of  the  country  many  of  the 
most  splendid  edifices  are  become  ruinous,  and  among  others  the 
palace  of  Ashref  in  IVIazendran.  The  late  Kerim  has  however 
decorated  Shiraz  with  many  beautiful  buildings.  He  also  im- 
proved the  roads  in  the  vicijiity  ;  but  in  Persia,  which  may,  as 
Chardin  observes,  be  called  a  country  of  mountains,  the  roads  are 
not  only  difficult,  but  kept  in  bad  I'epair.f 

The  tombs  of  the  kings  of  Persia  are  stupendous  works,  being 
cut  out  of  a  rock,  and  highly  ornamented  with  sculptures.  The 
chief  of  the  modern  edifices  is  a  pillar,  to  be  seen  at  Ispahan,  60 
feet  high,  consisting  of  the  skulls  of  beasts,  erected  by  Shah  Ab- 
bas, after  the  suppression  of  a  rebellion.  Abbas  had  vowed  to 
erect  such  a  column  of  human  skulls;  but  upon  the  submission  of 
the  rebels,  he  performed  his  vow  by  substituting  those  of  brutes, 
each  of  the  rebels  furnishing  one. 

Manufactures  and  Cominerce.]  The  manufactures  and  com- 
merce of  this  great  country  may  be  said  to  be  annihilated,  though 
a  few  carpets  still  reach  Europe  at  extravagant  prices.  Even  the 
trade  with  the  Russians  on  the  Caspian  is  of  small  account,  con- 
sisting of  salt  and  naphtha  from  Baku,  and  some  silk  from  Shirvan, 
called  by  the  Russians  Shair.akia,  but  chiefly  from  Ghilan,  where 
there  is  a  Russian  consul  at  Enseli  or Sinsili.  ihe  Persian  mer- 
chants also  bring  goods  to  Balfrush,  the  largest  tosv^n  in  Mazen- 
dran,  where  they  trade  with  those  of  Russia. 

That  intelligent  traveller,  Chardin,  has  given  an  ample  view  of 
the  Persian  manufactures  and  commerce  in  the  17th  century- 
Embroidery  was  carried  to  the  greatest  perfection,  in  cloth,  silk, 
and  leather.  Earthen  ware  was  made  throughout  Persia ;  bm 
the  best  at  Shiraz,  Mcshid,  Yezd,  and  particularly  beautiful  at 
Zarand,  which  equalled  the  Chinese  porcelain  in  fineness  and 
transparency  :  the  fabric  was  so  hard  as  to  produce  lastiiJg  mor- 
tars for  grinding  various  substances4  That  ofYczd,  which  Char- 
din places  in  Kirman,  was  noted  for  its  lightness.  The  manufac- 
tures of  leather,  and  shagreen,  were  also  excellent  ;§  and  they  ex- 
celled in  braziery,. using  the  tin  of  Sumatra  to  line  the  vessels, 

•  Foster,  ii.  115. 

t  The  causey  of  Abas  the  Great  is  a  noble  monamont,  extending  about  SOO  milo 
on  the  S.  ofthe  Casi)ian.    Hanwav,  i   lOS  ' 

*  Chardin,  iv.  24S. 

§  The  proper  term  i«<oyr«j,  fi-o|n  the  Persian  \rorf)  Sajjri.    ChanLiv.  (Ji8. 


616  PERSIA. 

The  bows  of  Persia  were  the  most  esteemed  of  all  in  the  east,  and 
the  sabres  finely  damasked,  in  a  manner  which  Chardin  thinks  in- 
imitable in  Europe  ;  for,  not  content  with  their  own  mines  of  steel, 
they  imported  it  from  India,  and  wrought  it  in  a  particular  manner 
described  by  our  author.  Their  razors,  and  other  works  in  steel, 
•were  also  good  ;  and  they  excelled  in  cutting  precious  stones,  and 
dyeing  bright  and  lasting  colors.  Their  cotton  and  woollen  cloths, 
and  those  made  of  goats'  and  camels'  hair,  with  their  silks,  bro- 
cades, and  velvets,  were  superior  manufactures.  The  carpets,  as 
already  mentioned,  were  chiefly  from  the  province  of  Segistan  ; 
and  Chardin  adds,  that  in  his  time,  they  were  called  Turkey  car- 
pets, because  they  were  brought  to  Europe  through  that  country  ; 
and  were  valued  by  the  number  of  threads  in  the  inch,  being  some- 
times fourteen  or  fifteen.  The  stuffs  made  of  camels'  hair  were 
chiefly  from  Kirman,  and  those  of  goats'  hair  from  the  mountains 
of  Mazendran,  but  the  cotton  cloths  prin.cipally  from  Hindostan  : 
and  the  fabric  of  broadcloth  was  unknown,  and  supplied  by  a  kind 
of  felt. 

The  king  himself  was  engaged  in  merchandize  of  silk,  bro- 
cades, carpets,  and  jewels  ;  probably  with  as  little  advantage  to 
the  country  as  the  royal  monopolies  in  Spain.  The  standard  na- 
tive merchandize  was  silk  of  various  qualities.  To  Hindostaiv 
■were  sent  tobacco,  preserved  fruits,  especially  dates,  wines, 
horses,  porcelain,  and  leather  of  different  colors.  To  Turkey,  to- 
bacco, and  kitchen  utensils  ;  to  Russia,  manufactui'ed  silks.  Such 
were  formerly  the  manufactures  and  commerce  of  this  extensive 
country. 


CHAPTER  II. 


NATURAL  GEOGRAPHY. 

CLIMATE,  FACE  OF  THE  COUNTRY,  SOIL  AND  AGRICULTURE, 
RIVERS,  LAKES,  MOUNTAINS,  DESERTS,  FORESTS,  BOTANY,  ZOO- 
LOGY, MINERALOGY,  MINERAL  WATERS,  NATURAL  CURIOSITIES, 
ISLES. 

Climate.']  PERSIA  has  been  said  to  be  a  country  of 
three  climates  ;  but  even  in  the  south  the  high  mountains  con- 
tribute to  allay  the  extreme  heat.  The  northern  provinces  on 
the  Caspian,  are  comparatively  cold  and  moist ;  the  exhalations 
from  that  sea  being  arrested  by  the  mountains  to  the  south  of 
Mazendran.  In  the  centime  of  the  kingdom  Chardin  observes  that 
the  winter  begins  in  November,  and  continues  till  March,  com- 
monly severe,  with  ice  and  snow.  From  March  to  May  high 
winds  are  frequent ;  but  thence  to  September  the  air  is  serene, 
refreshed  by  breezes  in  the  night.  From  September  to  Novem- 
ber the  winds  again  prevail.  In  the  centre  and  south  the  air  is 
generally  dry,  thunder  or  lightning  are  uncommon,  bm,  hail  is 


PERSIA.  617 

often  destructive  in  the  spring.     Near  the  Persian   gulf  the  hot 
"vvind  called  Samiel  sometimes  suffocates  the  unwary  traveller. 

Face  of  the  Country.']  Persia  may  be  called  a  country  of  moun- 
tains ;  and  where  great  plains  occur  they  arc  generally  desert. 
The  most  remarkable  feature  of  the  country  is  the  want  of  rivers; 
in  which  respect  it  yields  to  all  the  Asiatic  regions,  save  Arabia. 
Except  in  the  north,  and  some  parts  of  the  western  mountains,  even 
trees  are  uncommon  ;  and  the  respect  paid  by  the  Persian  mon- 
archs  to  planes,  and  other  trees  of  diffuse  shade,  is  no  matter  of 
surprize.  Considered  in  a  general  scale,  one  of  the  most  singu- 
lar features  of  the  country  is  its  division  into  two  parts  by  deserts 
and  mountains  ;  a  circumstance  which  in  all  ages,  as  already  ex- 
plained, has  greatly  influenced  its  history  and  destinies. 

Soil  and  jigriculture.']  The  soil  may  be  regarded  as  unfertile, 
and  even  the  valleys  are  sometimes  sandy  and  stooy,  or  of  a  hard 
dry  clay;  both  unproductive,  if  not  well  watered.  Hence  the 
chief  industry  of  the  Persian  farmer  is  employed  in  watering  his 
lands.  These  remarks  however  must  be  restricted  to  the  central 
and  southern  provinces  ;  for  those  in  the  north  are  sufficiently 
rich  and  fertile. 

The  most  common  grain  of  Persia  is  wheat,  which  is  excellent ; 
but  rice  is  a  more  universal  aliment,  and  regarded  by  the  Persians 
as  the  most  delicious  of  food.*  It  is  generally  produced  in  the 
northern  or  best  watered  provinces.  Barley  and  millet  are  also 
sown.  The  plow  is  small,  and  the  ground  merely  scratched. 
After  which  the  spade  is  also  used,  to  form  the  ground  into 
squares,  with  ledges  or  little  banks  to  retain  the  water.  The 
dung  is  chiefly  human,  and  that  of  pigeons  mingled  with  earth, 
and  preserved  for  two  years  to  abate  its  heat. 

Rivers.]  The  noble  streams  of  the  Euphrates  and  the  Tigris 
can  scarcely  at  any  period  be  considered  as  strictly  Persian, 
though  Ciesiphon,  the  capital  of  the  Parthian  monarchy,  and  Se- 
leucia,  stood  on  the  latter  river.  The  river  of  Ahwaz  rises  in 
the  mountains  of  Elwend,  and  pursues  a  southeiti  course  till  one 
branch  enters  the  Tigris  above  its  junction  Avith  the  Euphrates, 
while  the  main  stream  flows  into  the  estuary  of  these  conjunct 
rivers.  This  seems  to  be  the  Gyndes  of  Herodotus,  now,  accord- 
ing to  D'Anville,  called  the  Zeindeh,  and  by  the  Turks  Karu- 
Sou,  or  the  black  river.  The  course  of  this  stream,  one  of  the 
most  considerable  in  Persia,  little  exceeds  400  miles. 

From  the  range  of  mountains  on  the  N.  E.  several  rivers  of 
short  course  fall  into  the  Persian  gulph,  one  of  the  most  consid- 
erable being  the  Rud  or  Divrud,  which  joins  the  mouth  of  tliat 
gulph.  The  rivers  of  Mekran  are  of  more  considerable  course, 
as  the  Krenk  and  Mekshid,  which,  conjoined,  form  the  river  of 
Mend,  so  called  from  a  town  by  which  it  passes.  The  Haur  and 
the  Araba  are  of  small  consequence,  except  that  the  latter  serves 
as  a  nominal  boundary  towards  Hindostan. 

In  the  N.  E.  the  large  river  of  Gihon,  better  styled  Amu,  to 

•  Chtnlin,  iv.  223. 
vdL:  n.  78 


61*  PERSIA. 

avoid  the  confuted  similarity  with  anothei'  large  river,  the  Sihon, 
rather  belongs  to  Independent  Tartary,  with  its  numerous  tribu- 
tary streams  ;  except  the  Margus  or  Margab,  called  also  the 
Mourgab,  which  however,  in  the  opinion  of  D'Anviile  and  La 
Rochettc,  is  rather  lost  in  the  sands.  To  the  W.  the  river  of 
Tedjen  or  Tedyen,  the  ancient  Ochus,  flows  into  the  Caspian  ; 
which  also  receives  many  small  streams  from  the  mountains  of 
Mazendran.  D'Anviile  assigns  a  very  considerable  course  to  the 
river  of  Kizil  Ozen,  or  Seesid  R'ud,  which  he  derives  from  the 
mountain  of  Ehvend,  not  far  to  the  north  of  Hamadan  ;  so  that, 
by  a  very  winding  course  to  the  Caspian,  its  length  doubles  what 
is  assigned  in  more  recent  maps.  This  river  is  the  Mardus  of 
antiquity,  and  must  be  the  Swidura  of  Gmelin,  rising  on  the  con- 
fines of  Turkey,  and  falling  into  the  sea  below  Langorod.*  It 
produces  numerous  pike,  carp,  and  other  kinds  of  fish,  esteemed 
by  the  Persians  :   Gmelin  says  that  it  abounds  in  sturgeons. 

Farther  to  theN.  the  large  river  Aras,  the  ancient  Araxes,  falls 
into  the  Kur  or  Cyrus,  both  rising  in  the  Caucasian  mountains, 
and  pursuing  a  very  rapid  course.  1  he  Kur  abounds  with  stur- 
geon and  other  large  fish  ;  and  at  its  mouth  are  several  isles,  lia- 
ble to  be  overflowed  in  the  spring.f 

The  central  rivers  of  Persia  remain  to  be  mentioned,  most  of 
which  are  soon  lost  in  sandy  deserts,  but  deserve  attention  from 
their  historical  celebrity.  The  Zenderud  rises  in  the  western 
chain  of  Elwend,  and  passes  by  Ispahan,  beyond  which  capital  its 
course  is  soon  lost  in  the  sand  :  this  river  seems  to  have  been  the 
second  Gyndes  of  the  ancients. 

But  the  most  important  river  in  this  quarter  is  that  which  pass- 
es between  Shiraz  and  Istakar,  or  the  celebrated  ruins  of  Perse- 
polis,  called  the  Bundamir,  and  supposed  to  be  an  ancient  Aiaxes. 
This  celebrated  river  flows  into  a  salt  lake  called  Baktegan,  and 
Avhich  also  receives  a  considerable  stream  from  the  N.  E.  called 
the  Kuren.:J;  Between  these  two  rivers  a  branch  of  the  moun- 
tains of  Elwend  extends  S.  E.  on  the  westei'n  side  of  which  stand 
the  ruins  of  Persepolis. 

The  largest  and  most  remarkable  inland  river  is  the  Hinmend 
of  the  province  of  Segistan,  which  rises  from  two  widely  separated 
sources,  one  in  the  mountains  of  Gaur,  a  part  of  the  Hindoo  Koh, 
and  the  other  far  to  the  S.  from  the  mountains  of  Gebelabad, 
These  streams  join  not  far  to  the  E.  of  Bost,  whence  the  river  pvu'- 
sues  a  westerly  course,  and,  according  to  the  account  of  Otter,§ 
divides  into  many  branches,  which  are  lost  in  the  central  deserts 
of  Persia-  Our  geographers,  on  the  contrary,  suppose  that  the 
Hinmend  passes  by  Zarang  into  the  sea  of  Zereh. 

Lakes.^     Among  the  lakes  of  Persia,  the  most  considerable  be- 

*  Deeouvertes  Russes,  ii.  373.  See  also  Hanway,  i.  179,  and  275,  where  this 
river  is  called  Sefietrod.  There  is  a  bar  at  the  entrance,  but  a  considerable  deptli 
•within. 

I  Gmelin,  ib.  230. 

^  This  ri^er  La  Rochette,  in  his  elegant  map  of  the  marches  of  Alexander,  supposes 
was  the  Medus,  and  perhaps  a  Mardub  of  the  ancients. 

§  Vojage  en  Turkic  et  eu  Perse.    Faiis  1748,  two  vols.  12mo.  tome  i.  217. 


PERSIA.  619 

yond  all  comiiarison  is  the  Aria  PaJus  of  antiquity.  This  large 
lake  is  in  the  western  part  of  the  province  of  Segistan,  and  is  call- 
ed in  the  French  maps  the  lake  of  Zere,  from  a  village  of  that 
name  near  its  western  extremity  ;  but  in  the  English,  the  sea  of 
Durra,  from  another  village  situated  on  a  river  at  the  distance  of 
twenty  miles  from  the  lake,  the  length  is  thirty  leagues  by  a  day's 
journey  in  breadth  ;   and  the  water  is  fresh  and  full  of  fish. 

The  salt  lake  of  Baktegan,  about  fifty  miles  East  of  Shiraz,  r-e- 
ceives,  as  already  mentioned,  the  rivers  of  Kuren  and  Bundamir. 
It  is  repi-^sented  in  the  maps  as  about  40  miles  in  length,  and  the 
breadth  about  10  ;  but  the  imperfection  of  Persian  geography  af- 
fords no  farther  information. 

Far  to  the  N.  W.  appears  the  large  lake  of  Urmia,  so  called 
from  a  town  near  its  southern  extremity.  This  lake  is  represent- 
ed as  about  50  miles  in  length,  by  about  half  the  breadth,  and  is 
said  to  be  considerably  impregnated  with  salt,  and  the  neighbor- 
ing mountains  were  remarkable  as  the  seats  of  the  Assassins. 
The  lake  of  Erivan,  about  120  miles  to  the  N.  is  about  25  leagues 
in  circumference,  with  a  small  isle  in  the  middle  :  it  abounds  in 
carp  and  trout ;  and  is  the  Lychnites  of  Ptolemy.* 

Mountains.']  The  precise  and  exact  knowledge  of  moimtains, 
particularly  of  the  direction  and  extent  of  the  chief  ranges,  Avhich, 
with  their  side  branches,  often  resemble  the  leading  bone  of  a  fish, 
having  been  one  of  the  most  recent  improvements  even  in  Euro- 
pean {2:eography  ;  it  cannot  be  expected  that  the  oi-iental  should 
aspire  to  much  exactness  in  this  topic,  and  in  the  present  instance 
early  travellers  are  unanimous  in  representing  Persia  as  a  plain 
country,  so  blind  were  they  to  the  most  striking  objects  around 
them.f 

The  first  object,  even  in  a  shoi*t  account  of  the  Persian  moim- 
tains, must  be  to  trace  the  direction  of  the  chief  chains.  It  is 
clear,  from  the  accurate  description  of  Gmelin,  that  the  Cauca- 
sian ridge  extends  to  the  west  of  Ghilan  and  south  of  Mazendran, 
till  it  expire  in  Corasan,  on  the  S.  E.  of  the  Caspian  sea. 

The  southernmost  chain  of  great  height  is  described  by  Mr- 
Franklin  as  running  parallel  with  the  Persian  gulph  N.  W.  and  S. 
E.  at  about  the  distance  of  50  miles. 

A  third  range  of  mountains,  of  very  great  height,  seems  to  con- 
tinue in  the  same  direction  with  this  last,  to  the  S.  of  the  lake  of 
Urmia,  whei-e  it  is  connected  with  the  Caucasian  ridge.  This  is 
the  grandest  range  of  mountains  in  Persia. 

A  parallel  ridge  on  the  W.  called  by  the  Turks  Aiagha  Tag, 
is  supposed  to  be  the  Zagros  of  the  ancients,  which  separated  As- 
syria from  Media.f  This  western  chain  seems  to  extend  to  the 
lake  of  Van,  for  mount  Ararat  is  represented  as  standing  solitary 
in  the  midst  of  a  wide  plain,  and  from  proximity  might  rather  be 
classed  with  the  range  of  Caucasus. 

Hetzardara,  or  the   thousand  mountains,  form  a  branch  yn  tlie 

•  Chardin.  ii.  222.     Tnmnef.  ii.  256. 

f  See  thu  Persia  among  the  Elzevir  KepublieSj  1C3S,  12mf». 

^  D'Anville,  Ane.  Geog.  ii.  4Qd. 


6^.  PERSIA? 

north  of  Fars,  and  one  part  of  it,  which  gives  rise  to  tlic  river:  of 
Ispahan,  is  called  Koh  Zerdeh,  or  the  yellow  mountain.  '. 

The  province  of  Fars  is  represented  by  some  writers  as  separ- 
ated from  Kerman  by  mountains  ;  but  the  real  banner  is  a  desert 
of  sand,  extending  from  the  S.  of  the  lake  of  Baktegan,  to  the 
proximity  of  Zarang,  and  connected  with  the  great  desert  which 
divides  Persia  into  two  parts.  Nor  are  there  any  mountains  of 
consequence  in  the  east  of  Fars.  A  low  range,  called  Meder, 
by  D'YVnville,  passes  N.  E.  through  the  heart  of  Kerman  ;  while 
that  country  is  divided  from  Mekran  by  a  range  in  the  same  di- 
rection, called  by  D'Anville  Kofez.  Some  other  nameless  ranges 
cross  Mekran  in  the  same  direction,  that  nearest  Hindostan  being 
called  by  Rochette,  the  Lakhee  mountains. 

Farther  to  the  N.  the  mountains  of  WuUi  extend  from  the  neigh- 
borhood of  Shatzan  across  to  the  lake  of  Vachind,  and  may  thus 
be  considered  as  forming  one  I'ange  with  that  on  the  N.  of  Mek- 
ran, called  Gebelabad  by  La  Rochette.  This  range,  however,  ex- 
pires in  the  great  desert  to  the  S.  of  Zarang. 

In  the  E.  of  Segistajn  is  a  ridge  N.  and  S.  called  Soliman  Koh, 
or  the  mountains  of  Soliman.  It  is  probable  that  there  are  moun- 
tains of  considerable  height  on  the  N.  and  W.  of  the  sea  of  Zur- 
ra  ;  one  of  which  is  called  Bershck,  and  another  Ouk,  the  former 
being  noted  for  a  fire  temple,  the  resort  of  the  Guebers. 

Deserts.^  The  deserts  must  not  be  passed  in  complete  silenec, 
though  few  words  may  suffice.  On  the  east  of  Tigris,  lat.  33,  a 
considerable  desert  commences,  which  is  pervaded  by  the  river 
of  Ashwaz,  and  extends  to  the  N.  of  Skuster.  This  desert  may  be 
aliout  140  miles  in  length,  E  to  W.  and  the  breadth  about  80.  It 
is  now  chiefly  possessed  by  the  wandering  tribe  of  Arabs,  called 
Beni  Kiab,  a  people  who,  like  the  desert,  are  not  a  little  obscure.* 

The  Great  Saline  Desert  ej^ends  from  the  neighborhood  of 
Kom,  to  that  of  the  sea  of  Zurra,  in  a  line  from  E.  to  W.  of  about 
400  miles  :  the  breadth  from  N.  to  S.  may  be  250  ;  but  in  the  lat- 
ter quarter  it  may  be  said  to  join  with  the  great  desert  of  Kerman, 
by  the  Nauben  Dejian,  which  extends  about  350  miles.  These 
two  extensive  deserts  may  thus  be  consitJered  as  stretching  N.  W. 
and  S.  E.  for  a  space  of  about  700  miles,  by  a  medial  breadth  of 
about  200  (even  not  including  in  the  length  other  200  miles  of  the 
desert  of  Mekran)  ;  thus  intersecting  this  wide  empire  into  two 
nearly  equal  portions,  as  before  explained.  This  vast  extent  is 
impregnated  with  nitre  and  other  salts,  which  taint  the  neighbor- 
ing lakes  and  rivers  ;  but  its  natural  history  has  not  been  investi- 
gated with  the  precision  of  modern  knowledge.  In  the  S.  of 
Mekran,  and  towards  the  Indus,  are  other  deserts  of  great  extent. 

A  third  great  desert,  that  of  Karakum,  or  the  Black  Sand,  forms 
the  northern  boundary  of  Corasan  and  modern  Persia  ;  but  the  de- 
scription more  properly  belongs  to  Tartary. 

Forests.']  The  Persian  forests  are  unhappily  restricted  to  a 
few  spots  in  Corasan,  the  mountains  of  Mazcndran  and   Ghilan, 

•  See  Niebuhr  ;  but  this  f.ibe  seems  rather  to  the  S.  of  tlie  desert- 


PERSIA.  621 

and  those  towards  Kurdistan,  But  timber  is  chiefly  supplied  by 
Mazendi-ati,  -which  thence  receives  a  name  signifying  the  land  of 
axes.  ■ 

Botany.']  An  accurate  account  of  the  indigenous  vegetables  of 
Persia  yet  remains  a  desideratum  in  the  science  of  botany  :  the 
productions  of  the  eastern  and  south-eastern  provinces  are  almost 
wholly  unknown  to  us,  and  the  slight  acquaintance  that  we  have 
with  those  on  the  shores  of  the  Caspian,  and  the  frontiers  of  Rus- 
sia, is,  for  the  most  part,  derived  from  the  short  and  imperfect 
notices  that  occur  in  tJie  travels  of  Pallas  and  Gmelin  in  the  neigh- 
borhood of  the  Caspian. 

A  considerable  part  of  the  Persian  territory,  especially  on  the 
side  of  great  Tartary,  appears  to  be  occupied  by  salt  deserts  ;  these 
are  for  the  most  part  destitute  of  trees,  and  support  hardly  any 
plants,  except  such  of  the  saline  succulent  kind,  as  are  also  found 
on  the  sea  shore. 

Of  the  high  mountains,  as  far  as  they  have  been  examined,  we 
are  only  informed  in  general,  that  their  vegetable  inhabitants  arc 
for  the  most  part  the  same  as  those  observed  on  the  Alps  of  Swit- 
zerland and  Italy. 

The  plants  of  the  hills  and  cultivated  parts  adjoining  the  Cas- 
pian sea  are  better  known  to  us,  and  from  the  few  whose  names 
wc  are  already  in  possession  of,  it  is  reasonable  to  infer  the  pres- 
ence of  many  more,  that  are  usually  observed  to  accompany  them. 
On  the  mountainous  ridges  are  found  the  cypress,  the  cedar,  and 
several  other  kinds  of  pines,  while  the  lower  hills  and  scars  of 
rock  are  shaded  and  adorned  with  lime  trees,  oaks,  acacias,  and 
chesnuts  ;  the  sumach,  whose  astringent  wood  is  so  essential  to 
the  arts  of  dyeing  and  tanning,  grows  here  in  vast  abundance  ;  and 
the  manna  ash  tree  is  scarcely  less  common.  The  most  esteemed 
of  the  cultivated  fruits  of  Europe  are  truly  indigenous  in  Persia, 
and  have  probably  hence  been  diffused  over  the  whole  west. 
These  are  the  fig,  the  pomegranate,  the  mulberry,  the  almond, 
peach,  and  apricot.  Orange  trees  also  of  an  enormous  size,  and 
apparently  wild,  are  found  in  the  sheltered  parts  of  the  mountains  ; 
and  the  deep  warm  sand  on  the  shore  of  the  Caspian  is  peculiarly 
favorable  to  the  culture  of  the  citron  and  the  liquorice.  The  vine 
grows  here  in  great  luxuriance,  and,  farther  south,  both  cotton 
and  sugar  are  articles  of  common  cultivation.  Poplars  of  unusual 
size  and  beauty,  and  the  weeping  willow,  border  the  course  of  the 
streams,  and  the  marshy  tracts  abound  with  a  peculiar  kind  of 
rush,  that  forms  the  material  of  the  fine  Persian  matting.  The 
ornamental  shrubs  and  herbaceous  plants  of  this  country  arc  but 
little  known  ;  four  of  them,  however,  from  their  abundance  and 
beauty,  give  an  air  of  elegance  to  the  country,  especially  iu  the 
eyes  of  an  European,  superior  to  that  of  any  other  region  ;  these 
are  the  jasmine  and  the  blue  and  scarlet  anemone  in  the  thickets, 
and  the  tulip  and  ranunculus  in  the  pastures. 

Zoology,  i  According  to  Chardin,  the  Persian  horses  arc  the 
most  beautiful  of  any  in  the  cast  ;  but  in  speed  they  yield  to  the 
Ai-abian,  which  are  less  distinguished  by  elegance  of  form.     TKc 


622  PERSIA. 

Persian  steeds  are  rather  taller  than  our  saddle  horses  ;  the  head 
small,  the  legs  delicate,  and  the  body  well  proportioned  ;  of  a 
mild  disposition,  very  laborious,  lively  and  swift.  Tartarian  hors- 
es are  also  used,  of  lower  stature,  and  not  so  well  formed  as  the 
Persian,  but  more  capable  of  enduring  fatigue.*  Mules  are  also 
in  considerable  request ;  and  the  ass  resembles  the  European,  but 
a  breed  of  this  animal  is  brought  from  Arabia,  which  is  excellent, 
the  hair  being  smooth,  the  head  high,  while  it  moves  with  spirit 
and  agility.  1  he  camel  is  also  common,  but  not  admitted  into 
the  province  of  Mazendran,  where  they  eagerly  eat  the  leaves  of 
box,  though  to  them  a  rank  poison.  The  Persian  cattle  resemble 
riie  European,  except  towards  Hindostan,  where  they  are  marked 
by  the  hunch  on  the  shoulders.  Swine  are  scai'ce,  save  in  the  N'. 
W.  provinces.  Of  the  large  tailed  sheep,  that  appendage  some- 
times weighs  more  than  thirty  pounds,  enlarging  at  the  bottom,  in 
the  form  of  a  heart.  The  flocks  are  most  numerous  in  the  north- 
ern provinces  of  Erivan,  or  the  Persian  part  of  Armenia  and  Balk. 
The  few  forests  contain  abundance  of  deer  and  antelopes  ;  while 
the  mountains  present  wild  goats.  Hares  are  common  in  the 
numerous  wastes.  The  ferocious  animals  are  chiefly  concealed 
in  the  forests,  as  the  bear  and  boar,  the  lion  in  the  western  parts, 
with  the  leopard,  and  according  to  some  accounts,  the  small,  or 
common  tiger.  Seals  occur  on  the  rocks  of  the  Caspian.  The 
■wild  ass  is  found  in  the  central  deserts  ;  but  the  hyena  and  chakal 
belong  to  the  southern  provinces.  The  seas  abound  with  fish  of 
various  descriptions  ;  the  Caspian  displays  sturgeon,  and  some 
kindred  species,  with  a  fat  and  delicious  kind  of  carp.  Pigeons 
are  particularly  numerous  ;  and  the  partridges  are  uncom;nonly 
large  and  excellent.  The  boolbul,  or  oriental  nightingale,  enlivens 
the  spring  with  his  varied  song.  The  Persians  have  been  long 
accustomed  to  tame  beasts  of  prey,  so  as  to  hunt  with  leopards, 
panthers,  and  ounces.f 

Mineralogy. '\  The  mineralogy  of  this  extensive  country  seems 
neither  various  nor  important,  though  the  numerous  mountains 
probably  abound  with  unexplored  treasures.  The  lead  mines  of 
Kerman  and  Yezd  produce  the  usual  mixture  of  silver.  In  the 
northern  provinces  there  are  many  mines  of  iron,  but  the  metal  is 
harsh  and  brittle.  Copper  is  chiefly  found  in  the  mountains  of  Ma- 
zendran, and  near  Casbin;  but  is  brittle,  and  commonly  mingled 
by  the  melters  with  a  twentieth  part  of  the  Japanese  or  Swedish. 

The  only  precious  stone  yet  discovered  seems  to  be  the  turkoise, 
which  has  indeed  almost  ceased  to  be  regarded  as  such,  being 
only  bone  or  ivory  tinged  with  copper.  There  are  two  mines  of 
this  substance,  one  at  Nishapour,  in  Corasan,  and  another  about 
four  days  joui-ney  to  the  S.  of  the  Caspian,  in  the  mountain  called 
Feruzkoh.  Pearls  abound,  as  is  well  known,  in  the  Persian  gulf, 
especially  near  the  isles  of  Bahrin  on  the  Arabian  side.  Some  will 
weigh  fifty  grains ;  but  those  are  esteemed  large,  which  weigh 
from  ten  to  twelve  grains. 

*  Chardin,  iy,  72.  f  lb.  iv.  0». 


PERSIA.  625 

Chardin  adds  t^at  sulphur  and  nitre  are  found  in  the  mountain  of 
Deraavend,  which  he  places  on  the  south  of  Hyrcania,  or  Mazen- 
dran.  Sometimes  whole  deserts  are  covered  with  sulphur,  and 
others  with  salt,  which  near  Cashan  is  remarkably  pure.  Rock 
salt  is  found  near  Ispahan ;  and  in  the  dry  climate  of  Kerman  it  is 
even  employed  in  buildmg. 

Mineral  Waters.~\  Mineral  waters  of  various  descriptions  a- 
bound  in  this  mountainous  country ;  but  they  are  generally  alike 
neglected  by  the  physicians  and  the  people. 

Natural  Curiosities.]  Among  the  chief  natural  curiosities  must 
be  named  the  fountains  of  naphtha,  or  pure  rock  oil,  in  the  neigh- 
borhood of  Baku,  on  the  western  coast  of  the  Caspian,  particular- 
ly in  the  adjoining  promontory  of  Ashberon.  The  land  is  dry  and 
rocky,  and  there  are  several  small  ancient  temples,  in  one  of 
which,  near  the  altar,  a  large  hollow  cane  is  fixed  in  the  ground, 
and  from  the  end  issues  a  blue  flame,  seemingly  more  pure  and 
gentle  than  that  produced  by  ardent  spirits.*  From  a  horizontal 
gap  in  an  adjoining  rock  there  also  issues  a  similar  flame. 

"  The  earth  round  this  place  for  above  two  miles  has  this  sur- 
prising property,  that,  by  taking  up  two  or  three  inches  of  the 
surface,  and  applying  a  live  coal,  the  part  which  is  so  uncovered 
immediately  takes  fire,  almost  before  the  coal  touches  the  earth  : 
the  flame  makes  the  soil  hot,  but  does  not  consume  it,  nor  affect 
what  is  near  it  with  any  degree  of  heat- 

"  If  a  cane  or  tube,  even  of  paper,  be  set  about  two  incites  in 
the  ground,  confined  and  close  with  the  earth  below,  and  the  top 
of  it  touched  with  a  live  coal  and  blown  upon,  immediately  a. 
flame  issues,  without  hurting  either  the  cane  or  paper,  provided 
the  edges  be  covered  with  clay ;  and  this  method  they  use  for  light 
in  their  houses,  which  have  only  the  earth  for  the  floor :  three  or 
four  of  these  lighted  canes  will  boil  water  in  a  pot,  and  thus  they 
dress  their  victuals.  The  flame  may  be  extinguished  in  the  same 
manner  as  that  of  spirits  of  wine.  The  ground  is  dry  and  stony, 
and  the  more  stony  any  particular  part  is,  the  stronger  and  clear- 
er is  the  flame  j  it  smells  sulphureous  like  naphtha,  but  not  very 
offensive. 

"  Lime  is  burnt  to  great  perfection  by  means  of  this  phenome- 
non  ;  the  flame  communicating  itself  to  any  distance  where  the 
earth  is  uncovered  to  receive  it.  The  stones  must  be  laid  on  one 
another,  and  in  three  days  the  lime  is  completed.  Near  this 
place  brimstone  is  dug,  and  naphtha  springs  are  found. 

"  The  chief  place  for  the  black  or  dark  grey  naphtha,  is  the 
small  island  Wctoy,  now  uninhabited,  except  at  such  times  as 
they  take  naphtha  from  thence.  The  Persians  load  ii  in  bulk  in 
their  wretched  vessels,  so  that  sometimes  the  sea  is  covered  with 
it  for  leagues  together.  When  the  weather  is  thick  and  hazy  the 
springs  boil  up  the  higher  ;  and  the  naphtha  often  takes  fire  on  the 
surface  of  the  earth,  and  runs  in  a  flame  into  the  sea  in  great 
quantities,  to  a  distance  almost  incredible.     In  clear  weather  the 

•  Hanway,  i.  2CS, 


624  PERSIA. 

springs  do  not  boil  up  above  two  or  three  feet.  In  boiling  over, 
this  oily  substance  takes  so  strong  a  consistency  as  by  degrees  al- 
most to  close  the  mouth  of  the  spring;  sometimes  it  is  quite  clo- 
sed, and  forms  hillocks  that  look  as  black  as  pitch  ;  but  the  spring, 
which  is  resisted  in  one  place,  breaks  out  in  another.  Some  of 
the  springs,  which  have  not  been  long  opened,  form  a  mouth  of 
eight  or  ten  feet  diameter. 

"  The  people  carry  the  naphtha  by  troughs  into  pits  or  reser- 
voirs, drawing  it  off  from  one  to  another,  leaving  in  the  first  re- 
servoir the  water,  or  the  heavier  part,  with  which  it  is  mixed, 
when  it  issues  from  the  spring.  It  is  unpleasant  to  the  smell,  and 
\ised  mostly  amongst  the  poorer  sort  of  the  Persians,  and  other 
Bcighboring  people,  as  we  use  oil  in  lamps,  or  to  boil  their  vict- 
uals, but  it  communicates  a  disagreeable  taste.  They  find  it 
burns  best  with  a  small  mixture  of  ashes ;  and  as  they  procure  it 
in  great  abundance,  every  family  is  well  supplied.  They  keep  it 
at  a  small  distance  from  their  houses  in  earthen  vessels,  under 
ground,  to  prevent  any  accident  by  fire,  of  which  it  is  extremely 
susceptible. 

"  There  is  also  a  white  naphtha  on  the  peninsula  of  Apcheron, 
of  a  much  thinner  consistency  ;  but  this  is  found  only  in  small 
quantities.  The  Russians  drink  it  both  as  a  cordial  and  a  medi- 
cine, and  also  use  it  as  an  external  application.  Not  far  from 
hence  are  also  springs  of  hot  water,  which  boil  up  in  the  same 
manner  as  the  naphtha,  and  very  thick,  being  impregnated  with  a 
blue  clay  ;  but  it  soon  clarifies.  Bathing  in  this  warm  water  is 
found  to  strengthen  and  procure  a  good  appetite."* 

The  justly  celebrated  Ksempfer  had  visited  these  remarkable 
springs  in  the  end  of  the  seventeenth  century  ;t  and  Gmelin,  1773, 
has  added  little  to  the  account  of  Hanway,  except  that  the  soil  is 
a  coarse  marl,  mixed  with  sand,  and  effervescing  with  acids. 
There  are  many  other  wells  in  an  adjoining  peninsula ;  and  the  re- 
venue arising  from  this  uncommon  product  to  the  khan  of  Baku 
was  computed  at  forty  thousand  rubles.^ 

Isles.']  The  few  Persian  isles  in  the  southern  gulf,  among  which 
the  most  remarkable  are  Ormuz,  once  famous,  ik)w  abandoned  j 
K.ishma ;  and,  towards  the  other  extremity,  Karek,  from  which 
the  Dutch  were  expelled  in  1765,  do  not  merit  a  particular  de- 
scription in  a  work  of  this  nature  ;  and  far  less  those  in  the  Cas- 
pian sea,  the  chief  of  which  aj-e  on  the  coast  of  the  Uzbeks. 

•  Han-way,  i.  263,  kc.       f  See  his  Amoen.  6xot.        t  Dec.  dcs  Husses>  ii.  215. 


INDEPENDENT  TARTARY. 

CHAPTER  I. 

GENERAL  OBSERVATIONS. 

KAME,  EXTENT,  CHIEF  DIVISIONS,  PROGRESSIVE  GEOGRAPHY, 
MODERN  GEOGRAPHY,  CONNEXION  WITH  LITTLE  BUCHARIA, 
AND  REVIEW  OF  THE  ANCIENT  AND  MODERN  GEOGRAPHY  OF 
THAT    COUNTRY,    RELIGION,    POPULATION,    AND  CHARACTER- 

THE  descriptions  already  given  in  this  volume  of  Asiatic 
Russia  and  the  Chinese  empire,  comprise  the  far  greater  part  of 
what  geographers  denominated  Tariary,  by  a  vague  term  applied 
to  a  country  exceeding  all  Europe  in  extent,  and  possessed  by  va- 
rious and  distinct  nations  and  races  of  men. 

By  repealed  victories  over  the  Eluts  and  Kalrauks  of  Mongolia, 
the  Chinese  dominion  has  been  extended  to  the  mountains  of  Be- 
lur,  thus  including  Little  Bucharia ;  while  in  the  E.  Mandshuria 
remained  subject  to  its  sovereigns,  who  had  become  emperors  of 
China. 

Mime.'\  The  title  of  Independent  Tartary  becomes  however 
unexceptionable,  when  confined  to  the  bounds  of  the  present  de- 
scription, for  the  Uzbeks  and  Kirguses  are  of  undoubted  Tartar 
origin ;  and  their  counti^  must  still  be  regarded  as  independent 
of  the  great  neighboring  powers,  China,  Russia,  and  Persia. 

Ejctent.']  The  extent  of  territory  possessed  by  these  tribes 
may  be  measured  from  the  Caspian  sea  to  the  mountains  of  Belur, 
a  space  of  not  less  than  870  miles.  From  the  mountains  of  Gaur, 
in  the  south,  to  the  Russian  boundaries,  on  the  north  of  the  desert 
«f  Issim,  may  be  near  1500  miles ;  but  of  this  length  a  great  part 
is  desert. 

Divisions.']  The  chief  divisions  are  the  wide  stcpps  or  barren 
plains  in  the  N.  held  by  three  hordes  of  Kirguses,  the  Great,  Mid- 
dle, and  Lesser  ;  with  some  small  Tartaric  tribes  near  the  sea  of 
Aral.  This  portion  was  anciently  called  Western  Turkistan : 
the  capital  being  Taraz,  on  a  stream  which  flows  into  the  Sirr  or 
Sihon,  not  far  above  Otrar,  and  which  was  also  sometimes  denom- 
iijdted  Turkistan,  from  the  name  of  the  country. 

To  the  S.  of  the  mountains  of  Argun  the  land  begins  to  fertilize 
along  the  course  of  the  Sirr,  Sirt,  or  Sihon,  the  laxartes  of  the  an- 
cients, also  called  the  river  of  Shash  from  the  chief  territory  ;  and 
on  the  banks  of  its  tributary  streams,  which  devolve  from  the  Ar- 
gun on  the  N.  and  the  Ak  Tau  or  white  mountain  on  the  S.  while 

*  From  Pinkerton 
VOL.   11.  79 


626  ^DEPENDENT  TARTARY. 

the  river  itself  springs  from  the  mountains  of  Bclur.  llak  and 
Shash,  the  most  northern  provinces  on  the  Sihon,  are  followed  by 
Fergana,  and  a  district  called  Orushna,  round  a  tovra  of  the  same 
name.  Divided  from  these  provinces  by  deserts  and  mountains, 
the  kingdom  of  Kharizm,  formerly  so  powerful  as  to  oppose  the 
great  Zingis,  has  gradually  yielded  to  the  encroaching  desert. 

To  the  is.  of  the  range  of  the  Ak  Tau  appears  the  fertile  regioh 
of  Sogd,  the  ancient  Sogdiana,  with  its  capital  Samarcand.  On 
the  S.  the  provinces  of  Balk,  Kilan,  Tokarestan,  and  Gaur,  termi- 
nate the  bounds  of  Independent  Tartary,  here  separated  by  deserts 
on  the  W.  from  the  Persian  proviiico  of  Corasan.  In  general, 
Kharizm  on  the  W.  is  not  considered  as  a  part  of  Great  Bucharia, 
but  this  last  appellation  must  he  regarded  as  embracing  the  whole 
extent,  from  the  mountains  of  Argun  and  sources  of  the  river 
llak,  to  the  confines  of  Hindostan. 

Progressive  Geography. 2  In  arucient  periods  Western  Turkis- 
tan,  and  the  noa'th  of  the  Caspian,  were  the  seats  of  the  Massage- 
tae  ;  to  the  S.  of  whom  were  the  Scythians  on  this  side-  of  the  Im- 
aus  or  Belur  Tag. 

Modern  Geography.^  As  few  materials  will  arise  for  a  de- 
scription of  the  present  state  of  Independent  Tartary,  a  country 
exceeding  the  German  empire  in  extent,  it  may  not  be  uninterest- 
ing to  offer  some  observations  on  the  modern  geography  of  this 
country,  which,  to  the  disgrace  of  science,  remains  in  a  wretched 
state  of  imperfection.  The  natural  and  unavoidable  connection 
between  the  ancient  Scythias,  on  both  sides  of  the  Imaus,  and  in 
later  times  between  western  and  eastern  Turkistan,  Great  and 
Bucharia,  will  authorize  and  demand  some  previous  acquaintance 
with  the  latter  country,  though  recently  subjugated  by  the  Chi- 
nese, and  briefly  included  in  the  description  of  that  empire. 

The  north-western  province  of  China,  called  Shen-si,  presents 
a  remarkable  district,  narrow,  but  of  considerable  length,  extend- 
ing like  a  promontory  between  the  great  desert  on  the  N.  E.  and 
the  Eluts  of  Koko  Nor  on  the  S.  W.  The  great  vrall  is  here  low, 
and  rudely  constructed  of  turf  or  hardened  clay.  This  tract 
formerly  belonged  to  the  kingdom  of  Tangut,  being  a  modern  ad- 
dition to  China. 

Beyond  these  parts,  which  are  the  first  approached  by  the  car- 
avans, several  rivers,  lakes,  towns,  and  stations,  ai*e  laid  down  in 
the  maps  by  the  Jesuits,  as  the  river  Etzine,  with  the  towns  of 
Ouey-yuen  and  Chao-maing  ;  and  the  lakes  Sopou  and  Souhouc. 
To  the  W.  runs  another  considerable  river,  th^  Polonkir,  near 
which  is  the  city  of  Sha-cheou,  where  the  river  runs  into  a  lake 
called  Hara  or  Kara  Nor,  the  black  lake. 

With  the  southern  boundaiies  and  provinces  of  Little  Bucharia 
we  are  almost  wholly  unacquainted  ;  but  the  western  and  north- 
ern parts  are  known  with  more  accuracy  from  various  accounts, 
and  from  the  maps  of  D'Anville  and  Islenieff.  To  avoid  the  dif- 
ficulties of  sandy  deserts,  rendered  almost  impassable  by  broken 
rocks,  the  caravans  proceed  to  Hami  by  a  circuit  to  the  north  > 


INDEf»ENDENT  TARTARY.  627 

where,  at  the  bottom  of  the  mountains  of  Alak,  which  afford  some 
protection  from  the  piercing  cold,  stand  the  cities  and  towns  of 
luittle  Bucharia,  in  all  its  features  one  of  the  most  singular  regions 
in  the  world. 

Towns.'}  The  chief  towns,  by  all  accounts,  are  Cashgar  and 
Yarcand,  followed  towards  the  N.  E.  by  Axu  or  Aksu ;  Chialish, 
also  called  Yulduz,  and  by  the  Turks  Karashar  or  the  black  city  ; 
a;nd  Turfan.  Hami  or  Camil,  with  its  surrounding  villages,  is 
rather  considered  as  a  detacb6<l  province,  for  some  ages  under 
the  protection  of  China. 

Hi8tQry.~\  Little  Bucharia  was  subject  to  the  Kalmuks,  who 
were  recently  conquered  by  the  Chinese.  In  more  ancient  times 
it  was  the  country  of  the' Seres  ;  but  was  little  known  till  the  time 
of  Zingis,  after  whose  death  it  became  the  portion  of  his  son  Za- 
gathai.  It  w^  considered  as  a  part  of  Mogulistan,  or  Mongolia  ; 
and  the  northern  provinces  belonged  to  the  country  of  Gete,  in 
which,  to  the  N.  E.  of  Turfan,  were  the  ancient  habitations  of  the 
Eygurs  or  Ugurs,  a  Finnish  race  who  spread  dismay  throughout 
Europe  in  the  10th  century,  and  afterwards  settled  in  Hungary. 
The  late  wise  and  benevolent  emperor  of  China,  Kiang  Long,  or 
Chen  Lung,  made  repeated  visits  to  Mongolia,  in  order  to  over- 
awe the  Kalmuks,  the  most  dangerous  neighbors  of  the  empire, 
by  th©  display  of  superior  power.  In  1759,  he  completely  van- 
quished these  people,  and  thus  annexed  a  vast  territory  to  his  do- 
minions. Independently  of  the  regions  to  the  north,  the  extent  of 
Little  Bucharia,  as  it  is  absurdly  named,  from  the  confines  of  Hami 
to  the  mountains  of  Belur,  is  more  than  1000  miles:  and  the 
breadth,  from  the  mountains  of  Tibet  to  those  of  Alak,  more  than 
500. 

Religion.']  The  prevailing  religion  is  the  Mahometan,  for  the 
Kalmuk  conquerors,  though  they  retained  their  idolatry,  were 
tolerant. 

Populations  l!fc.'\  The  population  cannot  be  extensive,  and  is 
supposed  chiefly  to  consist  of  original  Bucharians,  who  are  de- 
scribed as  of  a  swarthy  complexion,  though  some  be  very  fair,  and 
of  elegant  forms.  They  are  said  to  be  polite  and  benevolent,  and 
their  language  is  probably  that  called  the  Zagatliian,  which  is  the 
same  with  the  Turkish,  that  speech  having  supplanted  their  na- 
tive tongue  ;  for  that  the  chief  population  is  original  seems  to  be 
allowed,  though  there  be  a  great  mixture  of  Tartars,  or  Turco- 
mans, and  a  few  Kalmuks.  The  dress  of  the  men  does  not  reach 
below  the  calf  of  the  leg,  M'ith  girdles  like  the  Polish.  The  female 
raiment  is  similar,  with  long  ear-rings,  like  those  of  Tibet :  the 
hair  is  also  worn  in  very  long  tresses,  decorated  with  ribbons. 
They  tinge  their  nails  with  henna.  Both  sexes  wear  trowsers, 
with  light  boots  of  Russia  leather.  The  head-dress  resembles  tlie 
Turkish.  The  houses  are  generally  of  stone,  decorated  with  some 
Chinese  articles.  They  are  cleanly  in  their  food,  which  often  con* 
gists  of  minced  meat ;  and,  like  the  Russians,  they  preserve  their 
victuals  frozen  for  a  considerable  time.  Tea  is  the  general  drink. 
The  wives  are  purchased  ;  and  the  ceremonies  of  marriage,  Sec. 


G28  INDEPENpENT  TARTARY.r 

differ  little  from  those  of  other  Mahometans,  the  mullahs  or  priests 
having  great  influence.  They  have  small  copper  couis  ;  but 
weigh  gold  and  silver  like  the  Chinese,  with  whom  they  maintain- 
ed a  considerable  commerce  before  the  Kalmuk  invasion,  and 
which  is  now  probably  more  productive  than  ever  by  their  union 
tjndcr  the  same  sovei'eign.  They  are  not  warlike  ;  but  use  the 
lance,  sabre,  and  bow,  while  the  rich  have  coats  of  mail.  The 
country  is  very  productive  of  many  kinds  of  fruits,  and  particularly 
wine.  They  are  said  to  have  many  mines  of  gold  and  silver,  but 
neither  the  natives  nor  Kalmuks  had  sufficient  skill  to  work 
them  :  on  the  melting  of  the  snows  abundance  of  gold  is  found 
in  the  torrents,  which  they  carry  to  China,  and  even  to  Tobolsk  in 
Siberia.  Precious  stones,  and  even  diamonds,  are  also  found  ; 
and  one  of  the  products  is  musk,  probably  from  the  southern 
mountains  near  Tibet,  in  which  last  country  the  animal  abounds. 
In  contradiction  to  the  usual  course  of  nature,  the  southern  part 
bordering  on  the  vast  Alps  of  Tibet  is  colder  than  the  northern, 
which  is  protected  by  the  inferior  ridge  of  Alak.  As  the  dress  is 
chiefly  cotton  it  is  probable  that  the  plant  abounds  in  the  country. 
Such  are  the  chief  particularities  concerning  this  interesting 
country  to  be  collected  from  the  accounts  above  quoted.  Dr. 
Pallas,  in  his  travels  in  Russia,  gives  some  idea  of  Bucharian 
commerce,  in  describing  the  city  of  Orenburg.*  But  as  he  joins 
the  Bucharians  with  the  people  of  Khiva,  he  probably  implies 
Greater  Bucharia.  He  seems  to  mention  raw  silk  as  a  product  of 
the  country,  as  well  as  lamb-skins  of  a  remarkably  fine  kind,  and 
the  hair  of  camels. 


CHAPTER  n. 


DESCRIPTION  OF  INDEPENDENT  TARTARY. 

KIRGUSES,  STEPP  OF  ISSIM,  HORDS,  NUMBER,  MANNERS,  DRESS, 
TRADE,  HISTORY,  KHARIZM,  NAME,  KHIVA,  TRADE,  GREAT  BU- 
CHARIA, NEPTHALITES,  EXTENT  AND  BOUNDARIES,  HISTORY, 
RELIGION,  MANNERS  AND  CUSTOMS,  PROVINCES,  CITIES,  MANU- 
FACTURES, CLIMATE,  RIVERS,  LAKES,  MOUNTAINS,  MINERALO- 
GY, CHARACTER  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

Kirg-uses.']  ABOUT  one  half  of  Independent  Tartary 
is  occupied  by  the  Kirguses  in  the  north,  a  people  of  undoubted 
Tartaric  origin,  and  the  Uzbeks  in  the  south. 

Stefi/i  of  Issim.']  The  great  stepp,  or  desert  of  Issim,  divides 
these  Kirguses  from  Siberia.  This  stepp  is  intersected  by  a 
river  of  the  same  name  ;  and  there  are  other  streams,  which 
either  join  that  river,  are  lost  in  the  sands,  or  fall  into  extensive 
lakes,  for  the  most  part  either  saline  or  bitter.f     Even  the  soil  is 

•  Dee.  Russ.  iii.  l^^  f  Dec.  Russ.  iv.  456.    Pallas  calls  it  the  stepp  of  Ise^t. 


INDEPENDENT  TARTARY.  629 

impregnated  with  salt  and  nitre.  This  extensive  plain  must  not 
however  be  regarded  as  a  mere  desert,  destitute  of  all  vegetation  ; 
and  it  is  said  that  many  ancient  tombs  occur  in  its  wide  expanse, 
as  well  as  the  Barabinian  stepp,  between  the  Irtish,  and  the  Orb, 
which  last  consists  of  a  tolerable  soil,  and  presents  several  forests 
of  birch,  with  the  appearance  of  having  been  formerly  a  prodigious 
saline  marsh. 

On  the  west  of  the  Kirguses  there  still  remain  some  tribes  of 
Kalmuks,  though  the  greater  part  migrated  from  the  Volga  in 
1770,  when  they  sought  the  protection  of  the  Chinese.  The  Kir- 
guses are  supposed  to  be  so  called  from  the  founder  of  their 
hord ;  and  have  from  time  immemorial  been  here  classed  under 
three  divisions  of  Great,  Middle,  and  Lesser,  though  quite  un- 
known to  Europe  till  the  Russian  conquest  of  Siberia,  some  tribes 
becoming  subject  to  that  empire  in  1606.*  They  are  considered 
as  faithless,  pusillanimous,  yet  restless  ;  but  the  Great  Hord,  de- 
fended by  mountains  on  the  S.  and  E.  asserted  tneir  independence 
in  repeated  contests  with  the  Kalmuks  of  Soongaria.  The  Mid- 
dle and  Little  Hords  have  acknowledged  the  Russian  sovereignty 
since  I7SI  ;  but  this  subjection  is  mei-ely  nominal,  for  the  Rus- 
sians are  obliged  to  fortify  themselves  against  these  allies.  These 
two  hords  are  each  estimated  at  30,000  families  ;  and  supposing 
the  Great  Hord  to  contain  60,000,  and  each  family  6  persons,  the 
population  of  this  wide  region  would  amount  to  720,000;  but  it 
probably  does  not  exceed  half  a  million. 

Manners,  £5*0.]  The  Kirguses  have  gradually  moved  from  the 
east  towards  the  west.  Their  manners,  common  to  the  Tartars, 
have  been  described  at  considerable  length  by  Pallas. t  Their 
tents  are  of  a  kind  of  felt;  their  drink  kumiss,  made  of  acidulated 
mare's  milk.  The  Great  Hord  is  considered  as  the  source  of  the 
two  others.  Being  settled  near  the  mountains  of  Alak,  also  called 
Ala  lau,  this  hord  has  been  called  the  Alatanian  Kirguses.^ 
They  lead  a  wandering  life,  from  the  borders  of  the  Upper  Sirr, 
gr  Syrt,  near  Tashkund,  to  the  stepp  of  Issim.  Each  hord  has  its 
particular  Khan  ;  but  the  Middle  hord,  when  Pallas  approached 
this  country,  was  contented  with  a  Saltan,  or  prince,  who  seemed 
to  acknowledge  the  Khan  of  the  Lesser  hord  :  and  in  1777,  this 
Khan  of  the  Lesser  hord,  whose  election  had  been  confirmed  by 
Russia,  was  called  Nur  Hali,  a  sensible  and  equitable  prince. 
1  heir  features  are  Tartaric,  with  the  flat  nose  and  small  eyes  ; 
but  not  oblique,  like  those  of  the  Monguls  and  Chinese.  They 
have  horses,  camels,  cattle,  sheep,  and  goats.  It  was  asserted 
that  some  individuals  in  the  Middle  hord  had  10,000  horses,  3(jO 
"camels,  3  or  4000  cattle,  20,000  sheep,  and  more  tlian  2000  goats : 
while  in  the  Lesser  hord,  were  proprietors  of  5000  horses,  and  a 
proportional  number  of  the  other  animals.  Their  dromedaries 
furnished  a  considerable  quantity  of  woolly  hair,  which  was  sold 
to  the  Russians  and  Bucharians,  beuig  annually  clipped  like  that 
of  sheep.     Their  chief  food  is  mutton,  of  the  large  tailed  sort ; 

♦  Toqkc,  H.  78.  t  Dec.  Ruas.  iii.  375.  i  lb.  579. 


630  INDEPEKDENT  TARTARY. 

and  so  exquisite  is  the  lamb,  that  it  is  sent  from  Orenburg  to  Pe- 
tersburg, for  the  tables  of  the  palace.  The  lamb  skins  are  the 
most  celebrated  after  those  of  Bucharia,  being  damasked,  as  it 
were  by  clothing  the  little  animal  in  coarse  linen.  But  the  wool  of 
the  sheep  is  coarse,  and  only  used  in  domestic  consumption  for 
felts  and  thick  cloths.  The  stepps  supply  them  with  objects  of 
the  chace,  wolves,  foxes,  badgers,  antelopes,  ermines,  weasels, 
marmots,  &c.  In  the  southern  and  eastern  mountains  are  found 
wild  sheep,  the  ox  of  Tibet,  which  seems  to  delight  in  snowy  alps  ; 
with  chamois,  chacals,  tigers,  and  wild  asses.* 

As  the  Kirgusians  regard  each  other  as  brethren,  they  are 
obliged  to  employ  slaves,  being  captives,  whom  they  take  in  their 
incursions.  Their  dress  is  the  common  Tartaric,  with  large 
trowsers  and  pointed  boots.  The  ladies  ornament  their  heads 
with  the  necks  of  herons,  disposed  like  horns.  They  appear  to 
be  Mahometans,  though  rather  of  a  relaxed  creed. 

Trade.']  The  Kirgusians  carry  on  some  trade  with  Russia. 
The  chief  traffic,  which  is  wholly  by  exchange,  is  at  Orenburg, 
but  the  Middle  hord  pi-oceed  to  Omsk.  Sheep,  to  the  amount  of 
150,000,  are  annually  brought  to  Orenburg  ;  with  horses,  cattle, 
lamb  skins,  camels  wool,  and  camlets  ;  sometimes  they  offer  slaves, 
Persians  or  Turcomans.  In  return  they  take  manufactured  arti- 
cles, chiefly  clothes  and  furniture.  From  Bucharia,  Khiva,  and 
Tashkund,  they  receive  arms  and  coats  of  mail,  which  Russia  re- 
fuses them,  in  rcturn  for  camels  and  cattle.  They  are  extremely- 
fond  of  the  Kalmuk  women,  who  long  retain  their  form  and  charms ; 
and  often  marry  them  if  they  will  adopt  the  Mahometan  religion. 
There  is  an  annual  festival  in  honor  of  tlie  dead.  About  the  be- 
ginning of  the  17th  century  this  people,  who  were  formerly  Sha- 
manians,  became  children  of  circumcision,  by  the  exertions  of  the 
priests  of  Turkistan  ;  but  Pallas,  in  1769,  found  them  addicted  to 
sorceries  and  other  idle  superstitions. 

History.]  Even  this  barren  region,  now  inhabited  by  the  Kir- 
guses,  has  been  the  scene  of  considerable  events  ;  and  it  is  not  im- 
probable that  its  numerous  deserts  and  plains  may  formerly  have 
been  more  fertile,  at  least  in  pasturage.  The  gradual  desiccation, 
observed  in  the  southern  stepps  of  Siberia,  may  warrant  the  con- 
elusion  that  the  hills  and  plains,  on  the  north  of  the  Caspian  and 
Aral,  anciently  presented  more  numerous  streams  and  richer 
verdure.  However  this  be,  these  regions  have  been  held  by  suc- 
cessive nations  of  high  repute,  from  the  Massagetas  of  early  times 
to  the  Turks.  These  last  imparted  the  name  of  Turkistan,  hav- 
ing migrated  from  their  habitations  near  the  mountains  of  Bogdo, 
adjoining  to  those  of  Altai.  In  the  6th  century  these  Turks  had 
already  spread  to  the  Caspian  ;  while  the  Eygurs  seem  to  have 
succeeded  them  in  their  original  seats.  They  soon  after  subdued 
the  people  of  Sogdiana,  and  the  Nepthalites  of  Great  Bucharia, 
called  in  that  ignorant  age  White  Huns.  As  the  Turks  founded 
their  first  western  settlements  in  the  regions  ftow  held  by  the 

*  Diec.  RtiSS.  iil.  S95'. 


INDEPENDENT  TARTARY.  651 

Kirg^ses,  they  tjience  received  the  name  of  Turkistan.  From 
this  centre  of  their  power  issued  those  Turkish  armies,  which 
have  changed  the  destinies  of  so  many  nations,  Little  Bucharia 
was  called  Eastern  1  urkistan,  from  a  similar  cause  ;  but  appears 
to  have  been  firsc  subdued  by  the  Turks  of  Cathay,  on  the  N.  W. 
of  China.  The  Turks  and  Huns  may  be  considered  as  one  and 
the  same  Tartaric  race,  totally  unknown  to  Europeans  till  the  ap- 
pearance of  the  latter,  who  first  passed  the  stepps,  deserts,  and 
mountains  which  had  concealed  them  from  classical  observation, 
till  the  fourth  century.  The  Huns,  who  appeared  about  A.  D. 
375,  by  their  peculiar  features  impressed  the  writers  of  the  time, 
as  a  new  and  unknown  race,  having  seemingly  passed  in  one 
course  of  depredation  from  Asia  to  Europe  ;  while  the  Gothic 
and  Slavonic  nations  had  left  many  of  their  settlements  vacant,  in 
their  progress  into  the  Roman  empire.  But  the  Turks,  though 
originally  the  same  people,  perhaps  warned  by  the  fate  of  their 
brethren,  made  a  slow  and  gradual  progress  ;  and  appear  to  have 
been  mingled  by  marriages  and  conquests  with  the  Slavonic  and 
Gothic  tribes,  on  the  N.  and  E.  of  the  Caspian.  Such  was  the 
origin  of  the  name  of  Turkistan  ;  from  which  the  Turks  spread 
desolation  over  the  most  beautiful  countries  of  the  east,  and  even, 
tUreatened  the  liberties  of  Europe. 

Kharism.']  Before  proceeding  to  Great  Bucharia,  it  may  be 
proper  briefly  to  describe  the  country  of  Kharism,  which  extends 
from  the  Gihon,  or  Amu,  to  the  Caspian  sea,  bounded  on  the  N. 
and  S.  by  wide  deserts,  the  chief  town  being  now  Khiva,  but  an- 
ciently Urghenz.  This  country  is  about  350  miles  in  length  and 
breadtljj  and  in  the  time  of  Zingis  was  a  powerful  kingdom,  but 
at  that  time  included  Corasan,  and  a  pare  of  Great  Bucharia. 

At  present  this  state  is  almost  restricted  to  the  district  of  Khi- 
va, the  circuit  of  which  may  be  performed  on  horseback  in  three 
days  ;  but  there  arc  five  walled  cities,  or  rather  towns,  within 
half  a  day's  journey  of  each  other.*  "  The  khan  is  absolute,  and 
entirely  independent  of  any  other  power,  except  the  Mulla  Bashi, 
or  high  priest,  by  whom  he  is  controlled.  The  Kievinski  Tartars 
difler  very  little  from  the  Kirguses  ;  but  surpass  tliem  in  cun- 
ning and  treachery.  Their  mannars  are  the  same,  only  that  the 
Kirguses  live  in  tents,  whilst  the  others  inhabit  cities  and  villages. 
Their  only  trade  is  with  Bokhara  and  Persia,  whither  they  cany 
cattle,  furs,  and  hides,  all  which  they  have  from  the  Kirguses  and 
Turkoman  Tartars,  who  often  prove  very  troublesome,  neighbors 
to  them.  The  place  itself  produces  little  more  than  cotton,  lamb 
furs  of  a  very  mean  quality,  ai\d  a  small  quantity  of  raw  silk,  some 
•f  which  they  manufacture."!  1  he  same  author  informs  us  that 
the  town  of  Khiva  stands  on  a  rising  ground,  with  three  gates, 
and  a  strong  wall  of  earth,  very  thick,  and  much  higher  than  the 
houses  :  there  are  turrets  at  small  distances,  and  a  broad  deep 
difcch  full  of  water.     It  occupies  a  considerable  space,  and  com- 

•  HimwaT,i.84l.  ^\m. 


632  INDEPENDENT  TART  ART. 

mands  a  pleasant  prospect  of  the  adjacent  plains,  which  the  in-^ 
dustry  of  the  inhabitants  has  rendered  very  fertile  ;  but  the  houses 
are  low,  mostly  built  with  mud,  the  roofs  flat,  and  covered  with 
earth. 

Khiva  is  said  to  stand  at  the  distance  of  seventeen  days  frotn 
the  Caspian  sea,  and  from  Orenburg  thirty-three,  computing  the 
day's  journey  forty  versts.*  In  1739,  the  khan  of  Khiva  assem- 
bled an  army  of  2u,000,  to  oppose  Nadir  ;  but  the  city  surrender- 
ed at  discretion. 

Pallas  informs  us  that  the  people  of  Khiva  bring  to  Orenburg 
considerable  quantities  of  raw  cotton. f  But  the  coasts  of  the  Cas- 
pian are  held  by  some  remains  of  Turkomans  in  the  north,  and 
by  Uzbeks  in  the  south.  The  bay  of  Balkan  is  visited  by  Rus- 
sian vessels  :  the  isles  yield  rice  and  cotton,  and  one  of  tuem, 
Napthonia,  a  considerable  quantity  of  naphtha,  the  bed  seeming 
thus  to  pass  the  sea  from  Baku,  in  a  S.  E.  direction  ;  but  they  are 
inhabited  by  Turkoman  pirates.  A  more  considerable  trade  is 
maintained  with  Mangushlak,  which  our  maps  represent  as  stand- 
ing at  the  egress  of  the  river  Tedjen  ;  but,  according  to  tne 
learned  Wahl,  that  river,  and  another  which  flows  by  Meshid,  are 
received  by  an  inland  lake,  the  Kamysh  Teshen,  on  the  S.  of  the 
bay  of  Balkan  ;  a  circuraistance  which  seems  to  be  confirmed  by 
the  chart  of  the  Caspian,  published  by  Hanway,  in  which  the 
mouth  of  the  Tedjen  does  not  appear.|  To  the  N.  of  the  large 
bay  of  Balkan  are  the  lake  of  Karabogas,  and  another  inlet, 
which  is  followed  by  the  port  of  Alexander,  or  Iskander. 

As  the  merchants  of  Khiva  brought  gold  and  gems  to  Astrakan, 
probably  from  the  two  Bucharias,  an  idea  was  suggested  to  Peter  the 
Great,  that  these  precious  products  were  found  in  Kharism,  and  he 
in  consequence  attempted  a  settlement.  But  the  Russians,  to 
the  number  of  3000,  advancing  under  the  command  of  a  Circas- 
sian prince,  called  Beckawitz,  towards  Khiva,  were  all  cut  off  by 
the  Uzbeks. 

The  history  of  Kharism  has  been  ably  illustrated  by  its  king,  or 
kh^n,  Abulgazi,  in  his  general  history  of  the  Tartars,  written 
about  1660.  He  was  born  in  1605,  and  elected  khan,  1643,  after 
a  long  imprisonment  in  Persia.  He  died  in  1663,  revered  as  an 
excellent  prince,  and  a  man  endowed  with  the  rarest  qualities. 

Great  Bucharia.~\  By  far  the  most  important  pait  of  Independent 
Tartary  is  comprised  under  the  name  of  Great  Bucharia,  general- 
ly supposed  to  have  originated  from  the  city  of  Bokhara,  the  first 
which  the  Persian  merchants  entered  on  visiting  the  country.  It 
is  part  of  the  Touran  of  the  ancient  Persians,  and  was  chiefly 
known  to  the  Greeks  and  Romans  by  the  names  of  Sogdiana  and 
Bactriana ;  the  former  being  the  Maweralnahar,  or  country  beyond 

*  Equal,  by  Hanway's  account,  to  27  miles :  hence  the  distance  of  Khiva  from  the 
Caspian  would  be  459  miles,  while  our  maps  scarcely  allow  300. 

t  DcQ.  Russ.  iii.  123. 

i  Wahl,  probably  after  D'Anville,  places  Mangushlak  far  to  the  north,  near  the 
Dead  (julf,  in  the  country  of  the  Mankats,  called  Karakalpaks,  by  the  Russians.  The 
map  of  Iluhsia,  1 787,  gives  the  gulf  of  Mangushlak  ou  the  north  of  cape  Kalagan.  Cot- 
Onel  Bruce  can  deserve  no  credit  in  opposition  to  all  the  Russian  accounts. 


INDEPENDENT  TARTARY.  63? 

fhe  river,  of  oriental  geography ;  while  Bactriana  corresponds  with 
Balk.  From  the  second  son  of  Zingis,  it  received  the  name 
of  Zagathai.  By  the  Byzantine  historians,  the  people  are  called 
Ephthulites,  or  corruptly,  Nepthalitcs,  a  name  derived  from  the 
Oxus,  or  Amu,  by  the  Persians  styled  Abtelah,  or  the  river  of 
gold.  Those  Byzantine  writers,  who  affect  to  imitate  classical 
language,  call  the  Ephthalites,  White  Huns. 

Extent  and  Boundaries.^  Great  Bucharia  extends  more  than 
700  miles  in  length,  from  N.  to  S.  by  a  medial  breadth,  if  Fergana 
be  included,  of  about  350,  thus  rather  exceeding  Great  Britain  in 
size,  but  much  inferior  to  the  country  called  Little  Bucharia. 
The  northern  boundary  appears  to  be  the  mountains  of  Argun. 
On  the  western  side  a  desert,  the  river  Amu,  and  other  deserts, 
divide  Bucharia  from  Kharism,  and  Corasan  :  v/hile  on  the  S.  and 
£.  the  mountains  of  Gaur,  or  Paropamisus,  the  Hindoo  Koh,  and 
the  chain  of  Belur,  are  perpetual  barriers. 

History.']  The  original  population  of  this  country  was  Scythi- 
an, like  that  of  Persia.  Its  history  might  be  traced  from  the  ear- 
liest periods,  as  the  seat  and  source  of  the  most  ancient  Persian 
monarchy.  This  region  became  better  known,  by  the  expedition 
of  Alexander,  and  the  establishment  of  the  Greek  monarchy  of 
Bactriana.  But  it  is  not  till  after  the  Mahometan  conquest  of  Per- 
sia, in  the  7th  century,  that  the  history  of  this  country  becomes 
sufficiently  clear.  In  1494,  Sultan  Baber,  a  descendant  of  Timur, 
was,  with  his  Monguls,  expelled  from  Great  Bucharia  ;  and  pro- 
ceeding into  Hindostan,  there  founded  the  Mogul  power.  The 
Tartarian  victors,  called  Uzbeks,  established  a  powerful  monar- 
chy in  Bucharia  ;  and  successive  khans  held  the  sceptre  from. 
1494  to  1658,  soon  after  which  period  this  great  and  fertile  coun- 
try appears  to  have  been  divided  into  several  dominations,  under 
numerous  khans.  In  1741,  the  city  of  Bokhara,  with  a  small  tei-- 
ritory  around  it,  constituted  all  the  monarchy  of  one  of  these 
khans.*  Nadir  first  distinguished  himself  in  Corasan,  in  combats 
with  the  Uzbeks.  The  province  of  Gaur,  is  subject  to  the  kings 
ofCandahar;  but  Balk  and  Samarcand  appear  to  remain  subject 
to  their  own  Uzbek  khans.  In  the  deficiency  of  recent  accounts, 
it  can  only  be  conjectured,  that  the  chief  powers  of  this  country 
are  the  khan  of  Balk  in  the  S.  and  of  Samarcand  in  the  N. 

Religion.']  The  religion  of  the  Uzbeks  and  Buchanans  is  the 
Mahometan,  of  the  Svlnni  sect,  and  the  government  of  the  khans 
is  despotic.  There  is  no  precise  evidence  of  the  state  of  the  pop- 
ulation, which  consists  of  the  Tartars  and  of  the  Bucharjans.  It 
is  probable,  that  upon  an  emergency,  an  army  might  be  mustered 
of  100,000  ;  but  though  Nadir  reduced  Bokhara  and  Khiva,  he 
seems  to  have  respected  Balk  and  Samarcand,  considering  them 
as  allied  states,  which  furnished  him  with  the  best  troops  in  his 
army  :  and  he  even  regarded  himself  as  a  Tartar,  not  as  a  Per- 
sian. There  is  no  statement  of  the  revenue  of  these  fertile  prov- 
ihces.     Fcom  an  account  published  by  Hanway  of  the  re  venues  of 

•JLliawav,  i.  '2iC. 
VOL.   IJJ.  go 


634  INDEPENDENT  TARTARY. 

Nadir,  it  appears  that  Corasan  yielded  half  a  million  sterling  an- 
nually, being  equal  to  that  of  Erivan,  and  superior  to  any  other 
Persian  province.  It  is  probable  that  the  revenue  of  Great  Bu- 
charia  is  at  least  equal  to  that  of  Corasan. 

Manners  and  Customs.']  The  manners  and  customs  of  the  Uz- 
beks are  similar  to  those  of  the  other  Tartars  :  but  they  are  sup- 
posed to  be  the  most  spirited  and  industrious  of  these  barbarians. 
Though  many  reside  in  tents  in  the  summer,  yet  in  winter  they 
inhabit  the  towns  and  villages.  They  are,  however,  addicted  to 
make  sudden  inroads  into  the  Persian  provinces.  Those  of  Balk 
are  the  most  civilized,  and  carry  on  a  considerable  trade  with  Per- 
sia and  Hindostan.  The  native  Bucharians,  or  Tadjiks,  are  com- 
paratively fair  ;  and  correspond,  inelegance  of  form  and  features, 
■\\ii\\  those  of  Little  Bucharia,  whom  they  also  resemble  in  the 
mode  of  dress.  The  Bucharians  never  bear  arms.  The  Uzbeks, 
on  the  contrary,  are  no  strangers  to  the  use  of  the  musket  ;  and  it 
is  said  that  even  their  women,  who  surpass  those  of  the  other 
Tartars  in  beauty,  are  not  averse  to  warfare,  but  will  sometimes 
attend  their  husbands  to  the  field.  The  language  is  Zagathaian, 
that  is,  Turkish,  or  Turkomanic  ;  but  that  of  the  Bucharians  has 
never  been  investigated,  though  it  be  probably  Persian,  like  their 
physiognomy,  but  intermingled  with  Turkish,  Mongolian,  and 
even  Hindoo  terms.  The  literature  of  Great  Bucharia  would 
furnish  an  ample  theme,  Samai-cand  having  been  a  celebrated 
school  of  oriental  science,  cultivated  even  by  monarchs,  as  Ulug 
Beg,  and  others  :  it  was  still,  in  the  beginning  of  last  century,  the 
most  celebrated  of  Mahometan  universities.* 

Pro-uinces.~\  The  cities  in  Great  Bucharia  generally  give  name 
to  the  provinces,  or  receive  their  appellations  from  them.  In  the 
north  the  province  of  Fergana  appears  to  be  subject  to  the  Kir- 
guses  of  the  Greater  Hord  ;  and  of  Andegan,  its  capital,  there  is 
no  recent  account.  The  other  chief  provinces  are  the  western 
part  of  Shash,  and  a  district  called  by  D'Anville  Ofrushna,  from 
a  town  of  the  same  name.t  The  most  fertile  and  celebrated  prov- 
ince is  that  of  Sogd,  so  called  from  the  river  which  pervades  it. 
NexL  are  Vash,  Kotlan,  and  Kilan.  Tokarestan  and  Gaur  arc 
the  most  southern  provinces. 

Cities.~\  The  chief  city  of  Great  Bucharia  is  Samarcand,  on 
the  southern  bank  of  the  river  Sogd,  which,  at  the  distance  of 
above  a  hundred  miles,  after  washing  the  walls  of  Bokhai-a,  pass- 
es through  a  considerable  lake,  and  is  supposed  to  join  the  Oxus, 
or  Amu. 

Of  this  celebrated  capital  there  is  no  recent  account,  but  it 
seems  greatly  to  have  declined  since  the  time  of  Timur,  the  fes- 
tivities of  whose  court  at  his  palace  here,  and  villas  in  the  vicinity, 
have  been  so  well  described  by  his  Persian  historian.  Towards 
the  beginning  of  the  last  century,  Bentink  says  that  Samaixand 
was  fortified  with  ramparts  of  turi^  the  houses  being  mostly  of 

*  Bentink  on  Abulgazi,  p.  2r9. 

t  The  Setruditeji  ot"  Kl>n  Haukal,  p.  261. 


INDEPENDENT  TARTARY.  603 

hardened  clay,  though  some  were  of  stone,  from  quarries  in  the 
neighborhood.  The  khan  of  Great  Bucharia  commonly  encamp- 
ed in  the  adjacent  meadows,  the  castle  being  almost  ruinous.  The 
excellence  of  the  paper  made  of  silk,  recommended  it  to  all  the 
countries  of  the  east  :  and  it  is  supposed  that  this  invention  is 
derived  from  Samarcand.*  The  rich  vale  of  Sogd  produced  such 
abundance  of  exquisite  grapes,  melons,  pears,  and  apples,  that 
they  were  sent  to  Persia,  and  even  to  Hindostan. 

Bokhara,  on  the  same  rive-,  has  repeatedly  contested  the  metro- 
politan dignity  with  Samarcand.  When  visited  by  the  English 
agents  in  1741,  it  Avas  a  large  and  populous  city,  subject  to  its 
khan  ;  standing  on  a  rising  ground,  with  a  slender  wall  of  earth  ; 
the  houses  of  clay,  but  the  numerous  mosques  of  brick. t  The  citi- 
zens manufactured  soap  and  calico  ;  and  the  chief  products  were 
cotton,  rice  and  cattle.  From  the  Kalrauks  they  received  rhu- 
barb and  musk  ;  and  from  Badakshan,  the  capital  of  a  country  so 
called,  they  used  to  receive  lapis  lazuli,  and  other  precious 
stones  ;  that  city  being  computed  at  sixteen  day's  journey  from 
Bokhara.  There  was  gold  and  copper  coin  :  and  after  Nadir 
took  this  city,  the  Persian  and  Indian  silver  became  common.  In 
the  tenth  century  it  was  distinguished  by  the  manufacuire  of  fine 
linen. 

Balk  is  a  distinguished  city  on  the  r-ver  Dehash,  which  flows 
into  the  Amu  from  the  southern  mountains  of  Gaur,  or  Paropa- 
misus,  probably,  as  in  the  beginning  of  the  last  century,  still  sub- 
ject to  its  particular  khan  of  the  Uzbeks  ;  bcijig  then  the  most 
considerable  of  all  their  cities,  large  and  populous,  with  houses 
of  brick  or  stone  ;  while  the  castle  or  palace  consisted  almost  en- 
tirely of  marble  from  the  neighboring  mountains.  This  beautiful 
city  was  an  object  of  ambition  to  the  neighboring  powers  of  Per- 
sia and  Hindostan  ;  but  was  secure,  not  only  from  their  mutual 
jealousy,  but  from  the  difficult  access  thi'ough  high  mountains  on 
one  side,  and  deserts  on  the  other.  The  people  were  the  most 
civilized  of  all  the  Tartars,  and  beautiful  silks  were  prepared 
from  the  product  of  the  country,  which  seems  then  to  have  in- 
cluded the  whole  of  Great  Bucharia  to  the  S.  of  the  Amu,  which 
in  this  part  of  its  course  is  also  called  the  Harrat.  It  is  the 
chief  seat  of  the  trade  between  Bucharia  and  Hindostan. 

Zouf,  which  is  also  called  Gaur,  from  the  province  of  which  it 
is  the  capital,  is  said  to  be  now  subject  to  the  kingdom  of  Canda- 
har,  and  Bamian,  in  the  same  province,  must  have  shared  the 
same  fate.  The  latter  city  was  remarkable  for  numerous  images, 
and  other  monuments,  carved  in  the  adjacent  mountains.  Andc- 
rab  is  the  chief  city  of  Tokarestan  ;  near  a  pass  through  the  moun- 
tains of  Hindoo  Koh,  strictly  guarded  by  the  khan  of  Balk.  In 
the  neighborhood  of  this  city  were  rich  quarries  of  lapis  lazuli,  a 

•  This  mannfacture  is  snid  to  have  been  known  A.  D.  650.  Onseley's  Ebn  Hau- 
kal,  p.  300.  The  same  work  may  be  cooiiultcU  for  the  state  of  this  great  city  ia  the 
tenth  ceiitiiry. 

t  lianway,  i.  Hi. 


^im  INDEPENDENT  TARTARY. 

substance  with  which  Great  Bucharia  seems  chiefly  to  have  sup  - 
plied  the  ancient  and  modern  world. 

Not  iar  to  the  north  stands  Badakshan,  on  the  river  Amu,  or 
Harrat.  In  the  last  centuiy  this  city  belonged  to  the  khan  of 
Great  Bucharia,  or  rather  of  Samarcand  ;  and  being  secluded  in 
a  branch  of  the  Belur  alps,  was  used  as  a  state  prison  for  rivals  or 
insurgents.  Badakshan  was  small,  but  well  built  and  populous  ; 
and  its  inhabitants  were  enricjied  by  the  gold,  silver,  and  rubies, 
found  in  the  neighborhood  ;  the  grains  of  gold  and  silver  abound- 
ing in  the  torrents  Avhich  descend  from  the  mountains,  when  the 
snow  melts  in  the  beginning  of  summer.*  Several  caravans  for 
Little  Bucharia  and  China  pass  by  this  city. 

Kotlan,  or  Khotlan,  is  the  capital  of  a  province  so  called,  but 
otherwise  seems  little  memorable.  Termed,  situated  on  the 
Amu,  is  scarcely  known  in  modern  accounts  :  and  in  general  the 
northern  cities  seem  greatly  to  have  declined  under  the  domina- 
tion of  Uzbeks. 

Manufactures.']  The  chief  manufactures  have  been  already 
inentioned  in  the  account  of  the  cities.  Besides  the  caravans  to 
Persia,  Hindostan,  and  China,  some  trade  is  carried  on  with  the 
Russians,  the  Bucharian  merchants  not  only  furnishing  their  own 
products,  but  others  from  the  eastern  countries  to  which  they 
trade. 

Clitnate.']  The  climate  in  general  appears  to  be  excellent,  the 
heat  even  of  the  southern  provinces  being  tempered  by  the 
high  mountai'ns  capped  with  perpetual  snoAV  ;  and  though  situated 
in  the  parallel  of  Spain,  Greece,  and  Asiatic  Turkey,  the  pi-oxim- 
ity  of  the  Siberian  deserts,  and  the  lofty  Alps,  render  the  summer 
more  temperate.  The  face  of  the  country  presents  a  great  vari- 
ety ;  but  though  there  are  numerous  rivers,  hills,  and  mountains, 
there  seems  to  be  a  deficiency  of  wood.f  Near  the  rivers  the  soil 
is  very  productive,  so  that  the  grass  sometimes  exceeds  the  height 
of  a  man  ;  and  in  some  parts  considerable  industry  is  shewn  in  the 
cultivation  of  rice  and  other  grain.  In  any  other  hands  but  those 
of  the  Tartars,  this  country  might  rival  any  European  region. 

Jiivers.'\  The  chief  rivers  of  Independent  Tartary  are  the  Amu 
and  the  Sirr,  or  river  of  Shash.  The  former  is  the  ancient  Oxus, 
and  near  its  source  is  called  the  Harrat :  oriental  geographers 
also  term  it  the  Gihoon,  as  they  call  the  Sir  the  Sihoon. 

The  Amu  rises  in  the  mountains  of  Belur,  more  thaji  200  miles 
N.  E.  from  Badakshan,  and  before  it  reach  that  city  has  already 
received  the  Ortong  from  the  E.  From  Badakshan  it  passes  W. 
to  Termed  after  receiving  numerous  streams  from  the  Ak  Tau 
on  the  N.  and  from  the  Hindoo  Koh  on  the  S.  After  being  joined 
from  the  same  quarter  by  the  Dehash,  or  i-iver  of  Balk,  Avith  col- 
lected streams  from  the  mountains  of  Gaur,  the  Amu  fellows  a  N. 
W.  direction,  and  falls  into  the  sea  of  Aral,  which  appears,  as  be- 
fore mentioned,  to  have   been   in  all   ages  its  chief  receptable, 

*  Benlink  on  Abiilgazi,  p.  55. 

■]•  It  is  ))robable  there  may  be  large  forests  oa  the  western  side  of  the  Belur,  as  Bon- 
tink,  p.  258,  says  that  timber  ubtfiiiKts. 


INDEPENDENT  TARTARY.  63r 

thoug^li  a  branch  formerly  passed  by  Urghenz  towards  the  Cas- 
pian, and  another  seems  to  have  been  detached  near  Hazarasp. 
The  whole  course  of  this  noble  river  surpasses  tliat  of  the  Tigris, 
being  probably  not  less  than  900  miles.  It  abounds  with  fish  of 
various  sorts. 

The  Sirr,  or  river  of  Shash,  also  rises  in  the  mountains  of  Belur, 
and  falls  into  the  eastern  side  of  the  sea  of  Aral,  after  a  course  of 
about  550  miles.  According  to  Islenieff  the  furthest  source  of 
the  Sirr  is  the  river  Narin,  which  rises  to  the  S.  of  the  lake  Tuz- 
kul  in  the  chain  of  Alak,  near  its  junction  with  the  Belur  alps; 
and  by  the  account  of  Pallas  the  source  is  near  that  of  the  river 
Talas.  The  Narin  itself  consists  of  numerous  streams  collected 
from  the  ridges  of  Alak  and  Argun,  bending  to  the  S.  while  the 
other  rivers  in  this  quarter  flow  in  a  north  direction  ;  but  the  Sirr, 
peculiarly  so  called,  rises  in  the  mountains  of  Terek  Daban,  or 
northern  part  of  the  Belur  chain,  where  it  joins  that  of  Alak. 
After  passing  Andegan  and  Cojend,  the  Sirr  or  laxartes  runs  N. 
W.  by  Tashkund  and  Tuncat,  where  it  is  joined  by  a  considerable 
river  from  the  E.  At  Otrar  it  receives  the  river  Taraz.  The 
remaining  course  of  the  Sirr  is  chiefly  throvigh  the  desert  of  Bur- 
zuk  ;  and  it  is  doubtful  if  it  be  joined  by  the  Sarasu,  a  large  river 
from  the  N.  so  imperfect  is  the  geography  of  these  regions. 

In  the  country  possessed  by  the  three  Ilords  of  Kirguses  aro 
also  other  considerable  streams,  as  the  Dzui,  which  rises  on  the 
N.  of  the  lake  Tuzkul  ;  and  the  Irghiz  and  Turgai,  which  flow 
into  a  lake  on  the  N.  of  the  Aral  ;  not  to  mention  the  Issim,  per- 
vading the  stepp  of  the  same  name.  Several  of  these  lakes  and 
rivers,  now  obscure,  are  remarkable  in  the  history  of  Zingis  and 
his  successors,  when,  directing  their  conquests  to  the  N.  of  the 
Caspian,  they  subdued  the  greater  part  of  European  Russia. 

Lakes.^  The  most  considerable  lake  is  the  sea  of  Aral,  or  of 
eagles,  already  mentioned  in  the  general  view  of  Asia.  The  lake 
Tengis,  Bal,cash,  or  Palkati,  is  near  140  miles  in  length,  by  half 
that  breadth,  being  the  largest  lake  in  Asia,  after  the  seas  of  Aral 
and  Baikal  ;  but  this,  with  two  other  very  considerable  lakes  to 
the  E.  propeiiy  belong  to  the  Kalmuks  subject  to  China.  The 
lakes  in  the  coiuitry  of  the  Kirguses  and  in  Great  and  Little  Bu- 
charia  are  of  less  moment. 

Mountai7is.~\  The  principal  range  of  mountains  is  that  of  Be- 
lur, which,  according  to  all  accounts,  is  a  great  alpine  chain, 
covered  with  perpetual  snow.  The  chief  branches  proceed  to- 
wards the  W.  for  on  the  E.  is  the  high  central  plain  of  Asia,  full 
of  deserts,  as  if  nature  had  here  performed  her  earliest  operations, 
when  this  first  and  greatest  continent  emerged  from  the  primeval 
waters.  Of  this  extensive  table-land  the  Belur  may  be  regarded 
as  the  western  buttress,  continued  by  the  mountains  of  Jimbal  and 
Kisik  Tag  to  the  Altaian  chain,  which  forms  the  northern  buttress 
on  the  S.  of  the  sea  of  Baikal.  On  the  E.  this  plain  gradually  de- 
clines from  the  sources  of  the  Onon  and  Kerlon,  and  the  S.  limit 
of  the  desert  of  Shamo,  while  the  numerous  alps  of  Tibet,  to 
which  coumry  there  is  a  gradual  ascent  from  China,  fonn  thfi 


e'S8  INDEPENDENT  TARTARY. 

southern  and  excrescent  buttress.  Except  in  some  few  places, 
sheltered  from  the  N.  and  E.  this  extensive  elevation  is  exposed 
to  extreme  cold,  the  reverse  of  the  deserts  of  Africa.  It  is  inter- 
sected with  great  ranges  of  mountains,  whose  height  must  be 
enormous  superadded  to  that  of  the  bases  ;  the  western  parts  in 
particular,  between  Siberia  and  Tibet,  abound  Avith  irregular 
ridges  of  naked  rocks,  presenting  as  it  were  the  I'uins  of  moun- 
tains. 

The  chain  of  Belur,  the  ancient  Imaus,  proceeds  nearly  N.  and 
S.  and  is  contuiued  by  the  mountain  of  Alak  or  Alak  Oola  on  the 
N.  of  Little  Bucharia,  which  join  the  great  Bogdo,  the  highest 
mountain  in  central  Asia,  according  to  the  reports  of  the  Monguls 
and  Tartars.  On  the  S.  the  Belur  seems  more  intimately  con- 
nected with  the  Hindoo  Koh  than  with  the  northern  ridges  of  Ti- 
bet. The  Hindoo  Koh,  and  mountains  of  Gaur,  must  not  be  for- 
gotten among  those  of  Great  Bucharia,  being  seemingly  an  ex- 
tension of  the  chain  of  Belur,  without  any  interruption,  except  a 
narroAv  pass  to  the  S.  of  Anderab  The  mountains  of  Argjun  or 
Argun  seem  to  form  one  chain  with  the  Kara  Tau,  though  broken, 
as  not  unusual,  by  the  transition  of  a  river  ;  and  like  the  Ak  Tau 
in  the  S.  appear  a  branch  detached  from  the  Belur. 

Mincralogij.~\  Neither  the  botany  nor  zoology  of  this  country 
have  been  explored  by  any  intelligent  naturalist.  We  have  seeix 
that  the  alpine  regions  present  many  of  the  animals  of  Tibet. 
The  mineralogy  is  not  so  obscure,  though  the  Monguls  and  Tar- 
tars, who  may  be  said  to  have  possessed  this  country  for  a  thou- 
sand years,  have  not  industry  for  the  proper  pursuit  of  metallur- 
gy.^ The  alpine  heights  in  the  S.  E.  contain  gold,  silver,  and  a  pe- 
culiar production,  the  balay,  or  pale  rose-colored  ruby  ;  not  to 
mention  lapis  lazuli.  In  the  10th  century,  before  the  native  in- 
dustry had  expired  under  long  oppression,  Fergana  produced  sal 
ammoniac,  vitriol,  iron,  copper,*  gold,  and  turkoises :  and  quick- 
silver is  added,  a  rare  and  valuable  product.  In  the  mountain  of 
Zarka  there  were  springs  of  naphtha  and  bitumen,  and  "  a  stone 
that  takes  fire  and  burns,"  which  must  imply  coal.  In  the  conn- 
try  of  Setrushteh,  D'Anville's  Ofrushna,  there  was  a  cavern, 
whence  a  vapor  arose,  which  in  the  night  seemed  fiery,  and  from 
which  sal  ammoniac  was  procured.  On  digging  the  ground  a 
similar  vapor  would  arise,  as  we  are  told  of  the  fires  near  Baku. 
In  the  mountains  of  Ailak  or  Ilak,  the  most  northern  prov- 
ince around  Otrar,  there  were  mines  of  gold  and  silver.  The 
venerable  father  of  Arabian  geography,  Ebn  Haukal,  has  compen- 
sated for  the  penury  of  his  information  respecting  natural  history, 
by  an  animated  character  of  this  country  and  its  people,  which 
may  be  liere  introduced  as  a  relief  from  the  dryness  of  some  of 
the  details,  unavoidable  in  describing  a  country  highly  celsbrated, 
but  the  geography  of  which  unaccountably  remains  the  most  de- 
fective of  any  in  Asia,  with  the  single  exception  of  interior  Ai'abia. 

"  Such  are  the  generosity  and  liberality  of  the  inhabitants,  that 

*  Ebn  Haufcal: 


INDEPENDENT  TARTARY.  ©9 

no  one  turns  aside  from  the  rights  of  hospitality  ;  so  that  a  person 
contemplating  them  in  tliis  light,  would  imagine  that  all  the  fami- 
lien  of  the  land  were  but  one  houne.  When  a  traveller  arrives  there 
every  person  endeavors  to  attract  him  to  himself,  that  he  may 
have  opportunities  of  performing  kind  offices  for  the  stranger  : 
and  the  best  proof  of  their  hospitable  and  generous  disposition  is, 
that  every  peasant,  though  possessing  but  a  bare  sufficiency,  allots 
a  portion  of  his  cottage  for  the  reception  of  a  guest.  On  the  ar- 
rival of  a  stranger  they  contend  one  with  another  for  the  pleasure 
of  taking  him  to  their  home,  and  entertaining  him.  Thus,  in  acts 
of  hospitality,  they  expend  their  incomes.  I  happened  once  to  be 
in  Soghd,  and  there  I  saw  a  certain  palace,  or  great  building,  the 
doors  of  which  were  fastened  back  with  nails  against  the  walls.  I 
asked  the  reason  of  this,  and  they  informed  me  that  it  was  an  hun- 
dred years  and  more  since  those  doors  had  been  shut,  all  that  time 
they  had  continued  open  day  and  night,  strajigers  might  arriv» 
there  at  the  most  unseasonable  hours,  or  in  any  numbers,  for  the 
master  of  the  house  had  provided  every  thing  necessary  both  for 
the  men  and  for  their  beasts  ;  and  he  appeared  with  a  delighted 
and  joyful  countenance  when  the  guests  tarried  awhile. 

"  In  all  the  regions  of  the  earth  there  is  not  a  more  flourishing 
or  a  more  delightful  country  than  this,  especially  the  district  of 
Bokhara.  If  a  person  stand  on  the  Kohendiz  (or  ancient  castle) 
of  Bokhara,  and  cast  his  eyes  around,  he  shall  not  see  any  thing 
but  beautiful  and  luxuriant  verdure  on  every  side  of  the  country  ; 
so  that  he  would  imagine  the  green  of  the  cai'th  and  the  azure  of 
the  heavens  were  united  :  and  as  there  are  green  fields  in  every 
quarter,  so  there  are  villas  interspersed  among  the  green  fields. 

"  The  walls  and  buildings,  and  cultivated  plains  of  Bokhara,  ex- 
tend above  13  farsang,  by  12  farsang ;  and  the  Soghd,  for  8  days 
journey,  is  all  delightful  country,  affording  fine  prospects,  and 
full  of  gardens,  and  orchards,  and  villages,  corn  fields,  and  villas, 
and  running  streams,  reservoirs,  and  fountains,  both  on  the  right 
hand  and  on  the  left.  You  pass  from  corn  fields  into  rich  mead- 
ows and  pasture  lands  ;  and  the  fruits  of  Soghd  arc  the  finest  in 
the  world."* 

•  Kbn  Haukal,  by  Sip  Wm.  Ouselr,  p.  234. 


ARABIA. 

CHAPTER  I. 

HISTORICAL  GEOGRAPHY. 

EXTENT,  BOUNDARIES,  NAME,  DIVISIONS,  ORIGINAL  POPULATION, 
PROGRESSIVE  GEOGRAPHY,  HISTORICAL  EPOCHS,  RELIGION, 
GOVERNMENT,  MANNERS  AND  CUSTOMS,  DRESS,  LANGUAGE,  LIT- 
ERATURE, CITIES  AND  TOWNS,  EDIFICES,  MANUFACTURES, 
PRODUCTS,  COMMERCE. 

Escteni.']  ARABIA,  taken  in  its  largest  extent.  lie* 
between  lat.  12  30  and  31  30  N.  and  Ion  34  14  and  59  14  e!  and 
forms  one  of  the  largest  peninsulas  in  the  world. 

Boundaries.~\  It  is  bounded  on  the  E.  by  the  Euphrates,  the 
Pei^ian  gulf,  and  the  bay  of  Ormuo  ;  on  the  W.  by  Palestine,  part 
of  Syria,  the  isthmus  of  Suez,  and  the  Red  Sea  ;  on  the  S.  by  the 
straits  of  Babelmandel,  and  the  Indian  ocean ;  and  on  the  N.  by 
part  of  Syria,  Diarbekir,  Irak  and  Khuzestan.  Its  northern  limits, 
however,  are  less  strongly  marked,  than  the  others  ;  but  in  both 
ancient  and  modern  times  they  rise  to  an  angle  about  an  100 
miles  to  the  E.  of  Palmyra,  which  is  not  included  in  Arabia. 
Thence  the  line  proceeds  S.  W.  to  the  S.  E.  angle  of  the  Medi- 
terranean, a  northern  boundaiy  of  Arabia  Petrsea.  Moses,  how- 
ever, with  a  geographical  accuracy  that  defies  the  severity  of 
criticism,  determines  the  boundaries  of  this  kingdom,  when  he  tells 
us,  that  on  the  south  it  reached  to  the  sea  of  Suph  or  Red  Sea ;  on 
the  W.  to  Paran  and  Tophel  ;  on  the  N.  to  Laban,  Hatseroth,  and 
Di-Zahab,  that  is,  to  the  borders  of  Syria ;  and  on  the  E.  to  Kadesh- 
Barnea,  about  1 1  days  journey  from  mount  Horeb. 

From  the  cape  of  Babelmandel  to  the  extreme  angle  on  the 
Euphrates,  the  length  is  not  less  than  1800  miles;  while  the  me- 
dial breadth  is  about  800  ;  containing  about  1,440,000  square 
miles. 

Mn7ie.~\  The  revolutions  of  time  have  produced  no  change  in 
its  primitive  denomination  ;  since  even  in  the  ages  bordering  on 
the  deluge  it  was  known  by  the  name  of  Arabah.  By  the  Syrians, 
and  many  of  the  orientals,  it  was  called  Arabistan  ;  and  in  the 
scriptures  it  is  sometimes  denominated  the  land  of  Cush  :  Moses 
himself  styles  the  western  Arabia,  Arabah^  which  affords  a  strong 
presumption  that  its  oi-iginal  name  was  derived  from  a  Hebrew 
word  signifying  the  west  ;  and  when  the  Ishmaelites,  who  pos- 
sessed it,  gradually  reduced  the  adjacent  parts,  they  carried  with 
them  the  appellation  of  Arabah,  and  applied  it  to  the  whole  penin- 
sula :  the  first  part  of  the  peninsula  of  the  Arabs  was  divided  into 
Kedem  and  Arabah,  as  we  learn  from  scripture. 

Divisions.'^  The  best  eastern  writers  have  divided  this  penin- 
sula into  five  provinces  or  kingdoms,  viz.  Yara^m,  Hejaz,Tehema, 


ARABIA.  $4\ 

"Naid  and  Yamama.  It  was  divided  by  Ptolemy  into  Arabia  Pe- 
trea,  Arabia  Deserta,  and  Arabia  Felix  ;  and  since  his  time  this 
division  has  generally  prevailed  :  Arabia  is  divided  by  the  inhab- 
itants themselves  into  eight  provinces,  entirely  independent  on 
one  another,  viz.  Yemen,  on  the  S.  towards  the  straits  of  Babel- 
mandel,  Hadramant,  on  the  shores  of  the  Indian  ocean,  Omam,  on. 
the  S.  of  the  entrance  of  the  Persian  gulf,  Hadsjar  or  Hajar,  Ned- 
siedor  Neged,  and  Hedjas  or  Hejaz.  The  territory  of  the  Bedu- 
ins,  or  of  the  Arabs  in  the  desert  of  Syria,  niay  be  reckoned  a 
seventh  province,  and  to  this  again  may  be  added  the  Arabian  es- 
tablishments on  the  southern  coast  of  Persia.* 

Original  Pofnilation.'\  The  population  is  original  and  indi- 
genous, the  Arabians  being  the  same  race  with  the  Assyrians  of 
remote  antiquity,  the  probable  fathers  of  the  Syrians,  Egyptians, 
and  Abyssinians,  whose  languages  are  intimately  allied,  as  is  that 
of  the  Hebrews  ;  being  totally  different  in  form  and  structure, 
from  that  of  the  Persians,  their  powerful  neighbors  in  the  E.  By 
all  accounts,  sacred  and  profane,  the  Assyrians  were  the  most  an- 
cient civilized  and  commercial  people  ;  and  when  modern  philos- 
ophy is  divested  of  its  prejudices,  there  will  be  no  reason  to  infer 
superior  pretensions  from  China,  and  far  less  from  Hmdostan- 
Situated  in  a  country  nearly  central,  between  Asia,  Africa,  and 
Europe  ;  and  in  the  wide  intercourse  of  the  Mediterranean,  and 
the  Arabian  and  Persian  gulfs  ;  it  was  natural  that  the  variety  of 
productions  and  wants  should  occasion  the  first  rise  of  commerce 
in  Syria  ;  and  the  merchants  of  Tyre  had  explored  the  shores  of 
Britain,  while  the  Chinese  seem  not  to  have  discovered  those  of 
Japan.  This  early  civilization  will  excite  the  less  surprise,  when 
it  is  considered  that  even  the  modern  Arabians  are  a  most  saga- 
cious and  intelligent  race  of  men,  remarkable  also  for  spirit  and 
valor,  whose  country  alone  has  never  been  subdaed  by  any  invader, 
and  who  alone,  of  all  Asiatic  nations,  have  preserved  the  sacred 
flame  of  freedom,  which  their  progenitors  kindled  in  tlieir  inac- 
cessible moimtains.  In  comparatively  modern  times  they  have 
vindicated  the  fame  of  their  ancient  pre-eminence  by  giving  re- 
ligion and  laws  to  half  of  Asia  and  Africa,  and  a  great  part  of  Eu- 
rope. The  Arabian  califs  in  Spain,  Africa,  and  Egypt,  as  well  as 
at  Bagdad,  cultivated  the  arts  and  sciences  ;  and  shewed  a  great 
superiority  to  the  barbarous  powers  of  Europe  at  that  period. 
From  Samarcand  to  the  centre  of  Africa,  the  Arabian  language 
and  manners  are  held  in  veneration. 

Progrcftsive  Gcografihy.'\  This  distinguished  country  is  known 
in  the  earliest  records  of  history  and  geography  ;  and  being  cele- 
brated for  products,  which  could  only  be  procured  by  navigation, 
must  have  been  no  stranger  to  mercantile  cnterprize  on  its  fur- 
thest shores  towards  the  Indian  ocean.  Strabo,  and  even  Eratost- 
henes, appear  to  have  known  the  southern  coasts,  though  not  so 
distinctly  as  those  on  the  cast  of  the  Arabian  gulf.  Ptolemy's  de- 
scription of  Arabia  evinces  a  considerable   portion  of  accurate 

•  Re^  Cyclopedia,  article  Arabia. 
VOT..   It.  81 


64a  ARABIA. 

knowledge;  and  of  the  interior  parts,  as  well  as  those  of  Af'ilca, 
he-  probably,  from  his  residence  and  opportunities  in  Egypt,  had 
acquired  a  knowledge  far  superior  to  any  possessed  at  the  present 
moment.  He  has  however  greatly  diminished  the  length  of  the 
Arabian  gulf ;  and  by  increasing  the  size  of  the  Persian  has  con- 
siderably injured  the  just  form  of  the  country.  Some  of  these 
errors  have  been  rectified  by  the  later  Arabian  geographers,  and 
our  knowledge  of  the  interior  of  the  country  has  received  consid- 
erable additions  from  the  same  authors.  Yet  even  the  just  geog- 
raphy of  the  shores  is  recent,  and  has  been  improved  since  the 
time  of  D'Anville.  Niebuhr,  to  whom  we  are  indebted  for  the 
best  account  of  this  country,  penetrated  but  a  little  way  into  the 
interior  ;  and  many  discoveries  here  remain  for  the  cnterprizing 
traveller  :  but  the  passage  is  extremely  difficult,  the  country  be- 
ing divided  among  a  surprising  number  of  Imams  and  Sheiks, 
who  often  carry  on  petty  wars,  and  plunder  all  strangers  that  fall 
into  their  hands. 

Historical  Efiochs.~\  The  present  Arabians,  according  to  their 
own  historians,  are  sprung  from  two  stocks.  Kahtan  or  Joktan, 
the  son  of  Eber  and  Adnan,  descended  in  a  direct  line  from  Ish- 
mael,  the  son  of  Abraham  and  Hagar,  of  whose  posterity  it  was 
foretold,  that  they  shall  be  invincible,  "  have  their  hands  against 
every  man,  and  every  man's  hands  against  theirs."  They  are  at 
present,  and  have  remained  from  the  remotest  ages,  during  the 
various  conquests  of  the  Greeks,  Romans  and  Tartars,  a  con- 
vincing piX)of  of  the  divinity  of  this  prediction.  According  to 
prophecy  they  still  "  dwell  in  the  presence  of  their  brethren," 

Sometime  after  the  confusion  of  tongues  at  Babel,  or  above 
3600  years  ago,  Yarab,  the  elder  of  Joktan's  sons,  succeeded  his 
father  in  the  kingdom  of  Yemen  ;  and  Jorham,  the  younger, 
founded  the  kingdom  of  Hejaz,  where  his  posterity  possessed  the 
throne,  till  the  time  of  Ishmael.  The  former  kingdom  lasted,  ac- 
cording to  Abulfeda,  2020  years  ;  or  as  other  Arabian  writers 
say,  above  3000. 

The  first  great  calamity  that  befel  the  tribes  settled  in  Yemen, 
was  the  inundation  of  Aram,  which  is  said  to  have  happened  soon 
after  the  time  of  Alexander  the  Great.  On  this  occasion,  eight 
tribes  were  forced  to  abandon  their  dwellings  ;  and  some  of  them 
in  their  migration  gave  rise  to  the  two  kingdoms  of  Ghassan  and 
Hira  ;  both  of  them  out  of  the  proper  limits  of  Arabia.  The 
founders  of  the  former  maintained  their  kingdom,  according  to 
Abulfeda,  616  years  :  five  of  these  princes  were  named  Hareth, 
written  by  the  Greeks  Aretas  ;  and  it  was  the  governor  of  one  of 
these,  who  ordered  the  gates  of  Damascus  to  be  watched,  for  the 
purpose  of  apprehending  the  apostle  Paul. 

Jorham,  the  son  of  Kahtan,  who  founded  the  kingdom  of  Hejaz, 
and  his  posterity,  remained  in  possession  of  it,  till  the  time  of 
Ishmael.  Arabia  never  appears  to  have  been  united,  either  in  a 
republic  or  under  one  monarch,  except  in  the  time  of  Mahomet 
and  his  succcssor«.     The  Romans  majcle  several  incursions  into 


ARABIA.  613 

Arabia,  but  neither  they  nor  any  other  foreign  power  were  ever 
able  to  subdue  it. 

We  think  it  proper  to  subjoin  to  this  article,  the  following 
sketch  of  Mahomet,  as  ca&ting  light  on  the  history  and  religion  of 
this  country. 

Mahomet  was  bom  in  the  6th  century,  A.  D.  569,  in  the  reign 
of  Justinian  II-  emperor  of  Constantinople.  Though  descended 
of  a  mean  parentage,  illiterate  and  poor,  Mahomet  was  endowed 
with  a  subtile  genius,  like  those  of  the  same  country,  and  pos- 
sessed a  degree  of  enterprize  and  ambition  peculiar  to  himself, 
and  much  beyond  his  condition.  He  had  been  employed,  in  the 
early  part  of  his  life,  by  an  uncle,  Abuteleb,  as  a  factor,  and  had 
occasion,  in  this  capacity,  to  travel  into  Syria,  Palestine  and  Egypt. 
He  was  afterwards  taken  into  the  service  of  a  rich  merchant,  upon 
whose  death  he  married  his  widow,  Cadiga,  and  by  her  means 
came  to  be  possesed  of  great  wealth,  and  of  a  numerous  family. 
During  his  peregrinations  into  Egypt  and  the  East,  he  had  ob- 
served the  vast  variety  of  sects  in  religion,  avIkjsc  hatred  against 
each  other  was  strong  and  inveterate,  while  at  the  same  time  there 
were  many  particulars  in  which  the  greater  part  of  them  were 
agreed.  He  carefully  laid  hold  of  these  particulars,  by  means  of 
which,  and  by  addressing  himself  to  the  love  of  power,  riches  and 
pleasure,  passions  universal  among  them,  he  expected  to  raise  a 
new  system  of  religion,  more  general  than  any  which  hitherto  had 
been  established.  In  this  design  he  was  assisted  by  a  Sergian 
monk,  whose  libertine  disposition  had  made  him  forsake  his  clois- 
ter and  profession,  and  engage  in  the  service  of  Cadiga,  with 
whom  he  remained  as  a  domestic  when  Mahomet  was  taken  to 
her  bed.  This  monk  was  perfectly  qualified  by  his  great  learn- 
ing, for  supplying  the  defects  which  his  master,  for  want  of  a  lib- 
eral education,  labored  under,  and  which,  in  all  probability,  must 
have  obstructed  the  execution  of  his  design.  It  was  necessary, 
however,  that  the  religion  they  proposed  to  establish  should  have 
a  divine  sanction  ;  and  for  this  purpose  Mahomet  turned  a  calam- 
ity, with  which  he  was  afflicted,  to  his  advantage.  He  was  often 
subject  to  fits  of  the  epilepsy,  a  disease  which  those  whom  it  af- 
flicts are  desirous  to  conceal  ;  Mahomet  gave  out  therefore  that 
these  fits  were  trances,  into  which  he  was  nairaculously  thrown  by 
God  Almighty,  during  which  he  was  instructed  in  his  will,  which 
he  was  commanded  to  publish  to  the  world.  By  this  strange  story, 
and  by  leading  a  retired,  abstemious,  and  austere  life,  he  easily  ac- 
quired a  character  for  superior  sanctity  among  his  acquaintance 
and  neighbors.  When  he  thought  himself  sufficiently  fortified  by 
the  numbers  and  the  enthusiasm  of  his  followers,  he  boldly  de- 
clared himself  a  prophet,  sent  by  God  into  the  world,  not  only  to 
teach  his  will,  but  to  compel  mankind  to  obey  it. 

As  we  have  already  mentioned,  he  did  not  lay  the  foundation  of 
his  system  so  narrow  as  only  to  comprehend  the  natives  of  his  own 
country.  His  mind,  though  rude  and  enthusiastic,  was  enlarged 
by  travelling  into  distant  nations,  whose  manners  and  religion  he 
had  made  a  peculiar  study.     He  proposed  that  the  system  he  es'*s 


H^  ARABIA. 

tablished  should  extend  over  all  the  neighboring  nations,  to  whose 
doctrines  and  prejudices  he  had  taken  care  to  adapt  it.  Many  of 
the  inhabitants  of  the  eastern  countries  were  at  this  time  much  ad- 
dicted to  the  opinions  of  Arius,  who  denied  that  Jesus  Christ  was 
co-equal  with  God  the  Father,  as  is  declared  in  the  Alhanasian 
creed.  Egypt  and  Arabia  were  filled  with  Jews,  who  had  fled  into 
those  corners  of  the  world  from  the  persecution  of  the  emperor 
Adrian,  who  threatened  the  total  extinction  of  that  pi=5ople.  The 
other  inhabitants  of  these  countries  were  Pagans.  These,  how- 
ever, had  little  attachment  to  their  decayed  and  derided  idolatry  ; 
and,  like  men  whose  religious  principle  is  weak,  had  given  them- 
selves over  to  pleasure  and  sensuality,  or  to  the  acquisition  of 
riches,  to  be  better  able  to  indulge  in  the  gratifications  of  sense, 
which,  together  with  the  doctrine  of  predestination,  composed  the 
Sole  principles  of  their  religion  and  philosophy.  Mahomet's  system 
was  exactly  suited  to  these  three  kinds  of  men.  To  gratify  the  two 
former,  he  declared  that  there  was  one  God,  who  created  the 
world  and  governed  all  things  in  it  ;  that  he  had  sent  various 
prophets  into  the  world  to  teach  his  will  to  mankind,  among  whom 
Moses  and  Jesus  Christ  were  the  most  eminent ;  but  the  endeav- 
ors of  these  had  proved  ineffectual,  and  God  had  therefore  now 
sent  his  last  and  greatest  prophet,  with  a  commission  more  am- 
ple than  what  Moses  or  Christ  had  been  entrusted  with.  He  had 
commanded  him  not  only  to  publish  his  laws,  but  to  subdue  those 
who  were  unwilling  to  believe  or  obey  them  ;  and  for  this  end  to 
establish  a  kingdom  upon  earth  which  should  propagate  the  di- 
vine law  throughout  the  world  ;  that  God  had  designed  utter  ruin 
and  destruction  to  those  who  should  refuse  to  submit  to  him  ;  but 
to  his  faithful  followers,  he  had  given  the  spoils  and  possessions 
of  all  the  earth,  as  a  reward  in  this  life,  and  had  provided  for  them 
hereafter  a  paradise  of  all  sensual  enjoyments,  especially  those  of 
love  ;  that  the  pleasures  of  such  as  died  in  propagati'ug  the  faith, 
would  be  peculiarly  intense,  and  vastly  transcend  those  of  the  rest. 
These,  together  with  the  prohibition  of  drinking  strong  liquors,  (a 
restraint  not  very  severe  in  warm  climates)  and  the  doctrine  of 
predestination,  were  the  capital  articles  of  Mahomet's  creed. 
They  were  no  sooner  published  than  a  vast  number  of  his  coun- 
trymen embraced  them  with  implicit  faith.  They  Avere  written 
by  the  priest  we  formerly  mentioned,  and  compose  a  book  called 
the  Koraiiy  or  Alkoran,  by  way  of  eminence,  as  we  say  the  Bible, 
which  means  the  Book.  The  person  of  Mahomet,  however,  was 
familiar  to  the  inhabitants  of  Mecca  ;  so  that  the  greater  part  of 
them  were  sufficiently  convinced  of  the  deceit.  The  more  en- 
lightened and  leading  men  entered  into  a  design  to  cut  him  off  ; 
but  Mahomet,  getting  notice  of  their  intention,  fled  from  his  na- 
tive city  to  Medina  Tahmachi,  or  the  city  of  the  Prophet.  1  he 
fame  of  his  miracles  and  doctrine  was,  according  to  custom,  great- 
est at  a  distance,  and  the  inhabitants  of  Medina  received  him  with 
open  arms.  From  his  flight  which  happened  in  the  622d  year  of 
Christ,  the  54th  year  of  Mahomet's  age,  and  the  10th  of  his  min- 


ARABIA.  645 

istry,  his  followers,  the  Mahometans,  compute  their  time,  and  the 
era  is  called  in  Arabic,  Hegira,  "  the  Flight." 

Mahomet,  by  the  assistance  of  the  inhabitants  of  Medina,  and  of 
others  whom  his  insinuation  and  address  daily  attached  to  him, 
brought  over  all  his  countrymen  to  a  belief,  or  at  least  to  an  ac- 
quiescence in  his  doctrines.  The  speedy  propagation  of  his  sys- 
tem among  the  Arabians,  was  a  new  argument  in  its  behalf  among 
the  inhabitants  of  Egypt  and  the  East,  who  were  previously  dis- 
posed to  it.  Arians,  Jews,  and  Gentiles,  all  forsook  their  ancient 
faith,  and  became  Mahometans.  In  a  word,  the  contagion  spread 
over  Arabia,  Syria,  Egypt,  and  Persia  ;  and  Mahomet,  from  a  de- 
ceitful hypocrite,  became  the  most  powerful  monarch  in  his  time- 
He  was  proclaimed  king  at  Medina,  in  the  year  627  ;  and  after 
tiubduing  part  of  Arabia  and  Syria,  he  died  in  652,  leaving  two 
branches  of  his  race,  both  esteemed  divine  among  their  subjects. 
These  were  the  caliphs  of  Persia  and  of  Egypt,  under  the  last  of 
which  Arabia  was  included.  The  former  of  these  turned  their 
arms  to  the  East,  and  made  conquests  of  many  countries. 

The  caliphs  of  Egypt  and  Arabia  directed  their  ravages  to- 
wards Europe,  and  under  the  name  of  Saracens,  or  Moors  (which 
they  obtained,  because  they  entered  Europe  from  Mauritania,  in 
Africa,  the  country  of  the  Moors)  reduced  most  of  Spain,  France, 
Italy,  and  the  islands  in  the  Mediterranean. 

In  this  manner  did  the  successors  of  that  iinpostor  spread  their 
religion  and  conquests  over  the  greatest  part  of  Asia,  Africa,  and 
Europe  ;  and  they  still  give  law  to  a  very  considerable  part  of 
mankind. 

Ketig^ion.']  The  Arabian  religion  was,  in  the  state  of  ignorance, 
as  they  called  tlie  period  before  Mahomet,  Sabian  ;  but  the  Sa- 
bian  faith  is  not  clearly  and  satisfactorily  ascertained.  It  is  gen- 
erally allowed  that  they  admitted  the  existence  of  one  supreme 
God,  the  Creator  and  Lord  of  the  universe,  whom  they  denominat- 
ed "  Allah  Taala,"  the  most  high  God  :  and  the  religion  of  the 
noble  and  learned  Arabs,  a*  well  as  of  the  poets,  was  pure  theism. 
We  have  Arabian  verses  of  unsuspected  antiquity,  which  contain 
pious  and  elevated  sentiments  with  respect  to  the  goodness,  jus- 
tice, and  omnipotence  of  God.  It  is  certain,  however,  that  they 
very  soon  degenerated,  and  fell  into  idojatry.  This  consisted 
obiefly  in  the  worship  of  the  fixed  stars  and  planets.  To  the 
worship  of  these  they  were  easily  led  by  observing-  the  i-egularity 
of  their  motions,  and  also,  that  the  changes  of  the  weather  hap- 
pened at  the  rising  or  setting  of  some  of  them  for  a  considerable 
period  ;  and  hence  they  ascribed  to  them  a  divine  power,  and 
conceived  themselves  indebted  to  them  for  their  mins,  which 
were  highly  beneficial  to  their  parched  country.  These  they 
honored  as  inferior  deities,  and  as  mediators  with  God,  implored 
their  intercession.  This  kind  of  worship  was  proscribed  by  Mo- 
ses, and  is  frequently  alluded  to  in  the  book  of  Job,  particularly 
eh.  xxxi.  26-28.  Accordingly  they  had  seven  celebrated  temples, 
dedicated  to  the  seven  planets  ;  and  this  planetary  worship  ha^ 
been  supposed  by  some  to  have  been  the  first  species  of  idolatry. 


64G  ARABIA. 

The  Magian  religion  was  introdaced  among  some  tvibes  of 
Arabia,  a  long  lime  before  Mahomet,  in  consequence  of  the  vi- 
cinity of  the  Persians,  and  their  intercourse  with  the  Arabians  ; 
and  hence  this  impostor  borrowed  many  of  his  institutions  from 
it.  Judaism  also  is  said  to  have  been  introduced  among  the  idol- 
atrous Hamyarites,  by  Abu  Carb  Asad,  about  700  years  before 
jVIahomet,  and  the  Jews,  who  fled  into  Arabia,  in  great  numbers, 
after  the  destruction  of  their  country  by  the  Romans,  made  pros- 
elytes of  several  tribes,  and  in  time  became  very  powerful,  and 
obtained  possession  of  several  towns  and  fortresses.  At  length, 
Yuscf,  king  of  Yemen,  raised  a  dreadful  persecution  against 
them,  and  put  them  to  death  by  various  tortures,  one  of  which 
was  throwing  them  into  a  glowing  pit  of  fire. 

Christianity  had  likewise  made  gi*eat  progress  in  Arabia,  be- 
fore the  time  of  Mahomet.  Whether  St.  Paul  preached  in  any 
part  of  Arabia,  properly  so  called,  it  is  not  easy  to  determine  ; 
but  that  the  Christian  religion  was  planted,  at  a  very  early  period, 
in  this  country,  is  an  unquestionable  fact.  When  the  eastern 
church,  soon  after  the  beginning  of  the  third  century,  was  much 
harassed  by  disorders  and  persecutions,  great  numbers  of  them 
sought  shelter  in  Arabia  The  principal  tribes  that  embraced 
Christianity  were  Hamyar,  Ghassan,  Rabia,  Taghlah,  Bahra, 
Tomuh,  part  of  those  of  Tay,  and  Kodaa,  the  inhabitants  of  Najran, 
and  the  Arabs  of  Hira.  Such  were  the  principal  religions  which 
obtained  among  the  ancient  Arabs.  For  an  account  of  the  mod- 
ern religion  of  these  people,  see  the  preceding  article. 

Government.~\  The  primitive  form  of  government,  among  the 
Arabs,  was  of  the  patriarchal  kind  ;  and  the  same  form,  according 
to  Niebuhr,  has  ever  subsisted  without  alteration  ;  a  circumstance 
which  proves  the  antiquity  of  this  people.  Among  the  Beduins, 
or  pastoral  Arabs,  the  descendants  of  the  ancient  Scenites,  or 
Sunnites,  it  is  preserved  in  all  its  purity.  Of  these,  such  as  live 
in  tents,  have  many  sheiks,  each  of  whom  governs  his  own  family 
with  a  power  almost  absolute.  All  the  sheiks,  however,  who  be- 
long to  the  same  tribe,  acknowledge  a  common  sheik,  whose  au- 
thority is  limited  by  custom.  The  dignity  of  grand  sheik  is  he- 
reditary in  a  certain  family  ;  but  the  inferior  sheiks,  upon  the 
death  of  a  grand  sheik,  choose  a  successor  out  of  his  family, 
witliout  regard  to  age,  or  lineal  succession,  or  any  other  consid- 
eration, except  superiority  of  abilities.  This  right  of  election 
«bliges  the  grand  sheik  to  treat  those  of  the  infej-ior  order  rather 
as  associates,  than  subjects,  sharing  with  them  his  sovereign  au- 
thority. 

Manyicrs  and  Cu8toms.'\  The  manners  and  customs  of  the  in- 
habitants are  for  the  most  part  similar  to  those  of  the  other  Be- 
duins, so  frequently  described  by  numerous  travellers.  Those  of 
the  country  of  Yemen  have  been  accurately  delineated  by  Niebuhr  ; 
and  this  province  will  probably,  after  the  utmost  discovery,  con- 
tinue to  be  regarded  as  the  most  interesting  portion  ;  represent- 
ing, as  Gibbon  has  observed,  the  Arabia  Felix  of  antiquity.  In 
"V[em,en  murder  is  punished  with  death,  but  oftener  left  to  private 


ARABIA.  647 

revenge,  which  occasions  family  feuds,  that  pestilence  of  society. 
In  politeness  the  Arabs  vie  with  the  Persians,  and  there  arc  still 
rcn>ains  of  their  ancient  hospitality.  The  common  salutation  is 
the  Sala/n  Alekum^  or  Peace  be  with  you  ;  in  pronouncing  which 
Avords  they  raise  the  right  hand  to  the  heart,  but  this  form  is  sel- 
dom addressed  to  Christians.  On  meeting  in  their  wide  deserts, 
the  salutations  are  multiplied  ;  and  the  hand  of  a  superior  is  kiss- 
ed in  token  of  respect.  The  houses,  though  of  stone,  are  meanly 
constructed  ;  the  apartments  of  the  men  being  in  front,  those  of 
the  women  behind.  Of  a  middle  stature,  thin,  and  dried  as  it 
were  by  the  sun,  the  Arab  is  moderate  in  his  food,  the  common, 
people  seldom  exceeding  a  repast  of  bad  bread  made  from  durra, 
a  kind  of  millet,  mixed  with  camel's  milk,  oil,  butter  or  grease  ; 
the  only  drink  being  water.  This  bread  of  durra,  custom  has 
taught  them  to  prefer  to  that  of  barley,  which,  though  pleasant, 
they  think  unsubstantial.  Meat  is  little  used,  even  by  the  rich, 
who  deem  it  unhealthy  in  a  hot  climate.  The  orientals  in  gener- 
al being  water-drinkers,  they  are  very  fond  of  pastry.  The  most 
noted  drink  is  coffee,  which  they  prepare  like  the  Turks,  by  burn- 
ing it  in  an  open  pan,  and  then  bruising  in  a  stone  or  wooden  mortar. 
In  Yemen  it  is  rarely  used,  as  in  their  opinion  it  heats  the  blood  ; 
but  of  the  shells,  or  husks  of  the  coffee,  they  prepare  a  liquor  in 
the  manner  of  tea.  The  most  distinguished  Arabs  use  porcelaia 
from  China,  while  the  common  people  have  recourse  to  earthen 
ware.  Spirituous  liquors,  though  forbidden,  are  not  absolutely 
unknown  ;  and  they  sometimes  smoke  a  plant  resembling  hemp, 
which  produces  intoxication  ;  nor  is  tobacco  neglected,  which  is 
smoked  either  in  the  Turkish  or  Persian  manner. 

Bress.'l  There  is  a  great  variety  in  the  national  dress  of  the 
Arabians.  Their  head-dress  consists  of  fifteen  caps  laid  over  one 
another  ;  some  of  which  are  of  linen,  and  the  rest  of  thick  cloth, 
cotton.  The  uppermost  one  is  richly  embroidered  with  gold,  and 
some  sentence  of  the  Koran  ;  and  over  all  they  wrap  a  large  piece 
of  muslin,  ornamented  at  the  ends,  and  flowing  loose  upon  the 
.shoulders,  with  silk  or  golden  fringes.  The  Arabs  of  the  com- 
mon classes  wear  only  two  caps,  with  the  sash  carelessly  bound 
on  the  head.  Some  have  drawers  and  a  shirt ;  but  the  greater 
number  have  only  a  piece  of  linen  about  their  loins,  a  large  girdle 
and  a  piece  of  clcth  upon  their  shoulders  ;  in  other  respects  they 
are  naked,  having  neither  shoes  nor  stockings.  In  the  highlands, 
where  the  weather  is  colder,  the  people  wear  sheep-skins  ;  and 
in  the  night,  as  a  security  against  insects,  they  sleep  in  sacks. 
Persons  of  middle  rank  wear  sandals,  instead  of  shoes.  The  or- 
dinary dress  of  the  Arabs  is  very  simple  ;  but  they  have  also  a 
sort  of  great  coat  without  sleeves,  called  "  abba,"  which  is  still 
more  simple.  In  several  parts  of  Arabia  the  men  wear  no  draw- 
ers ;  but  these,  with  a  large  shirt,  are  the  whole  dress  used  by  the 
women.  In  several  provinces,  they  wear  dififcrent  sorts  of  veils. 
All  wear  rings  on  their  fingers,  arms,  nose,  and  ears.  They  stain 
their  nails  red,  and  their  hands  and  feet  of  a  brownish  yellow, 
with  juice  of  the  alhenna  ;  and  they  paint  the  circle  of  the  eyes. 


648  ARA!5IA. 

and  even  the  eye-lashes  black,  with  a  preparation  of  lead  ore. 
The  wonien  of  Yemen  also  make  punctures  in  the  face,  to  im- 
prove their  beauty.  All  wear  the  beard  of  its  natural  length  ;  but 
the  Arabs  keep  the  mustaches  very  short.  The  Jews  are  forbid- 
den the  use  of  the  turban,  wearing  instead  of  it,  a  small  bonnet  ; 
nor  are  they  permitted  to  dress  in  any  color  but  blue.  The  dress 
of  the  Banians,  settled  in  Arabia,  consists  of  a  red  turban  of  a  par- 
ticular form,  a  piece  of  white  linen  upon  their  shoulders,  another 
about  their  loins,  and  slippers. 

Language.']  The  language  of  the  Arabs  was,  even  in  ancient 
times  divided  into  several  dialects,  as  may  be  suspected  from  its 
wide  diffusion.*  Even  in  Yemen  there  are  subdivisions  ;  and  po- 
lite people  use  a  different  enunciation  from  the  vulgar.  The  lan- 
guage of  the  Koran  is  so  different  from  the  modern  speech  of 
Mecca,  that  it  is  taught  in  the  colleges  there,  as  the  Latin  is  at 
Rome.  The  chief  poets  are  now  found  among  the  wandering 
Arabs  in  the  country  of  Jof,  or  Mareb,  adjoining  to  Yemen  on  the 
E.f  Some  also  appear  in  the  towns,  where  they  amuse  the  com- 
pany in  coffee-houses  ;  in  this,  as  in  other  respects,  resembling 
the  Turkish.  The  ancient  treasures  of  Arabian  literature  ai*e 
•well  known  to  the  learned  world  ;  but  few  of  these  noble  monu- 
ments were  composed  in  Arabia,  being  mostly  produced  in  the 
conquered  countries  from  Samarcand  to  Cordova. 

Literature.~]  The  mode  of  education  among  the  Arab's  is  very 
different  from  that  of  the  Europeans.  The  former  strive  to  hasten 
the  age  of  maturity,  as  much  as  the  latter  endeavor  to  retard  it. 
The  Arabs,  says  Niebuhr,  are  never  children ;  but  many  Euro- 
peans continue  children  all  their  life.  As  soon  as  boys  leave  the 
hai"am,abovit  the  age  of  five  or  six  years,  they  are  accustomed  to 
think  and  speak  with  gravity,  and  to  pass  whole  days  in  the  com- 
pany of  their  fathers  or  preceptors.  In  the  cities  many  of  the 
lowest  rank  are  taught  both  to  read  and  write.  Persons  of  dis- 
tinction retain  preceptors  in  their  families  to  instruct  their  chil- 
dren and  young  slaves.  In  almost  every  mosque  is  a  school,  hav- 
ing a  foundation  for  the  support  of  teachers,  and  the  maintenance 
and  instruction  of  poor  scholars.  In  great  towns,  there  are  like- 
wise other  schools,  to  which  people  of  middle  rank  send  their 
children  to  receive  religious  instruction,  and  to  learn  reading, 
writing,  and  arithmetic.  There  are  no  girls  taught  in  these  schools, 
but  they  are  privately  taught  by  women.  Besides  these  small 
schools,  there  are  more  considerable  seminaries  of  education  in 
some  of  the  great  towns  of  Arabia. 

There  are  colleges,  in  which  the  sciences  of  astronomy,  astrolo- 
gy, philosophy,  and  medicine  are  taught :  but  the  Arabians,  for 
the  want  of  books  and  good  masters,  make  little  progress  ;  and 

•  In  regard  to  the  eittent  of  country  through  which  the  Arabic  is  spoken,  Mr.  Mar- 
tyn  observes,  that  the  Arabic  translation  is  of  more  importarice  than  one  fourth  of  all 
the  transl.itions  now  in  hantl.  "  We  will  begin,"  says  he,  *'  to  preach  to  Arabia,  Syria, 
Persia,  Tartary,  part  of  Imlia  ami  of  China,  half  of  Africa,  all  the  sea-coast  of  the 
Mediten-anean,  and  Turkey  ;  and  one  tongue  shall  suffice  for  them  all." 

Btichannan' s  BeSearch^s, 

t  Niebuhr,  93* 


ARABIA.  649 

their  attainments  are  very  partial  and  imperfect.  In  the  domin- 
ions of  Imam,  there  have  been  for  a  long;  time  two  famous  acade- 
mies ;  one  at  Zebid,  the  other  at  Damar.  The  chief  employment 
of  men  of  letters  among  the  Arabians,  are  the  interpretation  of 
the  Koran,  and  the  study  of  the  ancient  history  of  the  Mahometans. 

Some  seeds  cJ"the  sciences  seem  to  have  sprung  up  in  Arabia 
before  they  were  known  to  other  nations.  They  were  the  first 
who  studied  the  laws  of  the  heavenly  bodies.  Their  knowledge 
of  astronomy,  however,  was  neither  very  accurate  nor  very  exten- 
sive. In  Arabia  we  find  the  cradle  of  poetry  and  eloquenceji 
which  had  scarcely  appeared  before  they  arrived  at  sudden  matu- 
rity. Among  the  ancient  Arabs,  eloquence  was  in  high  repute. 
Their  orations  were  of  two  sorts,  metrical  and  prosaic  ;  the  one 
being  compared  to  pearls  strung,  the  other  to  loose  ones.  They 
attempted  to  excel  in  both  ;  and  whoever  was  able  in  an  assembly 
to  persuade  the  people  to  a  great  enterprise,  or  to  dissuade  them 
from  a  dangerous  one,  or  gave  them  any  other  salutary  advice, 
was  honored  with  the  title  of  "  Khatab,"  or  orator,  which  is  now 
given  to  the  Mahometan  preachers. 

The  Arab  learning  in  the  first  period,  called  the  time  of  igno- 
rance, consisted,  according  to  Abulpharagius,  in  the  knowledge 
of  their  language,  the  propriety  of  discourse,  the  composition  of 
verse,  and  the  science  of  the  stars  ;  but  their  chief  attention  seems 
to  have  been  directed  to  oratory  and  poetry.  The  second  period 
is  more  distinguished,  at  least  from  the  time  of  Al  Mamon,  who 
flourished  about  the  year  820,  and  has  the  honor  of  being  the 
founder  of  the  modern  Arabian  learning.  Almanzor,  about  fifty 
years  before  Al  Mamon,  commenced  the  literary  reform,  when  he 
moved  the  imperial  seat  from  Damascus  to  Bagdad  ;  and  when 
he  extended  the  Arabian  literature,  which  had  been  confined  to 
medicine  and  a  few  other  branches,  to  sciences  of  every  denomi- 
nation. His  grandson,  Al  Mamon,  completed  the  work  which 
was  only  begun,  and  sent  for  all  the  best  books  out  of  Chaldea, 
Greece,  Egypt,  and  Persia,  relating  to  physic,  astronomy,  cosmog- 
raphy, music,  chronology.  Sec.  and  pensioned  a  number  of  learned 
men,  skilled  in  the  several  languages  and  sciences,  to  translate 
them  into  Arabic.  By  this  means,  divers  of  the  Greek  authors, 
lost  in  their  own  country  and  language,  have  been  preserved  in 
Arabic.  The  eastern  conquerors  carried  their  empire  from  Asia, 
even  into  the  remote  regions  of  Spain  ;  and  letters  followed  them 
wherever  they  went. 

From  that  time  Arabia  became  the  chief  seat  of  learning  ;  and 
we  find  mention  made  of  learned  men  and  books,  without  number. 
The  revival  of  learning  in  the  tenth  century,  by  Gorbert,  known 
after  his  elevation  to  the  pontificate,  by  the  title  of  Silvester  II. 
and  afterwards  among  tlie  Europeans  in  general,  may  be  ascribed 
to  the  instructions  and  writings  of  the  Arabian  doctors  and  phi- 
losophers, and  to  the  schools  which  they  founded  in  several  parts 
of  Spain  and  Italy.  And  in  the  twelfth  century,  the  inquisitive  of 
different  countries  frequented  the  schools  of  the  Saracens  in  Spain, 
and  disseminated  the  knowledge  which  they  obtained  there,  after 

VOL.   II,  82 


650  ARABIA. 

their  return.  At  this  time,  many  of  the  learned  productions  oi 
the  Arabians  were  translated  into  Latin,  which  facilitated  the  gen- 
eral progress  of  science. 

Cities  and  Toivns.]  Arabia  has  been  compared  to  a  cloke  of 
frize,  laced  with  gold,  the  skirts  alone  presenting  cities  and  other 
marks  of  civilization,  while  the  great  mass  of  the  countiy  is  pos- 
sessed by  wandering  tribes.  The  most  celebrated  cities  are 
Mecca  and  Medina  ;  but  being  sacred  ground,  the  infidels  are 
not  permitted  to  approach ;  and  Ave  are  obliged  to  trust  to  the  in- 
accuracy and  exaggeration  of  oriental  writers.  Mecca  "  was 
known  to  the  Greeks  under  the  name  of  Macoraba,  and  has  not,  in 
the  most  flourishing  period,  exceeded  the  size  and  populousness 
of  Marseilles.  Some  latent  motive,  perhaps  of  superetition,  must 
l;ave  impelled  the  founders  in  the  choice  of  a  most  unpromising 
situation.  They  erected  their  habitations  of  mud  or  stone,  in  a 
plain  about  2  miles  long  and  1  mile  broad,  at  the  foot  of  three  bar- 
ren mountains  :  the  soil  is  a  rock  ;  the  water  even  of  the  holy 
well  of  Zemzem  is  bitter  or  brackish  ;  the  pastures  are  remote 
from  the  city  ;  and  gi*apes  are  transported  above  seventy  miles, 
from  the  gardens  of  Tayef.  The  fame  and  spirit  of  the  Kore- 
ishites,  who  reigned  in  Mecca,  were  conspicuous  among  the  Ara- 
bian tribes  ;  but  their  ungrateful  soil  refused  the  labors  of  agri- 
culture, and  their  position  was  favorable  to  the  enterprises  of 
trade.  By  the  sea-port  of  Jedda,  at  the  distance  only  of  forty 
miles,  they  maintained  an  easy  correspondence  with  Abyssinia. 
The  treasures  of  Africa  were  conveyed  over  the  peninsula  to 
Gerrha  or  Katif  in  the  province  of  Bahrein,  a  city  built,  as  it  is 
said,  of  rock  salt,  by  the  Chaldean  exiles  :  and  from  thence,  with 
the  native  pearls  of  the  Persian  gulf,  they  were  floated  on  rafts 
to  the  mouth  of  the  Euphrates.  Mecca  is  placed  almost  at  an 
equal  distance,  a  month's  journey,  between  Yemen  on  the  right 
and  Syria  on  the  left  hand.  The  former  was  the  winter,  the  latter 
the  summer  station  of  her  caravans.  In  the  markets  of  Saana 
and  Merab,  in  the  harbors  of  Oman  and  Aden,  the  camels  of 
the  Koreishites  were  laden  with  a  precious  cargo  of  aromatics  j 
a  supply  of  corn  and  manufactures  was  purchased  in  the  fairs  of 
Bostra  and  Damascus  ;  the  lucrative  exchange  diffused  plenty 
and  riches  in  the  streets  of  Mecca  ;  and  the  noblest  of  her  sons 
united  the  lore  of  arms  with  the  profession  of  merchandize."* 

The  government  of  this  holy  city  is  vested  in  a  sheref,  who  is  a 
temporal  prince  ;  and  his  revenue  is  increased  by  the  donations 
of  Mahometan  sovereigns. 

Medina  stands  about  200  miles  N.  of  Mecca,  being,  as  well  as 
the  latter,  about  a  day's  journey  from  the  shores  of  the  Red  Sea. 
It  is,  according  to  Niebuhr,  a  small  town,  surrounded  with  a 
paltry  wall,  little  remarkable  except  for  the  tomb  of  Mahomet. 

Sana,  or  Saana,  in  Yemen,  is  reputed  at  present  the  chief  city 
of  Arabia.  It  is  situated  at  the  bottom  of  a  mountain  called  Nik- 
k\j.m,  near  which  is  a  spacious  garden.     'I'he  city  is  not  very  ex- 

*  Gibbon,  ix.  227. 


ARABIA.  6.51 

tensive,  as  one  may  walk  round  it  in  the  space  of  an  hour,  so  that 
the  circuit  cannot  exceed  four  miles  ;  and  even  of  this  small  space 
a  part  is  occupied  by  gardens.*  The  walls  are  of  brick,  with 
seven  gates  ;  and  there  are  several  palaces  of  burnt  brick,  or  of 
stone ;  but  the  common  houses  are  of  bricks  dried  in  the  sun. 
There  are  several  caravanseras  for  merchants  and  travellers- 
Fuel  is  extremely  rare  though  thex'e  be  some  pit-coal  and  peat ; 
but  wood  is  scarce,  even  in  the  Happy  Arabia,  There  are  excel- 
lent fruits,  particularly  grapes  of  many  varieties.  About  d  miles 
to  the  north  there  is  a  pleasant  dale,  enlivened  with  several  rivu- 
lets ;  and  to  the  west  is  a  considerable  stream. 

When  such  is  the  chief  city  of  Arabia,  the  description  of  the 
others  cannot  be  very  interesting.  Mocha  is  well  built,  the  houses 
very  lofty,  and  are  with  the  walls  and  forts  covered  with  a  chi- 
nam  or  stucco,  that  gives  a  dazzling  whiteness  to  them.  The  har- 
bor is  semicircular,  the  circuit  of  the  wall  is  two  miles,  and  there 
are  several  handsome  mosques  in  the  city. 

Suez,  the  Arsinoe  of  the  ancients,  is  surrounded  by  the  desert, 
and  but  a  desolate  place.  The  ships  are  forced  to  anchor  a  league 
from  the  town,  to  which  the  leading  channel  has  only  about  nine 
feet  water.  It  stands  at  the  extremity  of  the  Red  Sea,  having  the 
sea  to  the  E.  the  harbor  to  the  S.  which  is  formed  by  an  island  E. 
No  water  can  be  procured  within  six  or  seven  hours  journey  to  the 
N.  E.     It  lies  in  lat.  29  50  N.  Ion.  30  28  E.f 

Jedda  is  the  place  of  the  greatest  trade  in  the  Red  Sea,  and  is 
the  sea  port  of  Arabia,  for  there  the  commerce  between  Arabia 
and  Europe  meets  and  is  interchanged,  the  former  sending  her 
gums,  drugs,  coffee,  &c.  and  from  Europe  comes  cloths,  iron,  furs 
and  other  articles  by  the  way  of  Cairo.  The  port  of  Jedda,  ac- 
cording to  Mr.  Bruce,  is  very  extensive,  consisting  of  numberless 
shoals, -small  islands,  and  sunken  rocks,  with  deep  channels  be- 
tween them.  The  harbor  is  very  secure,  but  difficult  of  entrance  ; 
the  pilots,  however,  are  very  skilful  and  accidents  seldom  happen. 

Kesem  or  Keschin  belongs  to  the  country  called  MahraJi  :  to 
the  sheik  of  this  town  the  noted  isle  of  Socotra  belongs,  which  is 
celebrated  for  aloes. |  The  province  of  Omon  is  divided  among 
many  sheiks,  but  Rostak  is  esteemed  the  capital,  Maskat  is 
however  the  most  considerable  town,  and  the  best  known  to  Eu- 
ropeans, having  an  excellent  harbor,  and  being  from  early  times  a 
staple  of  trade  between  Arabia,  Persia,  and  the  Indies.  It  was 
taken  by  the  Portuguese  in  1508,  and  they  retained  it  for  a  century 
and  a  half.  It  is  visited  by  English  ships  from  Hindostan  ;  and 
such  is  its  consequence,  that  the  Imam  or  prince  of  Oman  is  often 
styled  Imam  of  Maskat. 

Lahsa,  the  capital  of  the  province  so  called,  is  a  large  and  well 
built  town,  standing  on  a  torrent  which  falls  into  a  considerable 
bay  opposite  to  the  isle  of  Bahrin,  celebrated  for  the  pearL 
fishery-! 

•  Nieb.  Desc.  201.  +  Journal  to  Siuais 

*  Niebuhr,  248.  4  lb.  attk 


■m- 


6SS2  ARABIA. 

Edifice^J]  Among  the  chief  edifices  of  Arabia  must  be  named 
the  Kaba,  or  temple  of  Mecca,  which,  according  to  the  represen- 
tation of  Niebuhr,  rather  resembles  the  old  Asiatic  temples  of 
Hindostan  and  Slam  than  a  mosque,  being  an  open  square,  encom- 
passed with  a  colonade,  and  ornamented  with  minarets,  as  the  oth- 
ers are  with  pyramids  or  obelisks. ,  In  this  open  space,  which,  as 
well  as  that  of  Medina,  it  seems  improper  to  call  a  mosque,  there 
ai'c  five  or  six  houses  of  prayer,  or  chapels  ;  while  in  the  cen- 
time is  a  small  square  edifice,  peculiarly  styled  the  Kaba,  in  which 
is  fixed  a  black  stone,  the  early  object  cf  Arabian  adoration. 

ManufacturesJ]  Although  the  Arabians  are  ingenious  and  dil- 
igent, their  manufactures  are  of  little  consequence.  The  me- 
chanical arts  conH  not  well  be  brought  to  any  considerable  degree 
of  perfection  among  a  people,  who  knew  but  few  wants.  As  their 
productions  are  less  splendid  than  useful,  it  is  rather  in  towns,  than 
in  the  bosom  of  deserts  that  they  grow  up  ;  because  necessity  is 
the  parent  of  industry.  The  Arabs,  entirely  occupied  in  warring 
against  man  and  beast,  excelled  only  in  the  manufacture  of  scym- 
ctars,  bows  and  arrows,  and  darts  ;  their  musquets  being  mere 
matchlocks  of  mean  execution  :  nor  have  they  made  any  great 
progress  in  modern  times. 

Even  in  Yemen,  the  works  in  gold  and  silver,  and  the  coin  itself, 
are  produced  by  Jewish  manufacturers.  In  the  whole  country  of 
Arabia  there  are  neither  wind-mills  nor  water-mills.  At  Mocha 
there  is  one  glass-house  ;  and  in  Yemen  there  are  some  coarse 
linen  manufactures.  Their  cotton  stuffs  were  never  greatly  es- 
teemed ;  and  few  of  their  other  manufactures  are  the  produce  of 
the  skill  and  labor  of  native  Arabians. 

Co}nmerce.~\  The  commerce  of  Arabia  was  formerly  very  con- 
siderable, as  its  ports  facilitated  a  communication  between  the 
eastern  and  western  world.  But  since  the  Portuguese  opened  a 
passage  to  India  by  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  its  intercourse  with 
Hindostan  has  very  much  declined.  From  Yemen  are  exported 
coffee,  aloes,  myrrh  (the  best  of  which  is  from  Abyssinia,)  oliba- 
num,  or  an  inferior  kind  of  frankincense,  senna,  ivory,  and  gold 
from  Abyssinia.  The  European  imports  were  iron,  steel,  cannon, 
lead,  tin,  cochineal,  mirrors,  knives,  sabres,  cut  glass,  and  false 
peaiis.  Niebuhr  regards  aloes  and  frankincense,  (the  latter 
chiefly  from  Hadramaut,)  as  the  only  native  articles  of  com- 
merce, before  coffee  came  into  use.*  The  pi'incipal  trading 
ports  are  Jedda  or  Gedda,  the  harbor  of  Mecca,  Loheia,  and  Beit 
el  Fakih,  carrying  on  a  considerable  trade  in  coffee  ;  Hodeida, 
Mocha,  Aden,  Mascat,  Sur  or  Seger,  Faitach  and  Dafar,  on  the 
Arabian  ocean  ;  Bahrin  and  El  Katif  in  the  gulf  of  Bassora. 

Besides  the  maritime  commerce,  a  considerable  traffic  is  car- 
ried on  by  land  by  means  of  the  caravans  of  Aleppo  and  Suez, 
which  bring  hither  velvets,  sattins,  armoisins,  and  all  sorts  of  rich 
stuffs  ;  saffron,  mercury,  vermilion,  &c.  and  take  in  return  partly 

•  p.  245. 


ARABIA.  B5S 


the  natural  products  of  the  country,  partly  manufactures,  and 
partly  foreign  merchandize  brought  from  the  Indies,  from  Aleppo, 
and  from  Europe. 


CHAPTER  II. 


NATURAL  GEOGRAPHY. 

CLIMATE  AXD  SEASONS,  FACE  OF  THE  COUNTRY,  SOIL  AND  AG- 
RICULTURE, RIVERS,  MOUNTAINS,  DESERTS,  BOTANY,  ZOOLOGY, 
MINERALOGY,  NATURAL  CURIOSITIES,  ISLES. 

Clbnate  and  Seasons.']  IN  the  mountains  of  Yemen 
there  is  a  regular  rainy  season,  from  the  middle  of  June  to  the  end 
of  September  ;  but  even  then  the  sky  is  rarely  covei-ed  with 
clouds  for  twenty-four  hours  at  a  time  ;  and  during  the  remainder 
of  the  year  a  cloud  is  scai'cely  to  be  seen.  At  Maskat,  and  in  the 
eastern  mountains,  the  rainy  season  extends  from  the  middle  of 
November  to  the  middle  of  February  ;  and  in  Omon  there  is  rain 
from  the  middle  of  February  to  the  middle  of  April.  In  the  plains 
of  Yemen  rain  is  sometimes  unknown  for  a  whole  year  :  and  in 
July  and  August  the  thermometer  will  be  98°,  while  at  Sana  in  the 
mountains  it  is  85°.  In  general  the  wind  from  the  sea  is  moist, 
and  that  from  the  interior  deserts  is  dry,  in  the  northern  parts  of 
which  are  chiefly  perceived  the  disastrous  effects  of  the  burning 
wind  called  Samiel. 

Face  of  the  Coimtry.']  The  general  aspect  of  Arabia  presents 
a  central  desert  of  great  extent,  with  a  few  fertile  oases  or  isles,  as 
in  Africa  ;  while  the  flourishing  provinces  are  those  situated  on 
the  shores  of  the  sea,  which  supplies  rain  sufficient  to  maintain  the 
vegetation.  In  Yemen  there  are  mountains  of  considerable  height, 
but  chiefly  barren  and  unwooded ;  while  the  temperature  and 
plants  form  a  striking  contrast  with  those  of  the  plains  :  yet  the 
want  of  rivers,  lakes,  and  perennial  streams,  must  diffuse  ideas 
of  sterility  through  the  Arabian  landscape. 

Soil  and  jigricultureJ]  The  nature  of  the  soil  has  not  been  in- 
dicated. The  grain  in  general  yields  little  more  than  ten  for  one  ; 
but  the  durra  sometimes  greatly  exceeds  this  ratio,  yielding  in  the 
high  lands  140,  and  in  the  Tehama,  or  plain,  from  200  to  400.  By 
their  mode  of  sowing  and  watering  this  grain  the  inhabitants  of 
Tehama  i*eap  three  successive  crops  from  the  same  field  in  the 
same  year.  The  plow  is  simple  :  and  the  pick  is  used  instead  of 
the  spade.  The  chief  exertion  of  agricultural  industry  is  to  water 
the  lands  from  the  rivulets  and  wells,  or  by  conducting  the  rains. 
The  harvest  is  torn  up  by  the  roots,  and  forage  cut  with  the  sickle. 
Barley  is  reaped  near  Sana  in  the  middle  of  July  ;  but  the  season 
depends  on  the  situation.  At  Maskat  wheat  and  barley  are  sown 
in  December,  and  reaped  in  March. 

Aniong  the  chief  vegetable  products  of  Arabia^  Niebiihr  reck- 


654  ARABIA. 

ons  aloes,  myrrh,  frankincense  of  an  inferior  kind,  and  coffee  ; 
and  also  cocoa  trees,  pomegranates,  dates,  apricots,  peaches,  al- 
monds, filberts,  pears,  figs,  and  tamarinds.  But  the  best  frankin- 
cense, with  spikenards,  cinnamon,  cassia,  cardamums,  and  pep» 
per,  are  imported  from  Hindostan.  The  orange  trees  are  brought 
from  Portugal,  and  the  lemon  from  Italy  ;  the  mangosteen  and 
cocoa,  with  several  others,  are  imported  from  Hindostan. 

Rivers.']  In  the  defect  of  rivers  strictly  belonging  to  Arabia, 
the  Euphrates  and  Tigris,  which  pass  through  Irak  Arabi,  have 
been  claimed  by  some  geographers  ;  and  the  Euphi*ates  may  be 
aptly  considered  as  an  Arabian  river.  But  in  Arabia  Proper  what 
are  called  rivers  are  mere  torrents,  which  descend  from  the  moun- 
tains during  the  rains,  and  for  a  short  period  afterwards.  The 
most  important  river  is  probably  that  which  rises  near  Sana,  and 
joins  the  Indian  sea  below  Harjiah.  The  smaller  streams  of 
Yemen  may  be  traced  in  Niebuhr's  map  of  that  country.  The  lit- 
tle river  of  Krim  flows  from  Mahrah  into  the  same  soa,  and  is 
followed  by  two  or  three  brooks  in  Omon.  One  or  two  small  sa- 
line lakes  occur  in  situations  encircled  wich  hills,  which  prevent 
the  water  from  passing. 

Momitains  and  Deserts.~\  The  chief  range  of  mountains  seems 
to  proceed  in  the  direction  of  the  Red  Sea  ;  towards  the  N.  not 
more  than  30  miles  distant,  but  sometimes  in  the  S.  about  150,  a 
circumstance  which  imparts  extent  and  fertility  to  Yemen.  The- 
hills  of  Omon  seem  a  continuation  of  those  on  the  other  side  of 
the  Persian  gulf  ;  and  the  isles  in  the  mouth  of  that  gulf  may  be 
regarded  as  summits  of  that  range.  In  the  country  of  Seger, 
commonly  ascribed  to  Hadramaut,  there  is  a  range  of  hills  re- 
markable for  the  product  of  frankincense. 

What  is  called  the  d&sert  of  Sinai,  is  a  beautiful  plain  nearly 
nine  miles  long,  and  above  three  in  breadth  ;  it  lies  open  to  the 
north-cast,  but  to  the  southward  is  closed  by  some  of  the  lower  em- 
inences of  Mount  Sinai ;  and  other  parts  of  that  mountain  make 
such  encroachments  upon  the  plain  as  to  divide  it  into  two,  each 
so  capacious  as  to  be  sufficient  to  receive  the  whole  camp  of  the 
Israelites. 

From  Mount  Sinai,  may  be  seen  Mount  Horeb,  where  Moses 
kept  the  flocks  of  Jethro,  his  father-in-law,  when  he  saw  the  burn- 
ing bush.  On  those  mountains,  are  many  chapels  and  cells,  pos- 
sessed by  the  Greek  and  Latin  monks,  who,  like  the  religious  at 
Jerusalem,  pretend  to  shew  the  very  spot  where  every  mii'acle  or 
transaction  recorded  in  scripture  happened. 

Sinai  is  a  lofty,  steep  mountain,  ascended  by  14,000  stone  steps. 
On  the  summit  is  a  Christian  church,  and  a  Turkish  mosque.  In 
a  vale  not  far  remote  stands  the  solitary  rock,  now  called  by  the 
Arabs,  the  stone  of  Moses  ;  by  the  Greeks,  the  stone  of  the  foun- 
iainsy  which  Moses  struck  and  the  water  flowed.  It  is  twelve 
feet  high,  eight  or  ten  broad.  It  is  a  granite  marble,  of  brick 
color.  There  remain  on  it  to  this  day,  the  lively  impressions  of 
the  miracle.  Still  we  see  the  place  whence  the  water  gushed. 
Twelve  dilferent  openings,  as  so  many  mouths,  proclaim  the  gen- 
\iiuenegs  of  scripture  history.     Exod.  xvii.  1 . 


ARABIA.  655 

In  the  wilderness  of  Paran  is  also  the  rock  mentioned  J^umb. 
XX.  2,  which  Moses  struck  twice,  before  the  water  flowed,  thirty- 
eight  years  distant  from  the  other  transaction.  This  is  a  large 
rock,  and  like  the  other  shows  various  openings  from  top  to  bot- 
tom, whence  the  water  burst  when  smitten  by  the  rod  of  Moses.* 

The  sandy  deserts  of  Arabia  are  more  striking  objects  than  the 
mountains.  From  Omon  to  Mecca  the  greater  part  of  Neged  is 
one  prodigious  desert,  interrupted  towards  the  frontiers  of  Hejaz 
and  Yemen,  by  Kerje,  containing  the  district  of  Sursa,  and  some 
fertile  spots  and  towns,  indicated  by  Niebuhr.  The  N.  W.  part 
of  Neged  presents  almost  a  continued  desert,  a  prolongation  as 
appears  of  the  other,  with  an  oasi*,  Arcd  on  the  W.  ofLahsa,  in- 
cluding Jabrin,  and  some  other  places  mentioned  by  the  same  au- 
thor. In  this  desert  there  is  also  the  oasis  of  Mount  Schamer,  and 
perhaps  several  others,  which  may  remain  for  a  long  time  un- 
known to  geography. 

Botany.'^  The  greater  part  of  Arabia  being  composed  of  dry 
barren  deserts  of  sand,  wholly  destitute  of  rivers,  and  containing 
but  here  and  there  a  few  scanty  springs  of  brackish  water,  offers 
no  adequate  recompense  to  botanical  investigations.  The  veget- 
ables in  these  districts  are  of  rare  occurrence,  and  consist  chiefly 
of  the  saline  succulent  species  able  to  endure  the  full  force  of  a 
vertical  sun,  with  no  other  refreshment  than  what  is  afforded  by 
the  nightly  dews.  The  greater  part  of  them  have  little  external 
beauty,  and  when  found  in  more  propitious  climates  obtain  notice 
only  from  their  singularity  :  here,  however,  they  serve  to  miti- 
gate the  thirst  of  the  parched  camel,  and  to  keep  up  the  spirits  of 
the  toiling  caravan,  by  breaking  in  occasionally  on  the  melan- 
choly uniformity  of  the  desert.  A  more  interesting  scene,  hov/- 
evci',  is  presented  to  the  botanist  on  the  western  side  of  the  Ara- 
bian desert ;  here  numerous  rivulets  descend  from  the  mountains 
into  the  Red  sea,  and  scatter  with  a  lavish  hand  fragrance  and 
verdure  wherever  they  flow :  the  mountains  themselves  too, 
whence  these  streams  originate,  abound  in  vegetation,  so  that  the 
plants  in  this  part  of  Arabia  may  be  conveniently  distributed  into 
three  classes,  namely,  those  that  inhabit  the  sea  shore,  the  plains, 
and  the  mountains.  The  first  of  these  divisions  bears  a  near  affin- 
ity to  the  scanty  flora  of  the  desert :  a  sandy  soil  impregnated 
with  salt,  and  an  open  exposure  to  the  influence  of  the  sun,  pro- 
duce similar  effects  in  both  situations.  The  champain  country, 
between  the  shore  and  the  mountains,  though  traversed  by  streams, 
fs  yet  too  deficient  in  water  to  support  the  luxuriant  vegetation 
that  distinguishes  the  plains  of  India  ;  the  lower  parts  are  chiefly 
occupied  by  grasses  and  other  humble  plants,  which  afford  a  most 
grateful  sustenance  to  the  flocks  and  herds  of  the  pastoral  tribes 
that  wander  over  them.  The  sides  of  the  rivers,  the  valleys 
among  the  mountains,  and  the  plains  at  their  feet,  are  far  superior 
to  the  rest  of  the  country.  Here  cultivation  and  nature  seem  to 
(fontend  with  each  other  in  the  richness  of  their  productions  j  nor 

•  Journal  to  Sinoi.- 


656  ARABIA. 

is  it  easy  to  assign  exactly  the  limits  of  each.  Many  of  the  Indian 
and  Persian  plants,  distinguished  for  their  beauty  or  use,  have 
been  transported  hither  in  former  ages,  and  are  now  found  in  a 
truly  indigenous  state  ;  this  is  probably  the  case  with  the  tama- 
rind, the  cotton  tfee,  the  pomegranate,  the  banyan  tree,  or  Indian 
fig,  the  sugar  cane,  and  a  multitude  of  valuable  species  and  varie- 
ties of  melons  and  gourds.  Two  valuable  trees  however  arc  the 
peculiar  boast  of  Arabia  Felix,  namely,  the  coffee,  found  both  cul- 
tivated and  wild,  and  the  amyris  opobalsamum,  from  which  is  pro- 
cured the  balm  of  Mecca,  the  most  fragrant  and  costly  of  all  the 
gum  resins.  There  are  no  proper  forests  in  Arabia,  although 
groves  and  scattered  trees  are  by  no  means  unfrequent  among  the 
mountains.  Of  the  palms,  it  possesses  the  date,  the  cocoa  nut, 
and  the  great  fan  palm.  The  sycamore  fig,  the  plantain,  the  al- 
mond and  apricot,  the  bead  tree,  the  mimosa  nilotica  and  sensitiva, 
and  the  orange,  nearly  complete  the  catalogue  of  its  native  and 
cultivated  trees.  The  list  of  shrubs  and  herbaceous  plants  does 
not  contain  many  that  would  be  interesting  to  the  general  reader : 
among  these,  however,  may  be  particularized  the  ricinus,  the  li- 
quorice, and  the  senna,  all  used  in  medicine  ;  and  the  white  lily 
and  greater  pancratium,  distinguished  for  their  beauty  and  frag- 
rance. 

Zoologij.']  The  horse  is  the  glory  of  Arabian  zoology.  Ac- 
cording to  Zimmerman  this  animal  is  found  wild  in  the  extensive 
deserts  on  the  N.  of  Hadramaut.*  They  are  here  divided  into  two 
great  classes,  the  Kadhhi,  or  common  kind,  whose  genealogy  has 
not  been  preserved  ;  and  the  Kochlatii,  or  noble  horses,  whose 
breed  has  been  ascertained  for  tAVO  thousand  years,  proceeding,  as 
they  fable,  from  the  stalls  of  Solomon.  They  are  reared  by  the 
Bedouins,  in  the  northern  deserts,  between  Bassora,  Merdin,  and 
the  frontiers  of  Syria  ;  and  though  they  are  neither  large  nor 
beautiful,  their  race  and  hereditary  qualities  being  the  only  objects 
of  estimation,  the  preservation  of  their  breed  is  carefully  and  au- 
thentically witnessed  ;  and  the  oflspring  of  a  Kochlani  stallion 
with  an  ignoble  race  is  reputed  Kadischi.  These  will  bear  the 
greatest  fatigues,  and  pass  whole  days  without  food,  living,  ac- 
cording to  the  Arabian  metaphor,  on  air.  They  are  said  to  rush 
on  a  foe  with  impetuosity  ;  and  it  is  asserted  that  some  of  them, 
when  wounded  in  battle,  will  withdraw  to  a  spot  where  their  mas- 
ter may  be  secure  ;  and  if  he  fall  they  will  neigh  for  assistance. 
Accordingly  their  value  is  derived  from  their  singular  agility,  and 
extreme  docility,  and  an  uncommon  attachment  to  their  masters. 
The  Arabian  steeds  are  sometimes  bought  at  excessive  rates  by 
the  English,  at  Mocha.  There  is  also  in  this  country  a  superior 
breed  of  asses,  approaching  in  foam  and  qualities  to  the  mule,  and 
Sold  at  high  prices. 

This  region,  or  Africa,  seems  also  the  native  country  of  the 
camel,  emphatically  styled  by  the  orientals  the  ship  of  the  desert ; 
teing,  by  the  expansion  of  its  feet,  the  faculty  of  bearing  thirst 

•  Zoologia  Geographka,  1777,  4to.  p.  UO,  from  Leo  Afilf. 


ARABIA.  657 

atKl  hunger,  and  other  qualities,  peculiarly  adapted  by  the  author 
of  nature  to  perambulate  the  sandy  wastes,  which  would  otherwise 
remain  unpassable. 

The  buffalo  seems  unknown,  being  an  animal  which  delights  in 
mud  and  water  ;  but  the  cattle  have  generally  a  hunch  on  the 
shoulder.  The  breed  of  sheep  has  not  been  particularly  illustrat- 
ed ;  but  it  would  appear  that  both  the  wool  and  mutton  are  coarse. 
The  rock  goat  is  said  to  be  found  in  the  mountains  of  Arabia  Pe- 
trca.  The  other  animals  are  the  jakkal,  or  chacal ;  the  hyena  to- 
wards the  Persian  gulf  ;  numerous  monkeys  in  the  woods  of  Ye- 
men ;  the  jerboa,  or  rat  of  Pharaoh,  in  Neged  :  there  are  also  an- 
telopes, and  wild  oxen,  with  wolves,  foxes,  and  wild  boars,  and 
the  large  and  small  panther.  The  tiger  seems  utterly  unknown ; 
and  the  lion  only  appears  beyond  the  Euphrates.  Among  the 
birds  may  be  named  the  pheasant,  common  in  the  forests  of  Ye- 
men, as  the  grey  partridge  is  in  the  plains  ;  while  the  ostrich  is 
no  stranger  in  the  deserts.  A  bird  of  the  thrush  kind,  venerated 
because  it  destroys  the  locusts,  is  thought  to  come  annually  from 
Corasan.  Land  tortoises  abound  ;  and  are  eaten  by  the  Chris- 
tians in  Lent.  A  little  slender  serpent,  called  baetan,  spotted 
Avith  black  and  white,  is  of  a  nature  remarkably  poisonous,  the 
bite  being  instant  death.  The  locust  too  is  numerous  ;  but  the 
natives  esteem  the  red  kind  as  a  iat  and  juicy  food,  and  view  it 
with  no  more  aversion  than  shrimps  or  prawns  are  beheld  by  us. 

Mineralogy.']  The  mineralogy  of  Arabia  is  of  small  importance. 
It  has  no  native  gold,  nor  any  silver,  besides  that  which  is  mingled 
in  the  lead  mines  of  Oman.  In  the  northern  district  of  Yemen, 
called  Saade,  there  are  some  mines  of  iron,  which  is  brittle.  Its 
precious  stones  have  been  imported  from  Hindostan  :  its  agates, 
called  Mocha  stones,  are  brought  from  Surat,  and  the  best  cor- 
nelians from  the  gulf  of  Carabay.  Yemen,  however,  produces 
onyxes  ;  a  kind  of  sardonyx  is  found  near  Damar.  Rock  salt  ap- 
pears near  Loheia,  and  in  Ajemen.  Niebuhr  has  observed  pen- 
tagonal pillars  of  salt,  with  blueish  alabaster,  selenite,  and  vari- 
ous spars  ;  but  it  does  not  appear  that  any  of  the  gems  are  pro- 
duced in  Arabia.  The  pearls  and  spices,  of  which  Arabia  for- 
merly boasted,  were  probably  the  products  of  the  Indies  and  the 
coasts  of  Africa.  Near  Haraada,  in  a  district  of  Yemen  called 
Kaukeban,  there  is  a  warm  spring  of  mineral  water. 

JVaturai  Curioside.i.l  Several  of  those  uncommon  appearances 
which  geographers  style  natural  curiosities,  may,  no  doubt,  be 
found  in  this  extensive  country,  when  more  thoroughly  explored. 
Amidst  the  deficiency  of  water,  it  is  not  surprising  that  the  grand 
reservoir  near  the  ancient  city  of  Mareb,  though  in  a  small  part 
a  work  of  art,  was  regarded  as  a  singular  exertion  of  nature.* 
Mareb  is  still  the  chief  town  of  the  province  of  Jof,  about  75 
milf  s  N.  E.  from  Sana,  containing  about  300  mean  houses,  with  a 
wall  and  three  gates.  In  an  adjacent  vale,  about  20  miles  in 
length,  were  united  six  or  seven  rivulets,  running  from  the  west 

•  Niebulir,  240. 
VOL.   rr-.  83 


6SS  ASIATIC  ISLANDS. 

and  from  the  south,  partly  from  Yemen  ;  and  some  said  to  be  pe- 
rennial streams,  full  of  fish.  The  two  chains  of  mountains,  in- 
closing this  vale,  approach  so  near  at  the  east  end  that  the  space 
might  be  walked  over  in  five  or  six  minutes ;  or  was  about  a 
quarter  of  a  mile.  This  opening  being  shut  by  a  thick  wall,  the 
water  was  retained,  and  imparted  particular  advantages  to  agri- 
culture. But  the  wall,  constructed  of  large  masses  of  hewn  stone 
to  the  height  of  forty  or  fifty  feet,  was  neglected  after  the  fall  of 
the  Sabean  kingdom ;  and  burst  in  the  middle,  leaving  oiily  the 
ruins  on  both  sides,  so  that  the  water  is  now  lost  in  the  desert  on 
the  N.  of  Hadramaut. 

Js/es.li  Besides  several  isles  of  little  consequence  in  the  Ara- 
bian gulf,  there  are  two  islands  which  deserve  particular  notice. 
Socotra,  about  240  miles  from  the  southern  coast  of  Arabia,  ap- 
pears in  all  ages  to  have  belonged  to  that  country,  and  to  have 
been  celebrated  for  the  production  of  aloes,  still  esteemed  superi- 
or to  any  other.  The  inhabitants  are  clearly  of  Arabian  extract. 
There  are  two  bays,  and  some  secure  harbors  ;  and  the  isle  is  al- 
so said  to  produce  frankincense,  while  ambergris  and  coi'al  are 
found  in  the  neighboring  seas.  The  isle  of  Bahrin  is  in  the  Per- 
sian gulf,  near  the  Arabian  coast,  and  remarkable  for  the  great 
pearl  fishery  in  its  neighborhood.  The  name  Bahrin  is  a  modern 
appellation  ;  for  Abulfeda,  as  well  as  the  Arabs  of  Lahsa,  Call 
the  large  isle  Aual.  The  inhabitants  of  Aual,  and  the  smaller 
isles,  are  Arabs,  of  the  Chia  persuasion.  In  the  large  isle  there 
is  a  fortified  town  ;  and  in  the  whole  group  there  may  be  forty  or 
fifty  mean  villages. 


ASIATIC  ISLANDS. 


INTRODUCTION. 

GlENERAL  ARRANGEMENT    OF     THE    ASIATIC    ISLANDS,  INCLUDING 
AUSTRALASIA  AND  POLYNESIA. 

HAVING  thus  completed  the  description  of  the  wide  con- 
tinent of  Asia,  so  far  as  the  limits  assigned  to  this  work  would 
admit,  a  difficult  field  of  investigation  opens  in  the  innumerable 
Asiatic  islands,  and  those  situated  in  the  Pacific,  or  more  prop- 
erly Great  Oriental  Ocean. 

These  regions  arc,  however,  of  so  wide  and  distinct  a  nature, 
consisting  of  almost  a  new  continent  in  the  south  of  Asia,  and 
scattered  groups  of  isles  in  the  Pacific,  many  of  them  nearer  to 
South  America  than  to  Asia,  that  they  cannot  well  be  blended  un- 
der one  denomination,  as  was  long  since  observed  by  the  learned 
president  Des  Brosses,  who,  nearly  half  a  century  ago,  proposed 


ASIATIC  ISLANDS.  659 

that  the  countries  to  the  south  of  Asia,  namely  New  Holland, 
New  Guinea,  and  New  Zealand,  8cc.  should  be  styled  Australasia^ 
and  the  numerous  isles  in  the  Pacific,  Polynesia'^  from  a  Greek, 
term  implying  many  islands.*  A  description  of  the  large  island, 
or  rather  continent  of  New  Holland,  with  its  appendages,  naturally 
follows  that  of  Asia,  and  the  Asiatic  islands  in  the  Indian  ocean  % 
and  will  be  properly  succeeded  by  that  of  Polynesia,  or  the  isl- 
ands in  the  Pacific  ;  which  are  far  remote  from  the  American 
coast,  but  ai'e  connected  by  short  passages  with  Australasia,  the 
Sandwich  islands  alone  excepted,  which  may  however  be  follow- 
ed by  groups  to  be  discovered  to  the  S.  W.  so  as  to  be  connected 
with  Polynesia.  The  reader  needs  scarcely  be  reminded,  that  in 
this  quarter  alone  of  the  world  this  remarkable  exception  occurs  ; 
for  the  islands  belonging  to  both  Americas,  to  Africa  and  to 
Europe,  are  sofficiently  distinct  and  appropriated,  while  the  name 
of  Asiatic  islands,  enormous  as  Asia  itself,  might  be  diffused  to 
such  an  extent,  as  to  embarrass  the  utmost  powers  of  geograph- 
ical description,  and  present  only  vague  confusion,  instead  of  sci- 
entific precision.  Before,  however,  a  correct  arrangement  can 
be  followed,  it  will  be  proper  to  fix  some  limits  between  the  In- 
dian and  Pacific  Oceans. 

As  the  continent  of  America  divides  the  Atlantic,  or  Great 
Western  Ocean,  from  the  Pacific,  or  Great  Eastern  Ocean,  (both 
so  termed  in  relation  to  the  ancient  and  civilized  world,)  and  as 
Africa  divides  the  Atlantic  from  the  Indian  ocean,  so,  by  parallel 
usage  and  deduction,  what  is  called  New  Holland,  may  be  con- 
sidered as  the  fixed  division  between  the  Indian  and  Pacific,  thus 
claiming  with  justice  the  authority  of  a  continent,  washed  by  the 
Indian  ocean  on  the  west,  and  the  Pacific  on  the  east ;  while  a 
line  drawn  from  the  most  prominent  central  capes,  in  the  North 
and  South,  may  be  regarded  as  a  boundary  of  these  two  oceans. 
The  southern  extension  of  this  imaginary  line  is  of  little  moment ; 
but  in  the  north  it  must  be  considered  as  a  division  of  great  im- 
portance to  precise  discussion,  as  the  isles  on  the  west  must  be 
considered  as  strictly  Asiatic,  and  intimately  connected  with  the 
description  of  Asia  ;  while  those  on  the  right  belong  to  Austra- 
lasia and  Polynesia.  This  division  must  naturally  and  unavoid- 
ably depend  on  the  observation  of  the  widest  channel  between 
the  Molucca  islands,!  and  Papua,  or  New  Guinea  :  end  the  de- 
gree of  longitude,  130°  from  Greenwich,  seems  nearly  to  amount 
to  a  boundary.  Hence  Amboyna  belongs  to  the  Asiatic  isles, 
while  Timor-laut  belongs  to  Australasia.  The  meridian  of  bound- 
ary passes  through  Ceram  ;  but  the  proximity  of  that  isle  to 
Amboyna,  may  properly  connect  it  with  the  Asiatic  isles,  witli 
which  Mysol  may  also  be  classed.  From  the  N.  W.  extremity  of 
Papua,  or  rather  some  small  islands  lying  at  that  extrcniity,  a 
clear  line  may  be  drawn,  following  the  same  meridian,  and  leav- 
ing Gilolo  among  the  Asiatic  isles  on  the  W.  and  those  of  Pelew 

•  Hisioire  (!e5  Navigations  aus  Terres  Australes.     Paris,  1750,  2  vols.  4to. 
"f"  This  name  originally  confined   to   five   binsll   islanils,  h:«s  been  extended,  by  llie 
French  ({cugraphciii,  to  a  large  groiip  between  Borneo  aud  New  Guinea. 


M&  ASIATIC  ISLANDS. 

among  the  Polynesian,  in  the  Pacific.  This  line  then  bending  N. 
W.  would  include  the  Phillippine  islands  and  the  Bashees,  passing 
to  the  S.  of  Formosa  ;  the  other  limits  and  appellations  being 
sufficiently  clear. 

Such  may  therefore  be  the  assumed  boundary  between  the  In- 
dian ocean  and  Chinese  sea  on  the  W.  and  the  Pacific  on  the  E. 
and  between  the  Asiatic  isles,  and  Australasia  and  Polynesia.  The 
boundary  between  the  two  latter  great  divisions  may  be  traced  by 
regarding  what  is  called  New  Holland,  as  a  continent,  or  great 
leading  island,  with  which  those  most  adjacent  must  be  regarded 
as  connected.  Hence  Papua  belongs  to  Australasia  :  and  a  line 
drawn  in  the  latitude  of  three  or  four  degrees  to  the  N.  of  the 
equator,  and  then  passing  S.  in  the  meridian  of  170  E.  from 
Greenwich,  so  as  to  include  the  New  Hebudes,  thence  in  the  par- 
allel of  SO  S.  gradually  stretching  to  175  W.  from  Greenwich, 
including  New  Zealand,  and  the  isle  called  Chatham,  will  present 
the  natural  and  precise  boundary  of  Austi-alasia. 

That  division  called  Polynesia,  by  far  the  most  extensive,  adjoins 
the  W.  to  the  line  above  drawn  around  the  Asiatic  isles ;  thence 
it  ascends  about  lat.  18,  long.  128  E.  in  a  N.  E.  direction,  so  as  to 
include  the  isle  called  Rica  de  Plata,  long.  161,  and  thence 
curving  S.  E.  and  encompassing  the  northern  Sandwich  islands, 
where  our  great  navigator  fell,t  and  the  Marquesas,  and  extending 
to  120  W.  from  London.  Any  isles  to  the  N.  E.  or  E.  of  this  line 
of  demarkation  may  be  regarded  as  belonging  to  North  or  South 
America. 

The  southern  boundary  of  the  Asiatic  isles  may  be  considered 
as  sufficiently  ascertained  by  the  wide  channel  between  them  and 
New  Holland  ;  while  the  N.  W.  extremity  of  Sumatra  may  pre- 
sent a  meridian  of  separation  on  the  W.  between  the  Asiatic  isles, 
eminently  so  styled,  and  those  in  the  Indian  ocean.  The  same 
western  boundary  may  be  assigned  to  Australasia. 

The  southern  limits  of  the  last,  and  of  Polynesia,  alone  remain  ; 
but  as  few  or  no  islands  have  been  discovered  to  the  S.  of  New 
Zealand,  the  parallel  of  50  S.  lat.  may  be  lastly  assumed  as  the 
boundary  of  both. 

Polynesia  will  thus  extend  from  50  S.  lat.  to  about  35  N. 
lat.  that  is  85°  or  5100  g.  miles:  while  the  breadth  taken  from 
long.  170  E.  from  Greenwich,  to  130  W.  upon  the  equator  itself, 
will  yield  sixty  degrees,  or  3600  g.  miles. 

The  length  of  Australasia  may  be  computed  from  95  of  the 
same  longitude  to  185,  that  is  40°  in  lat.  30,  or  nearly  5000  g. 
miles;  while  the  breadth  lat.  3  N.  to  lat.  50  S.  will  be  3180  g. 
miles. 

Even  the  smallest  division,  that  of  the  Asiatic  isles,  which  has 
been  calied  the  Oriental  Archipelago,  is  of  great  extent  from  1 3 
S.  lat.  to  22  N.  lat.  that  is  35°,  or  2100  g.  miles ;  while  the  length 
from  95  E.  long,  to  132,  yields  37  degrees  not  far  from  the 
equator,  nearly  corresponding  with  the  breadth, 

t  There  are  other  Sandwich  islands,  lat  5G  S.  or  beneath  the  parallel  of  Cape 
Horn.    Such  is  the  perplexity  of  the  received  nomeuclature. 


ASIATIC  ISLES.  661 


ASIATIC  ISLES. 

ARRANGEMENT  OF  THOSE  IN  THE  ORIENTAL  ARCHIPELAGO. 
1.  ISLES  OF  SUNDA,  OR  SUMATRAN  CHIAN.  2.  BORNEO.  3. 
MANILLAS.       4.    CELEBEZIAN    ISLES.       5.    SPICE    ISLANDS. 

AN  inspection  of  the  maps  and  charts  of  this  part  of 
the  globe,  will  shew  that  a  great  chain  of  islands  extends  from 
Sumatra  N.  W.  to  Lackal  or  Lachal  S.  E.  This  chain  includes 
Sumatra,  Java,  Balli,  Sumbava,  Florcz,  and  Timor,  as  the  chief 
isles  ;  with  Suraba  in  ihe  S.  and  in  the  N.  Madura,  Billiton,  Ban- 
ca,  &c.  This  chain  might  either  be  termed  the  Sunmtran  islands, 
from  the  chief,  or  the  received  name  of  the  isles  of  Sunda  may  be 
extended  and  restricted  to  this  group  ;  which,  besides  the  strait 
so  called,  presents  many  other  sounds  or  passages,  from  the  In- 
dian ocean  towards  the  Pacific  and  the  Chinese  sea- 
Borneo,  an  island  of  vast  extent,  should  not  be  considered  as 
belonging  to  any  group  ;  but  the  small  isles  around  it  may  be 
termed  the  Bornean  islands,  as  the  Sooloos,  Pulo  Laut,  Anumba, 
Natuna. 

The  Phillippine  islands  may  already  be  regarded  as  the  most 
regular  and  precise  group  in  these  seas,  including  the  Bashees, 
and  other  little  groups  in  the  north,  and  Mindanao  and  Pulawan 
in  the  south. 

There  remains  the  large  island  of  Celebez,  which  may  be  con- 
sidered as  grouped  with  Shulla,  Boutan,  Salayar,  Sec.  and  the 
whole  may  be  termed  the  Celebezian  isles. 

The  Molucca  islands,  an  ancient  and  venerable  name,  are  prop- 
erly only  five,  of  small  size,  on  the  west  of  Gilolo  ;  but  it  seems 
proper  to  extend  this  appellation  to  Gilolo,  Mysol,  Ceram,  Am- 
boyna  and  Banda.  The  remaining  isles  in  the  S.  E.  belong  to 
Papua  in  Australasia. 

These  five  divisions  are  not  only  indicated  by  the  hand  of  nature, 
but  seem  sufficient  for  a  description  of  this  Vast  archipelago. 


1.    THE    ISLES    OF    SUNDA,    OR    THE    SUMATRAN    CHAIN. 

This  division,  as  already  explained,  comprises  Sumafra,  Java, 
Balli^  Lomboky  Siunbava^  FloreZy  and  Timor  ;  with  several  isles  of 
less  note  in  the  vicinity  of  these. 

Sumatra  is  an  island  of  great  extent,  being  not  less  than  950 
miles  in  length,  by  about  200  in  breadth,  containing  177,000  square 
miles  ;*  on  so  vast  a  scale  are  the  regions  connected  with  Asia, 
that  Great  Britain,  if  situated  in  the  oriental  aixhipclago,  would 
only  in  size  rival  Sumatra  and  Borneo.  The  English  settlement 
of  Beftcoolen,  in  the  S.  E.  part  of  this  island,  has  occasioned  par- 

*  Ilktsel. 


t02  ASIATIC  ISLES. 

ticular  attention  to  its  nature  and  productions,  cs}-ccially  since'Mr. 
Marsden  published  an  ample  and  intelligent  account  of  this  inter- 
esting island,  from  which  this  brief  description  shall  be  abstract- 
ed.* It  was  certainly  unknown  to  the  ancients,  the  information  of 
Ptolemy  terminating  considerably  to  the  north,  and  the  mountain 
of  Ophir,  Avhence  some  have  supposed  this  country  known  to  Sol- 
omon, is  a  modern  European  denomination.  The  Arabs  seem  to 
have  been  acquainted  with  this  island  in  the  9th  century,  but  it 
became  first  known  to  the  Europeans  in  the  16th.  A  chain  of 
mountains  runs  through  the  whole  isle,  the  ranges  being  in  many- 
parts  double  and  treble,  generally  nearer  to  the  western  coast, 
where  they  approach  within  20  miles  of  the  sea  ;  but  the  height 
is  not  so  considerable  as  to  retain  snoAV.  Mount  Ophir,  immediate- 
ly under  the  equinoctial  line,  is  13,842  feet  above  the  sea,  only 
yielding  about  2000  feet  to  mount  Blanc.  Between  the  ridges  of 
mountains  are  elevated  plains  with  lakes  and  water-falls,  one  of 
■which  is  from  the  summit  of  a  conic  mountain.  There  are  many 
rivers  on  the  western  coast,  but  commonly  impeded  by  sand- 
banks, so  as  to  present  few  means  of  navigation.  In  the  midst  of 
what  is  called  the  Torrid  Zone,  the  thermometer  seldom  rises 
above  85°,  while  in  Bengal  it  attains  101°;  and  the  inland  inhabit- 
ants of  the  mountains  use  lires  to  dispel  the  morning  cold  ;  yet 
frost,  snow,  and  hail  are  unknown.  Thunder  and  lightning  are 
frequent,  particularly  during  the  N.  W.  monsoon.  The  year  has 
two  divisions,  called  the  rainy  and  dry  monsoons  ;  the  S.  E.  or  dry, 
beginning  about  May,  and  ending  with  September  ;  the  N.  W.,  or 
•wet,  beginning  with  November,  and  ending  about  March  ;  the 
intermediate  months,  April  and  May,  October  and  November, 
being  variable  :  on  the  west  coast  the  sea  breeze  begins  about  ten 
in  the  forenoon,  and  continues  till  six  in  the  evening  ;  being  suc- 
ceeded by  the  land  breeze  dui'ing  the  night.  The  soil  is  generally 
a  stiff  reddish  clay,  covered  with  a  layer  of  black  mould,  the  source 
of  perpetual  verdui'c  ;  but  three  quarters  of  the  isle,  especially 
towards  the  south,  present  an  impervious  forest.  On  the  west, 
between  the  mountains  and  the  sea,  there  are  large  swamps ;  but 
even  here  the  face  of  the  country  is  remarkably  broken  and  un- 
even. There  seem  to  be  many  mines  of  gold,  though  mostly  ne- 
glected ;  and  the  copper  is  mingled  with  that  metal.  There  are 
excellent  ores  of  iron  and  steel  :  and  that  rare  mineral,  tin,  is  one 
of  the  chief  exports,  being  principally  found  near  Palimbang  on 
the  eastern  shore,  a  continuation  probably  of  the  rich  beds  of  Ban- 
ca.  Gold  is  found  near  Bencoolen,  and  in  other  places,  but  of  in- 
ferior quality.  The  little  island  of  Poolo  Pisang,  close  to  the  foot 
of  mount  Poogon,  is  mostly  a  bed  of  rocky  crystal.  There  are 
several  volcanic  mountains  in  Sumatra,  as  in  most  of  the  other 
islands  of  the  oriental  archipelago,  but  eruptions  are  unfrequent. 
The  number  of  inhabitants  in  this  island  is  estimated  by  Hassel,at 
4,500,000  ;  by  Bruns,  only  at  2,250,000.  The  sea  coast  is  chiefly 
occupied  by  the  Malays,  who  seem  to  be  recent  settlers,  a»d  their 

*  History  of  Sumatra,  1784,  4lo  2ci  edi't.. 


ASIATIC  ISLES.  6^3 

language  a  dialect  of  a  speech  most  widely  extended,  from  Malac- 
ca, and  perhaps  the  south  of  Hindostan,  nearly  as  far  as  the  west- 
ern coasts  of  America,  through  the  innumerable  islands  of  the 
Pacific.  By  the  account  of  Mr.  Marsden  there  are  inland  races, 
of  whom  the  Googoo  are  covered  with  long  hair,  arnl  little  supe- 
rior to  the  Ourang  Outangs  of  Borneo.  The  chief  native  sove- 
reignty is  that  of  Menang  Cabou,  but  the  Rejangs  seem  to  retaia 
the  purest  race  and  manners.  They  are  rather  short  and  slender : 
the  noses  of  infants  are  flattened,  and  their  ears  are  extended  ;  but 
the  eyes  are  dark  and  clear.  The  complexion  is  properly  yellow, 
being  without  the  ried  tinge,  Avhich  constitutes  a  tawneyor  copper 
color  :  but  the  superior  class  of  women  is  fair,  and  commonly  of 
not  unpleasing  countenances. 

The  chief  distinction  between  the  natives  and  the  Malays  of  the 
coast  seems  to  be,  that  the  former  are  fairer  and  stronger.  The 
original  clothing  is  made  of  the  inner  bark  of  trees,  as  in  Otaheite  ; 
but  the  dress  of  the  Malays  consists  of  a  vest,  a  robe,  and  a  kind 
of  mantle,  with  a  girdle,  in  which  is  the  crees  or  dagger.  The  vil- 
lages are  commonly  on  hills,  and  surrounded  with  fruit  trees  ;  the 
balli,  or  common  hall,  being  in  the  centre.  The  houses  are  of 
wood  and  bamboos,  covered  with  leaves  of  palm,  standing  on  pil- 
lars, and  scaled  by  a  rude  ladder.  The  furniture  is  of  course  sim- 
ple, and  common  food  rice  :  sago,  though  common,  being  less 
used  than  in  the  islands  farther  to  the  east.  The  horses  are  small 
but  well  made,  and  hardy  :  the  cows  and  sheep  also  diminutive, 
the  latter  probably  from  Bengal.  Here  are  also  found  the  ele- 
phant, I'hinoceros,  hippopotamus,  tiger,  bear,  otter,  porcupine, 
deer,  wild  hog,  civet  cat,  with  many  varieties  of  the  monkey. 
The  buffalo  is  employed  in  domestic  labour.  Among  birds,  the 
Sumatran  or  Argus  pheasant  is  of  distinguished  beauty.  The 
jungle  fowl,  or  wild  poultry,  also  appear  ;  and  there  is  a  breed 
in  the  south  of  remarkable  height  likewise  found  in  Bantam  on 
the  west  of  Java,  which  also  gives  name  to  the  well  known  small 
breed.  Insects  of  all  kinds  swarm,  particularly  the  destructive* 
tennites.  The  most  abundant  article  is  pepper,  the  object  of  the 
British  settlement ;  being  produced  by  a  climbing  plant  resem- 
bling a  vine.  The  white  pepper  is  procured  by  stripping  the 
outer  husk  from,  the  ripe  grains.  Camphor  is  another  remarkable 
vegetable  product,  and  cassia,  a  coarse  kind  of  cinnamon,  is  tbund 
in  the  central  parts  of  the  country.  Rattans  are  exported  to  Eu- 
rope for  walking  canes.  "  The  silk  cotton  (bombax  ceiba)  is  also 
to  be  met  with  in  every  village.  This  is  to  appearance,  one  of 
the  most  beautiful  raw  materials  the  hand  of  nature  has  present- 
ed. Its  fineness,  gloss,  and  delicate  softness,  render  it  to  the 
sight  and  touch  much  superior  to  the  labor  of  the  silk  worm  :  bui 
owing  to  the  shortness  and  brittlcness  of  the  staple,  it  is  esteemed 
unfit  for  tlie  reel  and  loom,  and  is  only  applied  to  the  unworthy- 
purpose  of  stuffing  pillows  and  mattrasscs.  It  ^rows  in  pods  from 
four  to  six  inches  long,  which  burst  open  when  ripe.  The  seeds 
entirely  resemble  the  black  pepper,  but  are  without  taste.  The 
tree  is  renrarkable,   from  the  branches  growing  o\it  perfectly 


664  ASIATIC  ISLES. 

straight  and  horizontal,  and  being  always  three,  forming  equal  an- 
gles at  the  same  height  :  the  diminutive  shoots  likewise  grow  flat; 
and  the  several  gradations  of  branches  observe  the  same  regular- 
ity to  the  top.  Some  travellers  have  called  it  the  Umbrella  tree, 
but  the  piece  of  furniture  called  a  dumb  waiter  exhibits  a  more 
striking  picture  of  it.* 

The  commerce  is  chiefly  with  Hindostan  and  China.  The  Ma- 
lays excel  in  gold  and  silver  fillagree,  and  in  Aveaving  silk  and  cot- 
ton ;  but  the  manufactures  are  imperfect,  and  the  sciences  little 
cultivated.  Besides  the  Malays,  several  languages  are  spoken, 
■which  seem  however  to  have  a  manifest  afllnity  amongst  them- 
selves, and  with  that  widely  diff"used  speech  which  may  be  called 
the  Polynesian,  as  it  is  diffused  through  innumerable  islands  in  the 
Pacific.  Even  the  rudest  tribes  of  Sumatra  and  the  other  Asiatic 
isles,  as  far  as  the  utmost  bounds  of  Polynesia,  display  a  certain 
degree  of  civilization.  The  panjeran  or  prince  presides  over 
many  magistrates  ;  but  his  government  is  limited,  his  power  be- 
ing confined  by  his  poverty.  Laws  are  unknoAvn,  the  chiefs  ren- 
dering judgment  according  to  customs.  Most  crimes  are  com- 
pensated by  money,  murder  itself  not  excepted.  The  difficulties 
attending  marriage  form  an  exception  to  the  general  customs  of 
uncivilized  countries,  and  the  general  chastity  seems  remarkable. 
The  celebration  is  commonly  in  the  balli,  or  village  hall,  and  is 
accompanied  with  dances  and  songs.  Combats  of  cocks  and  quails 
are  among  the  most  favorite  amusements,  together  with  dances, 
dice,  and  other  games.  The  use  of  opium  is  extensive,  but  rarely 
leads  to  other  excesses.  What  is  called  a  muck,  by  the  natives 
mongamo^  rather  proceeds  trom  revenge,  or  a  sense  of  oppression, 
than  from  intoxication.  The  Christian  religion  is  unknown  in  Su- 
matra, the  missionaries  having  unaccountably  neglected  this  large 
island.  The  natives  of  Sumatra  and  the  other  Malay  islands,  are 
of  three  casts  ;  Pagans,  Mahometans,  and  Christians.  The  Pa- 
gans generally  inhabit  the  inteinor  of  the  islands.  The  barbarism 
of  these  Pagans  almost  exceeds  belief  Marsden,  in  his  history  of 
Sumatra,  informs  us  that  they  kill  and  eat  each  other.  And  the 
researches  of  Dr.  Lcyden  have  led  to  the  discovery,  that  they 
sometimes  eat  their  own  relations,  and  this  not  so  much  to  gratify 
their  appetite,  as  to  perform  a  pious  ceremony.  When  a  man  be- 
comes aged  and  infirm,  he  invites  his  children  and  friends  to  come 
and  eat  him.  He  ascends  a  tree,  round  which  his  relations  a!;d 
friends  assemble,  and  join  in  a  funeral  dirge,  the  import  of  Avhich 
is,  "  The  season  is  come,  the  fruit  is  ripe,  and  must  descend."  Af- 
ter which  the  victim  descends,  and  is  eaten  by  his  children.! 
The  kingdom  of  Acheen  in  the  N.  W.  extremity  of  the  island  car- 
ries on  a  considerable  trade  with  the  coast  of  Coromandel.  rhe 
natives  are  more  stout  and  tall,  and  of  o  darker  complexion  than 
the  other  Sumatrans. 

Several  small  isles  encompass  Sumatra.     Banca  is  particularly 


Marsclen,  12r.  f  Bucbannan's  Ke£earclies. 


ASIATIC  ISLES.  »65 

Tcelebrated  for  its  tin.*  Of  Billeton  little  is  kno-vvn ;  nor  of  the 
isles  that  lie  between  Sumatra  and  Malacca  called  Pitti,  and  other 
names,  with  the  common  addition  of  Pulo^  which  in  these  seas  ap- 
pears to  imply  an  island,  being  a  Malay  term. 

The  Missau  or  Poggy  isles,  lie  off  the  W.  coast  of  Sumatra, 
distant  20  or  30  leagues.  The  northern  extreme  of  the  northern 
island  is  in  lat.  2  18  S.  and  the  southemextremity  of  the  southern 
island  is  in  lat.  3  16  S.  These  are  separated  by  a  narrow  passage 
in  lat.  2  40  S.  Ion.  100  43  E.  The  islands  rise  into  rough  hills 
and  mountains,  exhibiting  strong  marks  of  some  powerful  convul- 
sion. Excellent  timber  is  found  to  the  summit  of  the  mountains. 
The  tree  called  Bintangoor  or  Pohoon  is  of  sufficient  size  for  the 
lower  masts  of  the  largest  ships.  The  Jago,  cocoa  nut,  and  bam- 
boo, are  plenty.  Pine  apples,  magnostans,  and  plantains,  are  com- 
mon. The  woods  are  impervious  to  man,  inhabited  by  a  few  red 
deer,  hogs,  and  monkeys.  Pork  and  fish  are  a  favorite  food  with 
the  islanders.  Their  language,  their  manners,  and  character  are 
very  different  from  their  neighbors  on  Sumatra.  The  two  princi- 
pal islands  have  about  1400  people,  divided  into  small  tribes,  each 
occupying  a  stream  of  water.  Their  houses  are  of  bamboos,  raised 
on  posts:  the  under  part  is  inhabited  by  hogs  and  poultry.  Their 
clothing  is  a  piece  of  coarse  clotli  made  of  bark,  worn  round  the 
waist.  Beads  and  other  ornaments  are  worn.  They  file,  or  grind 
their  teeth  to  a  point.  Their  color  is  brown  ;  their  stature  seldom 
exceeds  5  feet  and  a  half.  They  live  together  in  great  harmony, 
believe  in  God  and  a  Providence.  A  fowl  or  hog  is  sometime* 
sacrificed  to  avert  distress,  but  they  have  no  stated  i-eligious  wor- 
ship. Omens  of  good  or  ill  fortune  are  drawn  from  appearance* 
in  the  entrails  of  their  victims.  Their  governnient  is  democratic, 
the  whole  village  assembles  to  try  a  criminal.  Estates  descend  to 
the  males.  When  a  thief  cannot  make  restitution,  he  is  punished 
with  death.  A  murderer  is  delivered  to  the  relations  of  the  de- 
ceased, who  m^ay  put  him  to  death.  Marriages  are  settled  by  the 
parents  ;  when  the  bride  is  taken  home,  a  hog  is  generally  killed, 
and  a  feast  made.  Polygamy  is  not  tolerated.  In  case  of  adultery, 
•when  the  wife  is  the  offender,  the  husband  may  seize  all  the  effects 
of  the  paramour,  and  punish  his  wife  by  cutting  off  her  hair. 
When  the  husband  offends,  the  wife  may  quit  him.  The  geneial 
custom  of  tatooing  themselves,  and  the  manner  of  their  disposing 
of  their  dead,  bear  a  striking  resemblance  to  that  of  the  Otaheit- 
ans-t 

Java  is  not  only  an  extensive  island,  about  650  miles  in  length, 
by  about  100  of  medial  breadth,  but  is  remarkable  lor  the  city  of 
Batavia,  the  celebrated  capital  of  the  Dutch  possessions.  This 
island,  like  the  former,  abounds  with  forests,  and  presents  an  en- 
chanting verdure.     It  is  also  intersected  by  a  ridge  of  mountains, 

*  The  industrious  translator  of  fSfvvorinus,  vol.  i.   p.  357,  says  th:.i  tUcsc  mines 
were  only  tliscovercil  in  1710  or  1711.  and  though  thcDutcli  reseive  about  three  milU 
ions  of  pouuds  weight,  the  vein  seems  iiiexliausiible. 
f  Asiatic  llesearches. 
VOL.    II.  84 


666  ASIATIC  ISLES. 

like  a  spine  pervading  its  length.*  Batavia  is  strongly  fortified 
with  walls,  and  a  citadel  towards  the  sea.  There  are  many  canals 
about  four  feet  in  depth,  and  the  town  is  large,  and  well  built  oi' 
stone.  This  metropolis  of  the  oriental  archipelago  presents  many 
nations  and  languages ;  and  the  Chinese  constitute  the  greater 
part  of  the  inhabitants,  being  contented  for  the  sake  of  gain  to  for- 
get the  tombs  of  their  ancestors,  and  the  laws  of  their  country 
against  emigration.  The  Malay  language,  the  French  of  the  east, 
is  here  universally  understood.  The  streets  are  planted  with  large 
trees,  which  practice,  with  the  Dutch  canals,  probably  contributes 
to  the  unhealthiness  of  this  spot.  The  heat  is  not  so  intense,  con- 
sidered in  itself,  being  between  80  and  86°,  as  from  the  low  situa- 
tion of  the  town,  and  the  murky  exhalations  from  the  bogs,  canals, 
and  a  muddy  sea,  v/hence  from  nine  o'clock  till  four  it  is  impossi- 
ble to  walk  out.  The  sun  being  nearly  vertical,  rises  and  sets 
about  six  througliout  the  year ;  but  the  nocturnal  repose  is  infest- 
ed by  moskitos.  In  the  evening,  from  six  to  nine,  parties  are 
formed,  and  intemperance  assists  the  poison  of  the  climate.  The 
water  is  also  of  a  bad  quality.  The  air  is  so  unwholesome, 
from  fetid  fogs  and  other  causes,  that  dysenteries  and  putrid  fe- 
vers destroy  prodigious  numbers ;  and  of  three  settlers  it  is  rare 
that  one  outlives  the  year.  The  rainy  season  begins  with  De- 
cember, and  lasts  till  March.  Crocodiles  abound  in  the  rivers, 
as  in  most  of  the  oriental  isles.  Java  is  divided  into  three  of  four 
principalities,  the  chief  being  the  emperor  of  Surikarta.  The 
products  resemble  those  of  Sumatra  ;  and  the  existence  of  the 
poisonous  tree,  which  has  supplied  Dr.  Darwin  with  a  highly  po- 
etical description,  appears  to  be  completely  confuted.  This  isl- 
and was  captured  by  the  British,  August,  1811. 

The  small  isle  of  Madura,  on  the  N.  of  Java,  had  its  independ- 
ent prince,  whose  suffei-ings  under  the  tyranny  of  the  Dutch  have 
been  related  by  Mr.  Pennant.f  The  Dutch  phlegm  seems  to 
have  led  them  to  greater  cruelties  than  the  fanaticism  of  the  Por- 
tuguese or  Spaniards  ;  and  it  is  to  be  regretted  ihat  the  English 
had  not  retained  for  some  years  the  possession  of  the  Dutch 
settlements,  to  convince  the  Batavians,  by  example,  that  con- 
quests may  be  better  maintained  by  lenity  tlian  by  sordid  cruelty. 
The  isle  of  Balli  seems  only  remarkable  for  furnishing  slaves, 
cotton,  yarn,  and  pickled  pork4  It  has  600,000  inhabitants,  who 
are  pagans,  black  and  addicted  to  war. 

OfLoMBOK,  SuMBAVA,  and  Florez,  little  is  known.  Timor 
was  discovered  in  1522  by  the  companions  of  Magalhaens,  who 
found  in  it  alone  the  white  sandal  wood.§  The  Portuguese,  after 
a  long  struggle,  effected  a  settlement  ;  but  were  expelled  by  the 
Dutch  in  1613,  who  regard  this  isle  as  a  kind  of  barrier  of  the 
spice  trade.    Timor  is  nearly  200  miles  in  length,  by  60  in  breadth  j 

•  Thunberg,  ii.  213.    For  a  tolerable  map  of  Java  see  the  voyage  of  Stavmiuusj 
1798,  v.  i.  p.  313,  where  there  is  ako  a  long  and  minute  description  of  tlie  Island. 
•J"  Outlines,  iv.  31.  See,  ib.  28.  the  massacre  of  12,000  Chinese  in  1740, 
^  See  Forrest,  170. 
§  Premier  Voyage  au  tout  da  raoude  par  Plgafetta.  Paris,  an  9,  p.  213,  £14 


ASIATIC  ISLES.  667 

and  the  inhabitants  are  esteemed  the  bravest  in  the  Oriental  Ar- 
chipelago.    It  was  captured  by  the  British  in  1811. 


II,    BORNEO. 

THIS  island  is  reputed  the  largest  in  the  world  ;  and  even 
after  recent  discoveries  seems  only  to  yield  to  New  Holland, 
which,  as  it  rivals  Europe  in  size,  may  more  properly  be  regarded 
as  a  continent.  Borneo  seems  clearly  to  be  the  Greater  Java  of 
Mai'co  Polo,  which  he  says  is  3000  miles  in  circuit,  as  it  is  about 
900  miles  in  leng;h,  by  600  in  its  greatest  breadth,  containing  about 
313,500  square  miles.* 

The  interior  parts  of  the  great  island  of  Borneo  are  little  known, 
though  a  considerable  river  flows  from  the  centre  of  the  country 
almost  due  south,  forming  the  harbor  of  Bender  Massin  ;  and  the 
names  of  several  villages  on  the  banks  are  laid  down  by  D'Anville. 
"  The  far  greater  part  of  Borneo,  next  to  the  sea,  especially  the 
northern  side,  consists  of  swamps,  covered  with  forests  of  trees  of 
numberless  species  and  great  sizes,  which  penetrate  for  scores  of 
miles,  towards  the  centre  of  the  island.  The  unstable  muddy  flats 
are  divided  by  rivers,  which  branch  into  multitudes  of  canals,  and 
are  the  only  roads  into  the  interior  parts.  Lofty  mountains  are 
said  to  rise  in  the  middle  of  the  island  :  many  are  volcanic,  and 
often  occasion  tremendous  earthquakes. "f  This  island  has  five 
millions,  some  say  six  millions  inhabitants.^:  The  houses  are  often 
built  on  posts  fixed  in  rafts,  which  are  mooi'cd  to  tlie  shore,  and 
may  be  moved  from  place  to  place  according  to  the  convenience 
of  the  inhabitants.  The  coasts  are  held  by  Malays,  Moors,  Ma- 
cassars from  Celebez,  and  even  Japanese.  The  natives  in  the  in- 
terior are  blacks,  with  long  hair,  of  a  middle  stature,  feeble  and 
inactive  ;  but  their  features  are  superior  to  those  of  negroes. 
European  settlements  have  been  unsuccessful,  the  adventurers 
having  been  massacred.  Pepper  abounds  in  the  interior  country, 
with  the  gum  called  the  dragon's  blood,  camphor,  and  sandal  wood. 
Edible  birds'  nests  are  abundant.  Gold  is  found  in  the  interior 
country  ;  where  there  are  also  said  to  be  diamonds,  but  inferior 
to  those  of  Golconda.  The  Ourang  Outang  abounds.  The  na- 
tives are  called  Biajos,  but  their  language  has  not  been  explained ; 
they  are  said  to  oft'cr  sacrifices  of  sweet  scented  wood  to  one  su- 
preme beneficent  deity  ;  and  the  sentiments  of  piety,  or  in  other 
Avords,  of  delightful  gratitude,  are  accompanied  by  laudable  mor- 
als. The  Biajos  come  down  the  great  river  of  Banjar  to  the  port 
of  Masseen  in  rude  boats,  with  gold  dust,  and  other  articles,  the 
Moors,  called  Banjareens,  being  the  factors.  These  Biajos  arc  ta- 
tooed  blue,  with  a  small  wrapper  about  the  loins.  The  chiefs  extract 
one  or  two  of  the  fore  teeth,  substituting  others  of  gold ;  and 
strings  of  the  teeth  of  tigers,  a  real  badge  of  knighthood,  or  cour- 
age, are  worn  round  the  neck.  The  town,  called  Borneo,  on  the 
N.  W.  consists  of  about  three  thousand  houses,  floating  as  above 

*  liassel.  f  Peanant'a  Outlines^  iv.  52.  i  Hasscl  and  Brunsl 


B68  ASIATIC  ISLES. 

described  ;  it  was  greatly  frequented  by  the  Chinese,  who  proba- 
bly continue  to  be  the  chief  traders  to  Borneo. 

This  large  island  is  surrounded  with  many  small  isles  which, 
from  their  relation  to  this  comparative  continent,  may  be  termed 
Bornean  islands.  Such  is  the  group  of  Sooloo  in  the  N.  E. ;  of 
which  Mr.  Dalrymple,  who  visited  them,  has  given  a  good  account. 
They  are  rich  in  pearls,  for  which  they  were  noted  in  the  time  of 
Magalhaens.  The  chief  isle  is  thirty  miles  by  twelve  :  the  natives 
rather  polished,  the  government  being  vested  in  a  sultan,  for  the 
Mahometan  religion  extends  thus  far.*  The  isle  of  Tawee  lies 
between  the  Sooloos  and  Borneo.  At  the  northern  extremity  is 
Banguey^  not  far  from  5c/adac,the  most  S.  W.  of  the  Philippines ; 
and  Balambangan^  remarkable  for  a  settlement  attempted  by  the 
English  in  1773,  but  evacuated  either  on  account  of  the  unhealthy 
climate,  or  of  a  Dutch  invasion.  To  the  W.  of  Borneo  are  the 
groups  of  JsTatuna  and  Anainba  little  visited  or  known  ;  an  obser- 
vation applicable  also  to  several  isles  in  the  S.  of  Borneo  ;  but  Pulo 
Laut,  which  by  D'Anville  is  represented  as  an  isle,  is  by  later  dis- 
coveries attached  to  the  continent  of  Borneo. 


HI.    THE  MANILLAS,  OR  PHILIPPINE  ISLANDS. 

This  large  group  was  discovered  by  Magalliaens  in  1521,  who 
called  them  the  archipelago  of  St.  Lazarus  ;  but  they  were  after- 
wards styled  the  Philippines,  in  honor  of  that  infamous  tyrant  Philip 
II.  of  Spain.     They  contain  3,800,000  inhabitants.! 

Luzon  is  the  largest  and  most  impoi'tant  of  these  isles,  being 
more  than  seven  degrees,  or  near  500  miles  in  length,  by  about 
100  of  medial  breadth.  The  jealousy  of  the  Spaniards  has  pre- 
vented the  acquisition  of  precise  knowledge  concerning  this  im- 
portant island,  which  is  pervaded  in  its  length  by  a  chain  of  high 
mountains  towards  the  east.  Gold,  copper,  and  iron  are  among 
the  certain  products  ;  and  the  soil  is  reported  to  be  uncommonly 
fruitful.  The  natives,  who  are  of  a  mild  character,  are  called 
Tagals,  like  all  those  of  the  Philippines,  and  seem  of  Malay  origin.^ 
They  are  tall  and  well  made,  wearing  only  a  kind  of  shirts  with 
loose  drawers,  but  the  dress  of  the  women  is  chiefly  a  large  mantle, 
and  their  black  and  beautiful  hair  sometimes  reaches  the  ground, 
the  complexion  being  a  deep  tawny.  The  houses  are  of  bamboo 
covered  with  palm  leaves,  raised  on  pillars  to  the  height  of  eight 
or  ten  feet.  The  chief  food  is  rice,  and  salted  fish.  There  are 
many  lakes  in  the  isle  of  Luzon,  the  most  considerable  being  that 
■which  gives  source  to  the  river  of  Manilla.  Several  volcanoes 
occur,  and  earthquakes  are  not  unknown.  The  cotton  is  of  pecu- 
liar beauty ;  and  the  sugar  cane  and  cocoa  trees  are  objects  of 
particular  culture.  The  city  of  Manilla  is  well  built  and  fortified, 
but  a  third  partis  occupied  by  convents  :  the  number  of  Christian 
inhabitants  is  computed  at  12,000.      Between  this  city  and  Aca- 

*  See  also  the  Voyages  of  Sonnerat  and  Forrest,     f  Hassel.      i  Sonnerat  ii.  108. 


ASIATIC  ISLES.  669 

puico,  nearly  in  the  same  parallel  on  the  W.  of  Mexico,  was  con- 
ducted a  celebrated  commerce  through  a  space  of  about  140  de- 
grees, or  about  8400  g.  miles,  more  than  one  third  of  the  circum- 
ference of  the  globe.  The  Manilla  ships,  or  galleons,  were  formerly 
of  great  size,  but  latterly  smaller  vessels  have  been  used.  The 
city  of  Manilla  was  taken  by  the  English  in  1762.  The  Chinese 
were  here  numerous  till  the  beginning  of  the  17th  century,  when 
the  Spaniards  committed  a  terrible  massacre  of  that  industrious 
people.  In  1769  it  is  said  that  they  were  again  expelled  from  all 
these  isles,  by  the  bigotry  of  the  governor  :  since  which  time  there 
has  been  a  great  decline  in  industry  and  produce. 

Next  in  size  is  Mindanao,  a  beautiful  and  fertile  island,  the  chief 
Spanish  settlement  being  at  Sambuang  in  the  S.  W.*  This  island 
is  in  general  mountainous ;  but  the  vales  consist  of  a  rich  black 
mould,  watered  with  the  purest  rivulets.  The  Lano  is  a  large  in- 
land lake,  about  60  miles  in  circumference.  Horses  and  buffaloes 
have  here  multiplied  to  a  surprising  degree.  In  the  south  there 
is  a  volcano  of  constant  eruption,  which  serves  as  a  sea  mark. 

The  other  chief  Philippines  are  Pulawain,  Alindoroy  Pani  Bug- 
las  or  isle  of  J^egroes,  Zebu,  Leyt,  or  Leita,  and  Samar.  On  the 
E.  of  Zebu  is  the  small  isle  of  Mactan,  where  the  celebrated  navi- 
gator Magalhaens  was  slain.  The  other  little  islands  might  be 
counted  by  hundreds.  In  general  this  grand  and  extensive  group 
presents  many  volcanic  appearances ;  such  as  lava,  volcanic  glass, 
sulphur,  and  hot  spi'ings.  These  isles  present  wild  boars,  deer, 
and  ustful  animals  of  various  kinds  ;  and  among  vegetables  the 
bread  fruit  must  not  be  forgotten,  which  first  appears  on  the  east- 
ern coasts  of  Sumatra,  and  thence  extends  its  benefits  th'ough 
innumerable  islands  in  the  Indian  and  Pacific  oceans. 


IV.    THE  CELEBEZIAN  ISLES. 

Celebez  is  an  isle  of  great  and  irregular  length,  more  than  600 
milps,  but  divided  into  various  portions  by  great  bays,  so  that  the 
breadth  is  commonly  not  above  60  miles,  containing  about 
92,000  square  miles,  and  3,000,000  inhabitants,!  Ion.  from  1 16  to 
124  E.  lat.  1  30  to  5  30  N.  This  island  is  lofty  and  mountainous, 
especially  towards  the  centre,  and  there  are  several  active  volca- 
noes. Though  the  Asiatic  isles  abound  in  sublime  and  beautiful 
scenery,  this  is  depicted  as  exceeding  them  all.|  Rivei's  abound, 
rising  in  the  high  mountains,  and  precipitating  down  vast  rocks, 
amidst  a  sylvan  scene  of  lofty  and  singular  trees.  The  Portu- 
guese obtained  a  settlement  near  Macassar  in  the  S.  W.  being  fa- 
vored by  the  king  of  that  region,  but  were  expelled  by  the 
Dutch  in  1660,  who  continue  to  control  the  island,  the  Chinese 
alone  being  permitted  to  trade.     The   natives,  commonly  called 

*  Sonnerat,  il  116.  For  an  ample  and  carious  account  of  this  island  the  reader  may 
consult  Forest's  Vovage  to  New  tiuinca.  The  Haraforas,  or  Muck  natives,  are  sold 
viihthe  land. 

t  Hasscl.  %  Pennant  iv.  86. 


ero  ASIATIC  ISLES. 

Macassars,*  often  degrade  their  courage  in  the  quality  of  free- 
booters, attacking  vessels  with  surprising  desperation,  and  often 
with  lances,  or  arrows  poisoned  with  the  juice  of  the  notorious 
tree  called  upas.  Their  houses  are  raised  on  pillars,  as  usual,  on 
account  of  the  rainy  season,  or  W.  monsoon,  from  November  till 
March.  The  Celebezian  group  might  aptly  be  termed  the  Isles 
of  Poison,  being  full  of  poisonous  trees  and  plants  ;  though  the 
noted  upas  be  exaggerated  and  ascribed  to  Java,  where  it  seems 
less  known.  Nature  has  thus  contrasted  the  salutary  productions 
of  the  spice  islands  with  the  most  pernicious  proofs  of  her  power. 
This  large  island  having  been,  like  Borneo,  little  explored,  there 
is  a  great  deficiency  in  its  natural  history.  The  inhabitants  are 
said  to  cultivate  great  quantities  of  rice. 

Around  Celebez  are  many  small  isles,  as  Sanguy  in  the  N.  the 
Shullas  and  Peling  in  the  E.  with  Boutan  and  Sala  in  the  S.  and 
some  of  smaller  note  in  the  W.  Even  the  smallest  isles  are 
mostly  inhabited,  and  governed  by  chiefs.  In  Sanguy  and  some 
others  there  are  small  Dutch  garrisons,  as  advanced  guards  to 
protect  the  Spice  islands.  Boutan  is  probably  still  ruled  by  a 
Mahometan  sultan. 


V.      THE    SPICE    ISLANDS,    INCLUDING    THE    MOLUCCAS. 

THE  Moluccas, originally  and  strictly  so  termed,  are  only 
five  small  islands  on  the  W.  of  Gilolo,  namely  Ternat,  Tidore, 
MoTiR,  Makian,  and  Bakian  or  Batchian  :t  but  as  the  kings 
of  the  Moluccas  have  possessed  territory  in  Gilolo  and  other  ad- 
jacent isles,  and  as  the  term  Moluccas  is  considered  as  syno^iy- 
mous  with  that  of  Sfiice  Islands,  the  appellation  has  been  extend- 
ed. The  Moluccas  of  D'Anville  include  all  the  islands  in  the 
oriental  Archipelago,  except  those  of  Sunda  and  the  Philippines  ; 
but  this  extension  is  objectionable,  as  leading  to  vague  ideas  and 
confused  description  ;  and  it  seems  preferable  to  include  under 
the  name  of  Spice  Islands  those  from  Mortay  in  the  N.  to  Banda 
in  the  S.  and  from  My  sol  in  the  E.  to  Bouro  and  Oubi  in  the  W. 
Thus  the  chief  Spice  Islands  will  be  Gilolo,  Ceram,  and  Bouro, 
■with  Mortay,  Oubi,  Mysol,  Bouro,  that  of  Amboyna,  and  the 
group  of  Banda,  with  such  small  isles  as  approximate  nearer  to 
these  than  to  the  Celebezian  group,  or  Sumatrian  chain.  In  this 
description  are  specially  included  the  five  celebrated  isles,  origi- 
nally and  peculiarly  termed  the  Moluccas. 

GoLiLo  is  of  considerable  extent;  but  in  irregularity  of  form 
similar  to  Celebez.  The  length  is  about  230  miles  ;  the  breadth 
of  each  limb  seldom  above  40.  The  shores  are  low  :  the  interior 
rises  to  high  peaks.  Gilolo  is  said  to  have  been  once  governed 
by  one  sovereign,  a  sheref  from  Mecca  ;  but  the  sultans  of  Ternat 
and  Tidore  seem  now  to  share  this  large  isle  between  them  ;|  a. 

*  The  most  powerful  people  are  the  Boiiians,  on  the  bay  of  Boni,  called  Bvg- 
passes  by  English  seamen,  and  by  other  nations  Bouginese.      Stavorinas,  ii,  181. 
t  Figafetta,  IG7.  ±  Pennant,  iv.  193; 


ASIATIC  ISLES.  6ri 

circumstance  which  adds  to  the  propriety  of  including  Gilolo  in 
the  same  description  with  the  Moluccas.  One  of  the  chief  towns 
is  Tatany,  situated  on  a  point  or  small  promontory  of  the  eastern 
limb,  faced  with  precipices,  so  as  to  be  only  accessible  by  ladders. 
This  isle  abounds  with  oxen,  buffaloes,  goats,  deer,  and  wild  hogs  ; 
but  the  sheep  are  few.  The  bread  fruit  is  frequent  in  Gilolo,  with 
the  sago  tree.  The  natives  are  industrious,  particularly  in  weav- 
ing, but  their  exertions  are  suppressed  by  Batavian  jealousy. 

Ceram  is  another  island  of  considerable  size,  being  about  190 
miles  in  length  by  40  in  breadth  ;  low  towards  the  shore,  but  with 
inland  mountains.  Mr.  Forrest  specially  mentions  that  Ceram 
produces  clove  trees  ;  and  there  are  large  forests  of  the  sago 
tree,  which  forms  a  considerable  article  of  export :  yet  this  large 
island  has  been  little  explored,  and  is  almost  unknown. 

As  in  geographical  description  the  size  of  an  island  is  a  leading 
feature,  the  next  mentioned  must  be  Bouro,  about  90  miles  iu 
length,  by  50  in  breadth.  This  isle  was  nominally  subject  to  the 
king  of  Ternat  ;  but  in  1660  the  Dutch  built  a  fort,  and,  though 
they  burned  the  exterior  woods,  seem  to  have  improved  the  in- 
dustry of  the  inhabitants.*  The  civet  weasel  is  found  here,  and 
the  curious  hog  called  babiroussa.  The  isle  of  Bouro  rises  sud- 
denly from  a  deep  sea,  being  encompassed  as  with  a  Avail.  The 
interior  mountains  are  so  lofty,  that  they  may  sometimes  be  des- 
cried at  the  distance  of  28  leagues.  Green  ebony,  and  a  kind  of 
iron  wood,  are  mentioned  among  the  trees  ;  and  it  is  probable  that 
the  clove,  and  perhaps  the  nutmeg,  defy,  in  the  mountain  recess- 
es, the  wild  avarice  of  man. 

Of  the  other  large  islands  Bakian  orBatchian  will  be  described 
with  the  Moluccas  strictly  so  called.  Of  Mortay,  Mysol,  (Mix- 
oal  or  Michoal,)  and  Oubi,  little  is  known.  Mortay  is  a  beauti- 
ful isle,  but  thinly  inhabited,  though  full  of  sago  trees,  which  arc 
cut  by  the  people  of  Gilolo  ;  and  is  subject  to  the  king  of  Ternat. 
Mysol,  the  most  eastern  of  this  group,  is  of  a  triangular  jhapc, 
with  a  bold  shore.  The  villages  are  built  in  the  water  upon 
posts  ;  and  there  are  picturesque  forests  visited  by  the  birds  of  par- 
adise, which  seem  to  migrate  from  Papua,  and  are  caught  in  con- 
siderable numbers.  These  romantic  and  beautiful  birds  strictly 
belong  to  Papua,  or  New  Guinea,  but  their  flight  extends  over 
most  of  the  Spice  Islands,  where  they  always  descend  as  from 
heaven,  and,  as  the  natives  believe,  float  in  aromatic  air.  Oubi 
abounds  in  cloves,  and  the  Dutch  have  a  small  fort  on  the  west 
side  :  but  the  inhabitants  are  chiefly  fugitive  slaves  fiom  Ternat- 

But  the  most  celebrated  and  important  islands  of  this  group  re- 
main to  be  described.  The  Moluccas,  strictly  so  called,  in  the 
western  extremity  ;  and  Amboyna  and  Banda  in  the  south.  The 
little,  or  proper  Moluccas,  as  already  mentioned,  are  Ternat, 
TiDORE,  MoTiR,  Makian,  and  Batchian.  In  1510  they  were 
visited  by  Portuguese  navigators  from  the  west ;  and  the  fame  of 
the  discovery  was  one  of  the  chief  inducements  to  the  first  cir- 

•  Pennant,  iv.  174. 


^a  ASIATIC  ISLES. 

cumnavigation  of  the  Spaniards,  conducted  by  Magalhacns,  a  Por- 
tuguese commodore.  These  two  great  maritime  nations  after- 
Avards  contested  this  precious  property  ;  but  the  Moluccas  were 
finally  resigned  to  the  Portuguese,  wlio  were  supplanted  by  the 
Dutch  about  the  year  1607.  The  English  also  claiming  this  opu- 
lent commerce,  a  treaty  was  signed  in  1619,  declaring  the  Moluc- 
cas, Amboyna,  and  Banda,  common  to  both  :  the  English  to  have 
one  third  of  the  produce,  and  the  Dutch  two  thirds  ;  each  contrib- 
uting a  similar  proportion  to  defend  the  islands  from  invaders.* 
But  in  the  short  course  of  three  yeai-s  the  Dutch,  actuated  by  their 
ijisatiable  avarice,  determined,  by  the  most  diabolical  means,  to 
free  themselves  from  all  competitors.  They  forged  a  plot  of  the 
English  against  their  lives  and  liberties,  and  put  them  to  death  by 
the  most  exquisite  tortures. 

,  The  clove  is  said  to  have  abounded  particularly  in  Makian,  but 
the  growth  was  afterwards  confined  by  the  Dutch  to  Amboyna. 
The  nutmeg  specially  flourished  in  the  group  of  Banda  ;  and  the 
Romans  appear  to  have  known  the  clove,  but  not  the  nutmeg, 
which  was  probably  brought  to  Europe  by  the  Mahometans.  The 
largest  of  the  little  Moluccas  is  Batchian,  being  governed  by  a 
sultan,  who  is  likewise  sovereign  of  Oubi  and  Ceram,  with  Go- 
ram,  a  little  isle  S.  E.  of  Ceram,  reputed  the  most  eastern 
boundary  of  the  Mahometan  faith.  This  monarch  has  a  pension 
from  the  Dutch,  either  for  the  destruction  or  supply  of  nutmegs, 
but  is  otherwise  little  subservient.  Batchian  rises  into  woody 
hills  ;  and  on  the  shores,  as  in  most  isles  of  this  archipelago,  there 
are  prodigious  rocks  of  coral,  of  infinite  variety  and  beauty.  Ma- 
kian is  a  small  isle  at  a  greater  interval,  to  the  N.  of  Batchian,  than 
appears  between  the  other  Moluccas,  and  rises  like  a  high  conic 
mountain  from  the  sea.  This  was  regarded  as  the  chief  Dutch 
settlement  before  Amboyna  became  the  metropolis  of  the  Moluc- 
cas. Next  is  MoTiu,  formerly,  said  to  be  the  seat  of  Venus  and 
voluptuousness.  The  most  distinguished  of  the  proper  Moluccas 
are  Tidore  and  Ternat.  While  Portugal  was  united  to  Spain 
the  Dutch  were  defeated  near  Tidore  in  1610  by  the  Spanish  ad- 
miral Sylva ;  but  by  the  assistance  of  the  king  of  Ternat  the  Bata- 
vians  seized  the  fort.  In  Tidore  there  are  25  mosques  ;  and  the 
sultan,  as  already  mentioned,  possesses  also  the  south  of  Gilolo, 
and  claims  tribute  from  Mysol. 

Ternat  is  the  most  northern  and  most  important  of  the  Mo- 
luccas, though  it  scarcely  exceed  24  miles  in  circumference. 
The  sultan  controls  Makian  and  Motir,  with  the  north  of  Gilolo, 
Mortay,  and  even  some  Celebezian  isles,  and  part  of  Papua, 
whence  he  receives  a  tribute  of  gold,  amber,  and  birds  of  Paradise. 
In  1638  the  Batavians  formed  an  alliance  with  the  king  of  Ter- 
nat and  the  lesser  princes,  which  has  been  repeatedly  renewed  ; 
but  garrisons  are  established  to  enforce  the  observance,  and  the 
sultans  of  Ternat  and  Tidore  are  watched  with  great  attention. 
Ternat  consists  chiefly  of  high  land,  abounding  with  streams, 

"*  lly nier'sFtedera,  xvii.  170. 


ASIATIC  ISLES.  673 

*^hich  burst  from  the  cloudy  peaks  :  and  there  is  a  volcano  which 
displayed  great  force  in  1693.  The  chief  quadrupeds,  are  goats, 
deer,  and  hogs,  and  the  birds  are  of  distinguished  beauty,  particu- 
larly the  kingfisher,  clothed  in  scarlet  and  mazareen  blue,  called 
by  the  natives  the  Goddess.  In  Ternat  the  Boa-serpent  is  some- 
times found,  of  the  length  of  thirty  feet  ;  and  by  its  power  of  suc- 
tion and  constriction  is  reported  sometimes  to  swallow  even  small 
deer. 

Equally  distinguished  are  the  most  southern  spice  islands  of 
Amboyna  and  Banda,  cloves  beingnow  restricted,  so  far  as  Dutch 
avarice  could  eftect,  to  Amboyna,  and  nutmegs  to  Banda.  The 
governor  of  Amboyna  makes  an  annual  progress  throughout  the 
Spice  Islands,  to  see  that  treaties  are  observed,  and  suppress  any 
new  object  of  jealousy.  Amboyna  was  discovered  by  the  Por- 
tuguese about  1515,  but  was  not  seized  till  1564;  and  was  con- 
quered by  the  Dutch  about  1  607.  This  celebrated  isle  is  about  60 
miles  in  length  from  N.  to  S.  and  on  the  west  side  there  is  a  large 
bay,  which  divides  it  into  two  limbs  or  peninsulas.  Oji  the  east- 
ern side  is  another  bay,  with  a  bad  harbor,  where  the  Portuguese 
erected  their  chief  fortress  Victoria.  The  town  of  Amboyna,  the 
capital  of  the  isle,  stands  near  the  S.  W-  extremity  and  is  neatly 
built  ;  the  houses,  on  account  of  the  frequent  earthquakes,  seldom 
exceed  one  floor.  The  face  of  this  island  is  beautiful,  woody 
mountains  and  verdant  vales  bemg  interspersed  with  hamlets,  and 
enriched  by  cultivation.*  The  clove  tree  grows  to  the  height  of 
about  40  or  50  feet,  with  spreading  branches  and  long  pointed 
leaves.  In  deep  sheltered  vales  some  trees  will  produce  30  pounds 
weight  annually,  the  chief  crop  being  from  November  to  February. 
The  sc;il  is  mostly  a  reddish  clay,  but  in  the  vales  blackish  and 
sandy.  When  Amboyna  was  recently  seized  by  the  English,!  it 
was  found,  with  its  dependencies,  to  contain  45,252  souls,  of  which 
17,813  were  Protestants,  the  rest  Mahometans,  except  a  few 
Chinese  and  savages.  The  Dutch  are  tolerably  polished,  this  be- 
ing the  next  settlement  to  Batavia  in  wealth  and  consequence. 
The  natives  cannot  be  praised,  they  differ  little  from  other  Ma- 
lays ;  and  when  intoxicated  with  opium  will  commit  any  crime. 
The  dress  is  a  loose  shirt,  or  frock,  of  cotton  cloth  ;  and  the  chiefs 
are  called  rajahs.  Cattle,  grain,  &c.  are  imported  from  Java. 
The  Dutch  discouraged  the  growth  of  indigo,  lest  the  natives 
should  become  rich  and  rebellious  ;  but  the  sugar  and  coffee  are 
excellent,  and  among  many  delicious  fruits  is  the  mangosteen  of 
Hindostan.  About  eleven  years  ago  nutmegs  were  permitted  to 
be  cultivated  in  Amboyna,  Banda  not  furnishing  a  sufficient  sup- 
ply. The  chief  anmials  are  deer  and  wild  liogs,  and  among  the 
birds  is  the  cassowary.  The  most  curious  woods  are  brought 
from  Ceram. 

•  An  account  of  the  Spice  Islands,  since  they  have  been  in  the  possession  of  Great 
Britain.  Asiatic  Ilegisier,  ISOO,  p.  200.  Tliere  was  a  most  violent  earthquake  ia 
ir.S5. 

f  The  Islands  of  Ambovna  and  Band.**  were  lakea  without  resistance  in  Febraarj" 
and  March,  1706,  by  the  English  admiral  Rainier, 

VOL.  tl.  85 


eX4  AUSTRALASIA. 

Bakda,  or  Lantor,  is  the  chief  isle  of  a  group  which  com- 
prises six  or  seven  others  ;  it  does  not  exceed  8  miles  in  length, 
W.  to  E.  and  the  greatest  breadth  at  its  eastern  extremity  may  be 
5  miles.  The  nutmeg  tree  is  the  principal  object  of  cultivation  in 
these  isles ;  and  flourishes  not  only  in  the  rich  black  mould,  but 
even  amidst  the  lavas  of  Gonong,  which  is  the  highest  isle,  the 
summit  being  1940  feet  above  the  sea.  When  the  English  seized 
these  isles  in  1796,  the  annual  produce  was  about  163,000  pounds 
of  nutmegs  and  46,000  pounds  of  mace.*  The  nutmeg  tree  grows 
to  the  size  of  a  pear  tree,  the  leaves  resembling  those  of  the  lau- 
rel, and  bears  fruit  from  the  age  of  ten  to  one  hundred  years. 
The  nutmeg,  when  ripe  on  the  tree,  has  both  a  very  curious  and 
beautiful  appearance  :  it  is  about  the  size  of  an  apricot,  and  nearly 
of  a  similar  color,  with  the  same  kind  of  hollow  mark  all  round  it ; 
in  shape  it  is  somewhat  like  a  pear  ;  when  perfectly  ripe  the 
rind  over  the  mark  opens,  and  discovers  the  mace,  of  a  deep  red, 
growing  over  and  covering  in  part  the  thin  shell  of  the  nutmeg, 
which  is  black.f 

The  ground  being  chiefly  occupied  with  these  precious  planta- 
tions, cattle,  grain,  &c.  are  imported  from  Batavia  ;  and  the  Chi- 
nese merchants  carry  European  articles  even  to  Papua  or  New 
Guinea.  The  inhabitants  of  the  Banda  isles  were  found  to  be 
5763.  The  English  were  expelled  from  Lantor,  and  Rohn,  or 
Pulo  Rohn,  prior  to  the  massacre  of  Amboyna  ;  but  seized  the 
whole  Spice  Islands  in  1796,  and  restored  them  to  their  Batavian 
masters  by  the  treaty  with  France,  1801.  In  1810,  they  were 
again  taken  by  the  British,  in  whose  possession  they  now  remain. 


AUSTRALASIA. 


AUSTRALASIA,  as  already  explained,  contains  the 
following  countries  : 

1 .  The  central  and  chief  land  of  New  Holland,  with  any  isles 
which  may  be  discovered  in  the  adjacent  Indian  ocean,  twenty  de- 
grees to  the  W.  and  between  twenty  and  thirty  degrees  to  the  E. 
including  particularly  all  the  large  islands  that  follow  : 

2.  Papua,  or  New  Guinea. 

3.  New  Britain  and  New  Ireland,  with  the  Solomon  Isles, 

4.  New  Caledonia,  and  the  New  Hebudes. 

5.  New  Zealand. 

*  The  hurricane  and  earthquake,  1778,  almost  snnilalated  the  nutmeg  trees  in 
Banda,  so  that  the  Dutch  have  become  the  dupes  of  their  own  avarice.  From  1 796  t« 
1798  the  English  East  India  Company  imported  817,312  lb.  cloves,  93,732  lb  nut- 
megs, 46,730  lb.  mace,  besides  private  trade,  araoonting  to  about  a  third  part  of  the 
above.    Stavoi-inuf,  ii.  418. 

t  Asiatic  Register,  1800,  p.  216. 


AUSTRALASIA.  ^^. 

6.  The  large  island  called  Van  Diemen's  Land,  recently  dis- 
covered to  be  separated  from  New  Holland  by  a  strait,  or  rather 
channel,  called  Bass's  strait. 


1.      NEW    HOLLAND. 

SOME  suppose  that  this  extensive  region,  when  more  thor- 
oughly investigated,  will  be  found  to  consist  of  two,  three,  or  more 
vast  islands,  intersected  by  narrow  seas.  However  this  be,  the 
most  recent  and  authentic  charts  still  indicate  New  Holland  as  a 
country  fully  entitled  to  the  appellation  of  a  continent.  The  length 
from  E.  to  W.  is  about  43  degi'ees  of  longitude,  in  the  medial  lat- 
itude of  25°,  that  is  about  2730  miles.  The  breadth  from  N.  to  S. 
extends  from  11°  to  39°,  being  28  degrees,  1960  miles.  Europe, 
the  smallest  of  the  ancient  continents,  is  supposed  to  be  about 
3300  miles  in  its  utmost  length,  and  its  greatest  breadth  2350. 
New  Holland,  appears  therefore,  to  be  a  quarter  less  than  Europe. 
But  the  proximity  of  so  many  large  islands  recompenses  this 
defect ;  and  the  whole  of  Australasia  will  probably  be  found  great- 
ly to  exceed  the  European  continent.  It  must  at  the  same  time 
be  remembered,  that  New  Holland  may  be  discovered  to  consist 
of  two  or  more  islands,  so  that  Australasia  is  not  admitted  as  anew 
continent,  but  merely  as  a  new  division  of  the  globe  ;  in  which 
view  this  and  Polynesia  may  be  termed  maritime  divisions,  while 
the  four  ancient  quarters  are  strictly  terrene. 

Although  the  northern  parts  of  Papua  were  probably  not  unknown 
to  the  Chinese,  yet  there  is  no  evidence,  that  they  had  discovered 
New  Holland  ;  there  is  therefore  room  to  believe  that  the  first 
civilized  people  to  whom  it  was  disclosed  were  the  Spaniards  or 
Portuguese,  the  earliest  European  navigators  in  this  portion  of  the 
globe.  An  ancient  map  now  lodged  in  the  British  museum  has 
been  thought  to  evince,  that  a  considerable  portion  of  the  coast, 
now  called  New  South  Wales,  was  known  to  the  Spaniards  or 
Portuguese  ;  but  the  precise  epoch  of  the  map  or  discovery 
seems  uncertain. 

The  Portuguese  being  supplanted  by  the  Dutch,  the  lattet  are 
regarded  by  the  learned  president  Des  Brosses,  as  the  chief  dis- 
coverers of  Australasia,  between  the  year  1616  and  1644.*  The 
first  discovery  he  dates  in  the  month  of  October  1616,  when  the 
western  extremity  was  explored  by  Hartog.  The  northern  part, 
called  Diernen'a  Land,  was  disclosed  by  another  Dutch  navigator, 
named  Zeachen,  who  bestowed  the  appellation  in  honor  of  Antony 
Van  Diemen,  governor  general  in  the  East  Indies.  In  like  man- 
ner Carpentaria  was  named  from  general  Carpenter,  being  discov- 
ered in  1628. 

In  1642,  that  celebrated  navigator,  Tasman,  leaving  Batavia 
with  two  ships,  performed  almost  a  circuit  of  Australasia,  and  dis- 
covered tlie  southern  land  of  Fan  Diemen^  with  New  Zealand,  and 

*  Dm  BroMei.  k  'iSZfi. 


«76  AUSTRALASIA. 

some  isles  of  less  consequence.  It  would  be  foreign  to  the  pre- 
sent purpose  to  detail  the  other  discoveries,  A?hich  preceded  the 
voyages  of  Cook,  in  1768,  1772,  and  1776,  which,  from  the  supe- 
rior amplitude  and  accuracy  of  the  details,  may  be  said  to  amount 
to  a  new  discovery. 

The  eastern  coast  having  been  cai'efully  examined  by  Cook,  and 
justly  appearing  of  great  importance,  was  formally  taken  posses- 
sion of  in  the  name  of  the  king  of  Great  Britain,  1770.  On  the 
close  of  the  American  war,  it  being  difficult  to  select  a  proper 
place  of  transportation  for  criminals  sentenced  to  that  punishment 
by  the  laws  of  their  country,  this  new  territory  was  at  length  pre- 
ferred, in  1786,  and  the  first  ship  sailed  from  Spithead  on  the  30th 
January  1787,  and  arrived  on  the  20th  of  the  same  month  in  the 
follo^ving  year.*  Botany  Bay  being  found  to  be  a  station  of  infe- 
rior advaiitages  to  what  were  expected,  and  no  spot  appearing 
proper  for  the  colony,  it  was  immediately  resolved  by  Governor 
Phillip  to  transfer  it  to  another  excellent  inlet,  about  twelve  miles 
farther  to  the  north,  called  Port  Jackson,  on  the  south  side  of 
which,  at  a  spot  called  Sidney  Cove,  this  settlement  is  now  fixed. 
Port  Jackson  is  one  of  the  noblest  harbors  in  the  world,  extending 
about  fourteen  miles  in  length,  with  numerons  creeks  or  coves. 

Difficulties  with  regard  to  subsistence  and  some  unexpected 
misfortunes  attended  the  new  colony,  the  sheep  being  stolen,  and 
the  cattle  wandered  into  the  woods.  For  a  minute  account  of  the 
progress  of  this  interesting  colony  till  1797,  the  reader  may  con- 
sult the  work  of  Mr.  Collins,  who  held  an  eminent  situation  in  the 
establishment.f  A  space  of  about  50  miles  around  the  colony  had 
then  been  explored,  and  two  rivers  called  Nepean  and  Hawksbu•^ 
ry,  and  some  mountains,  had  been  discovered.  The  cattle  were 
found  grazing  in  a  remote  meadow,  in  1795,  after  they  had  been 
lost  for  seven  years,  and  had  increased  to  a  surprizing  degree. 
The  most  recent  accounts  seem  to  authenticate  the  flourishing 
state  of  the  colony.  The  mode  of  cultivation  has  been  improved, 
coal  and  rock  salt  discovered  ;  and  there  is  room  to  expect  that 
this  wide  territory  will  not  be  found  deficient  in  the  usual  riches 
of  nature. 

Bivision.'j  The  name  of  Cumberland  county  is  given  by  the 
government  to  the  settlement  at  Sidney  Cove.  It  is  about  50 
miles  in  length,  and  30  in  breadth  ;  bounded  W.  by  Caermar- 
then  and  Lansdown  Hills  ;  N.  by  Broken  Bay,  and  S.  and  S.  W.by 
Botany  Bay.  The  chief  place  of  settlement,  is  at  Sidney  Cove, 
near  the  centre,  where  a  town  has  been  regularly  laid  out,  and 
built.  The  principal  streets  are  200  feet  wide.  The  climate  is 
said  to  be  equal  to  the  finest  in  Europe. 

Inhabitants.']  These  historical  outlines  being  premised,  it  will 
be  proper  to  offer  a  brief  and  indeed  necessarily  defective  descrip- 
tion of  this  new  continent,  as  it  is  conceived  to  be  in  its  original 
state.  From  the  accounts  of  various  navigators,  there  is  room  to 
infer  that  this  extensive  tract  is  peopled  by  three  or  four  races  of 

*  Collins,  i.  p.  ii. 

t  For  later  iuformation,  the  reader  is  referred  to  Poron's  rojage  to  Australasia. 


AUSTRALASIA.  €3pr 

men,  those  observed  in  the  S.  VV.  being  desbribed  as  different 
from  those  iu  ttie  N.*  and  both  from  those  in  the  E.  with  whom 
alone  we  are  intimately  acquainted.  These  are  perhaps  in  the 
most  early  stage  of  society  which  has  yet  been  discovered  iu  any 
part  of  the  globe.  They  are  merely  divided  into  families,  the  se- 
nior being  styled  Be-ana,  or  Father.  Each  family  or  tribe  has  a 
particular  place  of  residence,  and  is  distinguished  by  adding ^-a/  to 
the  name  of  the  place  ;  thus  the  southern  shore  of  Botany  Bay  is 
called  Gwea,  and  the  tribe  there  Gwea-gal.  Another  tribe  nume- 
rous and  muscular,  has  the  singular  prerogative  of  exacting  a 
tooth  from  young  men  of  other  families,  the  sole  token  of  goveriv- 
ment  or  subordination.  No  religion  whatever  is  known,  though 
they  have  a  faint  idea  of  a  future  existence,  and  think  their  peo- 
ple return  to  the  clouds,  whence  they  originally  fell.  They  are 
of  a  low  stature,  and  ill  made  ;  the  arms,  legs,  and  thighs,  being 
remarkably  thin,  perhaps  owing  to  their  poor  living  on  fish,  the 
only  food  of  those  on  the  coast,  while  a  few  in  the  woods  subsist 
on  such  animals  as  they  can  catch,  and  climb  trees  for  honey,  fly- 
ing squirrels,  and  opossums. t  The  features  of  the  women  are 
not  unpleasant,  though  approaching  to  the  negro.  The  black 
bushy  beards  of  the  men,  and  the  bone  or  reed,  which  they  thrust 
through  the  cartilage  of  the  nose,  gives  them  a  disgusting  appear- 
ance :  which  is  not  improved  by  the  practice  of  rubbing  fish  oil 
into  their  skins,  as  a  protection  from  the  air  and  mosUitos,  so  that 
in  hot  weather  the  stench  is  intolerable.  They  color  their  faces 
with  while  or  red  clay.  The  women  are  maiked  with  the  loss  of 
the  two  first  joints  of  the  little  finger  of  the  left  hand,  as  they  were 
supposed  to  be  in  the  way  when  they  coiled  their  fishing  lines. | 
It  is  liowever  not  improbable  that  this  practice,  and  the  extraction 
of  a  tooth  from  the  boys,  may  be  mere  initiations,  rude  lessons  that 
they  may  learn  to  bear  pain  with  apathy.  The  children  are  sel- 
dom disfigured,  except  by  accidents  from  fire  ;  and  their  sight  is 
surprisingly  acute.  Some  are  nearly  as  black  as  African  negroes, 
while  others  exhibit  a  copper  or  Malay  color,  but  the  hair  is  long, 
not  woolly  like  the  African.  Their  noses  are  flat,  nostrils  wide, 
sunk  eyes,  thick  brows  and  lips,  with  a  mouth  of  prodigious  width, 
but  the  teeth  white  and  even.  "  Many  had  very  prominent  jaws  ; 
and  there  was  one  man  who,  but  for  the  gift  of  speech,  might  very 
well  have  passed  for  an  ourang  outang.  He  was  remarkably  hairy  ; 
his  arms  appeared  of  an  uncommon  length  ;  in  his  gait  he  was 
not  perfectly  upright  ;  and  in  his  whole  manner  seemed  to  have 
more  of  the  brute,  and  less  of  the  human  species  about  him,  than 
any  of  his  countrymen."§ 

•  Yet  the  description  of  Dampier,  who  visited  this  part  in  1C88.  presents  .n  gr«»t 
sjmilariiy  with  that  of  the  natives  in  the  colony  near  Fort  Jackson.     ( Vol.  i.  p.  462  ) 

t  Collins,  i.  550.  V  1  y 

^  Patterson,  in  his  travels  in  Africa,  tells  us  that  lie  met  with  a  tribe  of  Hottento^ 
near  Orange  Uivir,  ull  of  w  hom  hitd  lost  the  first  joint  of  iJieir  little  finger  :  tht:  i.-hsoo 
the)  gave  for  lutling  it  ofl'was,  that  it  was  a  cure  for  a  partieuhir  sii;knc»s  lo  v.hich 
they  were  subject  when  young  It  would  be  a  curious  coinciileitc,  Jiould  it  be  dis- 
rovercd  that  the  i.ativcs  of  New-Holland  do  it  for  :iuy  similar  reason. 

§  UoMlos,  i.  554. 


678  AUSTRALASIA. 

The  huts  arc  most  rudely  constructed  of  the  bark  of  trees,  in 
the  form  of  an  oyen,  the  fire  being  at  the  entrance.  Here  they 
sleep  promiscuously,  if  not  interrupted  by  their  frequent  enmities 
and  assassinations.  Fish  are  killed  with  a  kind  of  prong,  or  taken 
by  the  women,  with  lines  of  bark  and  hooks  of  the  mother  of  pearl 
oyster,  rubbed  on  a  stone,  till  the  proper  form  be  obtained.  The 
fish  are  often  broiled  on  a  fire  laid  on  sand  in  the  canoe.  Beasts 
are  taken  in  a  kind  of  toils.  Caterpillars  and  worms  are  likewise 
articles  of  food.  The  canoes  are  made  of  bark,  extended  on  a 
timber  frame. 

These  poor  savages  are  the  abject  slaves  of  superstition,  believ- 
ing in  magic  and  witchcraft  and  ghosts  ;  they  have  also  spells 
against  thunder  and  lightning,  and  pretend  to  foretell  events  by 
the  meteors  called  falling  stars.  They  have  not  only  personal 
property  in  their  weapons  and  fishing  tackle,  but  some  are  sup- 
posed hereditary  proprietors  of  certain  spots,  perhaps  assigned 
as  rewards  for  public  services,  ar  acts  of  great  braveiy.  They 
have  names  for  the  sun  and  moon,  some  few  stars,  the  Magellanic 
clouds,  and  the  milky  way.  Young  people  are  buried,  but  those 
who  have  passed  the  middle  age  are  burnt ;  a  rude  tumulus  being 
erected  by  way  of  tomb. 

Lang7iag-e.']  Of  the  language  Mr.  Collins  has  given  an  ample 
vocabulary,  and  it  is  reported  to  be  grateful  to  the  ear,  expressive 
and  sonorous,  having  no  analogy  with  any  other  known  language  ; 
but  the  dialects  of  the  various  regions  seem  entirely  different. 
Whether  these  people  be  remains  of  aboriginal  tribes  from  the 
most  southern  extremities  of  Asia,  or  have  passed  from  Madagas- 
car and  the  eastern  shores  of  Africa,  are  matters  of  future  discov- 
ery and  investigation. 

Climate  and  Seasons.']  From  its  situation,  on  the  southern 
side  of  the  equator,  the  seasons  are  like  those  of  the  southern  part 
of  Africa  and  America,  the  reverse  of  those  in  Europe  ;  the  sum- 
mer corresponding  with  our  winter,  and  the  spring  with  autumn. 
Mr.  Collins  found  the  weather  in  December  very  hot,  but  the  cli- 
mate was  allowed  to  be  fine  and  salubrious.  The  rains  were 
heavy,  appearing  to  fall  chiefly  about  the  full  and  change  of  the 
moon  ;  and  at  intervals  there  were  storms  of  thunder  and  light- 
ning. In  Noi'folk  island  there  is  what  may  be  called  a  rainy  sea- 
son, from  February  to  August.  As  the  south  is  in  this  hemis- 
phere the  region  of  cold,  there  must  be  great  difference  in  the 
temperature  of  this  wide  continent ;  which  may  also  be  affected 
as  usual  by  chains  of  mountains,  and  other  circumstances  yet  un- 
discovered. 

jFace  of  the  Country.']  It  would  be  idle  to  attempt  any  delinea- 
tion of  the  general  aspect  of  this  country.  The  small  portion 
known  seems  hilly,  but  not  mountainous,  partly  covered  with  tall 
trees  clear  from  underwood  ;  which  last  however  covers  exten- 
sive tracts  towards  the  shores,  in  which  large  swamps  also 
occur.*     The  soil  around  Botany  Bay  is  black  and  fat,  and  fertile 

•  Pennant's  Outlines,  iv.  108;  hat  this  exeellent  ■atwalist  seeitfs  prejudiced  against 
the  conntry  an«1  the  colonv. 


AUSTRALASIA.  ^9 

of  plants,  whence  the  name  arose  ;  but  these  favorable  appear- 
ances were  counteracted  by  geat  disadvantages  ;  it  is  to  be  hoped 
that  when  experience  has  indicated  the  proper  means,  this  may 
be  rendered  a  productive  country, 

Hiversf  Lakes',  and  Mo jin tains.']  Concerning  the  rivers,  lakes, 
and  mountains  of  New  Holland  there  is  little  information.  Ne- 
pean  river  in  New  South  Wales,  is  34  miles  S.  W.  of  Port  Hunter, 
and  46  from  the  town  of  Paramatta.  The  Paramatta  river  passes 
tlie  town  of  this  name,  which  is  the  residence  of  the  missionary, 
and  is  a  fiourishing  place.  A  chain  of  mountains  is  said  to  run 
N.  and  S.  between  fifty  and  60  miles  inland,  but  not  easily  accessi- 
ble on  account  of  numerous  deep  ravines.  Basaltic  columns  often 
appear  ;  and  in  Howe  island  they  rise  to  such  a  height  as  to  be 
visible  at  the  distance  of  twelve  leagues. 

Zoology.]  This  wide  country  presents  a  peculiarity  in  the  ani- 
mals, being  mostly  of  the  opossum  kind,  and  leaping  habitually 
upon  the  hind  legs  :  the  chief  in  size  is  the  Kangooroo.  The 
native  dogs  are  of  the  chacal  kind,  and  never  bark  ;  they  are  of 
two  colors,  black  or  white  with  tinges  of  red,  and  some  are  very 
handsome.*  Among  the  few  other  quadrupeds  yet  described  are 
weazels  and  ant-eaters,  with  that  singular  animal  the  duck-billed 
platypus,  in  which  nature  seems  to  delight  in  transgressing  her 
usual  law,  the  jaws  of  a  quadruped  being  elongated  into  the  com- 
plete bill  of  a  bird.  Among  the  birds  are  the  brown  eagle,  sever- 
al falcons,  and  many  elegant  parrots  ;  there  are  also  bustards  and 
partridges,  with  some  pigeons.  A  new  kind  of  cassowary  must 
not  be  omitted,  said  to  be  seven  feet  in  length  rf  it  is  not  uncom- 
mon, and  the  flesh  tastes  like  beef,  \mong  the  aquatic  birds  are 
the  heron,  and  gigantic  pelicans.  There  are  also  peculiar  ducks 
and  geese ;  and  the  black  swan  is  a  rare  progeny  of  the  new  con- 
tinent "  It  is  in  size  superior  to  the  white.  The  bill  is  of  a  rich 
scarlet ;  near  the  tip  is  a  small  yellow  spot.  The  whole  plumage 
of  the  most  intense  black,  except  the  primaries  and  secondaries, 
which  are  white,  the  eyes  black,  the  feet  dusky :  it  is  found  in 
Hawksbury  river,  and  other  fresh  waters  near  Broken  Bay,  and  has 
all  the  graceful  actions  of  the  white  kind."| 

The  tortoises,  called  green  turtle,  appear  on  the  coast  of  New 
Holland.  There  are  several  lizards  and  serpents.  Of  the  fish 
may  be  named  dolphins,  porpoises,  and  a  singular  amphibious 
kind  which  leaps  like  a  frog,  by  the  help  of  strong  breast  fins;  so 
that  nature  has  not  only  here  blended  the  bird  with  the  quadruped, 
but  brought  fish  upon  land.  The  blue  crab,  of  an  ultramarine 
color  is  of  exquisite  beauty. 

Mineralogy.]  As  the  interior  mountains  of  this  region  have  not 
been  explored,  little  can  be  said  concerning  the  mineralogy.  In 
1797  a  ship  from  Bengal  being  wrecked  on  the  southern  shore,  of 
seventeen  men  only  three  reached  the  settlement,  after  a  journey 
of  eighty  days :  on  their  way  they  discovered  immense  strata  of 
coal,  which  may  prove  far  more  valuable  than  mines  of  gold.J 

•  Collins,  i,  ser.  I  Pennant,  iv.  127.  ^  lb,  13».  $  CollmS,  i,  617. 


680  AUSTRALASIA. 

Islands."^  Norfolk  Island  lies  in  S.  lat.  29  4,  E.  Ion.  168  12  ;  at 
the  distance  of  1000  miles  N.  E.  Port  Jackson,  cont?ining  1 1,000 
acres  of  an  excellent  soil ;  it  is  seven  lea|3;ues  in  circumference, 
discovered  by  Capl.  Cook,  in  1774,  who  observed  the  flax  plant 
Ivixuriant  here  ;  but  the  chief  produce  is  spruce  pine,  which  grows 
to  a  large  size,  many  of  the  trees  as  thick  as  two  men  could  fath- 
om, very  straight  and  tall.  For  about  2(J0  yards  from  the  shore, 
the  ground  is  covered  so  thick  with  shrubs  and  plants,  as  hardly 
to  be  penetrated  farther  inland.  The  woods  are  perfectly  clear 
and  free  from  underwood,  and  the  soil  is  deep.  The  island  is  very- 
hilly.  The  highest  peak,  named  Mount  Pitt,  is  1200  feet  high. 
The  clifts  round  the  coast  are  240  feet  perpendicular.  In  Febru- 
ary, 1788,  twenty  six  persons  from  the  New  Holland  colony  took 
possession  of  this  island,  which  was  inhabited,  with  a  view  to  cul- 
tivate maize,  wheat,  and  particularly  the  flax  plant,  which  has 
since  been  discovered  at  Sidney.  The  settlement  was  formed  on 
Sidney  bay,  on  the  S.  side  of  the  island.  This  settlement,  for 
want  of  a  harbor,  was  removed  to  Port  Dalrymple,  in  1805.  Green 
turtle  abound  on  the  shores  of  this,  and  of  Howe  island. 

jVe/iean  Island,  is  opposite  Port  Hunter,  on  the  S.  coast  of  Nor- 
folk Island.  It  is  a  mass  of  sand,  surrounded  by  a  border  of  hard 
rocks.  The  surface  is  covered  with  coarse  grass,  and  upwards 
of  200  fine  pines  are  growing  on  it. 

Middleton's  Islmid,  was  discovered  by  Shortland,  appeared  about 
six  leagues  long  ;  the  land  very  high,  with  a  remarkable  peak) 
Ion.  159  5  E.  lat.  28  10  S. 

U.       PAPUA,    OR    NEW    GUINEA. 

THIS  country  is  one  of  the  most  interesting  in  Australasia, 
as  partaking  of  the  opulence  of  the  Moluccas,  and  their  singular 
varieties  of  plants  and  animals.  The  land  of  Papua  is  said  to  have 
been  first  discovered  by  Saavedra,  a  Spanish  captain,  in  1528,  who 
had  sailed  from  Mexico  by  the  command  of  Coi^tez,  to  explore  the 
Spice  Islands  from  that  quarter.*  Other  Spanish  navigators  en- 
larged this  discovery ;  and  the  strait  between  this  country  and 
New  Holland  was  explored  by  Cook,  while  the  learned  President 
Des  Brosses,  and  even  Bougainville,  the  French  circumnavigator, 
had  doubted  whether  such  a  passage  existed. f  This  extensive 
country  is  still  far  from  being  completely  investigated,  but  is  con- 
ceived to  be  a  vast  island,  extending  from  a  cape,  absurdly  styled  of 
Good  Hope,  but  more  properly  White  Point,  in  the  N.  W.  proba- 
bly to  Cape  Rodney  in  the  S.  E.  a  length  of  more  than  1200  miles, 
by  a  medial  breadth  of  perhaps  300,  and  thus  far  superior  in  size 
to  Borneo,  formerly  reputed  the  largest  of  islands. 

•  Des  Brosses,  i.  159. 

t  Introduction  to  Cook's  last  voya!»e  (by  Bishop  Douglas,  p.  xvi  )  The  reader  who 
wishes  for  more  particular  details  concerning  the  progress  of  discoveries  in  the  Pacific 
may  be  referred  to  the  work  of  Des  Brosses,  often  quoted ;  and  to  Mr.  Dalrymple's 
collection  of  voyages  in  the  Pacific,  17*0,  4io.  The  learned  French  publication  was 
translated  by  John  Callander,  Edin.  1766,  3  vols  8to,  who  seems  disposed  to  pass  it  as 
an  original,  under  the  title  of  Terra  Aiistralis  Cojnita. 


AUSTRALASIA.  %i\ 

Original  Po/iuiation.']  On  this  extensive  territory,  in  a  situation 
so  highly  favored  by  nature,  and  probably  enriched  with  the  choic- 
est productions,  there  is  no  European  settlement.  The  inhabi- 
tants of  the  northern  part  are  called  Papous,  whence  the  name  of 
the  country.  The  traditions  bear  that  they  are  brethren  of  the 
Moluccans,  and  the  language  seems  to  have  no  affinity  with  that 
of  New  South  Wales,  but  is  probably  connected  with  that  of  Bor- 
neo, &c.  on  the  west,  and  that  of  New  Britain  and  the  isles  on  the 
other  side,  being  part  of  the  wide  Malay  diffusion.  The  inhabi- 
tants are  black,  and  even  said  to  have  the  woolly  hair  of  negroes ; 
but  this  last  circumstance  will  probably  be  discovered,  as  in  New 
Holland,  to  proceed  from  art,  and  in  some  parts  it  would  seem  that 
the  inhabitants  have  the  true  Malay  complexion  and  features.  In 
the  interior  is  a  race  called  Haraforas,  who  live  in  trees,  which 
they  ascend  by  a  notched  pole,  drawing  it  after  them  to  prevent 
surprise.  The  appearance  of  the  Papuans  and  their  habitations  is 
grotesque,  the  latter  being  built  on  stages  in  the  water ;  in  which 
they  resemble  the  Borneans  and  other  nations  in  the  Asiatic  isles. 
The  women  seem  the  most  industrious  in  making  mats,  and  pots 
of  clay  which  they  afterwards  burn  with  dry  grass,  or  brush  wood ; 
nay  they  will  even  wield  the  axe,  while  the  men  are  indolent,  or 
preparing  for  the  chace  of  wild  hogs.* 

"  The  aspect  of  these  people  is  frightful  and  hideous  ;  the  men 
are  stout  in  body,  their  skin  of  a  shining  black,  rough  and  often 
disfigured  with  marks  like  those  occasioned  by  the  leprosy  ;  their 
eyes  are  very  large,  their  noses  flat,  mouth  from  ear  to  ear,  their 
lips  amazingly  thick,  especially  the  upper  lip ;  their  hair  woolly, 
either  a  shining  black  or  fiery  red.  It  is  dressed  in  a  vast  bush,  so 
as  to  resemble  a  mop  ;  they  sometimes  ornament  their  hair  with 
feathers  of  the  birds  of  Paradise  ;  others  add  to  their  deformity 
by  boring  their  noses,  and  passing  through  them  rings,  pieces  of 
bone,  or  sticks  ;  and  many  by  way  of  ornament,  hang  round  their 
necks  the  tusks  of  boars.  The  heads  of  the  women  are  of  less 
size  than  those  of  the  men,  and  in  their  left  ear  they  wear  small 
brass  rings." 

The  religious  tenets  of  the  Papuans  have  been  little  examined. 
They  make  tombs  of  the  rude  coral  rock,  sometimes  with  sculp- 
tures. The  chief  commerce  is  with  the  Chinese,  from  whom  they 
purchase  their  instruments  and  utensils.  Their  returns  are  am- 
bergris, tortoise-shell,  small  pearls,  birds  of  paradise,  and  other 
birds,  which  the  Papuans  dry  with  great  skill.  Some  slaves  are 
also  exported,  probably  captives  taken  in  intestine  wars. 

The  coasts  of  Papua  are  generally  lofty,  and,  inland,  mountain 
»ises  above  mountain,  richly  clothed  with  woods.  The  shores 
abound  with  cocoa  trees,  and  the  whole  country  seems  to  have 
impressed  every  navigator  with  delight,  and  well  deserves  more 
cultivated  and  industrious  inhabitants.  But  by  a  singular  fatality 
many  extensive  and  beautiful  portions  of  the  globe  are  thinly  in- 
habited by  a  few  savages,  while  cold  and  barren  provinces  are  the 
crowded  seats  of  civilized  nations. 

*  Forrest's  voyage  to  New  Guinea.    Penmnt's  Outiines,  ir.  SOS. 

VOL.   Ifv  86 


6&2  AUSTRALASIA. 

The  natural  history  of  this  country  is  little  known,  but  the  zool- 
ogy is  striking  and  romantic.  Papua  is  the  chosen  residence  of 
the  splendid  and  singular  birds  of  paradise,  of  which  ten  or  twelve 
sorts  are  enumerated  by  Mr.  Pennant.  They  seem  to  be  chiefly 
caught  in  the  adjacent  isles  of  Arroo,  being  supposed  to  breed  in 
Papua,  and  reside  there  during  the  wet  monsoon ;  while  during 
the  dry,  or  western,  they  retire  to  Arroo,  migrating  in  flocks  of 
thirty  or  forty.  During  their  flight  they  cry  like  starlings,  but 
when  surprised  with  a  strong  gale  they  croak  like  ravens,  and  as- 
cend to  the  superior  regions  of  the  air.  They  alight  on  the  high- 
est trees,  seeming  to  feed  on  berries,  and  according  to  some  on 
nutmegs  and  butterflies  :  and  are  either  shot  with  blunt  arrows, 
or  caught  with  birdlime,  or  nooses.  The  bowels  and  breast  bone 
being  extracted,  they  are  dried  with  smoke  and  sulphur,  sold  for 
nails  or  bits  of  iron,  and  exported  to  Banda.  Papua  also  boasts  of 
elegant  parrots  ;  while  the  crowned,  or  gigantic  pigeon  almost  e- 
quals  a  turkey  in  size. 

Captain  Forrest,  to  whom  we  are  indebted  for  an  interesting 
voyage  in  these  seas,  only  visited  the  harbor  of  Dory  in  the  north- 
ern part  of  Papua,  so  that  our  knowledge  of  this  large  island  re- 
mains extremely  imperfect.  He  observed,  at  a  considerable  dis- 
tance, the  mountains  of  Arfac  of  a  remarkable  height.  Near  the 
harbor  of  Dory  he  found  in  some  little  isles  abundance  of  nutmegs 
trees,  and  there  is  room  to  infer  that  the  land  of  Papua  is  not  des- 
titute of  the  same  productions,  and  may  perhaps  also  boa«t  of 
cloves. 

Some  of  the  small  adjacent  islands  are  better  known  than  the 
main  land  of  Papua.  At  the  N.  W.  extremity  the  chief  isles  are 
Waijoo,  and  Salwatti  ;  besides  several  smaller  ones. 

Farther  to  the  S.  are  the  Papuan  islands  of  Arroo  and  Timor- 
laut. 

Waijoo,  or  Wadjoo,  is  an  isle  of  considerable  size,  and  is  said 
to  contain  100,000  inhabitants.  The  land  is  high  with  lofty  moun- 
tains, and  on  the  north  side  are  two  excellent  harbors,  Piapis  and 
Off"ak.* 

Salwatti  is  also  a  populous  island,  governed  by  a  raja.  The 
people  of  these  two  large  islands  resemble  those  of  the  main  land 
of  Papua,  being  a  singular  race  of  horrible  appearance,  and  great 
ferocity.  They  live  on  fish,  or  turtle,  and  sago,  that  ti*ee  abound- 
ing in  Papua,  but  the  substance  is  chiefly  prepared  by  the  people 
of  Waijoo. 

Timorlaut  is  another  Papuan  island  of  considerable  size,  but  of 
which  there  is  no  particular  account  The  Arroo  islands  appear, 
in  Arrowsmith's  chart,  divided  into  five  by  intervening  straits,  and, 
as  already  mentioned,  are  the  remarkable  seats  of  the  birds  of  pa- 
radise. The  chief  product  is  sago ;  and  the  people  make  expedi- 
tions to  the  main-land,  where  they  seize  captives  and  sell  them  at 
Banda.  In  political  geography  the  Arroo  isles  have  been  consid- 
ered, since  1623,  as  belonging  to  the  Dutch  East  India  Company, 
and  subservient  to  those  of  Banda.f 

•  See  Forrest's  Voyage  and  the  Chart.  f  Des  Brossesr,  i.  443. 


AUSTRALASIA,  dyB.3 

On  the  N.  of  the  main  land  of  Papua  are  the  isles  of  Mysory 
and  Jobi,  with  several  others  of  smaller  consequence  ;  nor  indeed 
are  the  discoveries  sufficiently  complete  to  trace  with  precision 
the  northern  shores  of  Papua,  or  the  isles  adjacent. 


JII.    NEW    BRITAIN,    AND    NEW    IRELAND,     WITH    THE    SOHOMON 
AND    navigators'  ISLES. 

New  Britain  was  first  explored  and  named  by  Dampier,  that 
navigator  having  passed  a  strait,  to  which  his  name  is  given,  be- 
tween this  country  and  Papua.  In  1767  Captain  Carteret  passed 
through  a  channel  between  New  Britain  and  New  Ireland,  which 
last  is  a  long  slip  of  land  stretching  from  N.  W.  to  S.  E. ;  and  it 
is  also  probable  that  New  Britain  may  be  found  to  be  divided  into 
two  or  more  islands.  In  these  parts  the  nutmeg  tree  is  found 
abundant,  being  perhaps  the  most  remote  region  towards  the  east, 
of  that  valuable  plant.  Dampier  visited  a  bay  in  New  Britain, 
called  Port  Montague,  A.  D.  1700,  and  found  the  land  mountainous 
and  woody,  but  interspersed  with  fertile  vales  and  beautiful 
streams.  The  country  seemed  very  populous,  the  natives  resem- 
bling those  of  Papua,  and  navigating  their  canoes  with  great  skill. 
The  chief  product  seemed  to  be  cocoa  nuts,  but  there  were  yams, 
and  other  roots,  particularly  ginger ;  and  the  sea  and  x'ivers  swarm- 
ed with  fish.  In  the  main  land,  and  adjacent  isles,  there  are  several 
volcanoes. 

Inhabitants.']  Captain  Carteret  found  the  natives  of  New  Ire- 
land very  hostile,  having  lances  headed  with  flint.  Their  faces 
were  streaked  with  white,  and  their  hair  dabbed  with  powder  of 
the  same  color.  They  are  black,  and  said  to  be  woolly  headed, 
but  without  the  thick  lips  or  flat  nose  of  the  negro.  Some  of  the 
canoes  of  New  Ireland  Avere  ninety  feet  in  length,  formed  out  of 
a  single  tree.  Bougainville  also  visited  this  country,  and  observ- 
ed here  the  pepper  plant,  while,  among  the  numerous  birds,  was 
the  great  crowned  pigeon. 

A  more  ample  description  is  unnecessary,  as  these  countries 
are  far  from  being  completely  discovered.  The  same  observation 
must  be  extended  to  what  are  called  the  Solomon  Islands,  which 
appear  to  have  been  discovered  by  Mendana,  who  sailed  from  Li- 
ma to  the  westward  in  1575. 

The  Solomon  islands,  as  laid  down  in  Mr.  Arrowsmith's  chart 
of  the  Pacific,  may  be  considered  as  a  large  group,  extending 
from  Lord  Anson's  isle,  or  the  Bouka  of  Bougainville,  in  the  N. 
W.  to  the  isle  called  Egmont  by  Carteret  in  the  S.  E.  Some  of 
the  islands,  towards  the  centre,  seem  of  considerable  size,  partic- 
ularly in  length.  If  these  be  the  Solomon  Isles  of  the  Spaniards, 
it  is  asserted  that  they  arc  rich  in  gold.  Some  of  the  natives 
were  of  a  copper  color,  others  of  a  deep  black,  with  a  wrapper 
of  linen  around  the  waist,  while  the  neck  was  ornamented  with 
Tutle  beads  of  gold.     The  canqcs  were  small,  two  being  comnion* 


084  AUSTRALASIA. 

ly  fastened  together.     In  baskets  of  palm  leaves  tlicy  carry  a  kind 
of  bread  made  of  roots.* 

JVavigatora  Islands,  are  a  cluster  of  islands  in  the  S.  Pacific 
Ocean.  The  inhabitants  are  a  strong  and  handsome  race  :  scarcely 
a  man  of  them  is  less  than  6  feet  high,  and  well  proportioned. 
The  women  are  delicately  beautiful  ;  their  canoes,  houses,  See. 
well  constructed  ;  and  they  are  much  more  advanced  in  internal 
policy,  than  any  other  island  in  this  ocean  ;  Ion.  169.  W.  lat.  14 
19  S.f  These  islands  are  the  land  of  the  Arsacides  of  Bougain- 
ville. 

IV.  NEW  CALEDONIA,  AND  THE  NEW  HEBUOES. 

THESE  regions  were  discovered  by  Captain  Cook  in  1774 ;  but 
Bougainville  in  1768  had  sailed  through  the  New  Hebudes  ;  and 
the  most  northern  is  supposed  to  be  the  land  of  the  Holy  Ghost 
of  Quiros. 

New  Caledonia  is  a  large  island,  the  southern  part  of  which  in 
particular  has  been  little  explored.  The  natives  are  said  to  be  a 
muscular  race,  of  a  deep  brown  complexion,  resembling  those  of 
New  Zealand. 

The  north  western  part  of  this  large  island  was  explored  by  Cap- 
tain Cook,  who  says  that  this  district  was  called  Balade.  The 
name  of  Tee,  which  in  the  Society  isles  implies  a  guardian  spirit, 
seems  here  to  denote  a  chief.  The  women  are  more  chaste  than 
in  the  other  isles  of  the  Pacific.  The  houses  are  neat,  some 
having  carved  door  posts,  and  they  rise  in  the  form  of  a  bee  hive, 
warm  but  full  of  smoke.  The  dress  is  a  slight  wrapper  ;  and 
the  hair  which  is  frizzled,  not  woolly,  is  ornamented  with  a  comb, 
while  the  beard  is  worn  short.  They  subsist  on  roots  and  fish, 
the  country  being  very  barren  and  rocky.  In  New  Caledonia  Dr. 
Forster  found  large  rocks  of  quartz,  with  layers  of  gold  colored 
mica,  blended  with  serpentine,  hornblende,  talc,  and  garnets. 
The  bread  fruit  and  cocoa  nut  are  scarce  ;  but  many  new  plants 
were  observed. 

Among  the  New  Hebudes  Captain  Cook  has  given  the  most 
particular  account  of  MallicoUo  in  the  north,  and  Tanna  in  the 
south.  Dr.  Forster  thought  that  the  people  of  the  former,  who 
are  ugly  and  diminutive,  had  a  language  different  from  any  they 
met  with  in  the  voyage.  In  Tanna  there  is  a  remarkable  volcano, 
with  some  hot  springs.  Here  are  found  plantains,  sugar  canes, 
yams,  and  several  kinds  of  fruit  trees.  The  natives  rather  resem- 
ble those  of  New  Holland  than  the  Friendly  Islanders,  and  are 
particularly  dexterous  in  the  use  of  the  spear. 

V.       NEW    ZEALAND. 

THIS  country  was  first  discovered  by  Tasman  in   1642,  but 
he  did  not  land.     The  natives  however  came  on  board,  and  some 
intercourse  took  place,  during  which  seven  of  the  Dutch,  who  had 
*  Des  Brosses,  L  259.  -^  Peyrquse. 


AUSTRALASIA.  6SS 

^one  ashore  unanned,  were  cruelly  slaughtered.  The  people 
were  described  to  be  of  a  color  between  brown  and  yellow,  with 
long  black  hair  resembling  the  Japanese. 

Our  great  navigator  Cook  explored  these  regions  in  1770,  and 
discovered  a  strait  which  divides  the  country  into  two  large  islands. 
The  southern  was  supposed  to  be  called  by  the  natives  Tavia  Poe- 
namoo,  and  the  northern  Eaheianowraawe,  names  which  equal  the 
Russian  in  length,  and  which  might  well  be  contracted.  The 
first  is  not  less  than  600  miles  in  length,  by  about  150  in  medial 
breadth  ;  and  the  second  is  little  inferior  in  size. 

One  of  these  islands  appears  to  be  far  more  fertile  than  the 
other  ;  but  both  enjoy  a  temperate  climate,  similar  to  that  of 
France.  The  natives  were  again  observed  to  be  of  a  brown  com- 
plexion, little  deeper  than  the  Spanish,  and  some  are  even  fair. 
They  equal  the  tallest  Europeans  in  stature  ;  and  their  features 
are  commonly  regular  and  pleasing.  It  is  singular  to  observe 
such  a  diversity  between  them  and  the  natives  of  New  Holland, 
when  theory  would  expect  to  find  them  the  same  race  of  men. 
So  far  as  present  discoveries  extend,  the  natives  of  New  Holland 
and  Papua  seem  to  display  an  African  origin  ;  while  most  of  the 
other  islands  in  the  Pacific  appear  to  have  been  peopled  from  Asia. 

Manners  and  Customs.']  The  New  Zealanders  inter  their  dead  ; 
they  also  believe  that  the  third  day  after  the  interment  the  heart 
separates  itself  from  the  corpse,  and  is  carried  to  tlie  clouds  by  an 
attendant  spirit. 

Suicide  is  very  common  among  the  New  Zealanders,  and  this 
they  often  commit  by  hanging  themselves  on  the  slightest  occa- 
sions ;  thus  a  woman  who  has  been  beaten  by  her  husband  will 
perhaps  hang  herself  immediately. 

They  have  no  other  division  of  time  than  the  revolution  of  the 
moon,  until  the  number  amounts  to  one  hundred,  which  they  term 
"  Ta-ice  E-tow,"  that  is  one  Etow,  or  hundred  moons  ;  and  it  is 
thus  they  count  their  age,  and  calculate  all  other  events. 

Captain  Cook's  last  voyage  contains  considerable  information 
relative  to  the  southern  isle,  from  which  a  few  brief  hints  may  be 
added,  as  this  region  only  yields  to  Papua  in  size  and  consequence. 
Storms  were  found  to  be  not  only  frequent  but  violent,  and  often 
changed  in  their  direction  by  the  height  of  the  mountains,  which 
at  these  times  are  always  loaded  with  vapours.  The  natives  have 
no  moraiy  or  place  of  worship  ;  but  the  priests  alone  address  the 
gods  for  prosperity. 

The  enormous  lizards  described  by  the  natives  are  probably  al- 
ligators. The  bases  of  the  mountains  seem  to  be  sand  stone  ;  and 
the  soil  resembles  yellow  marl  ;  even  the  hills  are  covered  with 
trees  of  the  most  lofty  luxuriance,  seeming  to  retain  their  foliage 
till  expelled  by  the  succeeding  leaves  in  spring  ;  for  in  June, 
which  corresponds  to  our  December,  the  verdure  was  complete. 
The  flax  of  New  Zealand  has  excited  particular  attention,  being 
of  a  beautiful  silky  appearance,  and  the  plant  remarkably  tall. 
The  culture  has  been  attempted  both  in  France  and  England  with- 
orut  success ;  perhaps  from  some  remarkable  dift'ereuce  in  soil,  or 


^86  AUSTRALASIA. 

the  entire  reversion  of  seasons.  The  birds  seem  to  be  often  pe- 
culiar in  species  and  color  ;  and  it  is  not  a  little  remarkable  that, 
in  this  extensive  land,  no  quadruped  was  observed,  except  a  few 
rats,  and  a  kind  of  fox  dog,  which  is  a  domestic  animal  with  the 
natives. 

The  general  dress  is  an  oblong  garment  made  by  knotting  the 
silky  flax  ;  and  the  ears  are  ornamented  with  bits  of  jad  or  bads, 
the  face  being  often  besmeared  with  a  red  paint,  seemingly  iron 
ochre  mingled  with  grease.  The  habitations  are  far  superior  to 
those  in  New  Holland  ;  and  the  boats  are  well  built  of  planks, 
raised  upon  each  other,  and  fastened  with  strong  withes.  Some 
are  fifty  feet  long,  and  so  broad  as  to  be  able  to  sail  without  an  out- 
rigger, but  the  smaller  sort  commonly  have  one,  and  they  often 
fasten  two  together  by  rafters.  The  large  canoes  will  can-y  thirty 
men  or  more  ;  and  have  often  a  head  ingeniously  carved.  They 
bake  their  fish  in  a  rude  oven  ;  and  the  use  of  bi*ead  is  supplied 
by  a  kind  of  fern,  which  yields  a  gelatinous  substance  like  sago. 
They  are  ingenious  mechanics  with  their  rude  tools,  which  are 
mostly  of  green  jad.  Their  weapons  are  spears  and  javelins,  with 
the  pa-too,  a  kind  of  club  or  rude  battle-axe  ;  and  in  combat  they 
distort  their  features  like  demons.  The  yet  warm  bodies  of  their 
enemies  are  cut  in  pieces,  broiled,  and  devoured  with  peculiar 
satisfaction.*  The  wai'like  actions  of  their  ancestors  are  preserv- 
ed in  traditional  songs,  which  are  frequently  sung,  and  accompa- 
nied with  their  rude  flute. 

Mount  Edgecumbe  is  a  prodigious  high  peak,  on  the  W.  side 
of  the  entrance  of  Cook's  strait  in  New  Zealand. 


VI.      VAN  DIEMEN  S  LAND.  "W^'*^ 

THIS  is  the  last  great  division  yet  discovered  of  the  wide 
expanse  of  Australasia.  The  name  was  imposed  by  that  eminent 
Dutch  navigator  Tasman,  as  already  mentioned,  in  honor  of  the 
Dutch  governor-general  in  the  East  Indies.f  It  has  been  recently 
discovered  to  be  an  island,  in  the  form  of  an  oblong  square,  about 
160  miles  in  length  by  half  that  breadth,  being  divided  from  New 
Holland  by  a  strait,  or  rather  channel,  more  than  thirty  leagues 
wide,  which  in  recent  maps  is  called  Bass's  strait,  and  contains  a 
chain  of  small  islands  running  N.  and  S.  During  his  last  voyage, 
Captain  Cook,  in  January  1777,  visited  Diemen's  land  for  supplies 
of  wood  and  water,  and  grass  for  the  animals  on  board.  They 
were  met  by  some  of  the  natives,  who  were  entirely  naked ;  of  a 
common  stature,  but  rather  slender,  the  skin  being  black,  and  the 
hair  as  woolly  as  that  of  any  native  of  Guinea,  but  their  lineaments 
were  more  pleasing  than  those  of  African  negroes.     The  hair  and 

•  Cook,  ib.  i.  1G2. 

f  There  is  another  Van  Diemen's  Land,  a  northern  cape  of  New  Holland.  Such 
duplicate  names  are  injurious  to  the  study  of  geography,  and  ought  to  be  tormally  ab- 
rogated, if  a  Board  of  Nomenclature,  so  much  wanted,  were  instituted.  The  southeru 
Van  Diemen's  Land,  on  one  of  the  isles  of  Kew  Zealand,  should  be  called  Tasmania, 
in  hoRor  of  the  (gstoverer. 


POLYNESIA.  6ir 

beai'ds,  and  of  some  the  faces,  were  smeared  with  red  ointment.. 
They  seem  to  prefer  birds  to  all  other  food.  The  land  is  chiefly 
of  a  good  height,  diversified  with  hills  and  valleys,  and  every- 
where of  a  greenish  hue,  being  well  wooded  and  watered.  The 
Fluted  Cape  appears  to  be  composed  of  a  very  fine  white  sand- 
stone, which  in  many  places  bounds  the  shore,  and  the  soil  is  ei- 
ther sandy,  or  consists  of  a  yellowish  mould,  and  in  some  places 
of  a  reddish  clay.  The  forest  trees  seem  to  be  all  of  one  kind, 
growing  quite  straight  to  a  great  height,  and  may  be  well  adapted 
for  masts.  The  only  quadrupeds  discovered  were  opossums  and 
kangooroos  ;  and  the  birds  cannot  differ  much  from  those  of  New 
Holland,  to  which  there  is  as  it  were  a  passage  by  intermediate 
isles.  The  hovels  resemble  those  of  New  Holland  ;  but  some- 
times large  trees  are  hollowed  out  by  fire  to  the  height  of  six  or 
seven  feet,  so  as  to  form  a  rude  habitation. 

Dusky  Bay  is  a  bay  on  the  S.  W.  coast  of  New  Zealand.  It  is 
between  three  and  four  miles  broad  at  the  entrance,  and  seems  to 
be  as  deep  as  broad,  affording  a  very  good  shelter  for  vessels.  The 
land  behind  consists  wholly  of  mountains,  totally  barren  and  rocky  ; 
but  the  land  bordering  on  the  sea  coast  is  thickly  covered  with 
wood.  Dusky  bay  abounds  with  fish  ;  and  there  is  also  a  great 
plenty  of  ducks.  The  most  mischievous  animals  are  the  small 
black  sand  flies,  which  are  very  numerous.  The  inhabitants  of 
this  bay  belong  to  the  same  race  of  people  with  those  in  the  other 
parts  of  this  country.  They  live  a  wandering  life,  and  seem  not 
to  live  m  amity  with  one  another.* 


POLYNESIA. 

THE  boundaries  of  this  extensive  division  of  the  globe 
have  already  been  briefly  mentioned  in  the  introduction  to  the  Asi- 
atic Islands,  A  line  passing  due  north,  in  the  meridian  of  Ion. 
130  E.  from  Greenwich,  will  leave  the  Philippine  Islands  in  the 
oriental  archipelago,  divided  by  a  wide  sea  from  the  Pelew  Isles, 
the  most  western  group  of  Polynesia,  though  a  few  small  detached 
isles  appear  to  the  S.  W.  About  20  N.  lat.  the  line  of  demarka- 
tion  bends  N.  E.  so  as  to  include  the  isle  of  l^odos  los  Santos,  and 
that  called  Rica  de  Plata,  thence  proceeding  E.  so  as  to  include  the 
Sandwich  Islands,  and  pass  S.  about  Ion.  122  W.  till  it  reach 
the  southern  lat.  of  50,  where  it  turns  to  the  west,  and  joins  the 
boundary  of  Australasia. 

It  is  probable  that  future  navigations  may  greatly  improve  and 
enlarge  the  geography  of  Polynesia,  by  the  discovery  of  new 
groups,  and  the  more  accurate  arrangement  of  those  already 
known.  At  present  the  following  appear  to  l^e  the  chief  subdi;- 
visions  : 

'  Hawkswortb. 


688  POLYNESIA. 

1.  The  Pelew  Isles. 

2.  The  Ladrones,  a  chain  extending  in  a  northerly  direction, 
the  small  islands  in  the  Pacific  seeming  to  be  mostly  the  summits 
of  ranges  or  groups  of  mountains. 

3.  The  Carolines,  a  long  range  from  E.  to  W.  so  as  perhaps,  in 
strictness,  to  include  the  Pelews. 

4.  The  Sandwich  Isles. 

5.  The  Marquesas. 

6.  The  Society  Isles,  so  named  in  hotior  of  the  Royal  Society. 

7.  The  Friendly  Isles. 

There  are,  besides,  many  isles  scattered  in  different  directions, 
which  it  would  be  difficult  to  connect  with  any  group,  and  indeed 
none  of  them,  yet  discovered,  appears  to  be  of  any  consequence. 


I.    THE    PELEW    ISLES. 

THIS  group  lying  between  Ion.  130  and  136  E.  and  lat.  5  and  9 
N.  recently  attracted  considerable  attention,  from  an  ingenious 
and  pleasing  account  of  them,  drawn  up  by  Mr.  Keate,  from  the 
papers  of  captain  Wilson,  who  suffered  shipwreck  on  these  islands 
in  1783.  The  narrative  is  doubtless  heightened  by  Mr.  Keate's 
imagination,  but  the  people  appear  to  be  a  most  gentle  and  amia- 
ble race,  the  gay  and  innocent  children  of  nature.  It  is  a  pecul- 
iarity, in  the  oriental  archipelago,  that  the  small  isles  are  the  chief 
seats  of  comparative  civilization,  by  the  concentration  of  soci- 
ety. To  this  circumstance  may  be  added,  that  in  large  islands 
the  natives  split  into  distinct  tribes,  generally  hostile  to  each  other, 
whence  the  pleasurable  passions  almost  expire  in  the  constant 
succession  of  fear  and  rage,  while  in  the  small  islands,  there  being 
no  room  for  secession,  the  society  becomes  as  it  were  one  family. 

The  Pelcwans  arc  a  stout  well  made  people,  rather  above  the 
middle  stature.  Their  complexions  are  of  a  far  deeper  color 
than  what  is  understood  by  the  copper  hue,  but  not  black,  and  theit* 
hair  is  long  and  flowing.*  The  men  are  entirely  naked,  while  the 
women  only  wear  two  little  aprons,  or  rather  fi'inges,  made  of  the 
husk  of  the  cocoa  nut.  Both  sexes  are  tatooed,  and  the  teeth  are 
dyed  black.  Polygamy  is  allowed,  and  the  dead  are  interred.  There 
seems  no  appearance  of  religion  of  any  kind,  though  they  have  an 
idea  that  the  soul  survives  the  body.  Mild,  affable,  and  industrious, 
this  little  tribe,  like  the  inhabitants  of  Otaheite,  forman  exception 
to  the  general  rule  of  savage  existence.  The  language  is  probably 
a  dialect  of  the  Malay,  so  widely  diffused  through  these  seas. 

The  government  is  in  the  hands  of  a  king,  under  whom  there  are 
rupaks,  or  chiefs,  who  also  constitute  a  kind  of  nobles.  The  prop- 
erty of  all  the  land  is  supposed  to  be  vested  in  the  sovereign  ; 
while  that  of  the  people  is  only  personal,  as  a  canoe,  weapons,  or 
rude  articles  of  furniture.  Our  domestic  poultry  are  here  wild-in 
the  woods,  and  were  neglected  by  the  natives,  till  taught  by  the 
English  that  they  were  proper  for  food.    Their  chief  nourishment 

♦  Keate,  318. 


FOLYKESIA.  699 

Sippeafs  to  be  fish  ;  but  they  make  a  kind  of  sweetmeat  from  th« 
sugar-cane,  which  seems  inaigenous.  The  chief  drink  is  the 
milk  of  the  cocoa  nut.  They  commonly  rise  at  daylight,  and  im- 
mediately go  to  bathe  in  fresh  water.  Their  houses  are  raised  on 
large  stones,  about  three  feet  from  the  ground,  being  constructed 
of  planks  and  bamboos,  and  tlie  fire-place  in  the  middle,  secured 
with  hard  rubbish.  There  are  large  mansions  for  public  meet- 
ings. The  best  knives  are  of  mother  of  pearl,  others  of  a  large 
muscle  shell,  or  split  bamboo.  They  make  oval  vessels  of  coarse 
earthen  ware.  In  gene-ral  their  articles  resemble  those  of  Ota- 
heite,  and  other  isies  in  the  South  Sea.  The  weapons  are  spears, 
darts,  and  slings  :  and  the  canoes  are  formed  of  the  trunk  of  a 
tree,  neatly  ornamented. 

These  isles  had  scarcely  been  visited  by  any  European  till  cap- 
tain Wilson  landed  at  Oloolong.  They  are  in  general  of  a  mod- 
erate height,  well  covered  with  wood  ;  and  are  circled  on  the 
■west  side  by  a  reef  of  coral,  from  two  to  six  leagues  from  the 
shore,  and  of  great  length.  The  ebony  Li'ee  is  found  in  the  forests, 
and  the  bread  fruit  and  cocoa  tree  seem  to  abound,  with  sugar- 
canes  and  bamboos.  No  kind  of  grain  was  seen,  nor  any  quad- 
rupeds, except  some  rats  in  the  woods,  and  three  or  four  cats  in 
the  houses,  probably  drifted  ashore  from  some  wreck.  '  Of  birds, 
pigeons  seem  the  most  numerou;^ :  and  the  wild  poultry  have 
been  already  mentioned. 


U.   TH.B   LADROKES. 

THIS  appellation  implies  the  Isles  of  Robbers,  and  was  given 
I»y  that  distinguished  navigator  Magalhaens,  who  first  discovered 
t^iese  islands  in  1521,  the  natives  shewing  great  dispositions  to 
pilfer,  and  much  address  in  the  execution  of  their  designs. 

According  to  the  Jesuit  Gobien,  who  has  published  a  particu- 
lar history  of  the  Ladrones,  or  Marian  Islands,*  the  inhabitants, 
till  the  arrival  of  the  Spaniards,  regarded  themselves  as  the  only 
men  in  the  world.  When  they  were  visited  by  the  Spaniards  and 
Dutch,  they  inferred  that  these  strangers  were  brethren,  who  had 
lost  the  primitive  Guamese  language.  In  color,  speech,  man- 
ners, and  government,  they  consideraljly  resemble  the  Tagals  or 
people  of  the  Philippines,  before  the  Spanish  conquest.  These 
isles  were  then  very  populous,  Guam,  in  40  leagues  of  circuit,  hav- 
ing 30,000  inhabitants. 

In  the  reign  of  Philip  IV.  of  Spain  these  isles  were  also  called 
the  Marians,  in  honor  of  his  queen,  Mary  of  Austria.  The  largest 
is  that  of  Guam,  but  Tinian  has  attracted  more  attention,  from  the 
romantic  description  in  Anson's  voyage.  '1  here  is  no  doubt  that 
mariners  who  have  been  long  at  sea,  and  suffered  many  diseases 
and  privations,  will  be  infinitely  delighted  with  any  verdant  land, 
and  find  beauties  where  none  exist.     Ucnce  subsequent  navigators 

•  Paris,  1700.  12mo. 
VOEh  tl-.  87 


690  POLYNESIA. 

have  been  greatly  disappointed  in  Tinian.  Anson  found  here 
abundance  of  wild  catlle,  of  a  white  color,  except  the  ears,  which 
are  generally  black  or  brown.  But  they  had  probably  been  im- 
ported by  the  Spaniards,  as  a  supply  for  the  garrison  at  Guam. 
Here  were  also  found  oranges,  limes,  and  cocoa  nuts,  with  that  cel- 
ebrated and  remarkable  tree  which  bears  the  bread  fruit. 

The  Ladrones  are  computed  to  be  twelve  or  fourteen  in  num- 
ber ;  but  not  above  three  or  four  are  inhabited.  Their  vessels, 
called  flying  proas,  have  been  esteemed  singular  specimens  of 
naval  architecture,  and  at  a  distant  interval  impressed  Pigafetta 
and  Anson  with  the  ingenuity  of  the  contrivance.  The  natural 
history  of  these  islands  is  little  known.  It  appears  from  the  voy- 
age of  La  Perouse  that  some  of  them  are  volcanic. 

To  the  N.  of  the  Ladrones  are  many  small  islands,  extending  to 
Todos  Los  Santos,  lat.  30,  those  farther  to  the  N.  belonging  to 
Japan.  This  group  may  either  be  arranged  among  the  Ladrones, 
or  might  perhaps  admit  of  a  distinct  appellation. 

The  Golden  and  Silver  Isles  seem  to  be  so  styled  from  Japanese 
fables,  and  with  a  few  other  scattered  isles  on  the  N.  of  the  Caro- 
lines, merit  little  attention.  In  these  seas  is  the  stupendous  rock 
called  Lot's  Wife,  rising  in  the  form  of  a  pyramid,  and  thus  de- 
scribed by  Mr.  Meares  in  his  voyage  :  "  The  latitude  was  29  50  N. 
the  longitude  142  23  E.  of  Greenwich.  The  waves  b'*okc  against 
its  rugged  point,  with  a  fury  proportioned  to  the  immense  distance 
they  had  to  roll  before  they  were  interrupted  by  it.  It  rose  almost 
perpendicular  to  the  height  of  near  350  feet.  A  small  black  rock 
appeared  just  above  the  water,  at  about  40  or  50  yards  from  the 
western  edge.  There  was  a  cavcirn  on  its  south-eastern  aide,  into 
which  the  waters  rolled  with  an  awful  and  tremendous  noise.  In 
regarding  this  stupendous  rock,  which  stood  alone  in  an  immense 
ocean,  we  could  not  but  consider  it  as  an  object  which  had  been 
able  to  resist  one  of  those  great  convulsions  of  nature  that  change 
the  very  form  ot  those  parts  of  the  globe  which  they  are  permitted 
to  desolate." 

Liquor  is  an  island  in  the  western  ocean,  so  named  by  the  com- 
panions of  Beneyowski,  who  landed  here  in  1771,  in  a  most  perish- 
ing condition,  Avithout  water  or  provisions.  They  found  excellent 
water,  fowls,  fish  and  hogs  ;  also  cocoa,  orange,  and  banana  trees. 
It  is  a  pleasant  island.  Beneyowski  set  up  a  cross  here,  with  an 
inscription,  lat.  34  47  N.* 

III.       THE    CAROLINES. 

THIS  is  the  largest  group,  or  rather  the  most  eKtfensiv'e  range 
of  islands  in  the  Pacific  ocean.  This  chain  appears  to  have  been 
first  discovered  by  the  Spaniards  in  1686,  and  was  named  from  the 
Spanish  monarch  Charles  II.  They  are  about  thirty  in  nunibei', 
and  very  populous,  except  three  which  were  uninhabited.  The 
natives  resemble  those  of  the  Philippines,  and  chiefly  live  upon 

•  Beneyowiki. 


POLYNESIA.  M 1 

fish  and  cocoa  nuts  :  and  it  is  probable  that  their  lani^uagc  only 
differs  in  a  few  shades.  According  to  the  letters  of  the  JesuiiS, 
each  isle  was  subject  to  its  chief,  but  all  respected  a  monarch,  who 
resided  at  Lamurec. 

They  believe  in  certain  celestial  spii-its,  and  think  they  descend 
to  bathe  in  a  sacred  lake  in  Fallalo,  but  there  are  neither  temples 
nor  idols,  nor  any  appearance  of  worship.  The  dead  are  some- 
times thrown  into  the  sea,  and  at  others  interred,  the  grave  being 
surrounded  with  a  stone  wall.  It  is  said  that  those  of  Yap  worship 
a  kind  of  crocodile,  and  have  their  magicians.  Polygamy  is  al- 
lowed, and  the  Tamul  or  chief  of  the  large  isle  of  Hogolcu  had 
nine  wives.     Criminals  are  banished  from  one  isle  to  another.* 

They  do  not  appear  to  have  any  instruments  of  music,  but  theip 
dances  are  accompanied  with  songs.  Their  only  weapons  are 
lances,  armed  with  bone.  Even  in  this  distant  quarter  of  the  globe 
negro  slaves  are  not  unknown  :  and  in  one  or  two  of  the  islands 
the  breed  is  said  to  be  mingled,  twenty-nine  Spaniards  having 
been  left  on  one  of  these  islands,  who  are  supposed  to  have  mar- 
ried and  settled.  The  people  of  Ulea  are  reported  to  be  more 
civilized  than  the  rest,  and  appear  much  to  resemble  those  of  the 
Pelews. 

The  most  considerable  of  the  Carolines  is  Hogoleu,  about  90 
miles  in  length  by  40  in  breadth.  Next  is  Yap,  in  the  western 
extremity  of  this  chain,  but  not  above  a  third  part  of  that  size. 
The  Caroline  islands  have  been  little  visited  by  recent  navigators; 
but  a  few  small  groups  have  been  discovered  in  their  eastern  ex- 
tremities, which  may  properly  be  classed  in  the  same  range, 


IV.       THE    SANDWICH    ISLES. 

THESE  islands  appear  to  have  been  first  discovered  by  the 
great  navigator  Cook,  and  the  island  Owhyhee,  the  largest  in  the 
group,  being  about  280  miles  in  circumference,  is  unfortunately 
distinguished  as  the  place  where  this  able  commander  was  slain 
by  the  natives  in  February  1779. 

These  islands  were  so  named  by  Cook  in  gratitude  to  the  earl 
of  Sandwich,  a  niinistei'  who  had  warmly  promoted  his  labors. 
The  natives  are  rather  of  a  darker  complexion  than  those  of  Ota- 
heite,  but  the  features  are  pleasing  ;  and  tiic  death  of  Cook  was 
not  owing  to  ferocity,  but  a  sudden  impulse  of  undeserved  resent- 
ment. The  hair  is  sometimes  long,  sometimes  curled,  as  among 
Europeans :  but  the  nose  is  always  spread  at  the  poiiu,  perhaps 
OMving  to  the  mode  of  salutation,  in  which  they  press  their  noses 
together.  Captain  King  represents  them  as  a  mild  and  affection- 
ate people,  free  from  the  Otaheitan  levity,  and  the  proud  gravity 
of  those  of  the  Friendly  Isles.  I  his  ingenious  people  has  even 
made  some  progress  in  agriculture  and  manufactures  ;  yet  they 
Still  sacrifice  human  victims,  but  do  not  cat  them  like  the  people 


|i93  POLYNESIA. 

of  New  Zealand,  at  least  so  far  as  information  could  be  obtained. 
The  beard  is  generally  worn  ;  and  among  the  ornaments  of  both 
sexes  is  a  kind  of  fan  to  drive  away  flies,  made  of  the  fibres  of  the 
cocoa  nut,  or  of  long  feathers.  Like  the  other  nations  of  Polyne- 
sia, they  tatoo  their  bodies  ;  and  among  females  even  the  tip  of 
the  tongue.  The  dress  consists  of  a  narrow  piece  of  coarse  cloth 
called  the  maro,  prepared  in  the  same  manner  as  at  Otaheite, 
which  passes  between  the  legs  and  is  fastened  round  the  loins.  In 
battle  the  men  throw  a  kind  of  mats  over  their  shoulders,  and  this 
armor  is  neatly  manufactured.  On  solemn  occasions  the  chiefs 
■wear  dresses,  artfully  and  beautifully  formed  of  feathers.  The 
women  have  only  a  slight  wrapper,  and  the  hair  is  cut  short  be- 
hind, but  turned  up  from  their  forehead.  The  food  consists  chief- 
ly of  fish,  to  which  are  added  yams,  plantains,  and  sugar  canes  ; 
while  people  of  rank  feast  on  the  wild  boar,  and  sometimes  the 
flesh  of  dogs.  The  government  is  in  a  supreme  chief  called  Eree 
Taboo,  whose  funeral  is  accompanied  by  the  sacx'ifice  of  two  or 
more  servants.  The  inferior  chiefs  are  styled  Erees ;  and  therp 
is  a  second  class  of  proprietors,  and  a  third  of  laborers,  all  these 
ranks  seeming  to  be  hereditary.  Though  human  sacrifices  be 
here  more  frequent,  the  other  rites  appear  to  correspond  with 
those  of  the  Society  Islands,  which  shall  be  described  in  the  ac- 
count of  Otaheite. 

Climate.']  The  climate  appears  to  be  more  temperate  than  that 
of  the  West  Indies  ;  and  in  Owhyhee  the  mountanis  ari'est  the 
clouds,  and  produce  rain  inland,  while  there  is  sunshine  on  the 
shore.  The  winds  seem  generally  easterly,  and  there  is  a  regular 
land  and  sea  breeze. 

Zoology.']  The  quadrupeds,  as  usual  in  Polynesia,  are  few ; 
only  hogs,  dogs,  and  rats,  being  discovered.  The  kinds  of  birds 
are  not  numerous,  being,  among  others,  large  white  pigeons, 
plovers,  owls,  and  a  kind  of  raven.  These  islands  produce  abun- 
dance of  the  bread  fruit,  and  sugar  canes  of  amazing  size.  Upon 
the  whole  this  discovery  was  important  ;  and  Owhyhee  is  the 
largest  island  yet  found  in  the  wide  extent  of  Polynesia. 


V.    THE    MARQUESAS. 

THESE  islands  were  discovered  by  Mendana,  who  imposed  th^ 
name  in  honor  of  Don  Garcia  dc  Mendoza,  marquis  of  CanientCj 
▼iceroy  oi  Peru,  whence  they  are  also  sometimes  styled  the  Isles 
of  Mendoza.  One  of  the  best  known  to  Europeans  is  the  isle  of 
Ohittahoo,  lo  the  S.  of  the  larger  Isle  Ohevahoa. 

In  1774  the  Marquesas  were  visited  by  captain  Cook,  and  in 
1789  by  the  French  circumnavigator  Marchand.  The  best  recent 
account  of  them  is  that  given  in  the  Missionary  Voyage,  captain 
Wilson  having  visited  the  Marquesas  in  1797. 

The  natives  are  said  lo  surpass  all  other  nations  in  symmetry 
®f  shape,  and  I'eguiarity  of  features  ;  and  were  it  not  for  the  prac- 
tice oftatooing,  i^bich  blackens  the  body  by  nunterous  punctur?s,j 


POLYNESIA;  693 

the  complexion  would  be  only  tawny,  while  the  hair  is  of  many 
©olors,  but  none  red.  Some  of  the  women  are  nearly  as  fair  as  Eu- 
ropeans, and  among  them  tatooing  is  not  so  universal.*  A  long 
narrow  piece  of  cloth  was  wrapt  round  the  waist,  the  ends  being 
tucked  up  between  the  thighs,  while  a  broad  piece  of  their  clcth 
was  thrown  over  the  shoulder,  reaching  halfway  down  the  leg. 

The  religious  ceremonies  resemble  those  of  Otaheite  ;  and 
they  have  a  Morai  in  each  district,  where  the  dead  arc  buried  un- 
der a  pavement  of  large  stones.  Their  deities  are  numerous, 
and  the  chiefs  seem  to  have  little  power,  custom  alone  being  fol- 
lowed, instead  of  laws.  Like  most  uncivilized  nations,  they  have 
no  regular  meals,  but  eat  five  or  six  times  a  day,  or  oftener.  The 
women  seem  more  subjected  to  the  men,  than  at  Otaheite.  The 
f  anoes  are  made  of  wood,  and  the  bark  of  a  soft  tree,  being  com- 
monly from  sixteen  to  twenty  feet  in  length,  the  prow  carved  in  rude 
resemblance  of  a  human  face. 

No  quadrupeds  were  discovered  except  hogs,  but  there  are 
tame  poultry  ;  and  the  woods  are  filled  with  many  beautiful  birds. 
In  one  of  these  isles  an  English  missionary  was  left,  in  the  benev- 
olent intention  of  discouraging  mutual  slaughter,  and  human  sac- 
rifices. 

The  largest  isle  of  the  Marquesas,  Noabo-a,  is  not  above  half 
the  size  of  Otaheite  :  and  in  general  the  multitude  of  small  isl' 
ands  in  these  seas  presents  a  wonderful  variety  in  the  works  of 
nature,  the  largest  island  yet  discovered  in  Polynesia  being  O- 
whyhee,  which  is  about  100  miles  in  length. 


VI.    THE    SOCIETY    ISLES. 

THIS  group  has  attracted  more  attention  than  any  otliei*  in  Po- 
lynesia, and  our  admiration  of  Otaheite  has  excited  some  degree 
of  ridicule  on  the  continent. 

All  the  islands  from  longitude  160  west  from  Greenwich,  to  the 
eastern  extremity  of  Polynesia,  may  be  included  under  the  gene^. 
ral  name  of  Society  Islands,  a  range  which  will  thus  even  exceed 
the  Carolines  in  number,  amounting  to  sixty  or  seventy.  Of 
these,  Otaheite  is  still  by  far  the  most  considerable  in  size,  being 
about  120  miles  in  circumference.  It  consists  of  two  peninsulas, 
joined  by  a  neck  of  land,  about  three  miles  in  breadth,  the  small- 
est peninsula  lo  the  S.  E.  being  about  fifteen  miles  in  length,  by 
ten  in  breadth,  while  the  large  peninsula  to  the  N.  W.  is  almost 
circular,  and  about  twenty -five  miles  in  diameter :  the  whole  length 
being  thus  about  forty  g.  miles,  or  about  forty-six  British.  From 
the  map  drawn  by  captain  Cook,  a4id  republished  witli  some  im- 
provements in  the  Missionary  V'oyage,  this  island  appears  to  con-» 
sist  of  two  mountains,  a  larger  and  a  smaller,  joined  by  the  narrow 
ridge  above  mentioned;  and  the  habitations  are  entirely  confined 
to  the  level  coasts.     This  circumstance  seems  universal  in  Poly- 

*  >t1Ssi\^rv  Vovaje,  London,  1790.  4to.  p.  145. 


694  POLYNESIA. 

nesia,  as  the  i>atives  crowd  to  the  shores  for  fish,  their  chief  ali- 
ment ;  and  it  is  probable  that,  the  original  colonies  having  seitled 
on  the  coasts,  indolence  has  prevented  them  from  visiting  the  in- 
land heights.  Noi'  is  it  improbable  that  even  in  the  laige  countries 
of  Australasia  a  similar  singularity  may  be  observed,  the  scarcity 
of  animal  food  probably  compelling  the  natives  chiefly  to  reside 
on  the  shores. 

Near  the  central  summit  of  the  large  mountain  of  Otaheite,' 
which  in  circumference,  though  not  in  height,  resembles  Etn«, 
there  is  a  curious  lake  of  some  extent :  but  no  river  appears, 
there  being  only  rivulets,  which  spring  from  the  skirts,  and  pursue 
a  brief  course  of  two  or  three  miles  to  the  ocean. 

I7thabitants.'\  The  natural  color  of  the  inhabitants  is  olive,  in- 
clining to  copper.  Men  exposed  to  the  sun  become  very  dark  ; 
but  the  women  are  only  a  shade  or  two  deeper  than  an  European 
brunette.  They  have  line  black  eyes,  with  white  even  teeth,  soft 
skin,  and  elegant  limbs  ;  while  their  hair  is  of  a  jetty  black,  per- 
fumed and  ornamented  with  flowers.*  But  with  all  these  advan- 
tages they  yield  infinitely  in  beauty  to  the  women  of  the  Marque* 
sas,  the  face  being  widened  from  continual  pressure  from  infancy, 
which  by  distending  the  mouth,  and  flattening  the  nose  and  fore- 
head, gives  a  broad  masculine  appearance.  Hence  it  is  evident 
that  the  Grecian  and  academical  forms,  given  by  artists  void  of 
real  taste  or  precision,  to  the  people  of  the  South  Seas,  in  the  prints 
that  accompany  the  English  and  French  voyages,  are  totally  false 
and  imaginary. 

The  chiefs  are  taller  than  the  people,  few  being  under  six  feet  j 
and  as  personal  size  and  strength  are  the  chief  distinctions  in  early 
society,  it  is  probable  that  their  ancestors  were  selected  for  these 
advantages,  which  have  been  continued  by  superior  food  and  ease. 
The  dress  of  both  sexes  is  nearly  the  same,  except  that  the  men 
wear  the  maro,  a  narrow  piece  of  cloth  wrapped  round  the  Avaist, 
and  passing  between  the  thighs  ;  an  oblong  piece,  cut  in  the  mid- 
dle to  admit  the  head,  hangs  down  before  and  behind  ;  and  anoth- 
er piece  is  wrapped  round  the  middle,  and  a  squai'e  mantle  is 
thrown  over  all.  Both  sexes  wear  garlands  of  flowers  and  fea- 
thers ;  and  the  women  use  a  kind  of  bonnet  made  of  cocoa  leaves. 
Parturition  is  easy  ;  and  the  infant  can  swim  as  soon  as  it  can  walk. 

Their  voice  and  speech  are  soft  and  harmonious  ;  and  their  di- 
alect is  the  Italian  of  the  Pacific  ocean.  Their  rude  manufactures 
are  truly  vv'oiiderful,  and  evince  the  greatest  ingenuity.  Their 
dwellings  are  about  eighteen  feet  in  length,  with  a  few  articles  of 
furniture,  such  as  trays,  baskets,  mats,  and  a  large  chest. 

Religion.']  Their  deities  are  numerous ;  each  family  having  its 
Tee,  or  guardian  spirit,  whom  they  worship  at  the  Morai ;  but 
they  have  a  great  god,  or  gods  of  a  superior  order,  styled  Fvvha- 
now  Po,  or  the  progenvof  night.  These  benevolent  people  cannot 
conceive  a  future  punishment ;  and  regard  the  idea  alone  as  the  ut- 
inoat  effort  of  human  malignity.     But  they  admit  the  immortality 

*  Miss.  Voyage,  327.      "  ' 


POLYNESIA.  695 

«f  the  soul,  and  degrees  of  future  eminence  and  happiness,  pro- 
portioned to  its  virtue  and  piety.  The  Tahouras,  or  priests,  arc 
numerous,  and  have  great  power ;  but  all  the  chiefs  officiate  on 
certain  occasions.  The  human  victims  are  commonly  criminals, 
and  are  killed  during  sleep  ;  a  curious  instance  of  ferocious  su- 
perstition, mingled  with  mildness  of  character. 

Zoology,'^  The  chief  animals  are  hogs,  as  usual  in  all  the  isle* 
of  Polynesia,  and  they  have  also  dogs  and  poultry.  The  bread 
fruit  tree  abounds  ;  and  large  plantations  are  made  of  cocoa  trees 
and  plantains.  The  seas  swarm  with  fish,  and  in  catching  them 
great  ingenuity  is  displayed,  the  canoes  having  outriggers,  or  be- 
ing doubled,  by  lashing  two  together. 

Though  the  people  of  the  Friendly  Islands  be  superior  in  im- 
provements and  government ;  and  the  women  of  the  Marquesas 
far  superior  in  beauty  ;  yet  the  people  in  Otaheite  are  so  polite  and 
affable,  and  their  manners  so  engaging,  that,  joined  with  the  ro- 
mantic beauty  of  the  country,  the  numerous  streams,  and  the  su- 
perabundance of  spontaneous  productions,  this  island  is  still  pre- 
ferred to  all  others  in  Polynesia. 

It  has  already  been  mentioned  that  this  island  consists  as  it  were 
of  two  mountains.  These  are  encircled  by  a  border  of  low  land, 
from  the  beach  to  the  rising  of  the  hills,  in  some  places  near  a  mile 
in  breadth,  while  in  others  the  rocks  impend  over  the  sea.  The 
soil  of  the  low  lands,  and  of  the  vales  which  intersect  the  riilge  to- 
wards the  ocean,  is  remarkably  fertile,  consisting  of  a  rich  black- 
ish mould.  When  the  trade  wind  gets  far  to  the  south  it  rains  on 
that  side  of  the  island  ;  but  on  the  north  the  showers  are  less  fre- 
quent and  violent.  In  the  latter  the  harvest  of  l>read  fruit  begins 
about  November,  and  continues  till  the  end  of  January :  while  in 
ilie  southern  part  it  often  begins  in  January  and  continues  till  No- 
vember. On  ascending  the  hills,  the  soil  changes  from  a  rich 
loam  into  veins  of  clay,  or  marl,  of  various  colors.  Beneath  is  a 
soft  sand  stone,  of  a  brownish  color ;  and  basalt  also  abounds,  of  a 
fine  grain,  of  which  they  used  to  make  their  tools.  The  black 
volcanic  glass,  called  obsidian,  is  said  to  be  found  in  the  rivers, 
and  also  pumices,  sure  indications  that  a  volcano  once  existed. 
The  large  fresh  water  lake  above  mentioned  may  perhaps  have 
been  its  crater.  This  lake  is  said  to  be  fathomless  ;  but  its  shores 
are  well  peopletl  by  an  industrious  race.  The  chief  harbor  of  O- 
taheite  appears  to  be  Matavai,  on  the  north  side  of  the  island  ;  but 
there  is  another  of  similar  note  in  the  S.  E.  called  Langaras. 

The  next  island  in  regard  to  size  is  Uiitca  :  and  the  others  of 
this  group,  even  taken  in  its  utmost  extent,  are  of  far  inferior  di- 
mensions to  Otaheite,  nor  has  any  striking  singularity  yet  been 
observed  which  might  claim  attention  in  a  general  description. 

As  an  appendage  to  this  article,  some  account  may  be  added  of 
Easter  Island,  a  detached  and  remote  region,  which  however,  so 
far  as  the  discoveries  yet  extend,  seems  rather  to  belong  to  Poly- 
nesia than  to  So\.di  America.  This  isle  appears  to  have  been  first 
seen  by  Davis  in  1686  ;.  and  was  alter  wards  visited  by  Cook  and 
La  Pereusc.     It  js  •f  a  triangulair  form,  the  longest  side  beinj; 


696  POLYNESIA. 

about  twer.ty-five  miles  in  length,  and  at  one  extremity  there  ap- 
pears to  have  been  a  volcano.  The  morals,  or  burial  places,  are 
of  a  remarkable  structure  ;  being  a  kind  of  platform,  in  which  are 
fixed  shapeless  and  uncouth  masses,  rudely  carved  in  imitation  of 
busts,  sometimes  about  fifteen  feet  in  height.  In  these  a  red  lava, 
very  porous  and  light,  is  chiefly  employed.  There  is  scarcely  a 
tall  tree  in  Easter  Isle,  nor  any  brook,  the  water  being  retained  in 
cavities  made  in  the  rocks  ;  but  the  natives  are  very  industrious, 
and  plant  paper-mulberries,  and  bananas,  with  regular  fields  of 
potatoes  and  yams.  They  have  the  same  language  and  features 
with  the  other  natives  of  Polynesia. 


VII.      THE  FRIENDLY  ISLES. 

THIS  group  extends  chiefly  from  S.  W.  to  N.  E.  including 
the  Feejee  Isles,  those  called  the  Isles  of  Navigators,  and  several 
detaclied  isles  in  a  more  northerly  position.  The  name  was  im- 
posed by  Captain  Cook,  in  testimony  of  the  disposition  of  the  peo- 
ple ;  but  they  had  been  discovered  by  Tasman  in  1G43,  who  called 
the  chief  isle,  now  styled  by  the  native  term  Tongataboo,  by  the 
name  of  Amsterdam.*  His  account  of  the  manners  of  the  people 
corresponds  with  the  more  recent  and  precise  information  given 
by  Captain  Cook,  and  other  late  navigators.  1  hey  are  contrasted 
with  those  of  Otabeite,  as  being  of  a  more  grave  and  regular  be- 
havior ;  and  the  power  of  the  chiefs  is  more  despotic.  A  greater 
security  of  property  has  also  superinduced  more  ingenuity  and  in- 
dustry :  but  in  general  the  manners  and  customs  appi'oach  so 
nearly,  that  a  farther  account  might  appear  repetition  ;  and  the 
^rsons  of  the  natives  are  likewise  similar,  though  the  chiefs  seem 
inferior  in  stature. 

In  the  Missionary  Voyage,  1797,  there  is  an  interesting  map  of 
Tongataboo,  which  thence  appears  to  be  a  plain  country,  in  an 
universal  and  surprising  state  of  cultivation,  the  whole  island  con- 
sisting of  inclosures,  with  reed  fences  about  six  feet  high,  inter- 
sected with  innumerable  roads.  The  whole  is  such  a  picture  of 
industry,  as  to  form  a  reproach  to  nations  who  call  themselves  civ- 
ilized. The  length  of  Tongataboo  is  only  about  sixteen  miles,  by 
about  eight  at  its  greatest  breadth.  On  the  north  side  there  is  a 
lagoon,  with  several  isles,  constituting  a  tolerable  harbor.  The 
commodities  are,  as  usual,  hogs,  bread  fruit,  cocoa  nuts,  and  yams. 

Though  the  people  of  the  Friendly  Isles  be  moi-e  free  from  wars 
than  those  of  the  group  before  described,  yet  Tongataboo  is  often 
stained  with  human  victims  ;  nor  do  their  ideas  of  property  pre- 
vent their  stealing  from  strangers.  Some  missionaries  were  herfi 
left,  who  imparted  some  useful  arts  to  the  natives,  but  the  rats 
were  very  destructive  to  the  European  plants.  These,  with  hogs, 
dogs,  and  guanos,  constituted  the  only  quadrupeds,  till  cats  were 
left  in  the  voyage  of  1797.     The  morais  seem  to  be  here  called 

*  See  liia  deseriplton  and  prints  in  Dalryinple's  CoUectioD,  vol.  ii.  p.  75, 


POLYNESIA.  697 

fiatookas  ;  and  are  constructed  in  the  form  of  terraces  with  high, 
steps,  the  material  being  coral  stone. 

To  the  N.W.  are  the  Feejee  isles,  which  the  English  missionar 
ries  discovered  to  be  now  subject  to  Tongataboo. 

From  the  accounts  of  La  Perouse  it  would  appear  that  the  isle* 
discovered  by  Bougainville  in  1768,  and  by  him  called  the  Islands 
OF  Navigators,  are  by  far  the  most  important  in  this  large  group. 
At  Maouna,  one  of  these  islands,  Captain  De  Langle,  Lamanon  the 
naturalist,  and  nine  seamen  were  massacred  by  the  inhabitants, 
the  captain  having  unadvisedly  given  beads  to  a  few  of  the  chiefs, 
while  he  neglected  the  others.  From  the  chart  of  La  Perouse  it 
appears  that  the  largest  of  these  islands,  which  he  calls  Pola,  is 
about  thirty-seven  g.  miles  in  length,  by  about  half  that  breadth, 
being  thus  inferior  to  Otaheite,  though  far  surpassing  Tongataboo. 
Next  in  gradual  diminution  of  size,  and  in  position  from  W.  to  E, 
are  Oyolava,  Maouna,  and  Opoun.  If  the  accounts  of  La  Perous« 
be  not  greatly  exaggerated,  the  Islands  of  Navigators  constitute 
the  most  important  group  yet  discovered  in  southern  Polynesia, 
in  regard  to  fertility  and  population.  At  Maouna  the  frigates 
were  surrounded  with  two  hundred  canoes,  full  of  different  kinds 
of  provision,  fowls,  hogs,  pigeons,  or  fruit.  The  women  wer» 
very  pretty  and  licentious  ;  and  the  men  of  remarkable  stature, 
strength,  and  ferocity  :  so  that  they  despised  the  comparatively- 
diminutive  size  of  the  French.  The  villages  are  delightfully  sit- 
uated in  the  midst  of  spontaneous  orchards,  and  the  huts  neatly- 
erected,  with  rude  colonades,  and  covered  with  leaves  of  the  cocoa 
palm.  Hogs,  dogs,  and  fowls  abounded  ;  with  the  bread  fruit 
tree,  the  cocoa  nut,  the  banana,  the  guava,  and  the  orange.  Iron 
and  cloth  were  despised,  and  beads  alone  acceptable. 

According  to  La  Perouse  the  island  of  Oyolova  is  at  least  equal 
to  Otaheite,  in  beauty,  extent,  fertility,  and  population  ;  and  he 
supposes  that  this  isle,  with  the  larger  isle  of  Pola,  and  that  of  Ma- 
ouna, contain  400,000  inhabitants.*  Such  is  the  abundance  of 
provisions,  that  at  Maouna  500  hogs,  and  an  immense- quantity  of 
fruit  were  procured  in  24  hours.  The  natives  of  Oyolava  are  also 
of  great  stature  ;  and  here  was  observed  the  largest  village  in  all 
Polynesia,  smoking  like  a  city,  while  the  sea  was  covered  with  ca- 
noes. Though  the  people  be  remarkable  for  a  ferocity  of  chai"- 
acter,  scarcely  to  be  observed  in  any  other  part  of  Polynesia,  they 
are  still  industrious  and  ingenious,  polishing  their  wooden  works 
very  highly,  with  tools  made  of  basalt.  They  have  not  only  the 
bark  cloth,  but  a  kind  composed  of  real  thread,  probably  from  flax, 
resembling  that  of  New  Zealand.  Their  speech  was  unders  ood 
by  a  naiive  of  the  Philippuies,  being  derived  from  the  Malay,  a 
language  difluscd  through  all  the  scattered  isles  of  Polynesia. 

The  Islands  of  Navigators  are  covered  with  fruit  trees  of  vari- 

•  La  Peronse,  414.     So  Ccck  over-ratcti  tlie  people  of   Otaheite,  now  ascertwiied 
to  be  only  lG,0.iO.     Miss.  Voy.     l-'orster,  IJbs.  -ZVJ.  sajrely  argues  tliai  Otalieiie  con- 
tains at  least  160,000.     In  like  manner  Lii  Perouse's  4()0,000  niay   pioUlily  l,e  40,0W. 
It  is  (ti-obablc  iLat  tivei'c  are  uoi  CMiu,o(jo  st^uls  in  alt  Au«U°uiwiia  xai  Pul}  aowu. 
VOL.  II.  88 


49S  POLYNESIA. 

ous  descriptions,  in  which  wood  pigeons  and  turtle  doves  swarm^ 
and  to  tame  them  is  a  favorite  amusement  of  the  natives. 


OFARO    ISLAND. 

THIS  island  was  discovered  by  Vancouver,  December  1794, 
is  in  the  Pacific  ocean,  lat  27  36  S.  Ion.  144  E.  and  is  18  miles  in 
circumference.  The  shores  are  smooth,  covei'ed  with  verdure  to 
the  water's  edge.  A  range  of  high  craggy  mountahis  extends 
across  this  island,  bearing  the  resemblance  of  vast  fortifications, 
and  at  a  distance  exhibit  a  very  romantic  appearance.  The  num- 
ber of  inhabitants  is  about  1500;  they  are  of  middling  stature,  well 
made  ;  their  countenance  is  open  and  cheerful,  and  indicates  a 
disposition  given  to  hospitality.  A  fashion  prevails  among  them 
of  cutting  their  hair  short.  Their  only  clothing  is  a  large  green 
leaf  of  a  plant,  tied  about  the  waist.* 

Botany  of  the  Asiatic  Islesf  of  Australasia^  and  of  Polynesia. 

THE  plants  which  have  already  been  mentioned  as  charac- 
terizing the  peninsula  of  Hindostan  and  India  beyond  the  Ganges, 
form  a  very  essential  feature  in  the  botany  of  those  crowded  groups 
that  geographers  have  distinguished  by  the  names  of  the  Philip- 
pines, the  Moluccas,  and  the  isles  of  Sunda,  and  which,  on  this  ac- 
count, may  be  regarded  as  forming  a  large  and  important  appendix 
to  the  Indian  continent.  Situated  as  they  are  directly  under  the 
equator,  and  extending  to  the  distance  of  about  10  degrees  north 
and  south  on  each  side  of  it,  every  thing  that  can  be  produced  in 
vegetation  by  the  combined  influence  of  heat  and  moisture,  is 
here  exhibited  in  complete  perfection.  Being  inhabited  by  a  vig- 
ilant and  warlike  people,  and  unhealthy  in  the  extreme  to  an  Eu- 
ropean constitution,  only  a  few  commercial  settlements  have  been 
established  on  the  sea  coasts,  so  that  we  remain  almost  entirely 
ignorant  of  their  interior  vegetable  productions,  many  of  which 
are  probably  peculiar  to  these  countries. 

All  the  East  Indian  palms,  such  as  the  cocoa  nut,  the  areca,  the 
sago,  the  palmetto,  and  the  great  fan-palm,  abound  in  these  isl- 
ands, and  furnish  food  and  wine  to  the  natives  at  the  least  possible 
expense  of  labor :  nor  are  they  destitute  of  any  of  those  fruit-bear- 
ing trees  that  adorn  and  enrich  the  neighboring  continent :  the  lus- 
cious mango,  the  scented  eugenia,  the  fever-cooling  tamarind,  the 
pomegranate,  and  the  orange,  with  all  its  kindred  species  and  va- 
rieties, offer  themselves  on  every  side  to  the  choice  of  the  inhab- 
itants. The  plantam-tree,  the  ghiger,  the  sugar-cane,  the  turmer- 
ic, the  pine-apple,  the  yam,  the  sweet  potatoe,rice,  and  an  infinite 
variety  of  kidney  beans,  cucumbers,  melons,  and  gourds,  are  found 
both  cultivated  and  wild  in  inconceivable  luxuriance  ;  the  larger 
grasses  also,  such  as  the  bamboo,  and  the  canna,  which  have  been 

f  Vancouver. 


POLYNESIA.  699 

already  noticed  as  inhabitants  of  India,  acquire  a  still  more  stately 
growth  in  the  swamps  of  Java  and  Sumatra  than  on  the  banks  of 
the  Ganges.  The  sandal  wood  and  the  precious  calambac  or  aloes 
wood,  the  canaria,  from  whose  bark  flows  the  gum  elcmi,  the  an- 
notta,  the  cassia,  and  the  ebony,  together  with  many  other  valua- 
ble woods  and  gums,  whose  uses  and  even  names  are  unknown  to 
Europe,  are  produced  in  these  islands  in  higher  perfection  than 
elsewhere. 

The  excessive  heat  and  abundance  of  moisture  that  distinguish 
the  Indian  islands,  constitute  a  climate  peculiarly  favorable  far 
the  growth  of  those  plants  whose  active  qualities  and  high  aro- 
matic flavor  place  them  at  the  head  of  the  vegetable  world  :  this 
therefore  is  the  native  country  of  the  most  valued  spices.  Pep- 
per, both  the  long  and  the  round,  is  found  wild,  and  is  largely  cul- 
tivated in  all  these  islands  :  the  laurus  cinnamomum,  the  inner 
bark  of  which  constitutes  the  pungently  fragrant  spice  of  the  same 
name,  is  produced  chiefly  in  Sumatra  and  the  neighboring  isles  ; 
caryophyllus  aromaticus,  the  receptacle  of  whose  blossom  is  known 
in  the  European  markets  by  the  name  of  cloves,  abounds  for  the 
most  part  in  the  Moluccas  ;  and  the  myristica,  whose  fruit  is  the 
nutmeg,  and  its  inner  covering  the  mace,  by  the  mean  jealousy  of 
the  Dutch  East  India  Company  has  been  almost  entirely  restricted 
to  the  little  islands  of  Banda  adjoining  to  Amboyna.  But  if  this 
part  of  the  globe  be  enriched  by  the  most  precious  aroraatics,  it  is 
also  armed  with  the  most  active  and  deadly  poisons  :  the  same 
burning  sun  that  exalts  the  former  matures  the  latter.  In  the  isl- 
and of  Celebez  is  produced  the  dreadful  Macassar  poison,  a  gum 
resin  which  exudes  from  the  leaves  and  bark  of  a  kind  of  rhus  ; 
this  species,  together  with  the  other  poisonous  trees  of  the  same 
island,  is  called  by  the  natives  ipo  or  upas,  a  name  now  immortal- 
ized by  the  genius  of  Dr.  Darwin.  Such  indeed  is  the  deleterous 
activity  of  this  tree  that,  when  deprived  of  all  poetic  exaggeration, 
it  still  remains  unrivalled  in  its  powers  of  destruction :  from  the 
sober  narrative  of  Rumphius  we  learn  that  no  other  vegetable  can 
live  within  a  nearer  distance  of  it  than  a  stone's  throw ;  that  small 
birds  accidentally  alighting  on  its  branches  are  immediately  killed 
by  the  poisonous  atmosphere  which  surrounds  it ;  and  that  in  or- 
der to  procure  the  juice  with  safety,  it  is  necessary  to  cover  the 
whole  body  with  thick  cotton  cloth  :  if  a  person  approaches  it  bare- 
headed, it  causes  the  hair  to  fall  off ;  and  a  drop  of  the  fresh 
juice  applied  on  the  broken  skin,  if  it  should  fail  to  produce  im- 
mediate death,  will  cause  an  ulcer  very  difficult  to  be  healed. 

All  that  we  know  of  the  indigenous  vegetables  of  New  Holland 
is  confined  to  the  immediate  neighborhood  of  the  British  settle- 
ment at  Port  Jackson.  The  forests  here  are  for  the  most  part 
composed  of  lofty  trees,  with  little  or  no  interruption  of  under- 
wood, so  that  they  are  readily  penetrable  in  any  direction,  the  prin- 
cipal shelter  afibrded  to  the  few  wild  animals  being  in  the  long 
matted  grass  several  feet  in  length,  which  overspreads  the  open 
country.  In  no  discovered  region  has  nature  been  less  lavish  of 
her  vegetable  treasures  than  in  this  part  of  the  great  southern 


TOO  POLYNESIA. 

continent :  the  only  fruit-bearing  plant  is  a  climbing  shriib,  the 
seeds  of  which  are  enveloped  in  a  yellow  cylindrical  pulp  tasting 
like  a  roasted  apple.  The  loftiest  of  the  trees,  and  which  some- 
times rises  to  the  height  of  a  hundred  feet,  is  the  eucalyptus  ro- 
busta ;  it  yields  the  bro^vn  gum,  and  its  compact  hard  red  wood 
has  been  imported  into  England  by  the  name  of  New  Holland  ma- 
hogany. The  red  gum  is  procured  from  the  ceratopetalum  gum- 
miferum,  almost  the  only  one  of  the  native  woods  that  will  float 
in  water.  A  considerable  proportion  of  the  vegetables  belong  to 
the  natural  class  of  the  papilionaceous,  yet  few  even  of  these  are 
referable  to  any  of  the  old  genera ;  two  elegant  species,  the  platy- 
lobium  formosun^  and  pultnapa  stipularis,  have  been  introduced  in- 
to our  hot-houses.  The  other  indigenous  plants  are  for  the  most 
part  but  little  remarkable  for  their  beauty  or  use,  and  the  notice 
that  they  obtain  in  our  gardens  is  chiefly  owing  to  their  being  for- 
eigners. 

As  we  advance  farther  in  the  great  Pacific  Ocean  towards  A- 
mcrica,  and  examine  the  botany  of  those  numerous  clustei's  of 
islands  which  extend  in  breadth  from  tlie  Ladrones  to  Easter  isl- 
and, and  in  length  from  the  Sandwich  Islands  under  the  northern 
fopic,  to  New  Zealand,  twenty  degrees  beyond  the  southern  one, 
we  shall  find  many  features  of  general  resemblance,  modified 
however  in  such  a  manner  as  may  naturally  be  expected  by  the 
different  proportions  which  each  receives  of  warmth  and  moisture, 
the  two  great  supports  of  vegetation.  The  four  following  escu- 
lent plants  are  found  either  wild  or  cultivated  in  all  the  islands 
of  this  ocean  that  have  yet  been  visited,  namely,  the  swe  et  potatoe 
arangcd  in  the  Linnsean  system  as  a  species  of  convolvulus  ;  the 
yam,  whose  tuberous  root  in  the  gardens  of  Otaheite  sometimes 
attains  the  weight  of  thirty  pounds  ;  and  two  species  of  arumi 
which,  by  culture  and  roasting,  become  a  mild  farinaceous  food. 
Of  the  plants  pecuiiar  to  the  tropical  islands,  the  chief  is  the  ar- 
tocarpus,  or  bread  fruit :  this  valuable  tree  rises  to  the  height  of 
more  than  forty  feet,  with  a  trunk  about  the  thickness  of  a  man's 
body  ;  its  fruit,  which  is  nearly  as  large  as  a  young  child's  head, 
being  gathered  while  yet  unripe,  and  roasted  in  the  ashes,  is  a  most 
"wholesome  nourishment,  ,and  in  taste  resembles  new  wheaten 
bread :  for  eight  successive  months  every  year  does  this  tree  con- 
tinue to  furnish  fruit  in  such  abundance,  that  three  of  them  are 
amply  sufficient  for  the  support  of  one  man  ;  nor  is  this  the  whole 
of  its  value,  the  inner  bark  is  manfactured  into  cloth,  the  wood  is 
excellent  for  the  construction  of  huts  and  canoes,  the  leaves  serve 
instead  of  napkins,  and  of  its  milky  glutinous  juice  a  tenacious 
cement  and  birdlime  is  prepared.  Of  almost  equal  importance 
with  the  breadfruit,  and  even  more  generally  diffused  through  the 
islands,  are  the  plantain  and  cocoa  nut  trees.  The  sweet  orange 
is  found  sparingly  in  the  New  Hebudes,  and  the  fan  palm  is  met 
with  on  the  mountains  of  the  Friendly  isles.  The  sugar-cane,  the 
paper  mulberry,  and  figs,  are  inhabitants  of  all  the  larger  and  rocky 
isles ;  and  the  piper  methysticum,  from  which  is  prepai'ed  the  in? 
.toxicatingavaor  kava,  is  unhappily  but  top  frequent. 


AFRICA- 


AFRICA  is,  in  size,  the  third  of  the  four  great  quarters  of 
the  gl6be  ;  being  less  than  America  or  Asia,  and  larger  than  Eu- 
rope. It  lies  between  lat.  37  18  N.  and  34  50  S. ;  and  between 
Ion.  17  33  W.  and  51  E.  Its  length,  from  cape  L'JffuUlasy  its 
southern  extremity,  to  cape  Serra^  its  northern,  is  4990  miles.  Its 
greatest  breadth  from  cape  Verdy  to  cape  Guardcfan,  is  4600.  Its 
breadth,  on  the  N.  shore  is  2300  ,  from  the  head  of  the  gulf  of 
Guinea,  to  the  coast  of  Adel  2800,  from  Angola  to  the  coast  of 
Zanguebar,  1950  ;  and  on  the  southern  coast  about  700. 

On  the  N.  lies  the  Mediterranean  ;  on  the  E.  the  isthmus  of 
Suez,  the  Red  Sea,  and  the  Indian  ocean  ;  on  the  S.  the  southern 
ocean,  and  the  gulf  of  Guinea ;  and  on  the  W.  and  N.  W.  the  At- 
lantic. 

The  religion  of  Mahomet  is  professed  in  the  Barbary  States,  in 
Egypt,  Sennaar,  and  the  coast  of  Ajan.  It  is  also  the  religion  of 
the  tribes  of  the  desert ;  and  of  all  the  Moors,  and  many  of  the  ne- 
groes, of  Soudan.  Christianity,  in  a  remarkably  corrupted  form, 
is  established  in  Abyssinia  ;  and  prevails  extensively  in  Egypt. 
It  was  long  since  introduced  by  the  Portuguese  on  the  coasts  of 
Congo  and  Zanguebar.  Into  the  colony  of  the  Cape,  and  in  other 
parts  of  S.  Africa  it  has  lately  been  introduced  by  the  venerable 
Vanderkemp,  and  other  missionaries. 

The  native  governments  of  this  continent  are  throughout  des- 
potic and  oppressive.  All,  however,  appear  to  be  independent. 
Egypt  is  little  more  than  nominally  dependent  on  Turkey.  The 
Cape  of  Good  Hope  is  the  only  considerable  European  colony. 

We  have  heretofore  stated  the  population  at  50,000,000.  It 
doubtless  exceeds  this  number,  though  it  may  not  amount  to 
98,945,000,  which  is  Hassel's  estimate. 

The  great  natural  features  of  Africa,  the  desert,  the  Nile,  and 
the  Niger,  and  the  chains  of  Jibbel  Kumra,  and  Atlas,  have  here- 
tofore been  illustrated. 

Our  description  of  the  various  divisions  of  Africa  will  com- 
mence with  Morocco  in  the  N.  W.  and  proceed  along  the  coasts 
of  the  Mediterranean,  the  Red  sea,  the  Indian,  Southern,  and  At- 
lantic oceans,  and  will  conclude  with  some  account  of  the  states  in 
the  interior  of  Soudan,  and  some  of  the  oase/i  of  the  desert.  The 
geography  of  the  African  islands  will  close  our  long  and  arduous 
undertaking. 


KINGDOM  OF  MOROCCO. 

INCLUDING  SUSE  AND  TAFILELT. 

CHAPTER  I. 

HISTORICAL  GEOGRAPHY. 

3EXTEKT,  BOUNDARIES,  DIVISIONS,  NAMES,  ORIGINAL  POPULATION, 
HISTORY,  RELIGION,  GOVERNMENT,  POPULATION,  ARMY,  NAVY, 
MANNERS  AND  CUSTOMS,  LANGUAGES,  CITIES,  MANUFACTURES 
AND  COMMERCE. 

Extent."]  THIS  kingdom  reaches  from  cape  Spartel  t« 
cape  Noon  on  the  Atlantic  coast,  upwards  of  630  miles,  and  on  the 
Mediterranean,  from  cape  Spartel  to  the  mouth  of  the  Muluwia, 
about  240.  Its  breadth  near  the  middle  and  at  the  southern  ex- 
tremity is  about  350. 

Boundaries.]  On  the  W.  is  the  Atlantic  ;  on  the  N.  the  Med- 
iten*anean  ;  on  the  E.  Algiers,  the  desert  of  Angad,  and  Bled-el- 
jerede  ;  and  on  the  S.  Sahara,  or  the  Great  Desert. 

Divisions.]  The  divisions  of  the  emperor  of  Morocco  comprise 
the  former  petty  kingdoms  of  Fas,  Morocco,  Tarudant  or  Suse, 
and  Tafilelt,  together  with  the  wandering  tribes  of  Mount  Atlas. 
They  are  now  united  under  one  government,  and  are  divided  as 
follows, 

I.      NORTHERN    DIVISION,   OR    KINGDOM    OF    FAS* 

Situation.  Towns. 

Erreef,    Mediterranean,  Gomera, 

El  Garb,  "J  Tetuan, 

Benihassan,       s  Atlantic,  Rabat, 

Temsena,         J  Dar  el  Beida, 


an,       I 

Shawia,  "J 

District  of  Fas,   V  Inland, 
Tedla,  J 


Fas,  Meqinez,  Muley-Dris. 


II.       CENTRAL    DIVISION,    OR    KINGDOM    OF    MOROCCO. 

Duquella,  "|  Mazagan, 

Abda,  i    j,.,      .  Saffee, 

Shedma,  f  Atlantic,  Mogodor, 

Haha,  J  Tidsi, 

District  of  Morocco,  Mediterranean,  Morocco. 

III.       SOUTHERN    DIVISION,    OR    KINGDOM    OF    TERODANJ. 

Suse,     Atlantic,  Terodant, 

Lower  Suse,   ?    t  ^     j  Akka, 

Draha,  5    ^"^"^'^^  Draha, 

IV.      EASTERN    DIVISION,    OR    KINGDOM    OF    TAFILELT. 

Tafilelt,  Tafilelt. 


KINGDOM  OF  MOROCCO.  1^03 

Mimes.']  The  Romans  called  this  country  Mauritania^  and 
Maurusia,  or  the  country  of  the  Mauri,  or  Moors  ;  and  Tingitania, 
from  its  principal  city,  Tingi.  The  Arabs,  or  modern  Moors,  call 
it  Marokah,  and  the  proper  English  name  is  Marocco,  and  not 
Morocco,  as  it  is  now  written. 

Original  Po/iulation.']  The  Misraim,  or  first  settlers  of  Egypt,  are 
supposed  to  have  been  the  earliest  colonists  of  Mauritania ;  for  the 
authors  of  the  Universal  History  remark,  that  the  3Iisraim  arc 
called  Mauretani,  in  the  Jerusalem  Targum,  on  Gen.  x.  Numer- 
ous colonies  of  Phoenicians  also,  were  early  planted  here.  Proco- 
pius  mentions  two  pillars  of  white  stone,  as  standing  there  in  his 
time,  with  the  following  inscription  in  the  Phoenician  language 
and  character :  "  We  are  the  Canaanites,  ^u/lO  Jled  from  Joshua, 
the  son  of 'Nnn,  that  notorious  robber."  Augustus  planted  9  Ro- 
man colonies  here,  and  Claudius  3.  The  present  Moors  arc  prin- 
cipally Arabs. 

History.']  The  chief  events  in  the  history  of  this  country  arc, 
1 .  Its  situation  when  occupied  by  the  Mauri,  with  whom  the  vari- 
ous nations,  that  commanded  the  navigation  of  tlie  Mediterranean, 
carried  on  an  extensive  commerce.  2.  Its  subjugation  by  the 
Romans,  under  Julius  Caesar,  B.  C.  46.  Augustus  gave  it  to  Ju- 
ba,  in  lieu  of  his  own  kingdom  of  Numidia.  The  Romans  kept 
the  country  upwards  of  400  years,  and  were  driven  out  by  the 
Goths  ;  they,  about  A.  D.  600,  by  the  Vandals,  they  by  the  Greeks, 
and  they  by  the  Saracens,  who  have  ever  since  possessed  it. 

Religion.]  The  religion  is  the  Mahommedan,  which  was  first 
planted  here  by  Muley  Dris  Zei-one.  Great  numbers  of  Jews  are 
found  in  the  country,  but  they  are  extremely  oppressed. 

Government.]  The  government  is  strictly  despotic,  the  whole 
power  over  life,  liberty,  and  property,  being  vested  in  the  emper- 
or. The  only  written  laws  are  the  Koran,  and  the  comments  on  it. 
The  laws  are  very  severe.  Murder,  adultery,  and  theft,  are  pun- 
ished with  death,  a  death  usually  preceded  by  torture.  The  em- 
peror and  his  bashaws  are  frequently  the  executioners. 

Population.]  The  following  is  the  accpunt  given  by  Jackson 
of  the  population  of  Morocco,  taken  from  the  Imperial  Register. 
The  sources  of  his  information  appear  to  warrant  the  belief,  that 
it  is  as  accurate  a  statement  as  can  be  obtained  in  such  a  country, 
where  no  census  is  ever  taken.  The  estimate  is  given  first  of  the 
larger  towns,  and  secondly  of  the  provinces,  exclusive  of  those 
towns. 

Province  of  Erreef,  A»  200,000 

El  Garb,  A  200,000 

Beni  Hassan,  A  300,000 

Temsena  and  Shawia,  A  1,160,000 

District  of  Fas,  A  1,280,000 

Large  towns  in  this  kingdom,  574,300 

, i3,7 14,308 

•  Tlie  provinces  raarkefl  A,  «re  peopled  wbollv,  or  chieflv,  with  Arabs  ;  the«e 
marketl  S,  wiili  Shelluhs. 


?04  '  KINGDOM  OF  MOROCCO. 

Province  of  Duquella,  A  966,000 

Abda,  A  500,000 

Shedma,  A  550,aoo 

Haha,  S  708,000 

District  of  Morocco,  A  and  S  1,250,000 

Large  towns  in  Morocco,  295,000 

. 4,269,000 

Province  of  Draha,  S  350,000 

Suse,  including  Lovrer  Suse,  S  2,417,000 

Large  towns  in  Terodant,  S  26,300 

2,793,300 

Tafilelt,  A  650,000 

Tribes  of  Bcrebbers  of  North  Atlas,  3,000,000 


14,886,600 


This  population  is  divided  by  Jackson  into  four  classes,  Moors, 
Arabs,  Berebbers,  and  ShuUahs.  The  Moors  are  the  descendants 
of  those  who  were  driven  out  of  Spain.  They  inhabit  the  cities  of 
Morocco,  Fas,  Mequinas,  and  ail  the  coast  towns  in  the  northern 
and  central  divisions.  The  Arabs  have  their  original  stock  in  Sa- 
hara, whence  they  emigrate  to  the  plains  of  Morocco,  whenever 
the  plague,  famine,  or  any  other  calamity  makes  room  for  a  new 
colony.  The  Berebbers  inhabit  the  mountains  of  Atlas,  north  of 
the  city  of  Morocco.  They  are  probably  descended  from  the  an- 
cient Maurii  with  many  Romans,  Goths,  and  Vandals,  intermixed. 
The  Shelliihs  inhabit  the  mountains  of  Atlas,  south  of  Morocco, 
the  provinces  of  Suse,  and  the  greater  part  of  Di'aha.  Many  fam- 
ilies of  the  Shelluhs  are  said  to  be  descended  from  the  Portu- 
guese, who  possessed  all  the  ports  on  the  coast  before  the  discov- 
ery of  America.  Other  travellers  mention  a  fifth  class,  namely 
Negroes.  These  were  introduced  in  large  colonies,  from  Guin- 
ea, by  a  late  emperor  Muley  Ishmael,  who  built  towns  for  them,  as- 
signed them  lands,  and  gave  them  many  privileges.  By  a^  in- 
termixture with  the  other  inhabitants,  a  numerous  race  of  Mulat- 
toes  has  started  up  in  the  kingdom. 

Army.']  The  army  amounts  to  36,000  men.  Of  these,  about 
6000  constitute  the  emperor's  body  guard,  3500  are  artillery,  and 
the  rest  are  light  dragoons.  The  greater  part  of  the  troops  are 
negroes  and  mulattoes.  Their  arms  are  a  sabre,  a  long  musket, 
a  small  red  leather  box  in  front  for  balls,  and  a  powdeiMiorn  slung 
over  their  shoulders. 

J\/avy.']  The  navy  consists  of  10  frigates,  of  from  16  to  30 
guns,  and  14  galliots,  of  from  2  to  10  guns,  manned  by  6000  sailors. 
These  vessels  are  kept  for  piracy,  and  seldom  unite  in  a  fleet. 
An  admiral,  however,  has  the  command  of  them. 

Hevenue.']  The  revenue  amounts  to  somewhat  more  than  a 
million  of  dollars,  and  the  expenses  to  a  little  over  300.000  ;  of 
•which  180,000  are  expended  on  the  army  and  navy. 

Marmers  and  Customs.']  The  dress  of  the  Moors  consists  of  a 
r^d  cap  and  turban,  a  (kunaja)  shirt,  which  hangs  outside  t>f  the 


Kingdom  of  morocco.  70s 

^irr^^rcrs,  and  reaches  bcloAr  the  kne«  ;  a  (caftan)  coat,  which  but- 
tons close  before  from  top  to  bottom,  with  large  open  sleeves  ; 
and  when  they  go  out,  a  long  shawl  (hayk)  of  white  cotton,  silk, 
or  wool,  five  or  six  yards  long,  and  five  feet  wide,  thrown  careless- 
ly round  the  shoulders.  The  dress  of  the  women  is  similar.  Tliey 
wear  also  a  profusion  of  ribbands,  rings,  necklaces,  and  bracelets. 
The  Arabs  dispense  with  the  coat,  and  often  with  the  shirt.  The 
Berebbers  wear  drawers,  and  a  cloak  of  dark  blue  cloth,  witii  yel- 
low sandals.  The  houses  of  the  Moors  have  flat  roofs,  covered 
with  terrace,  a  composition  of  lime  and  small  stones.  The  Arabs 
live  in  tents.  They  are  restless  and  turbulent,  and  their  ka- 
byles,  or  clans,  are  frequently  at  war  with  each  other.  The 
Berebbers  also  live  in  tents.  They  arc  a  hardy,  industrious  race, 
and  are  occupied  chiefly  in  husbandry,  and  the  rearing  of  bee^. 
The  Shelluhs  live  in  towns,  are  occupied  in  husbandry,  live  chief- 
ly on  barley,  and  are  a  small,  meagre  people.  The  natives  gen- 
erally are  of  a  middling  stature,  with  less  nerve  than  Europeans. 
Deformed  persons  are  rarely  met  with  ;  though  the  Moors,  from 
their  habit  of  sitting  cross-legged,  have  clumsy  legs  and  ancles. 
The  blind  are  more  numerous  than  in  Europe  ;  but  lame  people 
are  seldom  seen.  All  shades  of  complexions  are  found  here. 
Both  sexes  hare  very  fine  teeth.  The  Moors  are  scarcely  darker 
than  the  Spaniards.  The  women  of  Fas  are  as  fair  as  Europeans, 
and  are  generally  of  a  pale  complexion.  The  women  of  Mequi- 
nas  are  celebrated  for  their  beauty.  They  have  all  dark  hair,  and 
black  sparkling  eyes,  with  a  complexion  of  clear  red  and  white 
admirably  blended.  All  the  women  fade  very  early.  The  Moors 
are  distinguished  for  their  pride  and  arrogance.  Tlieir  sensuali- 
ty knows  no  bounds,  and  the  worst  crimes  committed  by  man  are 
feommon.  Marriages  take  place  very  early  on  the  part  of  the  fe- 
male, and  though  the  law  allows  to  each  man  four  wives,  yet  few, 
except  the  most  wealthy,  indulge  in  this  latitude.  Many,  however, 
marry  four  in  succession,  waiting  till  the  bloom  of  the  preceding 
•ne  is  passed,  before  a  new  one  is  taken.  Many  of  tUem  have 
concubines,  and  these  are  usually  black  women.  The  situation 
•f  the  women  is  deplorable.  The  husband  is  safe  in  exercising 
any  degree  of  cruelty  on  them  from  the  extreme  difficulty  of  de- 
lection.  Both  sexes  are  very  cleanly  in  their  persons.  'I'hey 
wash  before  every  meal,  and  eat  with  their  fingers.  In  their 
houses  they  sit  cross-legged,  in  the  manner  of  tailors,  on  carpets 
and  cushions,  and  at  meals  the  bowl,  or  dish,  stands  upon  the 
floor.  The  usual  games  are  leap-frog,  jumping,  and  foot-ball. 
Some  of  the  well  educated  Moors  arc  courteous  and  polite,  and 
slow  at  taking  offence,  and  where  they  repose  confidence,  affable 
and  communicative.  They  all  possess  uncommon  fortitude  un- 
der misfortune. 

Lanc^uages.'\  The  language  of  the  Moors  is  a  corrupt  Arabic, 
intermixed  with  Spanish.  That  of  tlvc  AraDs  is  the  hvuguage  of 
the  Koran,  somewhat  corrupted.  That  of  the  Berebbers  is  prob- 
ably the  language  of  the  ancient  Mauri,  which  was  a  kindred  dia- 
lect to  that  of  Numidia,  and  strongly  resembled  the  Phoenician. 

vol..    IT:  *D 


n>ff  IaNGDo^r  of  moroccoi 

The  language  of  the  Shelluhs  is  different  from  all  the  others. 
All  classes  are  extremely  ignorant.  Even  the  Moors,  so  distin- 
guished for  their  literature  in  Spain,  appear,  immediately  after 
their  removal,  to  have  renounced  ail  their  attention  to  learning 
and  the  sciences.  The  physicians  of  the  country  are  mere  em- 
pirics ;  their  whole  materia  medica  consisting,  with  hardly  an  ex- 
ception, in  Jverbs  and  vegetables^ 

Cities.2  Monocco  was  built  by  Jusuf  Teshfm,  of  the  family  of 
Luntuna,  a  tribe  of  Arabs  inhabiting  the  plains  E.  of  Atlas,  about 
the  middle  of  the  1 1th  century,  and  stands  in  a  fruitful  plain,  very 
nearly  in  the  centre  of  the  country.  It  is  about  120  miles  from 
the  sea,  and  at  a  small  distance  from  a  spur  of  Mount  Atlas.  The 
environs  are  delightful,  and  richly  cultivated.  They  abound  with 
cornfields,  with  groves  of  palm,  -vvith  the  apricot,  peach,  pear, 
plum,  pomegranate,  and  vine,  and  with  numberless  flowers,  all 
growing  spontaneously.  The  walls  are  very  thick,  and  composed 
of  lime  and  sandy  earth,  hardened  in  moulds.  The  houses  are- 
all  behind  high  walls,  of  the  rudest  construction,  and  are  not  visi- 
ble from  the  street.  Some  of  them  are  built  with  elegance  and 
taste.  The  palace  is  of  hewn  stone,  ornamented  with  marble. 
The  architecture  of  the  principal  gates  is  Gothic,  embellished  with 
various  Arabesque  ornaments.  The  walls  of  some  of  the  rooms 
are  of  fiUagree  work,  and  others  of  glazed  tiles,  like  the  Chinese. 
To  the  palace  are  attached  three  gardens,  containing  the  flowers 
and  fruits  of  Barbary  Timbuctoo  and  Soudan,  and  numerous  pa- 
vilions, about  40  feet  square,  with  pyramidal  roofs.  There  are 
niany  private  gardens  also,  similarly  encircled  and  ornamented. 
The  town  has  numerous  mosques,  sanctuaries,  and  temples.  One 
of  these,  built  by  Muley  el  Monsore,  is  7  stories  high,  in  each  of 
which  are  windows  narrow  without,  but  wide  within.  The  body 
of  it  is  supported  by  many  pillars  of  marble,  and  the  walls  are  4 
feet  thick.  The  tower  is  square,  and  the  ascent  is  by  a  gradually 
winding  terrace.  The  population  of  the  city  is,  according  to 
Jackson,  270,000.  About  2000  families  of  Jews  reside  in  the  east- 
ern part  of  it.  Great  numbers  of  these  people  have  emigrated  ta 
the  neighboring  mountains,  to  escape  from  oppression.  The  city 
Js  supplied  with  wiiter  from  numerous  springs  and  wells  in  the 
suburbs.  The  rich  procure  it  from  the  Tensift,  which  flows  a 
.small  distance  to  the  north.  There  is  also  a  subterraneous  aque- 
duct of  brick,  20  feet  below  the  surface,  which  goes  round  the 
town,  from  which,  at  about  every  hundred  yards,  pipes  of  brick- 
work branch  off,  and  convey  the  water  to  the  different  houses. 
'I'he  streets  are  for  from  being  cleanly.  Many  of  them  are  filled 
with  heaps  of  dung  and  other  filth,  and  with  the  ruins  of  decayed 
houses  r  for  the  town  was  some  centuries  ago  several  times 
more  populous  than  it  is  at  present.  The  air  is  generally  calm. 
The  days  of  sutnmer  are  intensely  hot  ;  the  nights  are  cool.  In 
winter  the  cold  is  sensibly  felt.  The  neighboring  Atlas  keeps  off 
the  S/nimeyOV  hot  wind,  of  the  desert. 

Fas,  or  Fez,  as  it  is  commonly  written,  was  founded  about  A.D. 
J'Sft,  by  IdrJs  a  descendant  of  Mohammed,  who  had  fled  from  Mc- 


KINGDOM  OF  MOROCCO.  7W 

•Tina  to  avoid  the  persecution  of  the  Khalif  Abdallah.  The  town 
is  divided  into  Old  and  New.  The  centre  of  Old  Fas  is  low,  and 
in  the  winter  dirty.  The  rest  of  the  town  is  built  on  gentle  ac- 
clivities. The  houses  are  lofty  and  spacious.  They  all  have  flat 
roofs,  on  which  carpets  are  spread  in  the  summer  evening^.  A 
small  turret  is  erected  on  each  roof  for  the  use  of  the  females. 
In  the  centre  of  each  house  is  an  open  quadrangle,  surrounded  by 
a  gallery,  which  communicates  with  the  staircase,  and  with  the 
doors  of  the  different  apartments.  The  portals  of  the  houses  are 
supported  Avith  pillars  of  brick,  plastered  over.  The  best  houses 
Lave  cisterns  for  the  baths.  Every  house  also  is  supplied  with 
water  by  a  branch  of  the  Seboo,  from  Mount  Atlas,  which  enters 
the  town  in  two  places  by  covered  channels.  The  number  of 
anosques  is  very  great,  and  about  50  of  them  are  very  sumptuous 
edifices,  ornamented  with  a  most  beautiful  kind  of  marble,  un- 
Icnown  in  Europe,  and  procured  from  Mount  Atlas.  A  public 
bath  is  attached  to  each  mosque  for  religious  ablutions.  There 
.are  also  other  public  baths,  in  various  parts  of  the  town.  The 
hospitals  are  few,  and  in  a  wretched  condition.  There  are  about 
200  caravanseras,  each  3  stories  high,  and  containing  from  50  to 
100  apartments.  The  lodger  provides  lus  own  bedding  and  food. 
Each  trade  has  a  separate  part  of  the  town  allotted  to  it.  New 
Fas  is  contiguous  to  the  old  town,  is  well  built,  and  contains  the 
3machinery  for  the  different  trades.  The  population  of  both  parts 
of  the  town  is  stated  by  Jackson  at  380,000. 

Mequinas  stands  near  the  river  Seboo,  and  at  a  small  distance 
from  Fas,  in  the  midst  of  a  beautiful  valley,  surrounded  by  gentle 
eminences.  These  are  ornamented  by  groves  of  the  richest  fruit- 
trees.  In  the  plain,  on  the  east  of  the  city,  is  a  wall  of  circumval- 
lation,  6  feet  in  height,  built  as  a  defence  against  the  Berebbers. 
At  the  south  end  is  the  palace,  a  very  large  square  edifice,  built 
■wholly  on  the  ground  floor.  The  rooms  are  all  25  feet  long,  12 
■wide,  and  18  high.  To  this  are  annexed  several  beautiful  gar- 
dens. The  Millah,  or  that  part  of  the  city  occupied  by  the  Jews, 
is  walled  round,  extensive,  and  in  good  repair.  Contiguous  to 
this  is  the  Negroes'  quarter.  The  streets  are  not  paved,  and  in 
"winter  are  almost  impassable.  The  population  is  110,000.  The 
inhabitants  are  generally  hospitable.  Their  manners  arc  more 
mild  than  in  any  other  part  of  the  empire. 

Teuodaxt,  formerly  the  capital  of  the  kingdom  of  Suse,  or  Tero- 
dant,  is  now  the  metropolis  of  the  south.  It  is  extensive  and  an- 
eient.  There  is  a  noble  palace  here,  adorned  with  gardens,  con- 
taining the  most  delicious  fruits.  The  population  is  25,000,  and 
was  formerly  far  greater.  The  town  is  now  famous  for  salt-pctrc 
of  a  superior  quality,  for  the  manufacture  of  leather  and  saddles, 
and  for  dyeing.  The  river  Suse  passes  through,  and  the  inhabi- 
tants show  massive  iron  rings  in  the  castle  walls,  to  prove  that  it 
was  once  navigable  for  ships  to  the  town. 

Rabat  is  a  seuport,  at  the  mouth  of  the  Bu-Rcgreg,on  its  south 
bank.  The  environs  abound  with  excellent  fruits.  The  walls 
arc  about  2  miles  in  circuit,  and  arc  strengthened  by  square  t\Vv»» 


70S  KINGDOM  OP  MOROCCO. 

crs.  The  houses  are  poorly  built.  The  population  is  25,000,. 
There  ib  here  a  manufactory  of  cotton  cloth,  and  docks  for  ship- 
building. Here  are  the  ruins  of  a  spacious  mosque,  built  by  Sul- 
tan el  Mansor,  the  roof  of  which  was  supported  by  360  marble  pil- 
lars. Near  it  are  the  ruins  of  a  large  subterranean  cistern  attached 
to  the  mosque,  the  tower  over  which  is  built  of  hewn  stone,  and 
180  feet  high.  The  view  from  it  is  pleasing  and  extensive.  On 
the  E.  side  of  Rabat  is  a  walled  town,  called  Sheila.  Tiiis  is  sa-- 
cred  ground,  and  contains  many  Moorish  tombs.  Various  Roman 
and  African  coins  have  been  dug  up  here. 

Salee  is  a  walled  town  at  the  mouth  of  the  same  river,  on  the 
opposite  side  from  Rabat.  It  was  formerly  a  nursery  of  pirates, 
and  the  Salee  rovers  were  the  common  terror  of  all  ships  sailing 
near  the  coast.  The  population  is  18,000.  The  road  of  Salee  is 
dangerous  for  shipping,  and  the  sand  bank  at  the  mouth  of  tne  river 
"wiH  scarcely  permit  vessels  of  100  tons  to  enter.  The  road  of 
Rabat,  without  the  river,  is  safe  from  April  to  September  inclu- 
sive. Violent  winds  from  the  S.  render  it  unsafe  the  re&t  of  the 
year.  A  battery  in  Salee,  of  24  cannon,  commands  the  entrance 
of  the  river. 

Tetuan  stands  4  miles  from  the  Mediterranean,  alittleS.  E.  of 
the  straits.  The  environs  abound  with  the  most  delicious  fruits. 
Its  oranges  are  celebrated.  Its  population  is  16,000.  It  was 
much  greater  when  the  Moors  v/ere  driven  from  Spain.  The  in- 
habitants are  Moors  and  Jews,  who  both  speak  a  corrupt  Spanish. 
From  the  raisins  and  figs  of  the  neighboring  gardens,  the  Jev/s  dis- 
til an  araeut  spirit,  called  ?na/iaija,  much  like  the  Irish  esquebaugh. 

Saffee,  or  AsFEE,  is  S.  of  Cape  Cantin.  It  lies  between  two 
hills,  which  render  the  town  intolerably  hot  in  summer,  and  in 
■winter  veiy  disagreeal)le,  as  the  rains  run  from  the  hills  into  the 
town,  and  discharge  themselves  through  the  main  street  into  the 
ocean,  deluging  the  lower  apartments  of  the  houses,  and  some- 
times so  suddenly,  that  there  is  no  time  to  remove  the  property 
from  the  stores.  The  walls  of  the  town  are  thick  and  high,  and 
were  probably  built  before  the  Roman  invasion.   Population  12,000. 

MuLEY  Dris  Zerone  is  an  inland  town,  eastof  Mequiuas,  among 
the  mountauis,  and  contains  12,000  inhabitants. 

MoGODOR,or  SuERAH,  is  built  about  70  miles  S.  W.  of  Saffee,  oil 
a  low  flat  desert  of  accumulating  sand,  which  separates  it  from  the 
cultivated  country,  and  is  defended  from  the  encroachment  of  the 
sea  by  rocks,  which  extend  from  the  northern  to  the  southern 
gate  ;  though  at  spring  tides  it  is  almost  surrounded.  Within  the 
harbor  at  the  landing  place,  are  two  long  batteries  mounted  with 
handsome  brass  eighteen  pounders.  Qn  the  land  side  also  is  a 
batlery  of  considerable  force.  The  harbor  is  formed  by  a  little 
island  2  miies  in  circumference  lying  S.  of  the  tov/n.  Between 
this  and  tlie  main  land  ships  anchor,  but  there  is  only  12  feet  wa- 
ter at  low  tide.  The  houses  are  all  of  stone  and  white,  and  look 
beautifully  from  the  sea.  the  streets  cross  each  other  at  right  an- 
gles and  are  narrow.  The  houses  have  few  windows  towards  the 
street  Those  of  the  foreign  merchants  ^re  the  most  spacious  anfli 
elegant.     Population  10,000. 


KINGDOM  OF  MOROCCO.  70i> 

Tangier,  the  ancient  Tiugis,  is  situated  near  the  west  mouth  of 
the  straits,  a  few  miles  from  Cape  Spartel.  The  Goths  took  this 
town  from  the  Romans,  then  the  Arabs  obtained  it,  and  next  the 
Portuguese  in  the  15th  century,  wiio,  in  1662,  gave  it  to  the  En- 
glish. They,  iu  1 684,  destroyed  the  fortifications,  and  abandoned 
it.  It  still  has  some  good  batteriea.  The  inhabitants  are  6,000 
in  number.     They  supply  Gibraltar  with  provisions. 

Ceuta,  or  CiQTA,  stands  close  by  Mount  Abyla,  or  Apfes  moun- 
tain, as  the  Moors  call  it.  The  town  belongs  to  the  Spaniards. 
The  emperor  twice  attempted  to  take  it,  about  the  close  of  the  last 
century,  without  success. 

Melilla  is  in  the  northeastern  part  of  ihe  country,  beyond  the 
cape  of  the  Three  Forks.  The  country  around  is  pleasant,  and 
abounds  with  wax  and  honey.  This  also  belongs  to  the  Spaniai'ds. 
These  towns  arc  called  by  them  the  African  presidencies,  and  con- 
tain together  about  15,800  inhabitants.    Garrisons  are  kept  in  both. 

Manufactures  and  Co7>imerce.~\  Few  manufactures  are  attempt- 
ed in  this  country,  and  most  of  those  which  exist  are  inferior  to 
European.  Shawls,  and  sashes  of  silk  and  gold,  hayks  of  cotton, 
cf  silk,  of  cotton  and  silk  mixed,  and  of  wool,  are  made  of  a  supe- 
rior quality  at  Fas  and  at  Tafilclt.  Morocco  leather,  both  of  goat 
and  calf  skins,  is  made  extensively,  also  tallow  candles  in  small 
quantities.  The  gun  powder  made  by  the  Arabs  of  Wooled- 
Abussebah,  south  of  the  river  Susc,  is  of  a  quality  far  superior  to 
that  of  Europe.     Carpets  are  made  in  the  province  of  Tcdla. 

The  commerce  of  Morocco  is  with  foreign  nations,  and  with  the 
interior  of  Africa.  That  by  sea  is  tntii'ely  passive.  The  exports 
are  sweet  and  bitter  almonds,  gums,  Barbary,  Senegal,  and  San- 
drac,  bees-wax,  goat,  cow,  and  calf-skins,  oil  of  olives,  wool,  os- 
trich feathers,  ivory,  pomegranate  peals,  dates,  raisins,  wonm- 
seed,  rose-leaves,  wild  thyme,  glue,  anniseed,  fennel,  gingelin 
seed,  walnuts,  straw, tallow,  tallow-candles,  and  string;  the  im- 
ports are  woollens,  linens,  silks,  nankeens,  cottons,  cotton,  gum- 
benzoin,  nmsk,  slick-lack,  capilaise,  gin,  sugar,  teas,  cloves,  pota- 
toes, sal  ammoniac,  tin,  iron,  steel,  copperas,  alum,  silk  handker- 
chiefs, raw  silk,  looking  glasses,  hardware,  red  and  white  leadj 
arsenic,  lavender,  amber  beads,  china  and  earthen  ware,  dollars, 
Hebrew  Bibles,  drugs,  and  confectionary.  Mogodor  is  the  prin- 
cipal port.  The  exports  from  that  town  in  1804,  amounted  to 
vC  127,679  sterling,  and  the  imports  to  .^151,450  sterling. 

The  inland  trade  is  chiefly  with  Timbuctoo,  across  the  desert. 
The  articles  are  carried  on  camels,  accompanied  by  the  Arabs, 
■\vho  let  them  at  a  low  rate  to  the  merchants.  This  tedious  and 
perilous  journey  is  usually  made  between  September  and  April 
inclusive.  Several  hundred  camels  usually  go  together.  A  guai*d 
of  soldiers  accompanies  the  caravan  to  protect  them  from  the  wild 
Arabs  of  the  desert.  The  course  of  the  caravan  is  not  in  a  direct 
line  ;  but  is  determined  by  the  oases  or  fertile  spots,  interspersed 
like  islands,  in  this  ocean  of  sand.  At  each  of  these  it  usually 
halts  about  a  week.  In  the  intermediate  journeys  the  sfiumc  is 
often  so  violent  as  to  exhale  th-c  water,  carried  in  skins  hy  the 


tno  KINGDOM  OF  MOROCCO. 

camels.  The  guides  of  the  caravan  steer  by  the  stars  in  the  night, 
■which  is  far  the  pleasantest  time  for  marching.  The  journey 
from  Fas  to  Akka,  the  place  of  rendezvous  on  this  side  of  the  de- 
sert takes  up  18  days.  Here  they  halt  a  month  ;  and  then  in  J  6 
days  reach  Tagassa,  where  they  remain  15.  In  7  more  they  reach 
Aiawan,  where  they  make  a  similar  stop,  and  in  6  days  reach  Tira- 
buctoo,  making  a  journey  of  54  days  actual  travelling,  and  75  of 
repose.  The  articles  carried  to  Timbuctoo  are  linens,  cottons, 
muslins,  fine  cloths,  coral  and  amber  beads,  pearls,  raw  silk,  brass 
jiails,  coffee,  tea,  refined  sugar,  Italian  silks,  red  woollen  caps, 
turbans,  nutmegs,  cloves,  ginger,  pepper,  tobacco  and  salt,  and 
the  various  manufacture*  of  Morooco.  The  articles  brought  back 
are  gold  dust,  twisted  gold  rings  of  Wangara,  gold  rings  of  Jinnie, 
bars  of  gold,  elephants'  teeth,  gum  of  Soudan,  grains  of  Sahara, 
odoriferous  gums,  and  slaves.  Ostrich  feathers  and  ambergris 
are  also  collected  on  the  confines  of  the  desert. 


CHAPTER  II. 
NATURAL  GEOGRAPHY. 

CLIMATE,  FACE  OF  THE  COUNTRY,  SOIL  AND  AGRICULTURE,  RIV- 
ERS, CAPESj  AIOUNTAINS,  FORESTS,  ZOOLOGY,  BOTANY,  MINE- 
&ALOGir. 

C'li?rMte.']  FROM  March  to  September  the  atmosphere 
is  hardly  ever  charged  with  clouds,  and  in  the  rainy  season  the 
sun  is  rarely  hid  a  whole  day  at  once.  The  summer  days  are 
excessively  hot,  and  in  the  south  the  inhabitants  are  often  visited 
by  the  s/iunie,  or  parching  wind,  from  the  desert.  Many  loath- 
same  and  distressing  diseases  prevail  in  Morocco.  Children  are 
often  afilicted  with  baldness  and  epilepsy.  The  women  are  very 
subject  to  the  latter.  Pains  in  the  head,  stomach,  bowels,  and  bones 
are  very  common.  Schirrous  ulcers,  and  other  eruptions,  fre- 
quently break  out  on  the  bodies  and  limbs  of  the  inhabitants.  The 
leprosy  is  very  common,  especially  in  Haha.  There  they  are  seen 
in  parties  of  10  and  20  begging  charity.  In  the  city  of  Morocco 
tliere  is  a  separate  quarter  for  them,  outside  of  the  walls.  When- 
ever they  leave  home,  as  the  disorder  is  thought  contagious,  they 
are  obliged  to  wear  a  straw  hat,  with  a  very  broad  brim,  tied  on  in 
a  particular  manner,  as  a  badge  of  their  disease.  They  intermar- 
ry only  with  one  another.  The  want  of  eye-brows  is  the  only  ex- 
ternal mark  of  disease.  In  damp  weather  they  may  be  seen  in 
clusters  sitting  round  a  fire,  warming  their  bones,  for  they  acho 
all  over,  till  the  weather  resumes  its  wonted  dryness.  The  c/e- 
phantiasiSf  and  hydrocele^  are  frequently  met  with.  Drofisij  and 
hernia  are  more  rare  than  in  Europe.  Ophthalmia  is  very  comnian. 
The  plague  also  occasionally  visits  Morocco,  and  is  awfully 
destructive  in  its  ravages.  That  of  1799  carried  off  about  50,00U 
of  the  inhabitants  of  Morocco,  and  alpout  65,000  of  those  of  Fas-. 


KINGDOM  OF  MOROCCO.  fit 

Sut  the  most  prevailing  disease,  is  that  which  has  so  long  proved 
the  scourge  of  voluptuousness,  and  which  is  one  of  the  few  direct 
punishments,  which,  on  this  side  of  the  grave,  are  seen  to  be  in- 
flicted by  God  on  transgression.  It  is  said  to  have  been  introduced 
into  Morocco  by  the  Jews,  on  their  expulsion  from  Spahi ;  and 
now  there  is  scarcely  a  Moor  ia  the  Barbary  States,  who  has  not 
the  virus  in  his  veins. 

Face  of  the  Country^  The  kingdoms  of  Morocco  and  Fas,  W- 
of  Mount  Atlas,  except  the  province  of  Haha,  are  a  pleasant 
champaign  country,  every  where  covered  with  vegetation,  and 
generally  cultivated.  Except  in  the  towns  on  the  coast,  and  in 
the  four  inland  cities  of  Mequinas,  Fas,  Muley  Dris  Zerone,  and 
Morocco,  the  only  dwellings  are  tents  inhabited  by  Arabs.  The 
provinces  of  Haha  and  Suse  are  interspersed  with  mountains  and 
valleys,  hills  and  dales.  Here  villages  and  walled  habitations  are 
scattered  over  the  country.  The  houses  in  Haha  are  built  o£ 
stone,  each  having  a  tower  ;  and  stand  on  elevated  situations, 
forming  a  pleasing  view  to  the  traveller.  Draha  and  Tafilelt  are 
chiefly  plain  countries,  and  are  very  scantily  supplied  with  water. 
Between  Tafilelt  and  Atlas  lies  a  plain,  five  days  journey  in  width  ; 
nearly  destitute  of  vegetation,  on  which  rain  never  falls.  The 
soil  is  a  whitish  clay,  which,  when  moistened,  resembles  soap. 
The  dwellings  in  these  provinces  are  Availed  houses ;  and  are 
chiefly  placed  near  the  two  principal  rivers,  which  pass  through 
them,  Draha  and  Filleliy. 

Soil  and  Agriculture. ~\  The  soil  of  all  the  provinces  west  of  t!ie 
mountains  is  very  fertile.  That  of  the  kingdom  of  Fas  is  gener- 
ally black,  but  sometimes  red,  without  stones  or  clay,  generally 
without  trees,  but  incalculably  productive.  Suse  is  the  richest 
province  of  the  empire.  The  soil  of  Draha  and  Tafilelt  is  of* 
salme  nature,  communicating  a  strong  briny  taste  to  the  rivers. 
It  is  not  generally  productive,  except  on  their  banks.  All  the 
provinces  north  of  Haha  are  extremely  productive  of  wheat  arid 
barley,  and  with  superior  cultivation  might  export  immense  quan- 
tities. As  a  specimen  of  their  agriculture  the  inhabitants  reap 
the  grain  high  from  the  ground  and  burn  the  stubble  for  manure. 
They  also  throw  the  grain  on  the  ground,  and  afterwards  plow  itj 
Beans,  peas,  caravances,  and  Indian  corn,  are  cultivated  here 
occasionally.  The  fragrant  tobacco,  called  Meqnrnasi  grows  in 
Bcnchassan  and  near  Mequinas.  Cotton,  of  a  superior  quality, 
and  hemp  are  grown  near  Salee  and  Rabat.  The  fruits  cultira- 
ted  in  this  part  of  the  country  are  figs,  grapes,  most  delicious  or- 
anges, pomegranates,  citrons,  lemons,  limes,  the  ofiuntia^  or  prickly 
pear,  a  native  of  the  Canary  Isles,  apricots,  peaches,  plums,  ap- 
ples, pears,  melons,  and  strawberries.  These  also  grow  wild,  and 
many  of  the  fruit  trees  form  extensive  groves  and  forests.  The 
productions  of  Haha  are  wax,  gum  sandrac,  and  arable,  olivcs> 
almonds  bitter  and  sweet,  oil  of  olives  and  of  argan,  besides  alUhc 
fruits  of  the  north.  Barley  is  here  more  abundant  than  wJicat. 
Grain  is  not  generally  cultivated  in  Suse,  only  enough  for  their 
own  consumptien  ;  but  all  the  fruits,  which  have  been  mentioncdy 


7U  KINGDOM  OF  MOROCCO. 

together  with  the  date,  are  abundant.  The  grapes  of  Edautcnan 
are  excjuisite.  The  sugar  cane  grows  spontaneously  about  Tero- 
dant  Near  Terodant  and  Ras-cl-Wed,  arc  forests  of  olives  of  two 
days'  journey  in  breadth.  Those  of  almonds  also  are  VC17  nunie- 
rous  and  extensive.  The  Jews  in  this  province  manufacture  wine 
and  brandy.  Cotton,  indigo,  and  stick-liquoricc,  gums,  amarad, 
arabic,  soudan,  eupharbium,  and  sandrac,  wax,  wild  thyme,  or- 
chilla  weed,  orriss-root  and  coloquinth,  are  also  among  the  pro- 
ductions of  this  province.  Indian  corn,  rice,  and  indigo  are  raised 
near  the  rivers  of  Draha  and  Tafilelt,  and  a  little  wheat  and  bar- 
ley in  the  latter.  The  dates  of  both  are  astonishingly  abundant 
and  of  an  excellent  quality.  They  constitute  the  chief  food  of  the 
inhabitants.  In  Tafilelt  alone  there  are  upwards  of  thirty  varie- 
ties of  this  fruit.  The  produce  of  a  single  plantation  near  the  im- 
perial palace,  on  the  river  Fillelly,  was  750U  camcl-loads,  or  quin- 
tals, which  sold  for  5000  dollars. 

Rivers.']  The  Muluwia  separates  Morocco  from  Tlemsen,  or 
West  Algiers,  and  empties  into  the  Mediterranean  in  Ion.  1  30 
W.  from  Greenwich.  It  is  a  deep  and  impetuous  stream,  and  im- 
passable in  Lidli,  or  the  40  shortest  days.  In  summer  it  is  always 
fordable,  and  often  dry.  El  Kose,  or  Luccos,  runs  westward,  and 
empties  at  El  Araiche.  It  is  extremely  crooked,  and  abounds  in 
the  fish  called  shebbel.  Ships  of  1 50  tons  may  enter  it  at  high 
■water. 

The  Baht  rises  in  Atlas,  and  loses  itself  in  the  swamps  and  lakes 
of  El  Garb. 

The  Seboo  rises  from  a  lake  in  a  forest,  near  the  foot  of  Atlas, 
and  winding  through  the  plains,  passes  within  6  miles  of  Fas,  be- 
low which  it  receives  the  branch  which  flows  through  that  city. 
This  river  is  impassable,  except  in  boats,  ov  on  rafts.  At  Ma- 
mora,  a  village  of  300  inhabitants,  where  it  enters  the  sea,  it  is 
large,  deep,  and  navigable. 

The  Bu  Regreg,  also  rises  in  Atlas,  and  winds  through  the  val- 
leys of  Fas,  and  the  plains  of  Benihassan,  to  the  sea,  between  Sa- 
ke and  Rabat.     Here  some  of  the  emperor's  frigates  are  wintered. 

The  Morbeya  issues  from  the  same  range,  and  dividing  the 
provinces  of  Fas  and  Tedla,  passes  through  those  of  Morocco  and 
Shawia,  and  separates  Temsena  from  Duquella.  At  Bulawan,  on 
the  confines  of  Duquella,  the  river  is  passed  on  a  raft  of  rushes, 
reeds,  and  goat-skins.  There  was  formerly  a  bridge.  Azamor,  a 
town  of  1000  inhabitants,  lies  at  its  mouth.  Its  waters  abound  in 
the  shebbel  fish. 

The  Tensift  rises  in  the  Atlas,  east  of  Morocco,  and  passing  5 
miles  N.  of  that  city,  winds  through  the  province,  and  nearly  di- 
viding Abda  and  Shedma,  falls  into  the  ocean,  16  miles  below  Saf- 
fee.  Its  chief  tributary  is  the  Nissis.  The  Tensift  is  a  torrent 
during  the  Liali,  or  40  shortest  days,  but  in  summer  is  fordable, 
though  not  safely,  without  a  guide.  At  the  ferry,  near  the  mouth, 
at  low  tide,  the  water  in  summer  reaches  only  to  the  stirrups. 
About  6  miles  from  Morocco  is  a  bridge,  built  by  Muley  El  Man- 
sor.  It  is  very  strong,  but  flat,  with  many  arches,  and  the  cement' 
so  hard  that  the  stones  can  scarcely  be  separated. 


KINGDOM  OF  MOROCCO.  7lS> 

The  Tidsi  rises  in  a  spur  of  Atlas,  and  is  a  short  and  small 
river,  emptying  a  little  below  the  town  of  Tidsi. 

The  Susc  issues  from  the  main  range  of  Atlas,  30  miles  above 
Terodani,  and  after  a  winding  course,  falls  into  the  sea,  6  mile* 
S.  of  Santa  Cruz,  a  village  of  300  inhabitants.  At  its  mouth  is  a 
bar  of  sand,  which,  at  low  water,  almost  separates  it  from  the 
ocean.  The  Messa,  a  small  stream,  flows  from  Atlas,  and  falla 
into  the  ocean  at  Messa,  a  town  of  1000  inhabitants.  The  Akassa, 
near  the  southern  boundaiy,  is  navigable  to  Noon,  and  empties  at 
Cape  Noon. 

The  Draha  is  a  river  -which  flows  from  the  east  side  of  Atlas 
to  the  south,  and  passing  through  the  province  of  Draha,  is  lost  in 
ihe  sands  of  the  desert.     Its  waters  are  brackish. 

The  Fillelly  rises  on  the  east  side  of  Atlas,  and  runs  N.  E.  to 
Tafilelt,  where  it  is  as  large  as  the  Thames  at  Putney.  Thenco 
it  runs  towards  the  Mediterranean,  and  is  finally  lost  in  the  Des- 
ert of  Angad.  It  is  tlie  largest  river  of  Morocco,  and  its  whole 
course  is  450  miles.  Its  waters  also  are  brackish.  It  has  several 
castles  of  terrace  wall  on  its  banks,  inhabited  by  the  princes  of  the 
reigning  family  of  Morocco. 

Ca/ies.']  The  Cape  of  the  Three  Forks,  is  a  little  N.  W.  of 
Melilla.  Abyla  is  a  noble  promontory,  opposite  Gibraltar.  Cape 
Spartel  is  a  fine  headland,  and  the  N.  W.  point  of  Africa.  Cape 
Cantin  is  a  height  visible  from  the  tower  of  Morocco.  Cape  de 
Geer  is  a  noble  bluff,  and  the  termination  of  a  branch  of  Atlas. 
Cape  Noon  is  the  southwestern  limit  of  the  country.  The  coast 
on  the  Straits  is  every  where  rugged,  and  interspersed  with  pro- 
jecting cliffs.  The  western  coast  is  defended  by  numerous  rocks, 
level  with  the  surface  of  tlie  water,  and  occasionally  an  interme- 
diate beach  between  them,  where  the  water  is  shallow,  and  the 
surf  runs  high.  South  of  Santa  Cruz,  even  to  Cape  Bojador,  the 
coast  is  every  where  deceitful  and  dangerous.  The  waves  break 
violently  over  the  rocks,  and  the  rapid  current,  which  invariably 
sets  in  towards  the  land,  frequently  drives  vessels  ashore. 

Mountains.^  The  mountains  of  Atlas  have  already  been  men- 
tioned. Only  that  part  of  the  range,  called  West  Atlas,  which 
runs  from  S.  \V.  to  N.  E.  is  in  Morocco.  The  names  North  ancl 
South  Atlas,  are  also  applied  to  the  different  parts  of  it.  The 
western  border  of  the  range  passes  about  30  miles  east  of  the  city 
of  Morocco,  where  they  are  immensely  high,  and  covered  with, 
eternal  snows.  A  lofiy  eminence  here  assumes  the  form  of  a  sad- 
dle, and  is  visible  at  Mogodor  in  a  clear  day,  and  indeed  several 
leagues  out  at  sea.  These  mountains  are  very  fertile,  and  pro- 
duce excellent  fruits,  having  at  diflerent  heiglits  the  advantage  of 
various  climates.  The  inhabitants  of  the  upper  regions  of  Atlas 
live  four  months  of  the  year  in  excavations  of  the  mountains. 

J'^oresCs.']  At  El  Araiche  commences  a  forest,  consisting  chief- 
ly of  oak,  with  a  few  cask  and  other  trees  intermixed,  which  reach- 
es a  great  distance  eastward.  A  little  S.  E.  there  is  another,  con- 
sisting wholly  of  cork  trees.  In  iiaha  are  extensive  forests  tf 
the  Argan,  and  in  Suse  of  the  palm  and  t-lic  olive. 
VOL.  ir.  <)0  . 


714  KINGDOM  OF  MOROCCO' 

Zoohgy.']  The  horses  of  West  Barbary  are  renowned  for  flcet- 
ness  and  activity.  The  breed,  however,  has  been  much  neglect- 
ed, except  in  Abda  and  the  province  of  Morocco.  These  horses 
have  stronger  sinews  than  those  of  Europe,  and,  after  a  little  man- 
agement, are  extremely  tractable.  The  stallions  only  are  rode  ; 
the  mares  are  kept  for  breeding  ;  geldings  are  unknown  in  Ma- 
hometan countries.  Mules  and  asses  abound  every  where,  also 
camels.find  horned  cattle.  Lions  are  very  common  in  the  forests, 
and  often  infest  the  roads,  so  as  to  render  them  impassable.  The 
hyena  (dubbah)  is  found  in  all  the  rocks  and  caverns  of  the  moun- 
tains, where  he  is  far  less  ferocious  than  when  confined.  The 
deeb  resembles  the  hyena  in  his  propensity  to  devour  dead  bodies, 
but  is  only  half  of  his  size,  and  is  far  more  fierce  in  his  disposition. 
The  leopard  (nimmer)  is  spotted,  and  has  the  size  of  the  royal 
tiger  of  Asia.  His  strength  and  agility  are  wonderful.  The 
wild  boar  is  the  favorite  game  of  the  Morocco  hunters,  and  abounds 
in  the  southern  provinces.  The  rhinoceros  (reem)  is  highly  val- 
ued for  his  horn.  The  wild  cat  is  very  fierce,  and  sometimes 
hardy  enough  to  attack  a  man.  The  sibsib  is  an  intermediate  ge- 
nus, between  the  rat  and  the  squirrel,  and  in  its  form  resembles 
the  ichneumon.  It  is  very  active,  and  lives  in  holes  in  the  rocks. 
The  antelope  (gazel)  is  the  favorite  of  the  Arabian  poets.  It  has 
straight  dark  horns,  with  a  beautiful  and  prominent  black  eye,  and 
moves  swift  as  the  wind.  The  harreh  is,  among  the  Arabs,  the 
emblem  of  purity.  The  head  and  back  are  of  a  light  red,  the 
belly  of  a  beautiful  white.  It  is  not  found  north  of  the  river  Suse. 
The  bizoar  stone  is  produced  by  the  harreh.  The  aoudad^  in  size 
and  color,  resembles  a  calf,  and  is  the  wildest  animal  of  the  Afri- 
can woods.  The  red  fox  (thaleb)  is  like  that  of  Europe  in  its 
scent  and  disposition.  The  ape  is  of  a  very  large  size  in  North 
Atlas.  The  jumar  is  the  offspring  of  the  bull  and  the  ass.  It  is 
very  uncommon.  The  heirie^  or  camel  of  the  desert,  is  more  ele- 
gantly formed  than  the  camel  of  burden.  They  will  generally  go 
7  day's  journey  in  one,  and  continue  3  days  without  eating.  They 
go  from  Timbuctoo  to  Tafilelt  in  7  days.  The  sWrubah  er'reeh^  a 
horse  of  the  desert,  travels  also  v/ith  astonishing  swiftness,  but 
requires  to  be  fed  once  a  day  on  camels'  milk.  The  sheep  of 
Suse  feed  only  on  the  wild  aromatic  herbs,  and  are  wholly  singu- 
lar in  the  fineness  of  their  flavor.  The  wool  of  some  of  them  is 
also  extremely  fine.  The  wool  of  the  sheep  of  Tedla  has  the  soft- 
ness of  silk.  The  goat  is  very  common,  but  peculiarly  so  in  Tafi- 
lelt, where  the  finest  morocco  leather  is  manufactured. 

The  camelion,  Sahara  lizard,  locust,  scorpion,  musquitoe,  gnat, 
and  cricket  are  among  the  insects  of  Morocco.  The  buska  is  a 
black  venomous  serpent,  7  or  8  feet  long.  When  attacking  trav- 
ellers it  coils  itself  up  and  then  darts  to  a  very  great  distance. 
The  wound  inflicted  is  small,  but  the  sufferer  in  a  few  minutes 
turns  black  and  expires.  The  haffah  is  2  feet  long,  as  thick  as 
a  man's  arm,  and  beautifully  spotted  with  yellow  and  brown.  Its 
poison  is  almost  instantaneous  in  its  operation.  The  afsawiV,  or 
divmers  of  serpents,  carry  these  animals  about  for  a  show.     The 


KINGDOM  OF  MOROCCO.  715 

ioa,  or  serpent  of  the  desert,  is  often  80  feet  long,  as  thick  as  a 
man's  body,  and  of  a  dingy  color,  but  not  venomous.  It  moves 
^ith  such  swiftness,  that  it  is  impossible  to  escape  from  it.  It 
will  twist  itself  round  an  ox,  and  after  crushing  its  bones  will  swal- 
low it  gradually,  after  which  it  lies  supinely  on  the  ground  for  two 
or  three  days  unable  to  proceed,  till  the  animal  is  digested.  Do- 
mestic serpents  are  found  in  almost  every  house,  and  arc  treated 
as  members  of  the  family.  The  tortoise  is  very  large  and  com- 
mon ;  those  of  the  desert  weigh  from  400  to  600  weight.  The  os- 
trich, eagle,  vulture,  bustard,  white  heron,  wild  goose,  ox-keeper, 
pelican,  stork,  flamingo,  partridge,  pigeon,  wood  pigeon,  cream- 
colored  dove,  turtle-dove,  ring-dove,  curlew,  plover,  lark,  crested- 
lark,  black-bird,  starling,  cuckoo,  nightingale,  and  owl,  are  among 
the  birds  of  this  country,  as  well  as  the  rog'rj  a  dark  kind  of  par- 
tridge, the  tibU),a.  species  of  sparrow,  and  the  huge,  a  little  ash-col- 
ored bird  that  feeds  on  beetles. 

The  shedbelf  a  fine  species  of  salmon,  is  taken  in  all  the  rivers. 
The  fish  on  both  coasts  are  the  mullet,  red  and  gray,  brim,  anchovy, 
sardine,  herring,  mackarel,  rock  cod,  skate,  sole,  plaice,  turbot, 
and  turtle.  The  azalimgi,  tasargalty  and  irgal  are  peculiar  to  the 
western  coast  of  Morocco.  They  are  taken  in  the  bay.  of.  Aga- 
deer,  or  Santa  Cruz,  and  prepared  in  the  ovens  of  Aguram, 
whence  they  are  transported,  in  immense  quantities,  to  Bied-el- 
Jerede.     Whales  are  frequently  cast  on  the  shore. 

Bota7iy.~\  The  fruits,  and  medicinal  herbs,  have  already  been 
mentioned.  The  gum-sarbac  tree  looks  like  the  juniper.  Its 
wood  has  a  fine  fragrance,  and  is  impenetrable  to  the  worm. 
The  tizra^  a  plant  3  feet  high,  the  snobar  and  the  rassul,  are  us- 
ed by  tanners.  The  hashisha,  or  African  hemp,  is  reared 
for  the  manufacture  of  ropes.  When  smoked  instead  of  tobacco, 
it  produces  an  agreeable  intoxication-  A  decoction  of  the  suimag 
is  a  powerful,  but  dangerous  stimulant.  The  lotus,  or  water  lily, 
grows  in  the  rivers.  Mallows  are  every  where  cultivated.  Truf- 
fles are  roots  which  grow  in  sandy  places.  They  are  highly 
stimulating  and  very  palatable.  The  gum  euphorbiem  is  pro- 
cured from  a  curious  succulent  plant,  resembling  the  wild  thistle  ; 
gum  ammoniac  from  one  which  is  like  the  European  fennel  ; 
and  gum  arable,  from  the  attaleh-,  a  high  thorny  tree  with  leaves 
like  those  of  the  juniper.  Pitch  is  made  in  great  quantities  front 
the  wild  juniper. 

Mineralogy.']  Gold  and  silver  mines  are  found  in  various  parts 
of  Morocco,  but  more  particularly  near  Messa  in  Suse,  on  the 
south  bank  of  the  river.  The  Portuguese  formerly  worked  them. 
About  Shtuka  and  Elala,  in  the  same  province,  are  very  rich 
minos  of  silver.  There  is  another  in  the  plains  of  Msegina,  near 
Santa  Cruz.  Gold  is  also  found  in  many  places  on  the  mountains. 
In  Suse,  near  Idaultil,  there  i.s  iron,  which  the  people  manufac- 
ture into  gun-barrels  and  other  articles.  At  Teselagt,  a  little  N". 
E.  the  copper  mines  arc  very  abundant.  They  work  them  only 
as  they  want  tlie  ore.  In  the  neighborhood  there  are  lead  mines. 
Ift  Tafilelt  are  mines  of  antimony,  of  a  peculiarly  fine  quality,  and 


f\6  ALGIERS. 

abundance  of  lead  ore.  Morocco,  Bled-el-Jerrede,  and  parts  of 
Sahara  abound  in  mineral  salt,  which  is  dug  from  quarries  and 
mines.  In  Abda  is  a  large  salt  lake,  which  furnishes  great  quan- 
tities of  salt  of  a  remarkably  pure  quality.  Vast  quantities  of  salt 
are  conveyed  by  the  caravans  to  Timbuctoo,  where  they  have  none. 
Salt-pctre  is  made  abundantly  at  Fas,  Morocco,  and  Terodant. 
This  last  is  distinguished  for  its  strength  and  purity. 


ALGIERS. 


CHAPTER  I. 


HISTORICAL  GEOGRAPHY. 

EXfENT  AJTD  BOUNDARIES,  DIVISIONS,  NAMES,  HISTORY,  RELIGIOIf, 
GOVERNMENT,  POPULATION,  ARMY,  NAVY,  REVENUE,  MANNERS 
AND    CUSTOMS,  CITIES,  MANUFACTURES. 

Extent  and  Boundaries.']  THE  length  of  this  territory^ 
<5n  the  Mediterranean,  from  the  motith  of  the  Muluwia,  in  Ion.  I 
30  W.  to  the  mouth  of  the  Zane,  in  Ion,  9  16  E.  is  610  miles.  Its 
breadth  in  the  W.  is  not  more  than  60  miles  ;  but  E.  of  Algiers  it 
exceeds  100.  It  has  Morocco  W.  the  Mediterranean  N.  Tunis  E. 
and  the  desert  of  Angad  S. 

Dixisions.']  It  is  divided  into  three  provinces  :  Tlemsen,  some- 
times called  Tremecen,  and  sometimes  Mascara,  in  the  W. ;  Ti- 
ter! in  the  S.  and  Constantina  in  the  E.  This  last  is  much  the 
largest  and  richest. 

JSiamea.']  This  country  was  the  ancient  JSTumidia  ;  and,  after  the 
reduction  of  Africa  by  the  Romans,  was  called  Mauritania  Casa' 
riensis  ;  while  Morocco  was  then  called  Mauritania  Tingitana. 

History. 1^  The  Numidians  had  the  same  origin  with  the  Mau- 
ri ;  but  we  know  very  little  of  their  early  history.  In  the  time  of 
the  first  Punic  war  it  contained  two  kingdoms  ;  that  of  the  Mas- 
sy li  in  the  E.  extending  about  1 30  miles  on  the  coast,  and  that  of 
Massaesyli  in  the  W.  occupying  the  rest  of  the  country.  Massi- 
nissa,  king  of  the  former,  a  very  brave,  able  and  honorable  prince, 
united  them  both  under  his  dominion  about  190  years  B.  C.  Cae-. 
sar  reduced  the  country  to  a  Roman  province  B.  C.  46.  The  Van- 
dals drove  out  the  Romans  ;  Belisarius  expelled  them  for  the 
Greek  emperor  ;  and  the  Saracens  terminated  the  Greek  domina- 
tion about  A.  D.  650.  Till  105 1  this  country  was  divided  up  hito  a 
great  number  of  petty  states,  when  Abubeker,  an  Arab  of  the  Zin- 
bagian  tribe,  drove  out  the  Sheiks,  or  petty  chieftains,  and  pos- 
•sessed  himself  of  Morocco  and  Algiers.    In  th»  12th  century  his 

■:..'rt- 


ALGIERS.  ti? 

descendant  Braham  Ali  was  expelled  by  the  Marabouts,  or  priests, 
with  Mohavcdin  at  their  head  ;  they,  by  the  governor  of  Fas  ;  and 
he,  in  the  13th,  by  the  Sherrifs  of  Hascen,  the  descendants  of  the 
Sheiks ;  who  divided  the  country  into  four  kingdoms,  Tlemsen, 
Tenez,  Algiers  and  Bujeyah,  which  lasted  till  1517,  when  Barba- 
rossa  was  master  of  them  all.  In  1505,  and  frequently  afterwards, 
the  Spaiiiards  invaded  the  country,  and  took  the  principal  towns. 
In  one  of  these,  in  1541,  the  emperor  Charles  V.  lost  the  greater 
part  of  an  immense  fleet  and  army,  and  hardly  escaped  with  his 
life.  Haraydin,  the  brother  and  successor  of  Barbarossa,  in  1530 
put  Algiers  under  the  protection  of  the  grand  «eignor,  and  for  a 
long  period  the  Ottoman  court  nominated  the  dey.  In  1555,  Bu- 
jeyah, the  last  of  their  possessions,  was  taken  from  the  Spaniards. 
The  power  of  appointing  their  own  deys  was  obtained  early  in  the 
17th  century,  and  in  1650  the  Ottomon  yoke  was  entirely 
shaken  off. 

Religion.~\  The  Algerines  are  Mahometans,  and  more  super- 
stitious than  the  Turks.  Their  three  chief  ecclesiastical  officers 
are  the  Mufti,  the  Cadi,  and  the  grand  Marabout. 

Government.']  The  government  is  composed  of  the  Dey,  and 
the  Douwan.  The  dey  is  chosen  out  of  the  army,  each  rank  hav- 
ing an  equal  right,  and  evei*y  bold,  aspiring  soldier  is  an  obvious 
candidate.  Every  election  is  usually  attended  with  tumult  and 
bloodshed.  The  dey,  for  a  long  period  has  been  possessed  of  ab- 
solute power.  When  he  exercises  it  tyrannically,  however,  he  is 
always  murdered.  Scarcely  one  in  ten  has  the  good  fortune  to 
die  in  his  bed.  The  next  officer  to  the  dey,  is  the  aga,  who  is 
general  of  the  Janizaries.  He  keeps  the  keys  of  the  city,  and  is- 
sues, in  his  own  name,  all  militaiy  orders  ;  but  enjoys  his  post  for 
two  months  only,  when  he  is  succeeded  by  the  chiah  or  next  senior 
officer.  The  chiah-bashaivs^  or  chief  colonels,  are  about  30  iti 
number,  and  with  the  mufti  and  cadi  compose  the  Douwan,  which 
is  noAv  convened,  as  a  mere  matter  of  form,  to  sanction  measures 
before  resolved  on. 

Pofiulation.~\  The  population  of  Algiers  cannot  be  stated  with 
accuracy.  Hassel  estimates  it  at  1,500,000  ;  but  does  not  girc  his 
authority. 

Ai-my.~\  The  army  amounts,  in  time  of  peace,  to  about  6500 
men,  of  whom  4000  are  Turks ;  but  25,000  can  be  raised  on  an 
emergency. 

J^avy.']  The  navy  consists  of  8  ships,  of  from  36  to  50  guns,  10 
•r  13  sloops  of  war,  and  30  gunboats,  which  never  leave  the  har- 
bor. 

Revenue.l^  Hassel  states  the  revenue,  on  the  atithority  of  Bruns, 
at  g670,400,  of  which  450,400  are  certain,  and  220,000  accidental. 
Shaw  says  it  was,  in  1732,  300,000  from  taxes,  and  about  as  much 
from  accidental  sources. 

Manners  and  Customs.']  The  inhabitants  arc  Turks,  Moors, 
Cabyles,  Arabs,  Christians,  and  Jews.  The  Turks  have  been  es- 
tablished since  the  middle  of  the  1  Gtli  century.  They  form  the 
hjlghest  rank  in  the  country,  and  possess  most  of  the  offices  and 


71«"  ALGIERS. 

employments.  No  native  can  be  a  Turk.  He  alone  is  considered 
one,  who  is  born  of  Mussulman  parents  within  the  grand  seignor's 
dominions.  The  number  of  Turks  is  about  10,000,  and  they  are 
characterized  as  ignorant,  proud,  indolent,  voluptuous,  jealous, 
and  revengeful ;  but  at  the  same  time,  faithful,  courageous,  and 
tolerant.  They  pay  no  poll-tax,  are  punished  only  by  an  express 
order  from  the  dey;  when  condemned  to  die,  are  strangled; 
purchase  the  necessaries  of  life  lower  than  others,  and  may  take 
as  much  fruit  froxii  gardens  and  vineyards,  as  they  can  eat.  Theif 
children,  by  Algerine  women,  are  called  Coloris.  They  are  nu- 
merous, form  a  middle  class  between  the  Turks  and  Moors  ;  and 
have  more  industiy,  and  the  same  pride,  courage,  jealousy,  and  vo- 
luptuousness with  the  former.  In  size  and  strength,  also,  they 
resemble  them,  and  the  most  expert  artists  and  artificers  are  of 
this  class. 

The  Moors  are  the  descendants  of  those,  who  were  driven  out 
of  Spain.  Those,  who  live  in  towns  and  engage  in  commerce, 
have  a  degree  of  polish  in  their  manners,  and  are  many  of  them 
wealthy.  Others  are  artificers  and  mariners,  and  in  the  lowest 
class  of  them  are  found  most  of  the  thieves  and  profligates  of  Al- 
giers. Few  of  the  Mooi-s  that  live  in  the  country  are  wealthy. 
They  are  ignorant  and  rude  ;  strangers  to  the  pleasures  of  social 
life,  and  distinguish  themselves  by  their  tribe.  They  practise  po- 
lygamy, which  is  not  done  by  the  Moors  in  the  cities.  They  are 
much  more  profligate  than  the  Turks. 

The  Cabyles  are  the  same  people  with  the  Berebbers  of  Mo- 
rocco, though  their  language  is  more  complex  by  an  intermixtui'c 
of  Arabic.  Many  of  them  do  not  acknowledge  the  sovereignty  of 
the  dey. 

The  Arabs  live  in  tents,  and  constitute  numerous  distinct  tribes, 
many  of  which  are  independent  of  the  dey,  and  the  others  ai'e  only- 
tributaries.  They  live  in  the  mountains,  and  in  the  desert,  and 
are  wilder  than  the  Arabs  of  Morocco. 

The  Jews  are  not  numerous,  and  are  despised  and  oppressed. 
They  cannot  own  land,  nor  i-ide  in  the  city,  or  through  the  gates, 
and  are  obliged  to  wear  a  peculiar  di'ess  of  a  dark  color.  They 
are  generally  perfidious,  and  addicted  to  cheating  and  fraud. 

The  Christians  are  chiefly  transitory  residents.  In  the  W.  the 
Spaniards  possess  Oran  and  Massalquiver,  where  they  keep  gar- 
risons. In  the  other  towns  the  Christians  are  slaves,  captured  by 
the  corsairs,  and  sold  at  auction.  From  150  to  180  negroes  are 
annually  imported  as  slaves  from  the  S.  The  women  are  often  kept 
as  concubines  by  the  wealthy  Turks.  Slaves  of  any  color,  who  turn 
Mahometans,  gain  their  freedom.  The  Jews  and  Christians,  who 
do  this,  are  called  renegadoes^  and  may  be  advanced  to  honorable 
and  lucrative  employment. 

Cities.']  Algiers,  the  capital,  formerly  Mesgana,  is  built  on 
the  west  side  of  a  bay  of  the  Mediterranean.  This  bay  opens  be- 
tween Cape  Matisou,  on  the  E.  and  Cape  Caxines  on  the  W.  The 
mole,  which  forms  the  harbor,  is  300  paces  long,  in  the  form  of  a 
semicircle,  and  reaches  to  a  little  island  facing  the  town.    The 


ALGIERS.  '  rt9 

ijarborhas  anchorage  in  from  18  to  25  fathom  water,  and  is  de- 
fended by  a  castle  with  three  batteries  of  cannon,  which  stands  on 
the  solid  rock  of  the  island,  and  serves  also  for  a  light  house.  At 
the  south  end  of  the  island  is  another  fort  of  three  batteries,  and 
there  are  several  others  along  the  coast.  The  walls  are  high,  and 
12  feet  thick,  flanked  with  square  towers,  but  greatly  decayed. 
The  large  ditch  beneath  is  nearly  filled  up.  There  are  five  gates, 
which  are  open  from  sunrise  to  sunset.  The  town  is  built  on  a 
declivity,  in  the  form  of  an  amphitheatre,  the  houses  rising  grad- 
ually above  one  another,  so  that  at  sea  their  white  terraced  roofs 
look  like  a  whitener's  ground  covered  with  linen.  There  is  but 
one  handsome  street,  which  runs  E.  and  W.  through  the  city. 
The  others  are  so  narrow,  that  carriages  cannot  run  in  them.  The 
houses  are  built  of  brick  or  stone,  of  a  square  shape,  with  a  paved 
court  in  the  middle.  A  chimney  at  each  comer  of  the  flat  roof 
rises  like  a  cupola.  The  palace  of  the  Dey,  in  the  middle  of  the 
city,  has  too  spacious  halls,  one  for  the  Dowan,  and  is  a  magnifi- 
cent building.  The  barracks  for  the  Turkish  soldiers  are  also 
grand  edifices.  The  mosques  are  numerous,  and  seven  of  them 
very  large.  The  baths  also  are  many  and  spacious.  In  1732,  Dr. 
Shaw  computed  the  population  at  100,000  ;  now  it  is  estimated  at 
*  80,000  :  in  which  number  are  included  several  hundred  Jewish 
families.  The  city  is  supplied  with  water  from  the  adjacent 
mountains,  by  two  aqueducts,  which  distribute  it  to  a  number  of 
fountains  at  convenient  intervals.  The  environs  are  every  where 
fertile,  and  pleasantly  uneven,  adorned  with  gardens,  groves,  and 
villas.  The  gardens  are  stocked  with  plenty  of  fruit-trees,  meU 
ons,  and  pot-herbs.  The  villas  are  little  white  houses,  shaded 
with  a  variety  of  fruit-trees  and  evergreens,  and  present  a  beauti- 
ful prospect  at  sea.     Lon.  2  12  45,  E.  lat.  36  49  30,  N. 

Tlemsen,  the  capital  of  the  western  province,  stands  on  arising; 
ground,  at  the  foot  of  several  rocky  precipices,  from  which  issue 
a  number  of  springs.  The  walls  are  of  a  composition  of  sand, 
lime,  and  gravel.  About  1670,  the  greater  part  of  the  town  was 
laid  in  ruins,  and  it  has  never  recovered.  Among  these  are  found 
some  fragments  of  Roman  antiquities.  In  the  west  part  of  the 
town  is  a  large  bason,  of  Moorish  workmanship,  200  yards  long, 
and  100  wide.     It  may  easily  be  filled  from  the  adjoining  hills. 

Oran  is  built  on  the  declivity,  and  near  the  foot,  of  a  high 
Biounuiii,  about  50  miles  E.  of  Tlemsen. 

Bleeda,  the  capital  of  Titeri,  is  built  under  the  shade  of  a  spur 
•f  Mount  Atlas,  is  a  mile  in  circumference,  and  tolerably  populous. 
The  other  towns  are  Marcara,  Tencz,  and  Medea. 

Manufactures.'^  There  are  manufactures  here  of  silk,  cotton^ 
wool,  leather,  and  other  commodities.  The  carpets  are  good,  but; 
inferior  to  those  of  Turkey.  In  the  city  of  Algiers  there  are  looms 
for  velvet  and  taff'ety,  and  a  coarse  kind  ot  linen  is  made  in  most 
parts  of  the  kingdom.  The  exports  are  ostrich  feathers,  wax, 
hides,  wool,  copper,  rags,  silk  sashes,  embroidered  handkerchiefs, 
dates,  and  Christian  slaves.  Wheat  and  barley  were  formerly  ship- 
ped, to  the  amount  of  7000  or  8000  tons.    The  imports  censist 


no  ALGIERS. 

chiefly  of  gold  ami  silver  stuffs,  damasks,  cloths,  spices,  the  met* 
als,  naval  stores,  fire-arms,  ammunition,  paints,  rice,  sugar,  soap, 
cotton,  and  drugs.  The  commerce  of  this  country  is  chiefly  car- 
ried on  by  the  corsairs,  and  most  of  the  imports  are  captures. 


CHAPTER  II. 


NATURAL  GEOGRAPHY. 

«EASONS,  AGRICULTURE,   RIVERS,   MOUNTAINS,  BOTANY,  5ZOOL06T 
AND  MINERALOGY. 

Seasons.']  THE  winds  here  generally  blow  from  the  sea, 
or  from  the  east  or  west.  East  winds  are  common  from  May  to 
September,  and  then  the  westerly  winds  become  the  most  fre- 
quent. The  southerly  winds  from  the  desert,  are  unusually  hot 
and  violent,  but  not  frequent.  When  they  blow  for  5  or  6  days  in 
July  and  August,  they  are  very  suffocating,  and  the  inhabitants 
sprinkle  the  floors  of  their  rooms  with  water  or  vinegar.  The 
quantity  of  rain  at  Algiers  averages  27  or  28  inches  ;  of  which 
little  falls  in  summer,  and  in  most  parts  of  the  Desert,  ihey  have 
no  rain  at  all. 

jigriculture.']  The  first  rains  fall  in  September  or  October,  af- 
ter which  wheat  is  sown,  and  beans  are  planted.  Barley  is  sown 
about  the  end  of  November.  The  latter  rains  in  April  secure  the 
crop.  Rice,  Indian  corn,  and  millet,  are  also  cultivated.  The  pa- 
triarchal mode  of  threshing^  is  still  continued.  1  he  sheaves  are 
spread  upon  the  threshing-floors,  and  horses  or  mules  are  driven 
over  them.  They  winnow  the  grain  by  throwing  it  up  against  the 
wind  with  a  shovel.  Of  the  pulse  kind,  beans,  lentils,  kidney- 
beans,  and  the  chick-pea,  are  the  most  abundant.  Of  the  roots, 
herbs,  and  fruits,  of  the  kitchen  garden,  they  have  considei  able 
variety.  The  soil  is  generally  fertile,  more  especially  on  the  coast 
and  in  the  valleys.  There  are  few  forests,  but  tracts  of  thickets 
and  bushwood  are  more  common.  The  district  round  Bugia  sup- 
plies the  greatest  quantity  of  timber.  In  the  south,  the  fertility 
is  less,  though  even  in  the  desert,  and  on  its  borders,  there  are 
some  cultivated  districts,  which  produce  corn,  figs,  and  dates. 

Rivers.]  The  chief  rivers  of  this  country  are  the  Zha,  which 
runs  across  the  Desert  of  Angad  and  Tlemsen,  and  falls  into  the 
sea  near  Tabecrita  ;  the  Haregal  comes  down  from  the  greater 
Atlas,  crosses  the  same  territories,  and  falls  into  the  sea  5 
leagues  from  Oran  ;  the  Mina,  a  large  river,  which  runs  through 
the  plains  of  Bathala,  and  empties  near  Arzew  ;  the  She- 
Jif,  which  descends  from  Mount  Guanexeris,  runs  through  the 
desert  of  Angad,  the  lake  Titteri,  and  the  province  of  Tlemsen, 
and  empties  near  Mostagan ;  the  Celef,  which  runs  only  60  miles, 
and  falls  into  the  Mediterranean,  3  leagues  west  of  Algiers  ;  the 
■■  Hued-Alquivir,  which  runs  down  with  a  swift  course  from  the 


high  TOOuntains  of  Cuco,  and  empties  near  Bugia ;  tlie  Suf-Gemai'' 
has  its  source  on  Mount  Auras,  on  the  confines  of  Atlas,  and  after 
■watering  the  desert  and  the  fertile  plains  of  Constantina,  where  it 
i-eceives  numerous  tributaries,  falls  into  the  sea  a  little  east  of  Gi- 
geri  ;  the  Ladag,  which  empties  near  Bona  ;  and  the  Guadij 
which  comes  from  Tripoli,  and  empties  near  Tabarea. 

Mountains^  Several  snrvaller  chains  of  the  Atlantean  range, 
lie  beneath  it  to  the  north.  These  give  birth  to  some  of  the  riv- 
ers, and  by  some  of  them  they  are  all  broken.  The  mountain  of 
Jurjura  is  the  highest  in  Barbary,  being  about  eight  leagues  iit 
length,  in  a  N.  E.  and  S.  W.  direction,  full  of  rocks  and  precipi- 
ces, and  only  covered  with  snow  in  the  wint&r.  It  is  about  60 
miles  S.  of  Algiers,  and  is  a  noble  spur  from  Mount  Atlas. 

Botanij^  Zoologij^  and  Mineralogy ."j^  The  botany  and  zoology  of 
this  country  are  the  same  with  those  of  Morocco.  In  the  moun* 
tains  3A'Q  found  lead  and  copper,  and  various  other  minerals. 


TUNIS, 


StTTjATION  AND  EXTENT,  HISTORY^ RELIGION,  GOVERNMENT,  3tflL- 
ITARY  FORCE,  REVENUES,  POPULATION,  CITIES,  MANUFAC- 
TURES, COMMERCE,  MANNERS  AND  CUSTOMS,  CLIMATE,  SOIL  AND 
VRODUCTIONS,  RJVERS,  LAKE,  MOUNTAINS,  ANTIQUITIES,  ISL- 
AND. 

Situation  and  Extcnt.'\  THIS  country  licd  next  to 
Algiers,  and  is  300  miles  long,  from  N.  to  S.  and  170  from  E.  to 
W.  Having  the  Mediterranean  on  the  N.  the  same  sea  and  Tri- 
poli on  the  E.  Tripoli  and  the  desert  on  the  S.  and  Algiei^  on  the 
W.  It  is  divided  into  two  circuits,  the  northern,  Which  the  Bey 
pides  through  in  tlie  summer,  and  the  southern  in  the  winter. 

History.']  Tunis  is  the  western  part  of  the  Africa  Projiria  of 
the  Romans,  and  the  ancient  seat  of  Carthaginian  povrcr.  After 
the  destruction  of  Carthage,  it  fell  under  the  dominion  of  the  Ro- 
mans, from  whom  it  passed  to  the  Goths,  and  then  to  the  Vandals.. 
The  Saracens  Avere  its  next  occupants,  who  governed  it  by  vice- 
roys, or  ernirs,  till  at  length  it  was  conquered  by  the  emperor  of 
Morocco.  After  a  short  subjection,  it  became  an  independent  and 
powerful  kingdom.  In  1538,  during  the  Spanish  attacks  on  the 
Barbary  States,  it  was  seized  by  Barbarossa,  and  became  subject 
to  Turkey.  About  120  years  the  Tunisians  claimed  the  right  of 
electing  their  own  Beys,  and  since  that  time  they  have  been  inde- 
pendent. 

Religion^  Government^  is^c.~\  The  religion  is  the  Mahometan. 
The  government  is  now  despotic  and  hereditary.  The  Bey  nom- 
inates his  successor,  and  is  not  rpnirned  to   his  own  fa^uly.     Tl>e 

Vol.  ir.  91  1 


72^  TUN'IS. 

Doll\^anrno^^'  retains  only  the  shadow  of  authority,  and  is  compoa-- 
ed  of  the  creatures  of  the  Bey.  It  was  formerly  possessed  of  con- 
sicicrable  power.  The  Bey  is  able,  at  any  time,  at  a  short  warn- 
ing, to  bring  from  40  to  50,000  men  of  his  militia  into  the  field, 
more  than  three  fourths  of  which  are  cavalry.  He  has  besides  in 
his  service  about  5000  Turks,  who  are  reckoned  better  soldiers 
than  the  natives. 

JRevcnues.]  The  revenues  of  the  Bey  are  regular  and  acci- 
dental. The  regular  revenue  arises  from  the  tythes  of  produce, 
the  dotnains,  licences  to  trade,  duties,  monopolies,  taxes  on  the 
Jews,  and  from  the  sale  of  slaves.  It  amounts  to  about  6000  pi- 
astres. The  accidental  revenue  arises  from  extortions,  from  seiz- 
ures of  the  wealth  of  those  who  die,  and  from  the  Bey's  profit  in 
trading.  The  present  Bey  is  extremely  rich.  He  is  called  Ha- 
mooda  Basha  Bey,  and  ascended  the  throne  in  1782,  being  then  30 
years  old.     He  is  a  man  of  superior  talents. 

Po/m/ation.']  The  population  of  the  country  is  estimated  at 
3,000,000  ;  (though  Hassfcl  estimates  it  at  1,000,000  only)  of  whom 
100,000  are  Jews,  and  20,000  Christians.  A  plague  in  1785,  and 
ft  famine  in  1803,  swept  off"  great  numbers  of  the  inhabitants. 

CUies.^  The  city  of  Tuxis  is  situated  on  a  rising  ground  on 
the  west  bank  of»a  lake,  about  6  miles  from  the  head  of  the  Gul-f 
of  Tunis.  This  lake  is  of  salt  water,  and  is  connected  by  a  nar- 
row passage  with  the  sea.  The  city  is'  enclosed  by  a  miserable 
wall  of  mud  and  stone,  neither  useful  nor  ornamental.  The  hous- 
es are  of  stone^  but  of  the  most  miserable  architecture.  The  new 
palace  of  the  Bey,  the  only  decent  building  in  the  city,  is  occupied 
by  shops  on  the  ground  floor,  and  stands  in  a  very  unpleasant  situ- 
ation. The  streets  are  narrow,  dirty,  and  ill  paved.  The  cisterns 
furnish  the  only  supply  of  fresh  water.  The  bazars,  or  shops,  are 
miserable  buildings,  and  indifferently  stocked  with  merchandise. 
The  port  of  Tunis  is  at  the  Goletta,  or  entrance  of  the  Lake, 
through  which  there  is  a  constant  current  from  the  sea.  Here 
are  two  forts  built  by  the  Spaniards  in  the  time  of  Charles  V,  in 
tolerable  repair.  At  the  upper  end  of  the  city  is  the  gaspa,  or 
citadel,  fcuiit  also  by  the  Spaniards,  which  commands  the  town, 
and  might  keep  it  in  complete  subjection.  The  population  of 
Tunis  probably  exceeds  100,000.  The  Tunisians  estimate  it  at 
150,000.     Jekb.\  is  an  interior  manufacturing  town. 

Manufactures.^  The  chief  manufactures  are  those  of  scull- 
caps,  woollen  stuffs,  and  morocco  leather.  The  caps  are  of  Span- 
ish wool,  and  are  dyed  of  a  crimson  color  at  Zaivan,  about  3Q 
miles  from  Tunis  ;  because  the  waters  of  that  place  communicate 
a  singular  richness  to  the  coloring.  Formerly  50,000  people 
-were  occupied  in  this  manufacture,  and  3,000  bales  of  Spanish 
wool  were  consumed  by  it,  with  a  clear  profit,  after  all  expensejj 
were  deducted,  of  7,000,000  piastres.  At  present  it  is  reduced  tf> 
one  third  of  its  original  extent.  They  are  sold  on  the  Barbary 
coast,  and  in  the  Levant.  The  woollen  stuffs  are  of  a  thin  tex  • 
ture,  but  extremely  beautiful,  and  many  thousands  are  occupied 
in  making  them.     They  ai-e  the  ceramon  dress  «f  the  inhabitants- 


TUNIS.  t23 

The  exports  consist  of  grain  of  different  kinds,  eil,  wool,  hides, 
,  nvax,  soap,  dates,  senna,  madder,   coral,  oil   of  roses,  and  ostrich 
feathers. 

C'om?nerce.']  Tnnis  has  an  extensive  commerce  with  the  inte- 
rior of  Africa,  by  means  of  caravans.  These  go  not  only  to  Tim» 
buctoo  and  other  places  in  Soudan  ;  but  crossing  the  Niger,  and 
the  mountains  of  the  Moon,  they  visit  the  coast  of  Guinea.  Three 
of  these  caravans  arrive  yearly  at  Tunis.  They  bring  gold  dust, 
semia,  ostrich  feathers,  and  Wack  slaves  ;  and  carry  away  clot'is, 
muslins,  linen,  silks,  morocco  leather,  cochineal, and  spices.  Car- 
avans also,  in  time  of  peace,  pass  and  repass  from  Constantina,  in 
Algiers,  bringing  hides  and  bees-wax,  and  carrying  away  Euro- 
pean and  Tunisian  manufactures.  Caravans  from  Gerida,  the 
country  of  Dates,  come  loaded  with  the  fruit  of  the  palm,  and  a 
few  coarse  woollens.  Those  from  Jerba,  a  town  in  the  interior 
of  Tunis,  bring  immense  quantities  of  the  woollens  so  much  wora 
by  all  classes. 

The  commerce  with  Algiers  has  for  a  long  time  been  interrupt- 
ed by  war,  in  which  the  Tunisians  have  generally  been  successful. 
The  foreign  commerce  also  is  extremJy  shackled  by  monopolies, 
and  by  the  privileges  which  the  present  Bey,  who  is  the  first  mer- 
chant in  the  regency,  secures  to  his  own  mercantile  connections. 
•  Maimers  and  Customs.~]  The  Tunisians  are  more  superstitious 
than  other  mussulmen.  They  will  not  allow  Christians  to  ap- 
proach their  mosques.  These  buildings  are  numerous  aud  inhab- 
ited by  many  saints,  who  are  all  distracted  people,  and  are 
believed  to  have  the  power  of  prophesying  and  working  miracles. 
The  merchants  of  Tunis  are  universally  dishonest,  and  avarice  ig 
a  common  characteristic  of  all  classes.  The  inhabitants,  however, 
are  more  polished  in  their  manners,  and  discover  less  of  the  sav- 
age in  their  character,  than  those  of  the  other  Barbary  States. 
They  have  scarcely  any  of  the  common  .jealousy  of  Mahometans. 
The  Tunisian  women  are  not  confined  to  the  Haram,  but  arc  at 
liberty  to  walk  the  streets  as  freely  as  the  ladies  of  Europe. 

Cli7nate.'\  The  climate  of  this  country  is  commonly  salubrious 
and  pleasant.  Rain  is  rare  in  the  summer.  The  season  for  it 
usually  commences  in  October>  and  lasts  till  April. 

Soil  and  Productions.^  The  soil  is  every  where  rich  and  yields 
an  abundant  harvest.  In  the  eastern  part  of  the  country,  it  pro- 
duces, in  a  favorable  year,  one  hundred  fold.  The  annual  crop  of 
wheat  in  tte  regency,  is  estimated  at  7,200,000  bushels,  and  with 
the  proper  cultivation  might  be  tenfolded ;  that  of  barley  is  still 
greater  ;  that  of  beans  180,000  bushels,  and  that  of  Indian  corn 
90,000.  The  produce  of  the  oil  of  olives  is  estimated  at  5,130,OQO 
gallons,  and  every  third  year  a  greater  crop  is  expected.  Of  this  one 
fourth  is  fine  eating  oil,  and  the  rest  is  used  in  lamps  and  the  man- 
ufactories. The  quantity  of  wool  exported  is  only  about 
5,000,000  lbs.  ;  but  the  quantity  raised  in  the  regency  is  immense. 
About  100,000  hides  are  annually  exported.  The  bccs-wax  is  ex- 
cellent, and  about  27,500  lbs.  are  annually  collected.  The  barilla 
of  Tunis  is  excellent,  and  the  cjuantity  of  soap  depends   upon  thi 


fU  TRIPOLI. 

demand.  The  Tunisian  oil  of  roses  will  command  sixteen  time? 
■the  price  of  that  made  in  the  Levant. 

Spring  water,  in  the  country,  is  generally  cither  salt  or  hot. 
The  inhabitants,  however,  drink  it  without  inconvenience.  The 
hot  baths  of  Gurbis  are  celebrated.  Rain  is  never  known  in  the 
«outh  country,  particularly  in  Gerida.  The  palm  tree  is  there 
•watered  by  the  hand,  and  the  Avater  of  the  rivers  is  hot  and  brack- 
ish. The  black  cattle  are  small.  The  mutton  is  not  esteemed. 
All  the  sheep  are  of  the  broad-tailed  breed.  Goats  are  numerous. 
The  horses  are  a  degenei'ate  race.  The  mules  and  asses  are 
^ood,  and  much  used.  Camels  are  the  ordinary  beasts  of  burden. 
The  race  of  dromedaries  is  almost  extinct.  Tho  wild  animals  re- 
cemble  those  of  Morocco. 

Jiivers,  Ife.^  The  chief  river  is  the  Mejerda,  the  ancient  Ba- 
^rada.  There  is  a  large  lake  in  the  intei'ior,  called  Lake  Loay- 
<leah,  the  Palus  Tritonis  of  the  ancients.  It  is  not  tcX  ascertained 
avhether  the  chain  of  mountains  crossing  the  regency  in  a  N.  E. 
direction,  and  terminating  at  Cape  Bon,  is  the  real  Atlas,  or  mere- 
ly a  spur  from  it. 

jintiquitics.']  The  ruins  of  Carthago  are  15  miles  N.  E.  of 
Tunis.  It  was  built  B.  C.  869,  in  the  time  of  Livy,  was  23  miles 
an  circumference,  and  at  the  beginning  of  tJie  third  Punic  war 
contained  700,000  inhabitants.  It  was  many  limes  destroyed,  and 
Again  rebuilt ;  but  the  last  destruction,  by  the  Saracens,  A.  D. 
698,  left  few  traces,  even  of  its  ruins.  All  its  remains  in  1732, 
tvere  the  area  of  a  spacious  room,  on  one  of  the  hills,  with  several 
emaller  ones  at  a  little  distance  ;  the  common  sewers,  not  in  the 
least  impaired  by  time,  and  the  cisterns,  which  are  nearly  perfect. 

Island.']  The  little  island  of  Tabarka,  near  the  mouth  of  the 
Zaine,  the  western  frontier,  is  highly  valuable  for  its  coral  fish- 
cry.  About  150  boats,  each  manned  by  10  men,  are  annually  enir 
ployed  in  it  from  Sicily  and  Naples,  who  pay  a  pi-emium  for  the 
permission.  The  French  keep  a  consul  here,  merely  to  attei\d  t» 
their  interest  in  this  fishery. 


TRIPOLI,  INCLUDING  BARCA. 


BOUKDARIES  AND  EXTENT,  HISTORY,  RELIGION,  GOVERNMENT,  ScC. 
CITIES,  SOIL,  8CC. 

Boundaries  and  JExtentJ]  This  extensive  country  has  Tu- 
Jiis  on  the  W.  the  Desert  on  the  S.  Egypt  on  the  E.  and  the  Med- 
iterranean on  the  N.  Its  length,  on  that  sea,  from  the  Gulf  of 
<^abes,  or  Lesser  Syrtis,  to  the  Tower  of  the  Arabs,  is  about  1 100 
Itiil^^    The  breadth  of  flie   western  part,  or  Tripoli  Proper,  h 


TRIPOLI.  ^2^ 

about  200  mHes  ;  while  that  of  Barca  is  about  90  or  100.     It  con- 
tains 194,420  square  miles.* 

Nistortj.']  This  country  comprehends  the  ancient  Regio  Sijrii- 
ca,  or  the  country  between  the  two  Syrtes,  in  the  W.  Cyrenaica 
ill  the  middle,  and  Marmarica  in  the  E.  Like  the  other  Barbary 
states,  Tripoli  was  a  successive  prey  to  the  Romans,  Vandals,  and 
Saracens.  It  afterwards  fell  under  Morocco,  Fas,  and  Tunis,  and 
during  this  period  the  capital  was  taken  by  the  Normans  from 
Sicily,  in  1146,  and  retained  till  1159.  The  inhabitants,  about 
1450,  shook  off  the  Tunisian  yoke,  and  chose  a  monarch  of  their 
own.  The  emperor  Charles  V.  took  the  capital  soon  after  he  as- 
cended the  throne,  and  with  the  knights  of  Malta,  retained  it  a 
little  more  than  40  years,  when  it  was  taken  by  the  Turks,  in  tho 
reign  of  Solyman.  The  Turkish  influence  has  continued  from, 
that  time  to  the  present,  though  now  considerably  impaired. 

Reliffioti,  Government.)  istc.^  The  religion  is  the  Mahometan, 
The  governor  is  a  Turkish  bashaw,  but  possesses  little  authority. 
Tripoli  Proper  is  divided  by  the  Turks  into  seven  provinces,  over 
each  of  which  is  placed  a  Bey. 

Fo/iulation.']  The  population  of  Tripoli  is  1,000,000.  The 
army  amounts  to  6000  land  troops.  The  government  has  one  50  gun 
ship  and  6  galliots.  The  revenue  amounts  to  750,000  guilders. 
The  sultan  of  Fezzan  is  powerful  and  respected.  He  pays  no 
tribute  to  the  pasha  of  Tripoli,  but  presents  hin>  annually  with  a 
few  negro  slaves. f  The  settled  inhabitants  resemble  those  of  the 
other  states  of  Barbary  in  their  manners,  customs,  classes,  and 
character. 

Cities.']  Tripoli,  the  capital,  stands  on  the  Mediterranean,  on 
a  sandy  plain  of  considerable  extent,  and  is  surrounded  by  high 
■\valls  and  stout  ramparts,  and  is  flanked  with  pyramidical  towers. 
The  wall  has  an  inland  gate  on  the  S.  and  another  towards  the  sea. 
The  harbor  is  a  very  fine  one,  and  the  western  side  of  it  is  defend- 
ed by  a  strong  castle,  and  by  fortifications  in  the  modern  style. 
The  town  was  extensive  and  magnificent,  till  destroyed  by  Omar 
IL  The  streets  are  now  narrow,  dirty,  and  irregular ;  and  the 
houses  low  and  mean.  The  inhabitants  procure  their  fresh  water 
from  cisterns.  They  have  few  slaves,  and  manufacture  great 
quantities  of  linen.  The  harbor  is  much  frequented  by  corsairs, 
who  capture  many  of  the  Levant  ships.  The  hills  which  liniiv 
the  view  S.  of  the  town,  are  covered  with  forests  of  palm  trees  ; 
lat.  32  35  N.  Ion.  13  12E.275milesS.  E.  of  Tunis,  and  570  E.S.E^ 
of  Algiers. 

Derne  is  the  chief  town  of  Barca,  and  stands  about  half  a  mile 
from  the  Mediterranean,  in  Ion.  22  55  E.  The  soil  around  it  is 
fertile  and  productive.  Derne,  in  1805,  was  the  scene  of  the  ex- 
ploits of  the  gallant  general  Eaton,  and  his  handful  of  iiurepid 
Arabs. 

The  other  chief  towns  of  Tripoli  arc  Gcrbi,  Mcsurada,  anrf 
Kasr  Ahmed  ;  and  of  Barca,  Porio  Raccalino,  Porto  Tabarca,  So-- 
,loQa,  and  Angela. 

•  Ilatsd..  t  IbiJ.. 


Soil,  isfc."]  TPho  acil  of  this  country  is  generally  baiireu,  and 
xnost  of  the  settled  inhabitants  live  in  the  towns  on  :he  coast ;  but 
Uie  great  body  of  the  population  is  composed  of  the  Bedouin  Arabs', 
who  wander  in  search  of  prey  over  the  pathless  wilds  of  the  de- 
sert.   Barca  itself  is  merely  a  northern  arm  of  tlie  great  Sahara. 


EGYPT. 


CHAPTER  I. 

HISTORICAL   GEOGRAPII%:. 

EXTENT,  BOUNDARIES,  DIVISIONS,  NAMES,  HISTORY,  ANtlQUITIES, 
RELIGION  AND  GOVERNMENT,  POPULATION,  ARMY,  REVENUE, 
MANNERS  AND  CUSTOMS,  LANGUAGES,  CITIES,  COMMERCE. 

Extent.']  THE  length  of  Egypt,  from  Syene  in  lat.  23,  t* 
Cape  Burlos,  the  northern  extremity  of  the  Delta  in  lat.  SI  3  N. 
is  560  miles.  Its  greatest  breadth,  on  the  Mediterranean,  from 
the  Tower  of  the  Arabs,  in  Ion.  29  48  E.  to  its  eastern  limit  be- 
tween Refah  and  Gazah,  in  Ion.  34  30  E.  is  about  280  miles.  S.  of 
the  Delta,  however,  the  cultivated  part  is  merely  a  narrow  strip, 
divided  by  the  Nile,  and  terminated  on  the  E.  and  W  by  parallel 
ridges  of  hills,  or  mountains.  The  desert,  included  between  this 
valley  and  the  Red  sea,  is,  however,  geographically  included  in 
the  territory  of  Egypt,  while  that  on  the  W.  is  assigned  to  Barca 
and  Sahara.  The  average  width  of  the  country,  thereiore,  from 
Suez  S.  is  about  170  miles. 

Boundaries. "l  On  the  N.  is  the  Mediterranean  ;  on  the  E.  Ara- 
bia Petraea,  the  gulf  of  Suez  and  the  Red  sea ;  on  the  S.  Nubia  j 
and  on  the  W.  Barca  and  Sahara. 

Diviniona.']  This  country  is  usually  divided  into  Upper  and 
Lower  Egypt.  Lower  Egypt  is  called  Bahri,  and  includes  the 
country  N.  of  Caii'o  and  Suez.  Upper  Egypt  commences  a  littlo 
S.  of  Cairo,  and  is  divided  into  Vostani  and  Said.  Vostani  termi- 
nates at  Siut,  or  Assiut,  tiorth  of  which  town  the  crocodile  is 
never  known  to  advance. 

Mimes.']  Egypt  is  sometimes  called  in  the  Bible,  the  Land  of 
Ham  ;  but  generally  Misraim,  and  the  land  of  the  Misraim  or  chil- 
dren of  Alesr,  one  of  the  sons  of  Ham,  by  whom  it  was  peopled 
soon  after  the  flood.  The  Arabs  still  call  it  Mesr  or  Mansar. 
The  Greeks  gave  it  the  name  of  Egypt. 

History. J  1.  According  to  Blair,  Mesr,  the  son  of  Ham,  set* 
tied  in  Egypt  and  establisUerd  the  Egyptian  mo-aavchy,  in  the  year 
B.C.  3188. 


EGYPT.  ^37 

2.  After  an  unascertained  succession  of  kings  the  country  was 
invaded  by  the  JuritXy  Hycsos^  or  Shepherds,  a  band  of  fortunate 
adventurers  from  the  E.  Manetho  says  they  were  Arabians. 
Bryant  supposes  them  to  have  been  Arkites,  expelled  from  Baby- 
lon by  the  children  of  Shem ;  at  the  time  of  the  second  dispersion4 
Usher  places  their  invasion  of  Egypt  in  the  year  B.  C.  2048.  They 
drove  the  original  inhabitants  into  Upper  Egypt,  and  held  the  do- 
minion of  Lower  Egypt,  till  the  year  B.  C.  1825.  They  went  from 
Egypt  to  Phenicia,  Syria,  Greece,  and  other  regions,  carrying  with 
them  their  inventions  and  improTements.  The  original  monarchy- 
was  then  reestablished. 

3.  Jacob  went  down  to  Egypt  with  his  family  from  Canaan,  and 
settled  in  the  land  of  Goshen  B.  C.  1706.  Ilis  posterity  remained 
there  215  years,  and  in  1491  B.  C.  departed.  The  Egyptian  king, 
supposed  to  have  been  Amenophis,  the  father  of  Sesostris,  foUow- 
itig  after  them,  was  drowned  with  his  host  in  the  Red  Sea. 

4.  The  monarchy  was  overthrown  by  Cambyses  the  son  of  Cy-  • 
rus,  who  made  Egypt  tributary  to  Persia  B.  C.  525.     The  inhabi- 
tants revolted  from  Artaxerxcs  Longimanus  B.  C.  463,  but  were 
soon  reduced.     They  revolted  again  from  Darius  Nothus,  B.  C. 
414,  and  for  a  short  interval  enjoyed  their  own  kings,  but  wci*e, 
reduced  again  B.  C.  350. 

5.  Alexander  the  Great  having  overrun  Persia,  invaded  Egypt, 
B.  C.  33 1  which  submitted  to  him  without  resistance. 

6.  After  his  death,  Ptolemy,  one  of  his  generals,  took  possession 
of  the  country,  B.  C.  323.  He  and  his  posterity  sat  on  the  throne 
283  years.     The  last  of  them  was  the  infamous  Cleopatra. 

7.  Augustus  Cajsar  reduced  Egypt  to  a  Roman  province,  B.  C. 
SO  :  and  entrusted  the  government  of  it  to  several  Roman  knights. 

8.  Amrou,  the  general  of  Omar  the  caliph  of  the  Saracens,  sub- 
dued Egypt  A.  D.  640.  The  country  under  his  administration 
became  rich  and  populous,  and  Amrou  opened  a  canal  80  miles  in 
length,  between  the  Nile  and  the  Red  sea. 

9.  Saladin  A.  D.  1 174  conquered  Egypt,  as  vizir  of  Nuroddin, 
caliph  of  Bagdad,  established  the  empire  of  the  Turks  in  Africa, 
and  soon  assumed  the  title  of  sultan. 

10.  In  the  year  1250,  the  Turkish  empire  was  overthrown  by 
the  Mamelukes.  These  were  originally  slaves,  procured  from  the 
regions  of  Caucasus,  who  were  taken  prisoners  by  the  Tartars  im 
1227,  and  to  the  number  of  12,000  were  bought  by  the  sultan,  and 
educated  at  his  expense  as  soldiers.  They  were  introduced  into 
Egypt  to  maintain  the  existing  government,  and  by  their  superior 
skill  and  bravery  became,  in  about  30  years,  absolute  masters  of 
the  country,  and  chose  a  sultan  from  among  themselves.  They 
constantly  replenished  their  numbers  by  purchasing  Circassian 
slaves,  and  educating  them  as  soldiers. 

1 1.  Selim,  the  Turki'ih  sultan,  in  1517,  reconquered  Egypt,  and 
annexed  it  to  the  Turkish  dominions.  The  conquest  was  a 
bloody  one,  and  many  of  the  Mamelukes  were  massacred.  Out  of 
those  that  remained,  Selim  appointed  the^jovcrnors  gf  the  24  prov- 
.in(;es  into  which  he  divided  iiffvpt;  with  the  title  ^^'  Beys  or  .Sop-- 


^28.  £:gypt. 

^iacs.  The  government  of  the  whole  country  he  left  to  a  Turkislt' 
bashaw  ;  but  the  chief  power  was  lodged  in  the  hands  of  the  beys, 
as  his  divan,  who  were  ev^n  authorized  to  displace  him  for  proper 
reasons. 

12.  The  Turkish  power,  at  first  considerable,  at  length  grew 
weaker  and  weaker,  and  the  beys  had  the  supreme  control  for  a 
long  period,  acknowledging  the  sovereignty  of  the  grand  seignor. 
But  in  1746,  Ibrahim  Kiaya,  of  the  Janizaries,  rendered  himself 
master  of  the  country.  He  was  followed  in  1766,  by  Ali  Bey,  and 
he  by  Mohammed  Bey  in  1773.  From  that  time  the  Beys  were 
■constatitly  contending  for  superiority,  till  1798,  when  they  and  the 
rest  of  the  Mamelukes  were  compelled  to  unite,  in  order  to  resist 
the  French,  under  general  Bonaparte.  The  French  anT>ies  drove 
the  Mamelukes  before  thein,  as  far  as  Syene,  and  on  their  return 
•were  driven  out  of  Egypt  by  the  British  troops,  under  Sir  Ralph 
Abercrombie,  in  August  1801. 

J.ntiquities.']  The  pyramids  of  Egypt  are  the  most  wonderfut 
monuments  of  ancient  archisccture.  Three  large  ones  are  neaiiy 
opposite  Cairo  on  the  W.  side,  about  1 1  miles  from  the  river's 
bank.  They  stand  in  the  desert,  and  a  large  mass  of  each  has  been? 
'  covered  by  the  sands,  which  have  been  piled  up  around  them. 
Their  bases  are  squares,  and  each  side  an  isosceles  triangle.  Tho 
four  corners  of  each  point  to  the  four  cardinal  points.  The  length; 
of  one  side  of  the  base  of  the  largest  is  about  700  French  feet  ; 
Herodotus  made  it  800.  Its  height  is  now  upwards  of  500  ;  He- 
rodotus made  it  just  equal  to  a  side  of  the  base.  It  is  conjposedL 
of  layers  of  flat,  calcareous  stones,  212  in  number,  and  from  2  to  4 
feet  in  height,  which  overleap  each  other,  and  thus  form  steps 
from  the  bottom  to  the  top.  The  interior  contains  various  rooms, 
one  a  large  parallelogram,  the  roof  of  which  is  composed  of  seven 
enormous  stones  of  granite,  which  reach  from  one  wall  to  the 
other.  At  one  end  of  it  is  a  sarcofihagus  made  of  a  single  block 
of  marble.  To  these  rooms  the  light  of  the  sun  never  penetrated, 
and  for  a  long  period  they  have  been  tenanted  by  immense  num- 
bers of  bats,  who  remain  here  undisturbed,  from  centuiy  to  cen- 
tury, except  when  the  unwelcome  lamp  of  the  traveller  faintly  il- 
lumes their  dark  retreat. 

On  the  east  side  of  the  second  pyramid  is  the  sphynx,  an  enor- 
mous mass  of  one  solid  stone,  of  which  the  head  and  neck  only 
are  visible  above  the  sand,  and  are  27  feet  high.  The  distance 
from  the  ear  to  the  neck  is  1 5  feet.  Pliny  says  that  the  head  was 
102  feet  in  circumference,  and  the  body,  (he  probably  means  the 
whole  figure  from  the  feet  to  the  neck)   143  feet  high. 

At  Saccarah,  about  18  miles  farther  south,  there  are  also  many 
pyramids,  one  of  which  is  as  large,  but  not  as  high,  as  the  one  we 
have  described.  There  are  others  at  Meidum  and  Hiiahum,  still 
farther  up  the  I'iver. 

The  Egyptian  catacombs  are  grottoes  and  subterranean  excava- 
tions for  the  burial  of  the  dead.  Those  of  Alexandria  begin  where 
the  ruins  of  the  old  city  terminated,  and  extend  along  the  shore  for 
"a  long  distance.    They  consist  of  long  galleries  with  apartments. 


EGYPT.  (rZ9 

on  each  side  excavated  in  the  rock.  In  the  sides  of  these  apart- 
ments are  three  tiers  of  holes,  or  niches,  where  the  bodies  were 
deposited.  These  galleries  sometimes  cross  each  other,  but  are 
generally  parallel.  The  niches  have  all  been  despoiled  of  their 
mummies.  Near  the  pyramids  of  Saccara  is  a  series  of  catacombs, 
extending  about  half  a  mile.  They  are  entered  by  various  wells 
4  feet,  and  from  20  to  30  deep,  cut  through  the  rock.  At  the  bot- 
tom is  a  passage  50  feet  long  and  5  wide,  which  leads  to  a  gallery 
of  the  same  size,  6  feet  high.  On  one  side  of  this  gallery  there 
are  apartments  with  platforms  2  feet  high,  and  on  the  other,  nar- 
row cells  for  coffins.  To  this  succeeds  another  gallery  much 
narrower,  with  niches  for  upright  cofFins.  There  are  similar  ex- 
cavations near  Siut  and  at  Gebel  Silsilis.  But  those  of  Thebes 
are  far  more  extraordinary.  They  are  on  the  N.  W.  of  the  city, 
on  a  step  of  the  lower  part  of  the  Lybian  chain,  an  arid  and  deso- 
late spot,  devoted  by  nature  to  silence  and  death.  The  rock  cut 
down  on  an  inclined  plain  presents  three  sides  of  a  square,  in 
which  double  galleries  have  been  excavated,  and  behind  thera  se- 
pulchral caves.  These  excavations  occupy  a  space  of  nearly  a 
mile  and  a  half  square,  and  are  called  the  Necropolis.  A  little 
farther  N.  are  the  sepulchres  of  the  kings  of  Thebes.  Of  these 
there  are  18,  of  which  only  9  can  be  entered.  The  entrance  of 
each  grotto  is  a  square  doorway  opening  into  the  rock,  through  a 
long  arched  gallery  12  feet  wide,  and  20  high,  every  where  richly- 
ornamented  with  painted  and  sculptured  hieroglyphics.  Four  or 
five  of  these  galleries,  one  within  the  other,  generally  lead  to  a 
spacious  room  containing  the  sarcophagus  of  the  king,  composed 
of  a  single  block  of  granite,  12  feet  long  by  8  wide,  square  at  one 
end,  and  rounded  at  the  other.  They  are  covered  by  a  lid  of  enor- 
mous thickness,  shutting  with  a  groove.  The  figure  of  the  king 
is  sculptured  on  the  lid. 

Religion  and  Government.']  The  great  body  of  the  present  in- 
habitants are  Mahometans.  The  Copts  are  IVIonophy.iite  Christ- 
ians, who  hold  that  the  divine  and  human  nature  in  Jesus  Cluist, 
■were  so  blended  as  to  make  but  one  nature.  This  is  also  the  doc- 
trine of  the  Syrian,  Armenian,  and  Abyssinian  churches.  Egypt 
had  been  a  Christian  country  a  long  time,  when  Amrou,  in  640, 
conquered  it,  and  introduced  Mahometanism.  The  Greeks  and 
Monophysites  were  then  very  numerous  in  Egypt,  and  the  for- 
mer, aided  by  the  Greek  emperor,  persecuted  the  latter,  and  re- 
duced them  to  poverty  and  distress.  The  Greeks  fought  Amrou, 
and  were  expelled  the  comitry  ;  the  Monophysites  received  the 
Saracens,  as  the  deliverers  of  their  church.  Their  patriarch  re- 
sides at  Cairo,  though  called  the  patriarch  of  Alexandria.  Their 
second  officer,  the  patriarch  of  Jerusalem,  resides  at  the  same  place, 
and  is  merely  a  bishop  of  Cairo.  He  goes  to  Palestine  every 
Easter.  The  subordinate  officers  are  bishops,  archimandrites, 
priests,  and  deacons.  The  clergy  are  divided  into  secular  and 
regular,  are  extremely  ignorant,  and  are  allowed  to  marry.  They 
have  monasteries  and  nunneries.  Their  worship  is  very  disor- 
derly.    They  have  three  liturgies.     The  Copts  are  numerous  in 

VOL.  ll-  93 


?:S0  EGYPT. 

the  Said,  where,  in  the  desert  of  Nitria,  they  have  a  very  large 
monastery  strongly  fortified.  As  to  the  government,  it  is  difficult 
to  say,  who  at  present  have  the  dominion  over  the  country.  The 
Turks  however  still  claim  it  as  a  province  ;  but  since  the  French 
and  English  invasions  their  authority  has  been  annihilated. 

Po^iulationJ]  Hassel  estimates  the  number  of  inhabitants  at 
3,500,000.  Volney  calculated  it  at  2,300,000.  This  population 
is  divided  into  various  classes.  I.  The  Cophti^  or  Copts,  are 
descended  from  that  mixture  of  Egyptians,  Persians,  and  Greeks, 
who,  under  the  Ptolemies  and  Constantines,  were  so  long  in  pos- 
session of  Egypt.  Several  families  of  them  are  found  in  the  Delta. 
Numbers  also  live  at  Cairo,  where  they  form  the  class  of  writers, 
the  head  of  which  is  the  writer  to  the  principal  Bey,  who  disposes  of 
all  employments  in  that  department.  They  are  here  the  intend- 
ants,  secretaries,  and  collectors  of  government.  But  the  great 
body  of  them  is  in  the  Said,  or  Upper  Egypt,  where,  in  some 
places,  they  occupy  whole  villages.  II.  The  Arabs.  These  are 
of  three  kinds.  1.  The  Saracenic  Arabs  are  the  descendants  of 
the  followers  of  Amrou,  who  came  into  Egypt  in  640.  They  are 
husbandmen  and  artisans.  2.  The  Mograbians,  who  have  arrived 
at  different  periods,  and  under  different  chiefs,  from  the  W.  and 
united  with  the  former.  They  are  emigrants  from  the  Barbary 
Slates,  and  descendants  also  of  the  early  Saracens.  They  are 
settled  chiefly  in  the  Said,  where  they  are  aitisans  and  husband- 
TTien.  3.  The  Bedouins,  or  Bedoiveensf  the  ancient  Scenitesf  or 
dwellers  in  tents,  are  the  Arabs  of  the  desert.  They  live  in  small 
independent  tribes,  wandering  from  place  to  place,  and  are  only 
robbers  and  marauders.  In  Egypt  they  roam  between  the  Nile 
and  the  Red  sea,  and  along  the  isthmus  of  Suez,  and  along  the 
skirts  of  the  western  mountains  ;  and  number  in  all  about  30,000 
horsemen.  III.  The  Turks  are  settled  chiefly  about  Cairo.  They 
claim  to  be  the  dominant  nation,  but  have  now  no  influence.  They 
are  chiefly  artisans,  priests,  and  military  officers,  and  are  not  nu- 
merous. IV.  The  Mamelukes  are  chiefly  Georgians,  Circassians, 
and  Mingrelians.  They  have  the  flaxen  hair  so  universal  at  the 
foot  of  Caucasus,  and  marry  only  with  slaves  from  that  country, 
>vho  are  constantly  sold  in  the  market.  They  never  have  descend- 
ants beyond  the  second  genei'ation,  and  those  are  greatly  inferior 
to  themselves  in  activity  and  energy.  Hence  they  are  constantly 
obliged  to  replenish  their  number  by  youths  from  Georgia,  and 
the  neighboring  countries  ;  who  are  brought  to  Egypt,  sold  as 
slaves  to  the  Mamelukes,  educated  as  soldiers,  and  then  set  free. 
V.  The  Jev/s  devote  themselves  to  commerce  and  manufactures. 
Many  of  them  are  goldsmiths,  and  their  works  in  fillagree,  and 
precious  stones,  are  greatly  admired.  Some  of  them  manufac- 
ture light  stuffs  out  of  Bengal  cotton,  and  Syrian  silk,  VI.  The 
Bercbbers,  Brebes,  or  Barabras,  in  the  upper  part  of  the  Said,  and 
in  Nubia,  are  undoubtedly  the  descendants  of  the  earliest  Egyptian 
colonists,  of  those  who  were  driven  from  the  Delta  by  the  shep- 
sherds,  to  the  countiy  which  they  now  occupy.  They  have  a 
common  name  with  the  Bercbbers  of  Mount  Atlas,  and  in  com- 


EGYPT.  fSl 

mon  with  them  pass  as  the  descendants  of  the  aboriginal  Africans. 
Those  of  Egypt  are  probably,  however,  less  intermixed  with  other 
nations  ;  for  those  of  Morocco  are  known  to  have  sprung  from 
the  inhabitants,  who  occupied  that  country  at  the  time  of  the 
Saracenic  invasion  ;  and  those  were  a  mixture  of  Egyptian  col- 
onists, of  Phenicians,  and  of  Romans. 

jirtny.^  The  regular  military  force  of  Egypt  should  be  20,009 
infantry,  and  12,000  cavalry.  At  present  it  is  not  possible  to  as- 
certain its  actual  amount.  Every  Bedouin  however  spends  his  life 
in  arms. 

Bevenue.']  The  regular  sources  of  the  Egyptian  revenue  are 
the  customs,  a  land  tax,  and  a  capitation  tax  on  Jews,  and  Christ- 
ians. The  amount  of  the  customs  of  Alexandria,  Damietta,  Ro- 
setta,  Suez,  Cosseir,  Cairo,  and  Assiut  is  very  considerable.  The 
Beys  make  the  land  tax  yield  a  million  and  a  quarter  sterling,  and 
even  more ;  though  regularly  it  should  produce  only  /C420,00O. 
The  capitation  tax  is  supposed  not  to  exceed  1500  purses,  or 
jC73,000.  The  whole  regular  revenue  may  be  calculated  at 
2,000,000  sterling.  The  uncertain  revenue  is  obtained  by  extor- 
tions, and  is  very  great,  but  merely  enriches  the  individual  plun- 
derer. The  principal  copt,  the  secretary  of  the  ruling  Bey,  had 
the  control  of  the  taxes.  He  was  the  comptroller  and  farmer- 
general,  regulated  the  customs,  appointed  the  collectors,  had  va- 
rious monopolies,  and  was,  in  short,  the  despot  of  commerce. 
The  copts  under  him  had  registers  of  each  village,  and  were  ex- 
tremely rigorous  in  exacting  the  land-tax.  The  customs  were- 
formerly  farmed  to  the  Jews ;  but  when  they  were  ruined  by  the 
extortions  of  Ali  Bey  in  1769,  this  branch  of  the  revenue  went 
into  the  hands  of  the  Syrian  Christians  of  Damascus,  of  whom 
there  are  about  500  families  in  Cairo,  all  very  opulent. 

Manners  and  Customs.^  The  Copts  have  a  dusky  brown  com- 
plexion ;  dark  hair  and  eyes,  the  former  often  curled  like  that  of 
Europeans,  but  not  at  all  like  the  wool  of  the  negro,  aquiline 
noses,  and  lips  usually  of  moderate  thickness.  Their  women  have 
large  black  eyes,  and  a  genteel  form.  They  are  despised  by  the 
Turks  and  hated  by  the  common  people.  The  Saracenic  Arabs 
have  a  complexion  nearly  black,  and  are  taller  and  more  robust 
than  the  present  inhabitants  of  Arabia.  They  have  deep,  lively^ 
and  penetrating  eyes,  a  short  beard  hanging  in  filaments,  lips 
thin,  and  open,  displaying  fine  teeth,  fleshy  arms,  and  much  ac- 
tivity of  body.  The  Bedouins  are  divided  into  tribes,  each  of 
which  has  a  distinct  portion  of  land.  They  live  in  tents,  and 
sleep  on  the  ground.  They  have  numerous  camels,  live  on  their 
milk  and  on  dates,  and  are  constantly  roaming  from  one  place  to 
another.  They  are  generally  about  five  feet,  two  inches  high, 
and  have  a  deep,  tawny  complei^ion.  Their  great  business  is 
robbery  and  plunder.  The  Berebbers  have  neither  Iksh  nor  fat, 
but  simply  bones,  nerves,  muscles,  and  tendons.  1  heir  skin  is 
of  a  shining,  jetty  black.  Their  eyes  are  deep  and  sparkling, 
with  the  brows  hanging  over  ;  the  nose  pointed  ;  the  nostrils 
large .;  the  mouth  wide  j  the  lips  of  moderate  size  ;  and  the  hair 


75^  EGYPT. 

scanty,  and  in  scattered  locks.  They  wear  a  piece  of  white  wool- 
len cloth,  and  subsist  on  almost  nothing.  Many  of  them  go  down 
to  Cairo,  and  are  employed  to  guard  the  magazines  and  timber- 
yards.     They  are  faithful,  and  strongly  attached  to  their  masters. 

Languages.']  The  Arabic  is  spoken  by  all  the  Arabs,  by  the 
Copts,  the  Jews,  and  the  Greek  and  Syrian  Christians.  The  Mam- 
elukes speak  both  that  and  the  Turkish,  as  do  some  of  the  Turks. 
The  Berebbers  have  a  language  of  their  own,  but  those  who  live  at 
Cairo,  and  probably  some  of  those  on  the  frontiers,  speak  Ara- 
bic. The  Copts  have  also  an  appropriate  language,  called  the 
Cophtic  ;  but  for  three  centuries  they  hare  ceased  to  use  it,  ex- 
cept in  their  religious  services.  In  these  they  rehearse  the  Gosrj 
pels  and  Epistles  twice  over,  first  in  Cophtic  and  then  in  Arabic. 
This  language  is  a  mixture  of  the  ancient  Egyptian  and  the  Greek. 
From  the  time  of  Ptolemy  the  Greeks  abounded  in  Egypt  for 
nearly  1000  years,  till  they  were  banished  by  Amrou.  The  lan- 
guage of  the  earliest  colonists  before  corrupted  by  the  intercourse 
with  the  shepherds,  the  Jews,  and  the  Persians,  now  lost  much  of 
Its  oriental  character.  The  Greek  letters,  first  taught  in  Egypt, 
in  the  reign  of  Psammeticus,  about  660  B.  C.  became  in  a  meas- 
xire  the  national  alphabet.  In  the  Coptic  version  of  the  New 
Testament,  made  a  long  time  before  the  invasion  of  Amrou,  the 
letters,  in  their  form  and  names,  have  a  strong  resemblance  to 
those  of  the  Greek,  and  in  their  force  are  exactly  the  same,  with 
the  addition  however,  of  seven  sounds  from  the  old  Egyptian, 
whicli  the  Greek  had  not.  A  great  number  of  the  words,  also, 
are  pure  Greek ;  the  rest  are  Egyptian,  with  a  very  few  Arabic.  The 
declensions  of  the  nouns  and  verbs,  even  of  those  from  the  Greek, 
are  made  as  in  the  Hebrew,  by  prefixes,  and  not  by  a  change  of 
termination. 

Cities.^  Cairo,  or  Grand  Cairo,  was  founded  A.  D.  968,  by 
Jauhar,  general  ofMoaz,  the  first  caliph  of  the  race  of  the  Fati- 
inites.  It  stands  on  the  E.  side,  nearly  a  mile  from  its  bank,  and 
about  10  from  the  angle  of  the  Delta.  To  the  E.  and  S.  E.  at 
a  small  distance  lies  the  ridge,  called  Mokattam,  of  the  extensive 
chain  which  runs  parallel  with  the  Nile  to  Upper  Egypt.  This 
Tidge  IS  here  totally  destitute  of  verdure,  and  presents  nothing  to 
the  eye  but  dry  sand  and  stones  calcined  with  the  sun.  To  the 
N.  a  icriile  plain  reaches  to  the  Delta.  Immediately  under  the 
mountain  is  the  castle,  nearly  a  mile  in  circumference,  which 
commands  the  town,  a  place  of  great  strength  before  the  use  of 
cannon.  Withm  the  castle  is  a  well,  called  the  well  of  Joseph, 
280  teet  deep,  and  42  in  circumference.  The  walls  of  the  city 
f.re  p  miles  m  circumference.  Its  length  from  N.  to  S.  is  nearly 
3  miles,  and  its  breadth  2.  The  streets  are  narrow,  crooked,  and 
unpaved,  intersected  here  and  there  with  large  vacancies,  which 
become  lakes  during  the  increase  of  the  Nile,  and  are  gardens  the 
rest  of  the  year.  They  arc  greatly  infested  with  dogs.  The 
Khahg,  or  canal  of  Amrou,  traverses  Cairo  from  N.  to  S.  and  loses 
Itself  12  miles  E.  of  the  city,  in  the  lake  of  the  pilgrims.  It  for- 
merly extended  to  the  Red  sea  ;  but  eastward  of  that  lake  it  i^ 


EGYPT.  733 

now  entirely  choaked  up,  and  the  part  which  remains  contains  no 
water,  except  during  the  inundatioii.  During  the  rest  of  the  year, 
it  is  a  mere  receptacle  for  the  filth  of  the  city.  The  principal 
street  runs  parallel  to  the  Khalig,  and  on  this  canal  are  all  the 
houses  of  the  Europeans.  The  houocs  of  the  city  are  chiefly  of 
earth  and  bricks,  badly  burnt;  the  rest  are  of  a  soft  stone,  from 
the  neighboring  mountains.  They  have  two  or  three  stoi-ies,  over 
which  is  a  flat  terrace  of  stone  or  tiles.  They  look  like  prisons, 
for  they  have  no  windows  towards  the  street,  and  the  doors  are 
extremely  low.  Those  of  the  wealthy  have  a  large  square  open 
inner  court,  planted  with  flowers  and  fruit  trees  ;  through  which 
light  is  admitted  into  the  various  rooms.  The  front  door  also 
opens  into  a  vast  hall,  paved  with  marble,  and  ornamented  with  a 
fountain  in  the  centre,  which  spouts  into  a  marble  reservoir.  The 
floors  of  the  rooms  in  these  houses,  are  generally  covered  -ivith 
mats  and  matrasses,  over  which  is  spread  a  rich  carpet,  on  which, 
they  sit  cross-legged.  Around  the  wall  is  a  sort  of  sofa  with  cush- 
ions to  supporttheback  and  elbows,  and  above,  a  range  of  shelves, 
ornamented  with  porcelain.  The  windows  have  no  glass,  but  only 
an  open  lattice  work.  Mr.  Browne  estimates  the  population  at 
300,000.  The  Saracenic  Arabs  form  the  body  of  the  people.  The 
Copts  are  numerous.  The  Mamelukes  are  about  12,Q00  in  num- 
ber. The  Syrian  Christians  have  upwards  of  500  families.  There 
are  some  Greeks  and  Armenians.  The  Mograbians  have  a  dis- 
tinct quarter  assigned  them,  and  are  frugal  and  industrious.  Few 
of  the  Turks  are  steady  residents.  The  Jews  are  numerous. 
There  are  many  negro  slaves  from  Guinea,  and  a  number  of  Be- 
rebbers  from  Said  and  Nubia.  The  women  are  generally  well 
formetl,  but  not  tall.  Those  of  the  higher  ranks  are  tolerably 
fair  ;  they  marry  at  14,  and  are  passed  their  prime  at  20.  Among 
the  amusements,  are  dancing  girls,  and  I'ope  dancers  ;  chess  and 
drafts  are  favorite  games.  Fireworks  are  occasionally  exhibited. 
The  ladies,  on  Friday,  make  parties  of  pleasure  to  a  mosque  with- 
out the  Avails,  and  in  gondolas,  on  the  increase  of  the  Nile.  The 
diseases  here  prevalent,  are  opthalmia,  syphilis,  hydrocele,  ma- 
lignant fevers,  and  the  plague.  The  mean  annual  heat  is  73**. 
Within  the  walls  are  more  than  300  mosques,  most  cf  whicli 
have  several  minarets  or  high  steeples,  surrounded  with  galleries. 
They  have  no  bells.  The  people  are  assembled  by  criers,  about 
800  of  whom  are  employed  at  once,  in  every  quarter  of  the  town. 
The  city  abounds  with  laa'ge  and  sumptuous  reservoirs,  which 
supply  passengers  with  water,  and  also  with  commodious  and  mag- 
nificent baths.  Cairo  had  once  an  extensive  commerce,  and  it  is 
now  the  metropolis  of  the  trade  of  eastern  Africa.  Caravans  leave 
it  for  Syria,  Arabia,  Abyssinia,  Sennaar,  Darfur,  Fezzan,  Tripoli, 
Tunis,  and  Morocco.  The  okals,  or  warehouses,  for  wholesale 
goods,  arc  spacious,  strongly  built,  convenient,  and  clean  ;  the  ba- 
zars arc  extensive  buildings,  with  convenient  shops,  each  trade 
being  allotted  its  own  quarter,  and  having  its  own  shiek,  or  leader. 
There  are  manufactured  in  the  town,  indifferent  sugar,  sal-ammo- 
niac of  an  excellent  quality,  glass  lamps,  salt-pctrc,  coarse  gun 


734  EGYPT. 

powder,  red  and  yellow  leather,  and  linen  cloth,  of  the  fine  Egyp- 
tian flax.  The  silk  stuffs  also  arc  carried  to  a  high  degree  of 
perfection.  To  the  N.  E.  of  the  town,  arc  extensive  gardens,  and 
elegant  country  houses.  The  ground  under  the  mountains,  to  the 
E.  is  filled  with  tombs. 

Between  Cairo  and  the  river  lies  Boulac,  which  is  really  a  sub- 
urb, and  is  the  port  of  Lower  Egypt.  It  extends  nearly  2  miles 
along  the  river,  but  is  narrow.  Here  all  the  merchandize  is  land- 
ed from  the  MediteiTane?n.  It  was  taken  by  thfc  French  under 
Bonaparte,  July  23,  1797,  but  afterwards  abandoned.  Lon.  31  2f 
E.  lat.  30  2  N. 

Alexandbia,  called  by  the  inhabitants  Scanderia,  was  built  by 
Alexander,  B.  C.  332,  12  miles  west  of  the  Canopic  branch  of  the 
Nile.  The  lake  Mareotis  bathed  its  walls  on  the  south,  and  the 
harbor  on  the  north.  For  1800  years  it  was  the  grand  emporium 
of  eastern  commerce.  Diodorus  Siculus  says  it  was  1 1  miles  in 
circuit,  and  contained  600,000  inhabitants.  When  taken  by  Am- 
rou,  it  consisted  of  three  towns,  Menna,  or  the  part  includmg  the 
island  of  Pharos  ;  Alexandria  Proper,  or  the  modern  Scanderia  ; 
and  Nekita,  or  the  Necropolis  of  Strabo.  The  modern  city  is 
built  near  the  brink  of  the  sea,  on  a  kind  of  peninsula,  on  each  side 
of  which  is  a  harbor.  That  on  the  east,  assigned  to  Europeans, 
has  an  entrance  clogged  with  sand,  a  rocky  bottom,  and  is  very 
unsafe.  The  other  to  the  west,  is  called  the  port  of  Africa,  and 
is  much  larger  and  nearer  the  town.  The  Avails  arc  6  miles  in 
circuit.  They  are  flanked  with  large  towers  at  the  distance  of 
200  paces.  Much  of  the  inclosed  space  is  occupied  with  ruins. 
The  streets  are  narrow,  irregular,  and  unpaved.  The  commerce 
of  the  town  is  now  of  considerable  importance.  The  langiiages 
spoken  here  are  Arabic,  Italian,  and  the  Lingua  Franca.  The 
reservoirs,  built  2000  years  ago,  vaulted  with  much  art,  and  ex- 
tending under  the  Avhole  town,  are  still  entire.  They  furnish  the 
whole  supply  of  fresh  water  to  the  city.  The  front  of  Caesar's 
palace  is  still  standing,  and  a  few  of  the  porphyiy  pillars.  One 
of  Cleopatra's  needles  is  still  standing.  The  other  is  thrown 
down.  They  are  two  obelisks,  each  a  single  stone,  60  feet  high, 
and  7  feet  square  at  the  base.  The  lake  of  Mareotis  is  now  filled 
up  by  the  sands  of  the  desert,  and  the  island  of  Pharos  has  be- 
come a  part  of  the  continent.  Pompey's  pillar,  and  the  catacombs, 
are  half  a  league  south  of  the  walls.  The  canal  of  the  Nile  com- 
municates with  the  eastern  harbor.  It  is  40  miles  long,  and  was 
cleared  out,  by  the  order  of  Bonaparte,  in  1798. 

Damietta  stands  on  the  eastern  bank  of  the  eastern  branch  of 
the  Nile,  about  2  miles  from  its  mouth.  The  river  has  here  a 
semicircular  bend,  which  gives  that  form  to  the  city,  and  the  east- 
ern bank  is  merely  a  narrow  tongue  of  land,  from  2  to  6  miles 
wide,  between  the  river  and  lake  Menzalc.  The  houses  are  lof- 
ty, and  have  generally  handsome  saloons  built  on  the  teiTaces.  It 
has  several  large  public  squares.  The  bazars  are  well  built,  and 
filled  with  merchants.  The  commerce  of  the  town  is  carried  on 
almost  wholly  by  Christians,  from  Daijiascus  and  Aleppo.    -Sey- 


EGYPT.  rS5 

eral  large  mosques,  with  lofty  minarets,  are  scattered  over  the 
city,  and  the  public  baths  arc  lined  with  marble,  and  admirably 
well  attended.  The  harbor  is  indifferent,  but  constantly  crowded 
witti  vessels.  The  population  is  about  80,000.  The  environs  are 
singularly  fertile,  and  throughout  the  year  present  flowers,  fruits, 
and  harvests.  The  climate  is  always  temperate  and  healthy.  In 
the  neighborhood  of  the  town  are  many  pleasant  and  flourishing 
villages. 

RosETTA  is  built  on  the  west  bank  of  the  west  branch  of  the 
Nile,  and  is  now  about  6  miles  from  its  mouth,  although  it  stood 
upon  the  shore  when  it  was  founded  in  the  8th  century.  It  ex- 
tends on  the  river  3  miles,  and  is  1  mile  wide.  The  streets  are 
nearly  straight,  and  are  wider  than  is  usual  in  Egypt.  The  hous- 
es are  handsome.  Several  of  the  mosques  are  magnificent.  Ex- 
tensive gardens  lie  north  of  the  city,  in  which  citron,  orange,  date, 
and  sycamore  trees  are  promiscuously  planted.  The  commerce 
of  the  town  is  extensive. 

Suez  is  built  on  a  peninsula,  at  the  head  of  the  Gulf  of  Suez, 
in  the  midst  of  a  desert.  The  houses  are  indifferently  buih,  and 
stand  so  near  together  that  there  are  but  two  passages  into  the 
city.  The  only  water  comes  from  Naba,  6  miles  off",  on  the  other 
side  of  the  gulf,  and  the  only  provisions,  except  fish,  from  Cairo, 
and  from  places  in  Arabia  still  farther  distant.  The  population  is 
small.  The  commerce,  by  caravans,  with  Cairo,  and  by  sea,  with 
Jidda,  is  extensive. 

CossEiR  lies  on  the  west  shore  of  the  Red  Sea,  in  lat.  26  8,  N". 
and  Ion,  35  4,  L.  about  280  miles  S,  E,  of  Suez,  It  stands  amonj; 
hillocks  of  floating  sand,  and  is  defended  by  a  square  fort  of  hewn 
stone,  with  three  square  towers  in  the  angles,  mounted  Avith  four 
guns.  The  houses  are  built  of  clay.  The  inhabitants  are  Arabs, 
from  the  opposite  shore.  The  harbor  is  formed  by  a  rock,  which 
runs  400  yards  into  the  aea.  Rough  and  lofty  rocks  of  porphyry 
and  granite  environ  the  town  at  a  small  distance.  The  number 
of  settled  inhabitants  is  small,  but  great  numbers  of  strangers  arc 
constantly  passing  and  repassing.  The  commerce  is  considera- 
ble, particularly  in  coffee. 

SiuT,  or  AssiuT,  is  built  on  the  ruins  of  the  ancient  Lycopolis, 
and  stands  about  2  miles  from  the  west  bank  of  the  Nile,  and 
about  200  in  a  direct  line  S,  of  Cairo,  It  is  a  large,  populous,  and 
well  built  town,  and  the  see  of  a  Coptic  bishop.  The  gardens 
abound  with  vegetables  and  fruits. 

GiRGEH  is  the  chief  town  of  the  Said,  and  stands  close  to  the 
west  bank  of  the  Nile,  which  grazes  its  walls,  and  80  miles  in  a 
direct  line  from  Siut.  It  is  S  miles  in  circumference,  and  con- 
tains several  mosques,  bazars,  and  squares. 

Syene  is  on  the  east  side  of  the  Nile,  and  on  the  confines  of 
Egypt,  about  200  miles  S,  of  Girgeh.  The  houses  are  indlflerent, 
but  the  population  is  numerous,  and  its  commerce,  in  senna  and 
dates,  is  extensive.  Tlie  island  of  ElepJiaiitina  is  opposite  the 
town.  The  ruins  of  the  ancient  Syene  are  on  a  hill  a  little 
south.     The  ancients  supposed  that  it  lay  directly  under  the  trop- 


736  EGYPT. 

ic.    Eratosthenes  here  made  the  first  attempt  to  measure  the 
circumference  of  the  earth. 

Commerce.']  The  commerce  of  Egypt  is  on  the  Mediterrane- 
an, on  the  Red  Sea,  and  over  land  by  caravans.  The  chief  har- 
bors on  the  Mediterranean  are  Alexandria,  Rosetta,  and  Dami- 
etta.  From  these  are  exported  rice,  and  linseed  in  immense 
quantities,  kali,  linens,  flax,  sal-ammoniac,  sugar,  grain  of  vari- 
ous kinds,  the  flower  of  the  charthamus,  dates,  oranges,  figs, 
lemons,  and  pomegranates,  all  the  produce  of  the  country  ; 
cotfee,  assafoetida,  senna,  cinnamon,  cassia,  tamarinds,  gums,  in- 
cense, myrrh,  aloes,  spikenard,  ostrich  feathers,  balm  of  Mecca, 
coloquintida,  buffaloes',  bulls',  and  cows'  hides,  and  precious 
stones.  The  imports  in  return,  are  hard-wave,  fire-arms,  cutlery, 
gun-powder,  and  cloths,  from  England  ;  wines,  velvets,  and  oth- 
er silks,  from  Sicily  ;  almonds,  nuts,  cloth,  paper,  and  money, 
from  Marseilles  ;  money,  copper  vessels,  and  furs,  from  Turkey ; 
wines  from  Zante  ;  and  beads,  paper,  mirrors,  cutlery,  china 
ware,  and  money,  from  Italy.  According  to  Nicbuhr,  about  1500 
bales  of  broadcloth,  400  of  pepper,  200  barrels  of  cochineal,  and 
60  of  pewter,  are  sent  yearly  from  Europe  to"  Egypt.  Egypt 
procures  from  the  Red  Sea  the  coffee,  odors,  gems,  and  drugs  of 
Yemen,  the  perftimes  of  Arabia,  the  spices  of  Ceylon,  the  pearls 
of  the  Baharean  isles,  the  muslins  and  linens  of  Bengal,  and  the 
shawls  of  Cashmir.  The  coff'ee  alone  is  an  annual  object  of  1 1 
millions  of  livres.  Every  year  a  caravan  leaves  Morocco  for 
Mecca,  in  Arabia.  It  passes  along  the  Mediterranean  shores,  col- 
lecting pilgrims  and  merchants  as  it  moves,  and  usually  arrives 
at  Cairo  in  May,  bringing  the  gums  of  Morocco,  and  elephants* 
teeth,  tamarinds,  parrots,  ostrich  feathers,  gold  dust,  and  black 
slaves,  from  the  other  side  of  the  Sahara.  About  50,000  per- 
sons usually  come  in  the  caravan  to  Cairo,  and  the  number  of 
camels  is  still  greater.  They  stay  here  upwards  of  a  month. 
The  city  all  this  time  presents  the  appearance  of  a  fair,  and  the 
resort  of  strangers  to  it  is  immense.  Here  it  is  joined  by  the 
jjilgi'ims,  and  merchants  of  Egypt,  and  usually  doubles  its  num- 
bers. It  proceeds  to  Suez,  where  it  is  greatly  increased  by  ad- 
ditions from  Syria  and  Persia,  and  in  its  rout,  on  the  eastern  side 
of  the  Red  Sea,  from  Hindostan.  At  Mecca  it  is  found  usualljr 
to  contain  200,000  persons.  The  western  part  of  it  retvxrns  to 
Cairo  in  100  days  from  the  time  it  left  there,  loaded  with  the 
merchandise  of  Arabia  and  the  east,  collected  at  Mecca  and  at 
Suez.  A  part  of  this  is  left  in  Egypt  ;  and  the  remainder,  with 
cloths  and  clothing  of  every  description,  glass-ware,  broad-swords, 
false  pearls,  coial,  and  amber,  purchased  at  Cairo,  are  carried 
westward  for  the  Bai'bary  States,  and  for  Timbuctoo. 

Other  caravans  go  from  Cairo  to  Damascus,  Sennaar,  Abyssin- 
ia, and  Fezzan. 


EGYPT.  rsr. 

CHAPTER  II. 


NATURAL  GEOGRAPHY. 

CLIMATE,  »ACE  OB  THE  COUNTRY,  SOIL  AND  AGRICULTURE,  RIV» 
ERS,  LAKES,  BOTANY,  ZOOLOGY,  MINERALOGY,  MINERAL  WA- 
TERS. 

^'  Climate.']  THE  climate  of  Egypt  is  extremely  hot,  as  we 
might  infer  from  its  latitude,  commencing  at  the  torrid  zone,  and 
extending  8°  into  the  temperate.  The  heat  of  the  day,  in  July 
and  August  is  usually  86°  or  88°  of  Fahrenheit,  in  the  shade,  and 
in  the  Said  it  is  much  higher.  The  small  elevation  of  the  land 
is  also  the  reason  why  the  heat  of  Egypt  exceeds  that  of  other 
countries  in  the  same  latitude.  From  March  to  November  inclu- 
sive, the  heat  is  hardly  supportable  to  an  European.  The  sky  is 
then  sparkling,  the  air  inflamed,  and  nearly  destitute  of  moisLure, 
and  during  the  three  first  months  the  weather  is  variable,  and  the 
season  very  unhealthy.  In  June,  July,  August,  the  autumn  and 
winter,  diseases  are  less  prevalent,  and  the  weather  is  more  uni* 
form.  The  heat  of  winter  never  exceeds  52°  or  50°  ;  of  course 
snow  and  hail  are  unknown.  In  the  nights  of  the  warm  season, 
pai'ticularly  in  the  spring,  the  dews  arc  very  copious,  but  rains 
all  this  time  are  luiknown  ;  and  they  occur  very  rarely  in  the 
winter.  Rains  are  most  frequent  in  the  Delta,  and  the  dews  are 
there  most  copious.  Both  are  brought  on  only  by  winds  from  the 
Mediterranean.  The  winds  of  Egypt  have  a  singular  degree  oC 
regularity.  In  June  they  blow  from  the  N.  and  N.  W. ;  in  July 
between  the  N.  W.  and  N.  E.  ;  thence  to  the  equinox  they  are 
constantly  N.  and  moderate,  brisker  by  day  than  by  night.  At 
this  period  an  universal  calm  remains  on  the  Mediterranean. 
From  the  equinox,  till  December,  they  are  chiefly  from  the  N. 
and  E.  In  the  three  winter  months  they  become  more  violent 
and  tempesuious,  change  frequently,  and  yet  blow  from  the  N. 
W.  and  W  In  March  and  April  they  come  from  the  S.  E.,  S. 
and  S.  W.  ;  and  in  May  the  east  wind  divides  with  the  north  the 
empire  of  the  sea.  The  south  winds  arc  hot  and  parched  ;  al- 
though, when  they  occur  in  winter,  they  are  as  cold  as  the  north. 
The  climate  is  generally  healthy.  The  inhabitants  arc  robust, 
and  live  many  of  them  to  old  age.  The  dryness  of  the  air  pre- 
vents meat  from  pulrifying,  even  in  summer.  Almost  all  the  in- 
habitants drink  of  the  Nile.  Its  waters,  though  ttu'bid,  are  con- 
sidered as  highly  Siilubrious,  and  as  rendering  the  Egyptian  wo- 
men remarkably  prolific.  The  plague  docs  not  originate  iti 
Egypt,  but  is  brouglit  there  from  abroad.  Herniae  arc  not 
common.  Cutaneous  diseases  are  prevalent,  and  would  be  more 
so  were  it  not  for  the  daily  use  of  the  baih.  The  leprosy  and  el- 
ephantiasis arc  rare.  Ophthalmia  is  arlmost  universal;  and  tlvc 
VOL.  rr.  93 


V3i  EGYPT. 

number  of  the  blind  is  very  great.  The  ravages  of  the  syphilis- 
are  dreadful.  Malignant  fevers  sometimes  become  epidemic. 
The  Egyptians  are  generally  of  a  bilious  habit,  and  the  colic  is 
the  habitual  malady. 

Face  of  the  Conntri/.']  The  habitable  part  of  Upper  Egypt  is 
a  long  narrow  valley,  commencing  at  Syene,  and  tei'minating  a 
little  south  of  Cairo.  Two  chains  of  mountains,  taking  their  rise 
from  the  lower  cataracts  of  the  Nile,  bound  this  valley  on  th« 
cast  and  west.  The  width  of  the  valley  is  from  12  to  30  miles. 
At  Cairo  the  chains  separate  to  the  right  and  left.  The  western, 
consisting  of  sandy  hillocks  over  a  bed  of  calcareous  stone,  winds 
to  the  N.  W.  and  termitiates-  in  the  sand  banks  near  Alexandria. 
The  other.  Mount  Mokattana^  composed  of  high  and  steep  rocks> 
turns  to  the  E.  and  rvms  to  the  Red  sea.  Between  these  insur- 
mountable barriers  the  Nile  winds-  upwards  of  6  degrees  of  lati- 
tude, with  varied  current,  sometimes  smooth  and  tranquil,  at 
ethers  impetuous,  and  overflowing  the  valley,  which  it  fertilizes 
with  its  waters.  Beyond  the  eastern  range  is  the  desert  of  the 
Red  sea,  of  which  the  Egyptian  part  is  480  miles  long,  200  wide 
in  the  south,  and  70  in  the  north  ;  a  barren  expanse,  intersected 
by  various  ranges  of  hills,  which  abound  in  marble  and  porphyry, 
but  are  destitute  of  water  and  of  vegetation,  and  are  chiefly  cover- 
ed with  sand.  Across  these  hills  rmis  the  solitary  road,  which 
loads  from  Cosseir  to  Keft  and  Keneh,  on  the  Nile.  Beyond  the 
%yestern  range  stretches  a  vast  desert  of  sand,  which  is  the  eastera 
skirt  of  the  Sahara.  This  is  also  intersected  by  chains  of  barren 
bills,  and  roads  from  Girgeh  and  Slut  lead  to  the  two  Oases,  the 
greater  and  the  less,  which  are  considered  as  belonging  to  Egypt. 
Below  Cairo  the  valley  of  the  Nile  widens,  and  embraces  not  only 
the  Delta,  but  all  the  cottntry  watered  by  the  canals  connected 
with  the  eastern,  or  Pelusian  branch  of  the  Nile.  The  country 
N.  E.  of  Suez,  to  the  Mediterranean,  is  also  chiefly  a  barren,  sandy 
plain.  The  coast  of  Egypt,  on  the  P.Icditerranean,  is  so  low  that 
it  can  be  seen  but  a  very  short  distance  off"  at  sea.  The  coast  on 
the  Red  sea  is  rocky,  and  often  elevated. 

Soil  a7id  jigriculture.~\  The  basis  of  Egypt  from  Syene  to  th«' 
Mediterranean,  is  a  contmucd  bed  of  calcareous  stone,  of  a  whit- 
ish hue,  and  somewhat  soft,  eontaii^ing  shells  of  echrni,  volutes, 
bivalves,  and  a  species  in  the  shape  of  lentils.  The  soil  upon  thi& 
bed  in  tlic  valley  of  the  Nile,  and  in  and  near  the  Delta,  is  a  black 
£at  loam,  of  a  clayey  cementing  quality,  and  eminently  productive. 
When  left  uncultivated,  it  is  liable  to  be  cracked  by  the  intense 
heat  of  the  sun,  to  the  depth  of  several  feet.  The  most  fertile 
districts  are  the  Delta,  and  the  province  of  Fayoum,;  between  the 
Canopic  branch  and  the  canal  of  Alexandria.  The  harvest  of  rice 
on  the  Delta  is  very  great.  The  value  of  600,000  livres  is  ex- 
ported from  Damictta  alone.  Grain  grows  every  v»'here.  The 
chief  species  being  wheat,  and  barley  for  the  horses.  The  Avheat 
of  Upper  Egypt  ia  the  sustenance  of  Arabia,  and  is  shipped  at 
Cosseir.  The  Delta  and  the  neighboring  country  are  watered  by 
tlic  overflowing:  of  the  Nile     INIost  of  the  water  in  Upper  Egypt 


EGYPT.  rS9 

fs  conveyed  to  the  lands  by  machinery.  Indian  corn,  flax,  hemp, 
and  tree  sugar,  are  very  extensively  cultivated.  Lentils  form  a 
considerable  article  of  food  in  the  Said.  The  Egyptian  onions 
and  leeks  arc  remarkably  mild,  and  most  of  the  European  vegfeta- 
bles  grow  in  the  gardens.  Millet  and  Turkey  corn,  the  vine,  and 
the  Egyptian  privet  ;  the  carthamus,  senna,  coloquintida,  and 
several  other  medicinal  plants  ;  and  fence-greek  and  barsim,  two 
species  of  fodder,  are  also  extensively  cultivated. 

Rivers.']  A  minute  description  of  the  extent  and  course  of  the 
Nile  has  already  been  given.  The  water  begins  to  rise  about  the 
19th  of  June,  and  subsides  in  October.  Before  the  20th  of  August 
it  usually  has  risen  at  least  16  cubits,  the  increase  necessary  to 
insure  a  favorable  crop.  This  rise  in  the  Nile  is  owing  to  the 
rains  of  Abyssinia. 

Lakes.]  The  largest  lake,  Menzala,  the  ancient  Tanis^  lies  east 
of  the  Pelusian  arm  of  the  Nile.  It  is  60  miles  long,  and  12  broad, 
and  lies  parsJlel  with  the  Mediterranean,  from  which  it  is  separat- 
ed by  a  narrow  strip  of  sand.  Several  canals  connect  it  with  the 
river,  the  waters  of  which  discharge  themselves  copiously  into  the 
lake  during  the  inundation,  and  render  its  water  soft.  In  winter 
the  reflux  of  the  sea  renders  it  brackish.  There  are  several  isl- 
ands in  the  lake,  built  over  like  towns,  as  Nabli,  Touna,  Samnaa, 
and  Hassan-Elma,  which  can  only  be  approached  by  boats.  Of 
these,  about  1 200  continually  fish  on  the  lake,  and  pay  an  armiial 
tribute  of  yC2160  sterling  for  the  privilege. 

•Lake  Berelos  is  in  the  Delta,  between  Damietta  and  Rosetta. 
It  is  32  miles  long  and  10  broad,  in  the  middle,  but  contracts  at 
both  ends.  It  also  contains  several  islands.  Lake  Elko  is  a  long 
narrow  strip  of  water  near  Aboukir.  Lake  Kerun  lies  S.  W.  of 
Cairo,  and  is  about  30  miles  long  and  6  broad.  Though  at  a  con- 
siderable distance  from  the  Nile,  it  is  in  a  fertile  district,  -which 
shoots  out  like  an  excrescence  westward.  The  Natron  Lakes  are 
in  the  desert,  west  of  the  Nile,  about  half  way  between  Kerun  and 
the  sea.     They  produce  natron,  or  the  nuueral  alkali. 

Botany.]  Fruit  trees  abound  in  this  country.  The  figs  are  of 
excellent  flavor.  The  date-palm  and  the  sycamore-fig,  rises  in' 
every  kind  of  soil,  even  in  the  sands.  Its  bark  affords  filaments, 
out  of  which  arc  manufactured  ropes  and  sails  ;  baskets  are  made 
of  its  leaves,  and  javelins  of  its  branches.  The  orange,  the  lem- 
on, olive,  and  pomegranate,  arc  abundant.  A  species  of  cyperus 
here  produces  a  delicious  fruit,  resembling  the  earthnut,  which 
yields  a  pectoi'al  emollient  juice.  The  lianana-trpc  grows  hi 
Lower  Egypt.  The  fruit  of  the  custard  applc-trce  has  a  fine  fra- 
grance and  flavor.  The  apricot,  peach,  almond,  and  pistachio- 
nut,  are  cultivated  with  success.  The  lotus,  a  species  of  water- 
lily,  covers  the  canals  and  pools  after  the  inundation.  The  papy- 
I'us  is  still  found  on  the  banks  of  the  Nile.  The  oriental  planc- 
U'ee,  the  caper-bush,  the  arum-colocasia,  tiic  cotton  tree,  sugar- 
cane, plantain,  mallow,  Jew's  mallow,  the  esculent  hibiscus,  scnna> 
mimosa  nilotica,  coloqwintida,  hcnne,  carthamus,  and  helbe,  ought 
aJs«  to  be  mentioned  in  the  botany  of  Egypt.    TJic  atlc.  m  lai-jc 


no  EGYPT. 

species  of  tamarisk,  is  the  only  wood  that  is  common  for  fuel,  oi- 
manufactures. 

Zoology.'^  The  ox  was  anciently  one  of  the  Dii  majorcs  of 
Egypt ;  and  then,  the  breed  was  excellent.  Since  that  time  the 
number  of  these  animals  has  greatly  decreased,  and  their  quality 
has  degenerated.  They  are  now  of  a  fawn  color,  their  horns  arc 
small,  and  they  are  employed  in  tillage,  and  hydraulic  machines. 
The  buffalo  was  brought  from  Persia.  The  female  is  i*eared  for 
its  milk,  and  the  male  for  its  flesh,  which  is  red,  hard,  and  dry, 
and  has  a  musky  fragrance.  There  are  numerous  species,  all  do- 
mestic. The  horses  of  Egypt  are  scarcely  inferior  to  those  of 
Arabia,  in  spirit,  activity,  or  beauty.  Their  reputation  has  been 
high  since  the  time  of  Solomon,  who  here  supplied  his  4000  stalls. 
The  male  horse  is  permitted  to  retain  his  perfect  character.  The 
Egyptian  ass  is  rivalled  only  by  the  ass  of  Nubia  and  Arabia.  Those 
of  the  Said  particularly,  are  highly  ralued  for  their  vigor  and 
beauty.  They  are  hardier  than  the  horse,  less  difficult  as  to  the 
quality  and  quantity  of  their  food,  and  better  fitted  for  traversing 
the  desert.  The  mules  are  equally  excellent.  The  Egyptian  dogs 
are  a  race  of  large  gray  hounds,  that  never  leave  the  quarter  where 
they  are  born,  and  form  distinct  tribes.  They  throng  the  streets 
of  all  the  cities,  and  the  Bedouins  have  great  numbers,  which  they 
defend  with  their  lives.  The  cat  was  once  sacred.  They  are  now 
numerous,  and  are  still  treated  with  great  attention  and  tender- 
ness in  every  house.  Sheep  and  goats  are  not  found  in  great 
numbers.  The  tyger,  jackal,  antelope,  deer,  fox,  and  hare,  arc 
found  in  desert  places.  The  Egyptian  ape  has  a  head  like  that  of  a 
dog,  and  is  strong  and  ferocious.  Crocodiles  are  very  numerous 
on  the  banks  of  the  Nile,  between  Syene  and  Siut.  The  ichneu- 
mon, one  of  the  ancient  deities,  destroys  the  eggs  of  the  crocodile, 
but  is  also  very  fond  of  poultry.  This  propensity  has  lost  him  the 
respect  of  the  inhabitants,  notwithstanding  he  is  an  excellent 
mouse  and  rat  catcher.  He  is  less  common  in  the  Said,  than  far- 
ther north.  The  thirsc,  a  species  of  tortoise  in  the  Nile,  is  the 
worst  enemy  of  the  crocodile ;  he  kills  and  devours  the  young 
ones,  as  soon  as  they  creep  into  the  river.  The  number  of  rats 
and  mice  would  render  the  country  uninhabitable,  were  it  not  for 
the  annual  deluge.  Cameleons  are  numerous  about  Cairo,  and 
lizards  and  vipers  in  various  places.  Scorpions  are  very  large  in 
the  Said,  and  also  venomous.  Wasps  are  there  very  common. 
The  gnat  has  a  dismal  sting,  and  comes  in  swarms  after  the  rice 
harvest.  Swarms  of  winged  insects  float  in  the  air,  and  furnish 
incessant  employment  for  swallows  and  wag-tails.  Great  atten- 
tion is  paid  to  the  culture  of  honey.  The  hives  of  several  villages 
in  Lower  Egypt,  are  put  on  board  large  boats,  and  sent  up  the 
river  to  cull  the  earlier  sweets  of  Vosthani  and  the  Said.  The 
boatmen  stop  at  every  place  where  they  find  flowers  and  verdure. 
The  bees  at  day-break  quit  their  cells  by  thousands,  and  soon  re-* 
turn  loaded  with  the  spoils  of  the  orange-flower,  the  rose  and  the 
jessamine,  and  the  numberless  wild  flowers  that  adorn  the  valley 
©f  the  Nile.     The  ^eet  usually  returns  in  three  months,  and  the 


NUBIA.  741 

boatmen  receive  their  recompense  in  the  honey,  which  the  bees 
have  collected. 

Mineralogy  J]  Immense  quarries  of  marble  are  found  near  Cos- 
seir,  and  in  the  road  from  that  place  to  Keneh.  Similar  quarries 
extend  more  than  25  leagues  from  Monflut  to  Sawadi.  It  is  also 
found  in  the  mountains  N.  E.  of  Syene.  A  range  of  porphyry 
mountains  commences  on  the  coast  of  the  Red  sea,  in  lat.  24  N.  at 
Hamra,  and  reaches  to  23  30  in  Nubia.  On  the  road  from  Cairo 
to  Suez  are  found  great  numbers  of  Egyptian  pebbles.  Copper  is 
the  only  metal  found  here  by  the  ancients.  Quarries  of  red  granite 
reach  from  the  cataracts  below  Syene.  N.  W.  of  that  town  is  a 
quarry  of  serpentine,  of  which  the  inhabitants  make  vessels  which 
stand  the  fire.  In  the  same  parallel  there  was  anciently  a  mine  of 
emeralds,  the  traces  of  which  are  now  lost. 

Mineral  WatersJ]  The  situation  of  the  Natron  lakes  has  been. 
mentioned.  'Ihey  are  two  in  number,  3  or  4  leagues  long,  and 
about  a  mile  broad,  with  a  solid  stony  bottom.  For  9  months  they 
are  without  water.  In  the  winter  there  oozes  out  of  the  earth  % 
reddish  violet  colored  water,  which  fills  the  lakes  to  the  height  of 
5  or  6  feet.  This  is  evaporated  by  the  heat  of  the  spring,  and 
there  remains  a  bed  of  salt  2  feet  thick,  which  is  broken  with  iro^ 
bars.     Thirty  thousand  quintals  are  produced  annually. 


NUBIA. 


THIS  name  has  long  been  given  to  a  tract  of  indefinite 
extent,  lying  between  Egypt  and  Abyssinia.  On  the  Nile  it  may 
be  considered  as  commencing  a  little  above  Syene,  immediately 
under  the  tropic  ;  and  in  the  same  latitude  on  the  Red  sea.  Its 
proper  southern  limit,  on  the  Red  sea,  is  the  northern  boundary  of 
Abyssinia,  in  lat.  16.  On  the  E.  bank  of  the  Nile,  it  reaches  a  lit- 
tle above  the  mouth  of  the  Jiahady  or  Dender  ;  and  on  the  W. 
bank,  as  far  S.  as  the  cataracts  in  that  river.  It  extends  west- 
ivard  beyond  the  Bahar  El  jldiad,  as  far  as  the  frontiers  o{  Dar  Fur. 
The  northern  part  of  this  country  is  an  extensive  desert,  caUed 
the  Great  Desert  of  JVubia.  This  desert  commences  at  the  tropic. 
The  mountains,  which  run  parallel  with  the  western  shore  of  the 
Red  sea,  from  Suez  to  Babelmandel,  are  its  eastern  limit.  West- 
ward it  extends  beyond  the  Nile,  joining  the  desert  of  Libya  ;  of 
■which  it  is  merely  a  continuation.  On  the  S.  it  terminates  at 
Goos,  in  lat.  1 8,  just  below  the  mouth  of  the  Atbara.  Bruce  cross- 
ed this  desert  on  his  return  from  Abyssinia.  From  Goos  he  went 
nearly  in  a  straight  course  to  Syene.  The  country  is  here  an  im- 
mense expanse  of  sand ;  the  level  surface  of  which  is  here  and 
there  broken  by  sharp  ridges  of  rock  rising  out  of  the  plain,  and 


7:^  KUBIA. 

sometimes  attaining  a  considerable  elevation.  The  wild  Arabs 
roam  over  it  to  attack  the  travellers,  who  cross  it  on  the  road  to 
Syene  ;  and  those  who  proceed  from  the  interior  of  Africa  in  car- 
avans, to  Mecca.  The  only  interesting  objects  remarked  by 
Bruce,  were  the  moving  fiiUara  of  sand,  and  the  si7noom.  The  pil- 
lars of  sand  at  times  proceed  with  great  celerity,  and  at  times  they 
stalk  witli  majestic  slo\vness.  When  Bruce  was  at  the  halting 
place,  called  Assa  nagga,  in  lat.  19  30,  he  saw  eleven  of  them  about 
5  miles  distant.  They  followed  the  course  of  the  wind,  and  often 
with  such  rapidity,  that  the  swiftest  horse  would  in  vain  have  at- 
tempted to  escape  them.  The  greatest  diameter  of  the  largest, 
appeared,  at  that  distance,  as  if  it  would  measure  10  feet.  Their 
tops  often  seemed  to  reach  to  the  clouds,  and  were  frequently  sep- 
arated from  the  bodies.  In  this  case  they  were  immediately  dis- 
persed in  the  air.  Sometimes  they  were  suddenly  broken  near 
tlie  middle,  as  if  struck  with  a  large  cannon  shot.  Sometimes 
they  pass  between  the  traveller  and  the  sun,  and  then  assume  the 
appearance  of  pillars  of  fire.  The  simoom^  or  poisonous  blast  from 
the  desert,  at  a  distance,  has  the  appearance  of  a  haze,  in  color, 
like  the  purple  part  of  the  rainbow,  but  less  compressed  and 
thick.  The  one,  which  Bruce  describes,  was  not  more  than  20 
yards  in  breadth,  and  about  12  feet  from  the  ground.  It  was  a 
kind  of  blush  upon  the  air,  and  moved  very  rapidly.  The  only  re- 
source of  the  traveller  is  to  fall  flat  upon  the  ground  with  his  face 
to  the  earth.  An  inhalation  of  the  fatal  atmosphere,  which  it 
brings,  is  soon  succeeded  by  death.  After  the  purple  meteor  has 
vanished,  a  light  air  still  blows,  of  a  heat  to  threaten  suffocation. 

DoNGOLA  is  a  town  on  the  E.  bank  of  the  Nile,  in  lat.  19  30  N. 
and  Ion.  32  E.  It  is  the  capital  of  the  kingdom  of  Dongola ;  which 
lies  on  both  sides  of  the  Nile,  and  is  considerably  extensive.  Wc 
have  seen,  however,  no  satisfactory  account  of  it. 

Of  Sennaar,  the  southern  kingdom  of  Nubia,  Bruce  has  given 
an  interesting  descriplion.  It  may  be  considered  a.g  comprising 
the  country  between  the  Red  sea  and  the  Nile,  as  far  S.  as  the  N. 
W.  limits  of  Abyssinia  ;  as  reaching  on  the  E.  bank  of  the  Nile, 
between  it  and  the  Atbara  or  Tacazze,  to  about  lat.  1 3  ;  as  com- 
prehending all  the  country  betwee^i  the  Nile  and  the  Bahar  el  Abi-: 
ad,  as  far  S.  as  the  cataracts  of  the  Nile  ;  and  also  as  including  the 
provinces  of  Shillook  and  Kordofan  on  the  W.  of  the  latter 
river.  The  kingdom  of  Darfur  is  its  S.  W.  boundary.  The 
tract  between  the  Atbara  and  the  Nile,  is  called  Atbara.  The 
province  of  Sennaar,  includes  the  northern  part  of  the  country  be- 
tween the  Bahar  cl  Abiad  and  the  Nile  ;  and  that  of  Fezcuclo^  the 
southern,  as  far  as  the  cataracts.  The  province  of  Shillook  lies 
W-  of  the  Bahar  el  Abiad,  in  the  latitude  of  Sennaar ;  and  that  of 
Kordofan,  lies  S.  of  Shillook,  and  W.  of  Fezcuclo. 

From  the  time  of  Saladin,  to  the  conquest  of  Selim,  emperor  of 
the  Turks,  Avho  finished  the  reign  of  the  Mamelukes  in  Egypt,  i.  e, 
from  the  12th  to  the  16th  century,  the  Arabs  in  Nubia  had  been 
incorporated  Avith  the  old  indigenous  inhabitants  of  the  country, 
which  were  (he  shepherds.     The  only  distinction  that  rcmviined. 


NUBIA.  743 

was,  that  the  Arabs  lived  chiefly  in  teftts,  -while  the  aborigines 
lived  in  villages,  mostly  by  the  sides  of  rivers,  and  among  planta- 
tions of  date  trees.  Those  of  the  Arabs,  however,  who  belonged 
to  the  race  of  Beni  Koreish,  i.  e.  Mahomet's  own  family,  lived  in 
towns.  The  Arabs,  after  a  while,  became  the  rulin[»  nation,  and 
the  aborigines  were  connected  to  Mahomctanism.  The  title  of 
the  Arab  prince,  was  Mi  Welled  Jgeeb,  and  he  always  was  of  th(^ 
race  of  Kent  Korcish.  His  residence  was  at  Gerri,  on  the  E.  bank 
of  the  Nile,  just  below  the  junction  of  the  two  great  branches  of 
that  river,  and  at  the  northern  limit  of  the  tropical  rains,  in  lat.  16  N. 

In  the  year  1504,  a  black  nation,  hithei  to  unknown,  called  the 
Shillook  nation.^  inhabiting  the  western  banks  of  the  Bahar  el  Abiad, 
in  about  lat.  1 3  N.  made  a  descent  in  a  multitude  of  canoes  or 
boats  on  the  Arab  pro-vinces  ;  tmd  in  a  battle  near  Herbagi,  a  town 
opposite  the  mouth  of  the  Dender^  defeated  the  Welled  Agecb, 
and  forced  him  to  a  capitulation.  The  Arabs  agreed  to  pay  the 
negroes  half  of  their  slock,  and  every  year  half  of  the  increase. 
The  negroes  founded  Sennaar,  as  their  own  capital  in  1 504,  and 
removed  the  seat  of  government  of  the  Welled  Agecb,  fromCierri 
to  Herbagi,  that  he  might  be  more  under  their  own  eye.  Jirucc 
was  at  Sennaar,  in  1770.  In  the  2^6  years  that  had  followed  the 
foundation  of  the  monarchy,  20  kings  had  reigned  in  Sennaar. 
Amrou,  the  first  king,  reigned  from  1504  to  1534.  Eight  of  the 
30  had  been  deposed.  Ismarn  the  king,  in  1770,  was  a  man  %^ 
years  of  age,  and  had  reigned  3  years. 

The  Shillooks  were  pagans  when  they  in\'^ed  the  cotmlry- 
Soon  after  they  were  converted  to  Moliammedism  ;  when  they 
took  the  name  of  Funge^  or  conquerors.  It  is  a  fundamental  law  of 
the  monarchy,  that  the  king  may  lawfully  be  put  to  death,  when  a 
council  of  tlie  great  officers  decrees,  that  it  is  not  for  the  advantage 
of  the  state  that  he  should  reign  any  longer.  The  king  ascends 
tlie  throne  under  an  admission  of  the  force  of  this  law ;  and  there 
is  always  one  officer  of  his  own  family,  the  Md  el  coom,  or  master  of 
die  household,  to  whom  the  death  of  the  king  is  on  such  occasions, 
6y  law,  entrusted.  This  officer  has  no  vote  in  deposing  him.  The 
only  weapon  he  may  lawfully  use  for  this  purpose  is  a  sword.  The 
eldest  son  of  the  king  succeeds  by  right,  and,  immediately  after- 
wards, puts  to  death  as  many  of  his  brothers  as  he  can  apprehend. 
A  female  cannot  succeed  to  the  throne.  The  crown,  since  1 504, 
has  always  been  in  the  family  of  Ararou.  The  king  is  styled  the 
Mek  of  Sennaar.  The  forces  at  Sennaar,  around  the  capital,  con- 
sists of  about  14,000  J^uboy  who  figlu  naked,  having  no  armor  but 
a  short  javelin,  and  a  round  shield  ;  and  about  1800  cavaliy,  all 
blacks,  mounted  on  black  horses,  armed  with  coats  of  mail,  and 
broad  Slavonian  swords.  These  last  are  remaji'kably  brave,  and 
AVcU  disciplined. 

The  revenue  derived  from  the  province  of  Kordofan  consists 
chiefly  of  slaves  procured  from  Dyre  and  Tcgia.  That  of  Fez- 
f.uclo  is  in  gold ;  as  is  that  from  Atbara  and  the  country  E.  of  the 
river  of  that  name.  The  Wvlt^d  jigeeb  coHecis  all  the  rc\eiMio 
from  the  Aral^s.     It  amounts  to  a  very  lai'ge  sum  in  gold,  exceed- 


744  NUBIA. 

in^  that  of  all  the  other  provinces.  He  pays  it  to  the  Mck.  His 
own  revenues  from  the  Arabs  arc  said  to  be  six  times  as  large. 

The  dress  of  Sennaar  is  very  simple.  It  consists  of  a  long-  shirt 
of  blue  Surat  cloth,  called  Maroioty^  which  covers  them  from  the 
lower  part  of  the  neck  to  the  feet.  That  of  the  women  covers  the 
neck  also.  The  men  have  sometimes  a  sash  about  the  middle. 
Both  sexes  go  barefoot  in  the  house.  Their  floors  are  covered 
•with  Persian  carpets.  In  fair  weather  they  weai  sandals  without, 
and  sometimes  a  kind  of  wooden  patten,  ornamented  with  shells. 
Both  sexes  anoint  themselves  at  least  once  a  day  with  camel's 
grease,  mixed  with  civet,  and  sleep  in  shirts  similarly  treated. 
Their  beds  are  merely  tanned  bull's  hides,  much  softened  by  this 
constant  greasing.  The  principal  diet  of  the  poorer  sort  is  millet, 
made  into  flour  and  bread.  The  rich  make  a  pudding  of  millet, 
and  also  eat  beef  partly  roasted  and  partly  raw.  Their  horned 
cattle  are  remarkably  fine  ;  but  the  common  meat  sold  in  the  mar- 
ket is  camel's  flesh. 

Bruce  was  called  upon  by  the  Mek  to  administer  to  several  of 
the  sable  bodies  of  his  seraglio.  He  gives  us  the  folloAving  ac- 
count of  his  visit.  "  I  was  admitted  into  a  large  square  apartment 
very  ill  lighted,  in  which  were  about  fifty  women,  all  perfectly 
black,  without  any  covering  but  a  very  narrow  piece  of  cotton  rag 
about  the  waist.  While  I  was  musing  whether  or  not  these  all 
might  be  queens,  or  whether  there  was  any  queen  among  them  ; 
one  of  them  took  me  by  the  hand,  and  led  me,  rudely  enough,  in- 
to another  apartment.  This  was  much  better  lighted  than  the 
first.  Upon  a  large  bench,  or  sofa,  covered  with  blue  Surat 
eloth,  sat  three  persons,  clothed  from  the  neck  to  the  feet  with 
blue  cotton  shirts. 

"  One  of  these,  who  I  found  was  the  favorite,  was  about  6  feet 
high,  and  corpulent  beyond  all  proportion.  She  seemed  to  me, 
next  to  the  elephant  and  rhinoceros,  the  largest  living  creature  I 
had  met  with.  Her  features  were  perfectly  like  those  of  a  negro  ; 
a  ring  of  gold  passed  through  her  under  lip,  and  weighed  it  down, 
till  like  a  flap  it  covered  her  chin,  and  left  her  teeth  bare,  which 
were  very  small  and  fine.  The  inside  of  her  lip  she  had  made 
black  with  antimony.  Her  ears  reached  down  to  her  shoulders, 
and  had  the  appearance  of  wings  ;  she  had  in  each  of  them  a  large 
ring  of  gold,  somewhat  smaller  than  a  man's  little  finger,  and 
about  5  inches  in  diameter.  She  had  a  gold  necklace,  like  what 
we  used  to  call  escla-uage,  of  sevei-al  rows  one  below  another  ;  to 
which  were  hung  rows  of  sequins  pierced.  She  had  on  her  an- 
cles two  manacles  of  gold,  larger  than  any  I  had  ever  seen  upon 
the  feet  of  felons  ;  with  which  I  could  not  conceive  it  was  possible 
for  her  to  walk,  but  I  afterwards  found  that  they  were  hollow. 
The  others  %vcrc  dressed  much  in  the  same  manner.  Upon  ■^py 
coming  near  them  the  eldest  put  her  hand  to  her  mouth,  and 
kissed  it ;  saying  at  the  same  time,  in  very  vulgar  Arabic,  "  kij'- 
halek  honvaja  ?"  (how  do  you  do,  merchant  ?)  I  never  in  my  life 
was  more  pleased  v/ith  distant  samations  than  at  this  time.  I  an- 
swered "  Peace  be  among  you  I  I  am  a  physician,  and  not  a  mer- 
chant." 


NUBIA.  ,  74,5 

<f  I  shall  not  entertain  the  reader  with  the  multitude  of  theip 
complaints  ;  being  a  lady's  physician,  discretion  and  silence  are 
my  first  duties.  It  is  sufficient  to  say,  that  there  was  noi  one  part 
of  their  whole  bodies,  inside  or  outside.  In  which  some  of  them 
had  not  ailments.  The  three  queens  insisted  upon  being  blooded, 
which  I  complied  with,  as  it  was  an  operation  that  required  short 
attendance  ;  but  upon  producing  the  lancets,  their  hearts  failed 
them.  I  sent  my  servant  home  for  the  cupping  instrument,  whick 
performed  the  operation  with  great  success.  The  room  was  over- 
flowed with  royal  blood,  and  the  whole  ended  with  their  insisting^ 
that  I  should  give  them  the  instrument  itself;  which  I  was  obliged 
to  do,  after  cupping  two  of  their  slaves  before  them,  who  had  no 
complaints,  merely  to  show  them  how  the  operation  was  per- 
formed. 

"  Another  night  I  was  obliged  to  attend  them,  and  gave  the 
queens,  and  two  or  three  of  the  great  ladies,  vomits.  The  ipeca- 
cuanha had  great  effect,  and  warm  water  was  drank  very  copious- 
ly. The  patients  were  numerous,  aiKl  the  floor  of  the  room  re- 
ceived all  the  evacuations.  It  was  prodigiously  hot,  and  the  hor- 
rid black  figures,  moaning  and  groaning  with  sickness  all  around 
me,  gave  me,  I  think,  some  slight  idea  of  the  punishment  in  the 
world  below.  My  mortifications  did  not  stop  here.  I  have  ob- 
served, that,  on  coming  into  their  presence,  the  queens  were  all 
covered  with  cotton  shirts  ;  but  no  sooner  did  their  complaints 
make  part  of  our  conversation,  than,  to  my  utmost  surprise,  each 
of  them  in  her  turn  stript  herself  entirely  naked,  laying  her  cotton 
shirt  loosely  on  her  lap,  as  she  sat  cross-legged,  like  a  tailor.  The 
custom  of  going  naked  in  these  warm  countries  abolishes  all  her 
delicacy  concerning  ic.  I  could  not  but  observe  that  the  breasts 
of  each  of  them  reached  the  length  of  their  knees. 

"  This  exceeding  confidence  on  their  part,  they  thought  merited 
some  consideration  on  mine  ;  and  it  was  not  without  great  aston- 
ishment that  I  heard  the  queen  desire  to  see  n)c  in  the  like  dish- 
abille in  which  she  had  spontaneously  put  herself  The  whole 
court  of  female  attendants  flocked  to  see  the  spectacle.  Refusal 
or  resistance  were  in  vain.  I  was  surrounded  by  fifty  or  sixty- 
women,  all  equal  in  stature  and  strength  to  myself  The  whole  of 
my  clothing  was  like  theirs,  a  long  loose  shirt  of  blue  Surat  cot- 
ton cloth,  reaching  from  the  neck  to  the  feet.  Tbe  only  terms  I 
could  possibly  make  for  myself  were  that  I  should  strip  no  farther 
than  the  shoulders  and  breast.  Upon  seeing  the  whiteness  of 
my  skin  they  gave  all  a  loud  cry  in  token  of  dislike  ;  and  sluidder- 
cd,  seeming  to  think  it  rather  the  effects  of  disease,  than  natural. 
I  think  I  never  in  my  life  felt  so  disagreeably.  1  have  been  ia 
more  than  one  battle,  but  surely  I  would  joyfully  have  taken  my 
chance  again  in  any  one  of  them  to  have  been  freed  from  tliat  ex- 
amination. I  could  not  help  likewise  reflecting,  that  if  tlie  king 
had  come  in  during  this  exhibition,  the  consequence  would  either 
have  been  impaling,  or  stripping  off  that  skin  tlicy  were  so  curi- 
ous about;  though  lean  solemnly  declare  there  was  not  an  idea 
in  my  breast,  since  ever  I  had  the  honor  of  seciiig  these  royal  beau- 

VOL.  ir.  94 


7A6  ,  NUBIA. 

ties,  that  could  have  given  his  majesty  of  Sennaar  the  smallest 
reason  for  jealousy." 

The  Arabs,  like  the  Creoles  of  the  West  Indies,  prefer  the 
black  women  to  their  own  in  summer,  on  account  of  the  superior 
coolness  of  their  skins.  It  is  remarkable,  that  the  issue  of  an 
Arab  and  negro  has  uniformly  the  light  copper  complexion  of  the 
Arab,  with  no  mixture  of  the  black  ;  and  it  makes  no  difference 
whether  the  Arab  be  the  father  or  the  mother.  Bruce  says  he 
never  saw  one  black  Arab  in  Sennaar,  notwithstanding  the  gener- 
ality of  this  intercourse. 

The  town  of  Sennaar  is  in  lat.  13  34  36,  N.  and  in  Ion.  33  30  30, 
E.  It  is  built  on  the  west  side  of  the  Nile,  close  to  its  bank,  on 
ground  just  high  enough  to  save  it  from  inundations.  The  site 
of  the  town  is  extensive.  The  king's  palace  covers  a  great  deal 
of  ground.  It  is  all  of  one  story,  built  of  clay,  and  the  floors  of 
earth.  The  houses  of  the  great  officei's  are  of  two  stories,  and 
have  parapet  roofs.  The  other  houses  are  of  but  one,  and  they 
are  all  built  of  clay,  with  very  little  straw  mixed  with  it. 

El-Aice^  or  Alleis^  is  the  capital  of  the  Shillook  country.  It  is 
on  the  Bahar  el  Abiad,  in  about  lat.  13  30,  N.  The  river  dividing 
fornjs  a  great  number  of  islands.  On  these  and  the  neighboring 
banks  the  town  is  situated.  The  inhabitants  are  chiefly  fisher- 
men, and  sail  in  their  canoes  with  incredible  rapidity. 

Herbagi  is  the  residence  of  the  Welled  Ageeb.  It  stands  on  the 
W.  bank  of  the  Nile,  in  lat.  14  39,  N.  It  is  a  large  and  pleasant 
village,  but  thinly  inhabited,  on  a  diy,  gravelly  soil.  The  Welled 
jlgeeb^  the  hereditary  prince  of  the  Arabs,  is  subject  to  the  king  of 
Sennaar  and  his  lieutenant,  according  to  treaty.  He  collects  a 
tribute  from  all  the  Arabs,  not  only  of  Atbara^  but  even  to  the 
Red  sea.  The  tribes  living  east  of  the  Nile  and  of  the  Atbara, 
subject  to  him,  are  numerous,  rich,  and  powerful. 

Suakem  is  a  port  on  the  Red  sea.  It  is  the  place  of  rendezvous 
for  the  caravans,  which  cross  the  desert  on  their  way  to  Jidda. 

Formerly  Indian  goods  were  brought  in  large  quantities  from 
Jidda  to  Sennaar ;  and  the  articles  returned  were  gold,  civet,  rhinoc- 
ei'os'  horns,  ivory,  ostrich  feathers,  slaves,  and  glass.  A  caravan  also 
once  came  from  Timbuctoo.  At  present  a  small  caravan  goes 
yearly  from  Goos  to  Suakem,  and  the  Daveina  Arabs  cari'y  the 
ivory  to  Abyssinia. 

The  climate  of  this  country  is  neither  pleasant  nor  healthy. 
The  seasons  are  the  same  as  in  Abyssinia.  At  Sennaar,  from  7C 
to  78°  of  Fahrenheit,  is  cool  ;  from  79°  to  92°  temperate.  The 
mercury  often  I'ises  to  120°.  The  diseases  are  the  dysentery,  in- 
termittent fevers,  epilepsies,  schirrous  livers,  the  gravel,  and  sy- 
philis. The  small  pox  desolates  once  in  12  or  15  years.  The 
soil  and  climate  of  the  capital  are  very  unfavorable  to  longevity, 
both  in  man  and  beast.  "  No  horse,  mule,  ass,  or  any  beast  of 
burden,  will  breed,  or  even  live  at  Sennaar,  or  many  miles  around 
it.  Poultry  does  not  live  there.  Neither  dog  nor  cat,  sheep  nor 
bullock,  can  be  preserved  a  season.  Neither  rose  nor  any  spe- 
cies of  jessamine  grow  there  ;  no  tree  but  the  lemon  flowers  near 
the  citv.'^ 


ABYSSINIA.  747 

In  the  latter  part  of  the  dry  season  this  whole  country  appearfe^ 
a  barren  waste.  But  in  August  and  September  it  is  every  where 
verdant.  The  corn  now  springing  up  and  covering  the  ground, 
the  whole  of  this  immense  plain  appears  a  level  green  land, 
interspersed  with  great  lakes  of  water,  and  ornamented,  at  cer- 
tain intervals,  with  groups  of  villages,  the  conical  tops  of  th© 
houses  presenting,  at  a  distance,  the  appearance  of  small  encamp- 
ments. Soon  after,  the  rains  cease ;  the  vegetable  matter  on  the 
ground  turns  yellow,  and  rots  ;  the  lakes  putrefy,  smell,  and  are 
filled  with  vermin.  Dora  or  millet  is  the  common  grain.  Wheat 
and  rice  are  cultivated  ;  but  even  in  years  of  plenty  they  are  sold 
by  the  pound.  The  produce  of  millet  is  said  to  be  300  for  1.  At 
S/iaddlyy  a  collection  of  villages  12  miles  N.  W.  of  Sennaar,  sub- 
terranean granaries  are  erected,  called  mattamores.  Large  quan- 
tities of  millet  are  deposited  here  to  sell  to  the  Arabs,  at  a  low 
price,  in  seasons  of  scarcity.  At  Wed  Aboud^  24  miles  N.  of  Shad- 
dly,  is  a  still  larger  foundation  of  the  same  kind.  On  these  two 
charities  they  chiefly  depend  for  subsistence. 

To  the  W.  of  Shaddly  and  Aboud,  the  country  is  full  of  treesj 
which  makes  it  a  favorite  station  for  camels.  The  Arabs  have 
immense  numbers  of  these  animals.  The  tribe  of  Refaa,  in 
1770,  had  about  200,000.  The  tribute  of  that  tribe  to  the  Mek 
was  100,000  ounces  of  gold,  or  jC250,000  sterling.  There  were 
then  10  such  tribes,  which  owned  this  species  of  subjection; 


ABYSSINIA. 


CHAPTER  I. 


HISTORICAL  GEOGRAPHY. 

KXTENT,  BOUNDARIES,  DIVISIONS,  NAMES,  RELIGION,  GOVERN- 
MENT, POPULATION,  ARMY,  REVENUE,  MANNERS  AND  CUSTOMS, 
CITIES,  COMMERCE. 

Extent.']  THE  country  known  by  this  name  may  be 
considered  as  reaching  from  lat.  7  to  16  N.  and  from  Ion.  35  to  44 
E.  Its  length  from  E.  to  W.  is  about  580  miles,  and  its  greatest 
breadth  from  Masuah,  to  the  S.  line,  according  to  the  map  of 
Bruce,  is  about  560.  It  reaches,  on  the  Red  sea,  from  Masuah  to 
the  straits  of  Babelmandel,  420  miles.  The  northern  boundary 
proceeds  from  Masuah,  on  a  course  nearly  W.  S.  W.  to  the  Nile. 
The  Mediterranean  limits  are,  however,  very  badly  defined. 

Boundaries.']     The  Red  sea  lies  on  the  N.  E. ;  the  kingdom  of 
Adel,  on  the  E.  and  S.  E. ;  Gingiso  and  Alaba  on  the  S.  ;  the  Nile 


748  ABYSSINIA. 

on  the  W. ;  Sennaar  on  the  N.  W. ;  and  the  country  of  the  Jaha- 
leen^  or  wild  Arabs,  and  of  the  Shankala,  or  descendants  of  the  an- 
cient Ethiopians  on  the  N. 

The  Gal/as,  a  wild  and  marauding  nation,  have  encroached  on 
the  limits  of  Abyssinia,  and  now  occupy  various  provinces  on  the 
S.  W.,  S.  and  S.  E. 

DivisioTis.']  This  country,  according  to  Mr.  Bruce,  is  divided 
into  the  following  provinces,  viz, 

1.  Massuah  5.  Anihara  9.  Maisha 

2.  Tigre  6.  Walaka  10.  Dembea 

3.  Samen  7.  Gojam  11.  Kuara 

4.  Begemder  8.  Damot  12.  Nara 

J\'ames.']  Bruce  tells  us,  that  the  Chronicle  of  Axum^  the  most 
ancient  Abyssinian  history,  declares  that  the  Sheba,  or  Sa6a  of  the 
scriptures,  whose  queen  visited  Solomon,  was  Abyssinia.  Shcba 
merely  means  the  South.  The  Arabs  call  the  country  Habesch^ 
the  origin  of  our  Abyssinia,  and  denoting  the  same  with  the  Latin 
word  Conveuie,  i.  e.  a  country  of  mingled  tribes  or  natians. 

Religion.  \  The  Jewish  religion  is  said,  by  Bruce,  to  have  been 
prevalent  in  Abyssinia,  till  near  th»  middle  of  the  4th  century. 
JFrumcntiust  a  disciple  of  St.  Athanasius  at  Alexandria,  and  the 
iirst  Christian  bishop  of  Abyssinia,  was  ordained  about  A.  D.  333. 
This  was  about  the  time  of  their  conversion ;  and  the  primitive 
faith  of  the  Abyssinians  having  been  received  through  this  chan-. 
nel,  must  have  accorded  with  the  peculiar  tenets  of  the  Greek 
church.  The  first  attempt  to  spread  the  Romish  faith  was  made 
about  the  year  1450,  in  the  reign  of  Zara  Jacob.  That  prince  ob- 
tained from  the  pope  the  establishment  of  a  convent  for  the  Abys- 
sinians at  Rome.  A  similar  one  had  long  before  been  established 
at  Jerusalem.  From  this  latter  ambassadors  were  sent  to  the  cel- 
ebrated council  of  Florence,  who  adhered  to  the  opinion  of  the 
Greek  church,  about  the  proceeding  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  About 
the  year  1560,  Menas  banished  the  Portuguese  monks,  and  the 
Catholic  faith  was  wholly  discountenanced,  till  1600  ;  when  Peter 
Paez,  a  missionary  from  Goa,  arrived  in  Abyssinia.  In  1604,  Za 
Den^hel  the  reigning  monarcii  was  converted  to  the  Catholic 
faith,  and  Paez  was  created  Catholic  patriarch.  In  1626,  Soci- 
nias,  the  existing  king,  with  his  court,  abjured  the  Greek  religion, 
and  took  oaths  of  obedience  to  the  pope.  The  clergy  were  reor- 
dained  ;  their  churches  consecrated  anew  ;  adults  and  children 
rebaptized  ;  the  festivals  reduced  to  the  forms  and  times  of  the 
church  of  Rome  ;  and  circumcision,  polygamy,  and  divorce,  ab- 
rogated forever.  In  consequence  of  the  violent  measures  of  Paez, 
subsequent  to  this  change,  the  Catholics  became  unpopular,  and 
in  1632  their  hierarchy  was  abolished.  They  were  allowed  how- 
ever to  remain  in  the  country,  till  1714,  when  their  clergy  were 
executed.  Since  that  time  there  have  been  few  or  no  Catholics 
in  the  country. 

The  patriarch  of  the  Abyssinian  church,  is  styled  the  Abuna.  By 


ABYSSINIA.  749 

an  ancient  canon,  he  must  not  be  a  native  of  the  country,  and  is  al- 
ways sent  from  Egypt.  He  very  seldom  understands  the  lan- 
guage, and  has  no  share  in  the  government.  There  are  two  or- 
ders of  monks,  those  of  Dehra  Libanosy  and  those  of  jibba  Eusta- 
thius.  They  differ  merely  about  the  meaning  of  a  few  equivocal 
words,  used  to  define  the  mode  and  moment  of  our  Saviour's  in- 
carnation :  but  this  is  sufficient  to  make  them  enemies  all  their 
lives.  Every  new  Abuna  publicly  declares,  in  an  assembly  of  the 
clergy,  to  v/hich  party  he  belongs.  The  king  does  the  same. 
The  head  of  the  monks  of  Debra  Libanos,  is  called  the  Itc/iegue  ; 
and  he  is  really  the  chief  of  the  monks  in  general.  The  head  of  those 
of  St.  Eusiatius,  is  the  chief  of  the  convent  of  A/cAerAar  Selasse,  in 
the  N.  W.  corner  of  Abyssinia.  The  monks  do  not  live  in  convents, 
but  in  separate  houses  round  their  church ;  and  each  cultivates  a 
part  of  the  church  lands.  The  priests  have  their  maintenance  as- 
signed to  them  in  kind,  and  do  not  labor.  The  direction  and  dis- 
tribution of  the  church  revenues,  is  wholly  in  the  hands  of  officers, 
appointed  by  the  king.  All  the  clergy  are  deplorably  ignorant, 
heretical  in  their  tenets,  and  licentious  in  their  lives.  There  is  no 
country  in  the  world,  in  which  there  are  so  many  churches  as  in 
Abyssinia.  It  is  seldom  that  less  than  5  or  6  are  in  sight,  in  any 
part  of  the  country  ;  and,  on  a  commanding  ground,  one  may  see 
five  times  as  many.  They  are  usually  planted  near  running  wa- 
ter, for  the  purposes  of  purifications  and  ablutions,  in  which  they 
strictly  observe  the  Levitical  law-.  They  are  all  round,  with 
thatched  roofs  ;  and  their  summits  are  perfect  cones.  The  inside 
is  covered  with  wretched  daubings  of  their  various  saints.  Among 
these,  are  St.  Pontius  Pilate,  and  his  wife  ;  St.  Balaam  and  his  ass. 

Governntent.^  The  government  is  an  absolute  monarchy. 
The  crown  is  hereditary  in  one  particular  family,  supposed  by  the 
Abyssinians  to  be  that  of  Solomon,  by  the  queen  of  Sheba ;  but 
probably  that  of  Hamyar^  or  Saba^  in  Yemen  or  Arabia  Felix.  In 
this  family  however,  it  is  elective  ;  and  there  is  no  law,  nor  cus- 
tom, which  gives  the  eldest  son  an  exclusive  title.  The  royal 
family  were  formerly  imprisoned  in  the  high  mountain  of  Geshenj 
in  the  province  of  Amhara..  On  the  death  of  the  king,  if  any  one 
of  his  sons,  of  sufficient  age  to  take  the  crown,  happened  to  be  in 
the  low  country,  he  was  commonly  his  successor.  Jf  not,  the  ex- 
isting minister  usually  chose  an  infant,  that  he  might  direct  the 
whole  government  during  a  long  minority  ;  and  his  choice  was 
called  the  choice  of  the  people.  Seven  noblemen,  the  chief  of 
whom  is  the  Azeleffa  el  Camisha^  or  groom  of  the  stole,  constitute 
the  Baalomaal^  or  gentlemen  of  the  bedchamber.  The  royal 
council  is  composed  of  the  great  officers  of  state.  When  Bruce 
left  the  country,  the  power  of  the  king  was  insignificant ;  the  Hasj 
or  governor  of  Tigre,  having  almost  the  whole  direction  of  the 
government.  The  different  capital  punishments,  are  crucifixion, 
Jiaying  alive,  lapidation,  and  plucking  out  the  eyes. 

Fofiulation.'\  We  have  no  data  on  which  to  form  a  correct 
judgment  of  the  population  of  this  country.  It  has  been  estimated 
Ht  3,000,000.    Hassel  reckons  only  1,800,000. 


rso  ABYSSINIA. 

Jrmy.']  Bruce  says,  that  the  largest  armies  ever  collected  in 
the  country,  were  at  the  battle  of  Serbraxos.  The  rebels  had  then 
60,000  men,  and  the  king  40,000.  The  usual  amount  of  the  army 
does  not  exceed  20,000.  Hassel,  however,  reckons  the  number 
at  40,000.  The  cavalry  is  good.  The  king's  household  troops 
consist  of  8000  infantry.  They  are  armed  with  matchlocks. 
Most  of  the  other  troops  have  only  lances  and  shields. 

Jievenuc.']  The  royal  revenue  is  paid  partly  in  ounces  of  gold ; 
and  partlv  in  honey,  cattle,  horses,  cloths,  and  various  other  articles. 

Manners  and  Customs.']  The  principal  part  of  the  dress  of  the 
natives  is  a  large  cotton  cloth,  24  cubits  long,  and  1  \  broad,  with  a 
blue  and  yellow  stripe  round  the  bottom.  They  are  called  kuarasf 
a.nd  are  very  beautiful  and  light.  The  other  pieces  of  dress  are 
breeches,  which  reach  to  the  mid-thighs.  Those  of  the  common 
people  are  girt  with  a  white  cloth  girdle ;  while  the  better  sort 
wear  red  Indian  cotton  cloths  for  breeches,  and  silk  or  wors- 
ted colored  girdles.  When  they  ride  they  hold  the  stirrup  be- 
tween the  great  and  second  toes.  Even  the  king  rides  bare-foot- 
ed. Almost  all  the  houses  are  built  of  clay,  with  thatched  conical 
roofs.  The  chief  articles  of  food  are  cakes  of  unleavened  bread, 
and  raw  flesh,  which  as  far  as  possible  they  cut  from  the  animal 
while  living,  that  it  may  be  the  more  tender.  At  their  feasts  an 
equal  number  of  both  sexes  are  invited,  and  they  always  terminate 
in  drunkenness  and  extemporaneous  debauchery.  The  ordinary 
marriage  is  contracted  by  mutual  consent  without  any  ceremony, 
and  is  dissolved  by  the  dissent  of  either  party.  As  soon  as  this 
takes  place,  both  parties  marry  again.  They  also  divide  the  chil- 
dren, the  eldest  son  falling  to  the  mother  and  the  eldest  daughter 
to  the  father.  Marriages,  according  to  the  churchy  are  celebrated 
as  follows.  The  man  sends  some  one  to  ask  the  girl  of  her  father, 
and  is  rarely  refused.  He  is  then  invited  to  the  house,  and  an 
oath  is  reciprocally  taken  by  both  parties  to  be  faithful  to  each 
other.  He  then  receives  her  fortune,  usually  a  sum  of  gold,  and 
some  oxen,  sheep,  or  horses.  He  is  at  the  same  time  obliged  to 
find  security  for  the  goods,  in  case  he  should  dismiss  his  wife,  and 
be  unable  to  refund  them  ;  and  also  to  promise  a  certain  sum  of 
money,  should  he  abandon  her.  On  the  day  of  marriage  a  feast  is 
prepared  at  the  house  of  the  bride's  father  ;  the  oaths  are  renew- 
ed, and  she  is  taken  to  the  bridegroom's:  In  20  or  30  days  they 
appear  before  the  priest  to  receive  the  sacrament,  and  acknowl- 
edge each  other  to  be  man  and  wife.  No  distinction  is  made  in 
Abyssinia  between  legitimate  and  illegitimate  children.  Nothing 
is  known  of  personal  purity  among  any  of  the  inhabitants.  From 
the  family  of  the  king  to  that  of  the  beggar  the  same  licentiousness 
and  profligacy  are  prevalent.  When  an  Abyssinian  approaches 
into  the  presence  of  the  monarch,  he  falls  upon  his  knees,  then  on 
the  palms  of  his  hands,  and  then  inclines  his  head  till  tlie  forehead 
touches  the  earth  ;  and,  in  case  he  has  an  answer  to  expect,  re- 
mains in  that  posture,  till  he  has  received  it.  The  country  has 
for  many  years  been  the  scene  of  civil  wars,  which  have  called  into 
exercise  all  the  ferocious  passions,  and  exhibited  a  constant  sucr 
cession  of  treachery,  murder,  and  assassination. 


ABYSSINIA.  751 

Cities,']  GoNDAR,  the  capital,  is  Lii  lat.  12  34  30,  N.  and  in  Ion. 
37  33,  E.  It  is  situated  on  a  hill  of  considerable  height,  which  is 
every  where  surrounded  by  a  deep  valley.  This  valley  has  three 
outlets  ;  one  to  the  S.  E.  to  Dembea  ;  a  second  to  the  N.  \V.  over 
Debra  Tzai,  or  the  mountain  of  the  Sun,  towards  Sennaar  ;  a  third 
to  the  N.  towards  Tigre  and  the  Red  sea,  over  the  high  mountain 
JLamalman.  The  river  Kaha,  coming  from  Debra  Tsai,  flows  N. 
of  the  town,  and  the  Angrab  skirts  the  hill  on  the  S.  They  to- 
gether, almost  encircle  the  town,  and  unite  aquarterof  a  milefrom 
it,  at  the  foot  of  the  hill.  The  top  of  the  hill  is  a  plain  of  very 
considerable  extent.  The  length  of  the  town  is  3  miles  from  E. 
N.  E.  to  W.  S.  W.  and  its  breadth  1  mile.  .  It  contains  about 
10,000  houses,  and  about  50,000  inhabitants.  Immediataly  on  the 
bank,  opposite  Gondar,  is  a  large  Mahometan  village,  of  about 
1000  houses.  The  royal  palace  is  at  the  W.  end  of  the  town,  in 
the  middle  of  a  square  court,  which  is  a  mile  in  circumference. 
Originally  it  was  a  square  building,  erected  by  masons  from -In- 
dia, flanked  with  square  towers,  4  stories  in  height,  and  built  of 
stone.  As  this  gradually  decayed  for  want  of  repairs,  diff'ercnt 
princes  added  small  houses  of  one  story  in  different  parts  of  the 
ccurt.  These  are  composed  of  wood  and  clay,  thatched  with, 
straw.  The  two  lower  stories  of  the  original  palace  still  remain. 
The  audience  chamber  is  120  feet  long.  A  substantial  double 
stone  wall  surrounds  the  square.  It  is  30  feet  high.  There  are 
battlements  on  the  outer  wall,  and  a  parapet  roof  between  the 
outer  and  inner.     The  town  contains  numerous  churches. 

AxuM,  the  ancient  capital,  is  in  lat.  14  6  36,  N.  and  Ion.  38  40, 
E.  It  stands  in  a  plain,  140  miles  N.  E.  from  Gondar,  and  120 
from  the  Red  sea.  It  is  now  a  mere  heap  of  ruins.  In  one  square, 
apparently  near  the  centre,  there  are  40  obelisks.  They  are  each 
a  single  piece  of  granite.  Two  magnificent  flights  of  steps,  each 
several  hundred  feet  long,  are  the  only  remains  of  a  superb  tem- 
ple. It  is  watered  by  a  small  perennial  stream,  which  still  flows 
into  a  magnificent  bason,  150 feet  square.  Ihe  present  townj  at 
a  little  distance  from  the  ruins,  contains  about  600  houses. 

Sire  is  larger  than  modern  Axum.  It  is  in  lat.  14  4  35,  N. 
and  in  Ion.  38,  E.  Its  form  is  that  of  a  half  moon,  and  the  town  is 
famous  for  the  manufacture  of  coarse  cottons. 

Masuah  is  on  a  small  island,  which  is  only  three  quarters  of 
a  mile  long,  and  of  half  that  width*.  Not  more  than  a  third  of  its 
surface  is  covered  with  houses.  The  island  is  in  the  large  bay  of 
Masuah,  in  lat.  15  35  5,  N.  aiid  Ion.  39  36  30,  E.  About  20  of  the 
houses  are  of  stone,  6  or  8  of  which  are  of  two  stories.  The  other 
houses  are  composed  of  poles  and  bent  grass. 

Arkeeko  is  on  the  bay  of  Masuah.  There  is  water  enough 
for  large  vessels  close  to  the  town  ;  but  the  bay  being  open  to  the 
>J.  E.  makes  it  uneasy  riding  in  blowing  weather.  The  town  con- 
-tains  about  400  houses,  built  principally  of  coarse  grass,  like  reeds. 

Comincrce.~\  Before  the  discovery  of  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope, 
the  commerce  of  this  country  was  valuable.  It  was  cari'ied  on 
chiefly  with  Arabia  and  India,  and  Masuali  was  a  harbor  of  great 


753  ABYSSINIA. 

resort  Gold,  ivory,  elephants,  and  buffaloes'  hides,  were  the 
chief  exports  ;  and  they  are  now  exported  to  some  extent.  Slaves 
also  are  exported  to  India  and  Arabia.  The  imports  from  Ara- 
bia arc  blue  cotton,  Surat  cloths,  cotton  in  bales,  Venetian  beads, 
drinking  and  looking-glasses,  and  crude  antimony.  A  small  car- 
avan goes  yearly  to  Cairo,  laden  with  gold  dust. 


CHAPTER  II. 


NATURAL  GEOGRAPHY. 
CLIMATE,  FACE  OF  THE  COUNTRY,  RIVERS,  LAKE,  MOUNTAfNS. 

CUmate.~\  THE  rainy  season  commences  in  April,  and 
ends  about  the  8th  of  September.  An  unpleasant  sickly  season 
follows,  till  about  the  20th  of  October,  when  the  rains  recommence. 
They  then  continue  constant,  but  moderate,  till  about  the  8th  of 
November.  All  epidemic  diseases  cease  with  the  latter  rains. 
The  heat  depends  on  the  elevation  of  the  ground.  Bruce  kept  a 
register  of  the  weather  at  Gondar  upwards  of  a  year  and  three 
months.  The  greatest  elevation  of  the  mercury  was  9 1  °,  in  April, 
the  least,  54°,  in  July.  The  hills  are  generally  healthy,  and  great 
numbers  of  the  towns  and  villages  are  built  on  them.  The  more 
prevalent  diseases  are  violent  fevers,  which  prove  fatal  on  the  5th 
day  ;  the  tertian  fever  ;  the  dysentery  ;  the  hanzea,  a  species  of 
king's  evil ;  ihe/arenieitj  or  worm  of  Pharaoh  ;  and  the  elephan- 
tiasis. 

J^ace  of  the  Country."]  The  surface  in  the  middle  and  S.  is 
generally  rugged  and  mountainous,  and  abounds  with  forests  and 
morasses.  It  is  also  interspersed  with  many  fertile  valleys  and 
plains.     In  the  N.  it  is  chiefly  a  flat  country. 

Soil  and  A^iculturc.~\  The  soil,  though  often  thinly  spread, 
is  rendered  extremely  px'oductive  by  the  rains,  and  the  overflow- 
ing of  the  rivers.  Wherever  it  can  be  tilled  and  well  watered,  it 
yields  abundant  cropb.  The  inhabitants  first  sow  a  crop  of  bar- 
ley about  the  last  of  April.  It  ripens  in  the  rains  in  June,  and  is 
carried  from  the  fields  to  prevent  its  rotting.  They  then  sow 
fitches,  which  ripen  in  August.  In  September  they  sow  wheat 
or  teff^  which  is  cut  down  in  December.  Those  who  have  water, 
sow  barley  or  fitches  again  in  January.  At  a  medium  a  harvest 
is  only  about  20  for  1 .  They  never  manure  the  ground,  and  the  rats 
and  ants  constantly  devour  the  crop.  All  their  harvests  are  not 
equal  to  one  in  Egypt. 

Rivera.']  The  eastern  branch  of  the  Nile,  called  the  Ba/iar  JSl 
jisrek,  rises  in  Abyssinia,  and  is  for  some  distance  its  eastern  boun- 
dary.    It  has  heretofore  been  minutely  described. 

The  Atbara^  heretofore  called  the  Siris,  the  Astaboras,  and  the 
Tacazze.)  has  three  sources,  the  most  remote  of  which  rises  near 
the  village  of  Gourie  in  the  province  of  Angot,  250  miles  E.  S.  E. 


Eastern  coast  of  Africa.  755 

«f  GondaF.  It  pursues  a  N.  W.  course  of  about  800  miles,  join** 
ing  the  Nile,  in  lat.  17  50,  N.  The  novihern  j^ngrab,  which  rises 
near  Gondar,  falls  into  the  Atbara  on  the  W.  and  still  lower 
down  the  Guangue.  The  Mareb  \^  a  stream  which  rises  in  the 
mountains,  on  the  borders  of  the  Red  sea ;  and,  passing  about 
midway  between  Arkecko  and  Axum,  runs  N.  W.  to  join  the  At- 
bara in  the  desert  of  Sennaar. 

The  Rafiady  or  Dender,  is  a  considerable  river,  that  joins  the 
Kile  from  the  E.  40  miles  below  Sennaar. 

Xff/tf .]  The  lake  of  Tzana,  or  Dembea,  lies  24  miles  S.  S.  W. 
of  Gondar.  It  is  49  miles  in  length,  from  N.  to  S.  and  35  in 
breadth.  It  contains  10  or  12  islands,  some  of  considerable  sizc- 
The  Bahar  el  Asrek  passes  through  it. 

Mountains.'^  A  chain  of  mountains  runs  along  the  whole  coast 
of  the  Red  sea,  from  Suez  to  Babelmandel.  In  lat.  13,  achaiix 
leaves  it  to  the  S.  W.  and  W.  which  crosses  the  Nile  at  its  cat- 
aracts, and  unites  with  the  mountains  of  Tugula.  Still  farther  S. 
a  chain  seems  to  separate  from  it  in  the  same  direction,  and  pass- 
ing S.  of  the  Nile,  to  join  the  mountains  of  the  Moon. 


EASTERN  COAST  OF  AFRICA. 


'  THE  coast,  from  Cape  Gardefan,  to  the  equator,  is  called, 
^jan^  the  Azatiia  of  Ptolemy,  and  includes  the  kingdoms  of  Adcly 
■^nd  Magadaxo. 

Adel.  Adel  lies  S.  E.  of  Abyssinia,  has  the  country  ot  the 
Gallas  on  tl\e  W.  and  Magadaxo  on  the  S.  We  do  not  know  ita 
exact  limits.  It  commences,  on  the  N.  W.  at  the  Straits  of  Ba- 
belmandel. It  revolted  from  Abyssinia  about  the  year  1320  ;  and 
after  having  since  been  repeatedly  subjugated  by  that  country,  is 
now  independent.  The  inhabitants  are  Mahometans.  The  king 
is  absolute.  Heretofore  he  has  been  tributary  to  the  Grand  Seign- 
ior, and  has  been  assisted  by  troops  from  Arabia,  against  the 
Abyssinians.  The  country  is  populous,  and  has  proved  too  pow- 
erful for  its  enemy.  Several  of  the  provinces  of  Abyssinia  are^ 
now  subject  to  Adel.  The  inhabitants  are  tawney,  and  have  long, 
straight  hair.  Zcila^  its  principal  seaport,  is  about  50  miles  S.  of  thu 
Straits  of  Babelmandel,  at  the  head  of  the  Gulf  of  Zeila.  Adelj 
'  the  royal  residence,  is  in  lat.  8  5,  N.  Ion.  44  20,  E.  on  the  Ha- 
wash.  Anaem  is  a  seaport  on  the  eastern  coast,  and  uMcta  on  the 
northern.  The  country,  though  it  seldom  has  any  rain,  is  so  well 
watered  by  rivers  and  canals,  that  it  is  very  fertile  and  productive. 
It  yields  abundance  of  wheat,  barley,  and  millet.  The  chief  ex- 
ports are  gold  dust,  frankincense,  ivory,  and  slaves.  The  Arabs 
come  to  Zcila  :o  trade  with  the  Adelites.  The  dress  of  the  in- 
habitants consists  of  a  piece  of  cotton,  which  coveru  tiieni  froja 
VOt.    IP.  9;-; 


f54  EASTERN  COAST  OF  AFRICA. 

the  girdle  to  the  knee.     The  Arabs  call  them  the    Gibbertisy  or 
faithful. 

Magadoxo.  This  kingdom  is  said  to  extend  on  the  coast 
from  about  lat.  5,  N.  to  the  month  of  the  Jubboo,  which  empties 
tinder  the  equator.  It  bounds  N.  on  Adel,  and  S.  on  Melinda. 
Its  limits  in  the  interior  are  not  ascertained.  The  inhabitants,  of 
■wnatevcr  extract,  (for  some  of  them  are  white,  others  tawney, 
others  olive,  and  others  quite  black,)  speak  Arabic.  They  arc 
stout,  and  warlike  ;  and,  among  other  weapons,  use  poisoned  ar- 
rows and  lances.  The  king  and  his  court  are  Mahometans,  and 
most  of  the  inhabitants  are  of  the  same  religion.  A  few  in  the 
interior  are  Abyssinian  christians.  Magadoxo,  the  capital,  ill 
about  lat.  2  SO,  N.  is  a  place  of  great  commerce  with  the  Arabs, 
and  the  people  of  Adel.  Gold,  ivory,  wax,  and  slaves,  are  export- 
ed for  cotton,  silk,  spices,  and  drugs.  The  city  stands  at  the 
mouth  of  a  very  large  river,  called  by  the  Arabs  The  J^'ile  of  Mag- 
adoxo. It  is  said  to  rise  in  the  mountains ■  of  the  Moon,  The 
country  is  less  fertile  than  Adel,  particularly  on  the  coast. 

The  coast  south  of  the  equator,  as  far  as  about  lat.  24,  is  called 
TTie  Coast  of  Zang-uebar  ;  which  is  said  to  import  the  coast  of  the 
negroes.     It  comprehends  a  number  of  kingdoms. 

Melinda.  This  kingdom  bounds  N.  on  Magadoxo,  reaching 
to  the  equator.  The  inhabitants  are  chiefly  Mahometans,  but 
some  are  idolaters.  The  king  is  absolute,  and  is  held  in  great 
veneration  by  his  subjects.  He  is  to  a  degree  dependent  on  Por- 
tugal. The  proper  aborigines  arc  negroes,  but  great  numbers  of 
Arabs  are  found  here.  The  men  wear  the  Mahometan  turban. 
Their  other  dress  is  a  piece  of  cotton,  reaching  from  the  girdle  to 
the  knees.  Melinda,  the  capital,  is  in  lat.  2  50,  S.  The  Abyssin- 
ians  call  it  Tarshish.  It  is  in  a  beautiful  plain,  on  the  coast,  sur- 
rounded by  fine  gardens  and  orchards.  The  houses  are  built  of 
square  stone.  They  are  for  the  most  part  handsome,  and  some 
are  even  magnificent.  It  is  the  habitation  of  many  wealthy  mer- 
chants, Arabs,  and  Portuguese.  The  exports  are  gold,  copper, 
ivory,  wax,  and  drugs.  The  harbor  is  difficult  of  access,  because 
of  the  rocks  and  shelves.  On  this  account  vessels  are  obliged  to 
anchor  at  a  distance  from  the  town.  The  Portuguese  have  a  for- 
tress here,  and  several  churches.  The  territory  is  generally  rich 
and  fertile.  The  necessaries  of  life  are  abundant,  and  the  fine 
tropical  fruits  are  found  in  high  perfection. 

MoMBAzA.  This  is  the  next  country  S.  of  Melinda.  The  Por- 
tuguese early  subjugated  it,  but  were  driven  out  by  an  Arabian 
Sheikh,  in  1631.  They  reconquered  it  in  1729  ;  and,  we  believe, 
have  now  the  sole  government.  The  people  are  more  civilized 
than  any  others  on  the  coast.  The  aboriginal  blacks  are  partly 
idolaters,  and  partly  Mahometans.  Tiie  Arabs  arc  Mahometans, 
and  are  numerous.  The  Portuguese  are  also  numerous,  and  arc 
Christians.  Mombazo.^  the  capital,  is  in  lat.  3  45,  S.  It  has  a  deep 
and  commodious  harbor,  and  is  well  defended.  The  streets  are 
straight  and  narrow.  The  houses  are  built  of  stone,  with  terraced 
rcn^fs.     Its  commerce  is  extensive.     The  climate  is   said  to  be 


EASTERN  COAST  OF  AFRICA.  Y^t 

healthy,  and  the  soil  xs  highly  productive.  Millet  and  rice  are 
principally  cultivated. 

QuiLOA.  The  Portuguese  possess  Quiloa,  a  country  lying  Si. 
of  Mombazo,  and  extending  about  60  leagues  from  N.  to  S. 
Most  of  the  inhabitants  are  Mahometans.  The  king  is  absolute 
over  his  own  subjects,  but  tributary  to  the  Portuguese.  The  Ar- 
abic is  universally  spoken.  The  inhabitants  are  chiefly  negroes, 
but  some  are  Arabs.  The  city  of  Quiloa  is  in  lat.  8  50,  S.  It 
stands  on  an  island,  near  the  mouth  of  the  Coaro,  and  is  said  to 
be  large,  rich,  and  well  built.  The  houses  are  of  stone,  several 
stories  high,  and  have  large  gardens  behind  them.  The  climate 
is  healthy,  and  on  the  coast,  temperate.  The  soil  is  genex-ally 
fertile,  and  produces  millet,  rice,  fruits,  and  good  pasture. 

MosAMBiquE.  South  of  Quiloa  lies  Mosambique.  It  is  of 
very  considerable  extent  along  the  coast,  reaching  from  about  lat. 
10  to  15,  S.  Vasco  de  Garaa  lauded  at  the  capital  in  1492.  At 
that  time  the  country  was  subject  to  the  king  of  Quiloa.  We 
know  not  when  it  became  independent  of  that  monarch.  The  in- 
habitants are  chiefly  black,  and  the  Arabs  are  not  numerous.  Ar- 
abic, however,  is  extensively  spoken.  The  Portuguese  have  long 
been  the  real  masters  of  the  kingdom.  The  capital  is  situated 
on  the  small  island  of  Mosambique^  2  miles  from  the  main,  in 
about  lat.  14,  S.  It  is  handsomely  built,  has  a  number  of  elegant 
churches  and  convents,  and  is  protected  and  kept  in  subjection,  by 
a  very  strong  fort,  at  a  little  distance.  There  are  several  con- 
siderable ports  on  the  main.  Ivory,  ebony,  slaves,  and  cattle,  are 
exported.  The  soil  of  the  island  is  a  white,  barren  sand.  That 
of  the  country  is  rich,  and  produces  millet,  rice,  and  various 
fruits  and  vegetables.  Vast  numbers  of  cattle  are  here  I'aised. 
The  forests  abound  with  elephants,  wild  boars,  and  stags. 

MoNOMOTAPA.  This  is  also  an  extensive  country,  reaching 
from  about  lat.  15  to  20  S.  and  stretching  420  miles  along  the 
coast.  About  tv^o  centuries  ago,  the  whole  of  the  coast  o/"  Zan- 
guebar^^.  of  Mosambique,  was  subject,  or  tributary  to  the  empe- 
ror of  Monomotapa  ;  but  the  country  S.  of  lat.  20  was  divided  into 
several  tributary  kingdoms.  Whctlier  these  are  now  dependant 
or  not,  we  cannot  learn.  The  emperor,  however,  is  still  power- 
ful. The  influence  of  the  Portuguese  is  considerable.  The  na- 
tives are  all  black.  They  are  well  shaped,  robust,  active,  and 
fond  of  war.  Their  dress  consists  of  a  single  piece  of  cloth,  de- 
pending from  the  girdle.  That  of  the  common  people  Is  of  dyed 
cotton,  that  of  the  rich,  of  India  silk.  Polygamy,  to  any  ext  nt,  is 
allowed.  The  emperors,  in  this  particular,  often  rival  the  Jewish 
monarch.  The  metropolis  is  called  Bcncmetajm^  and  is  a  large 
spacious  city,  several  days  journey  from  tlic  coast.  The  houses 
are  neat,  and  are  generally  whitewashed.  The  palace  is  a  very 
large  edifice,  well  flanked  with  towers,  with  four  gates,  defended 
by  a  numerous  guard.  The  Portuguese  are  settled  on  the  coast, 
and  arc  the  merchants  of  the  country.  Gold  and  ivory  are  ex- 
tensively exported.  The  climate  is  described  as  healthy,  and 
temperate,  and  the  surface  as  chiefly  uplanrl.     There  is  a  chain  of 


Yo^   COLONY  OF  THE  CAPE  OF  GOOD  HOPE. 

high  mountains  in  the  interior,  called  Lupata,  from  which  most  of 
the  gold  is  procured.  The  Zamheze,  or  Cuama,  is  a  long  river 
in  the  southern  part  of  Monomotapa  Proper. 

SoFALA.  This  country,  bounding  Monomotapa  on  the  S.  is 
described  as  reaching  about  140  miles  along  the  coast,  and  350  into 
the  interior.  We  know  not  whether  the  king  is  a  tributary  of  the 
emperor  of  Monomotapa.  A  considerable  number  of  the  inhabi- 
tants are  Mahometans.  The  capital,  Sofala^  is  at  the  mouth  of  a 
large  river  of  the  same  name,  in  about  lat.  21  S.  Bruce  supposes 
that  it  -vvas  the  Ofihir  of  Solomon.  The  Portuguese  have  here  a 
strong  fort.  The  natives  are  black,  with  curley  hair.  Their  dress 
is  the  same  with  that  of  the  Monomotapans.  Large  quantities  of 
gold  are  procured  from  the  mountains. 

Sabia,  or  Sedanda,  is  a  country  of  small  extent,  S.  of  Sofala, 
rich,  fei'tile,  and  populous. 

Inhambane  lies  S.  of  Sabia.  With  this  terminates  the  Zan- 
^ucbar  coast. 

De  La  Goa.  The  bxiy  of  De  La  Goa,  lies  in  lat.  26  S.  and  Ion. 
S2  E.  ;  is  often  visited  by  the  southern  whalers,  and  is  of  considera- 
ble extent.  The  Manica  and  Mafumo,  are  two  large  rivers  which 
fall  into  it.  Mr.  White*  informs  us,  that  a  king  named  Capellah, 
rules  the  country  S.  of  the  Mafumo,  100  miles  along  the  cgast, 
•sm6.  200  into  the  interior  ;  and  that  he  has  14  chiefs  tributary  to 
him.  The  inhabitants  are  Pagans,  of  a  bright  black  color.  They 
are  tall  and  stoui,  and  go  nearly  naked.  The  dry  season  lasts 
from  April  to  October.  The  soil  is  a  rich  black  mould.  Rice, 
maize,  millet,  and  the  sugar  cane  are  cultivated.  Cattle  and  poul- 
try are  very  cheap.  The  wild  beasts,  are  the  tiger,  rhinoceros, 
•wild  boar,  antelope,  hare,  and  rabbit. 

Natal  is  the  name  given  to  the  whole  coast  S.  of  the  coast  of 
Zanguebar,  as  far  as  the  colony  of  the  Cape. 

The  Cnffers,  or  Koiiasis,  are  a  numerous  race,  inhabiting  on  the 
"borders  of  the  Cape  colony.  The  eastern  part  of  that  colony  was 
also  formerly  in  their  possession. 


COLONY  OF  THE  CAPE  OF  GOOD  HOPE. 

CHAPTER  I. 

HISTORICAL  GEOGRAPHY. 

EXTEXT,  BOUNDARIES,  DIVISIONS,  NAMES,  HISTORY,  RELIGION, 
MISSIONS,  GOVERNMENT,  POPULATION,  REVENUE,  MANNERS  AND 
CUSTOMS,    TOWNS,  TRAVELLING,  COMMERCE. 

Extent.~\  ACCORDING  to  Barrow,  whose  judicious 
work  will  be  made  the  basis  of  our  remarks  on  this  important 
colony,  its  eastern  limit  is  the  mouth  of  Great  Fi'gh  river,  in  Ion. 

*  Voyage  to  Madr^Sj  IS W,  4rc!. 


COLONY  OF  THE  CAPE  OF  GOOD  HOPE.       757 

28  20  E.  Its  northern,  on  the  Atlantic,  is  the  mouth  of  the  Kous- 
&ie,  in  lat.  29  55  S.  Cape  L'Aguillas,  the  southern  extremity  of 
the  continent,  i*  in  lat.  34  50  S.  The  length  on  the  S.  coast,  from 
Cape  Point  to  Great  Fish  river,  is  580  miles  ;  on  the  N.  from  the 
river  Koussie,  to  Zuureberg,  520.  The  breadth  in  the  W.  from 
the  Koussie  to  Cape  Point,  is  315  ;  in  the  middle  from  Nicuweldt 
mountains,  to  Plettenberg's  bay,  160  ;  in  the  E.  from  the  mouth  ■ 
of  Tush  river,  to  Plettenberg's  Baaken,  225.  These  measures 
give  a  parallellogram,  whose  mean  length  is  550  miles,  and  mean 
breadth  233  ;  comprehending  an  area  of  1  28,150  square  miles. 

Boundaries.']  On  the  N.  lie  several  extensive  arid  plains,  and 
several  large  tracts  of  country  inhabited  by  the  Bosjesinen  ;  on  the 
E.  the  land  of  the  Caffres  ;  on  the  S.  the  Southern  ocean  ;  and  on 
the  W.  the  Atlantic.  The  J^Tamacjuas,  on  the  N.  W.  are  chielly 
within  the  colony  ;  as  are  some  of  the  Caffres^  and  many  of  the 
JBosjesvicn. 

Divisions.']  The  colony  is  divided  into  four  ditricts  ;  1.  Cafie 
district  in  the  S.  W.  which  reaches  on  the  Atlantic  ocean  lo  Helena 
bay,  about  120  miles  ;  and,  on  the  southern,  only  to  the  middle  of 
False  bay  :  2.  Stellenborch  district  in  the  W.  which  reaches 
from  the  Koussie  to  Helena  bay,  on  the  Atlantic  j  and  from  the 
middle  of  False  bay  to  the  mouth  of  Breede  river,  on  the  southern  ; 
while,  in  the  interior,  it  stretches  eastward  to  Lion's  x-iver,  as  far 
as  Ion.  23  E.  :  3.  Zrjellendam  district^  which  reaches  from  Breede 
river  to  Great  river,  that  falls  into  Camtoos  bay,  on  the  coast,  and 
no  where  extends  far  into  the  interior  :  4.  Graaft  Reynet  dis- 
trict, which  comprizes  all  the  country  E.  of  Lyon's  river,  and  N. 
E.  of  Zwellendam. 

A^'ames,']  Bartholomew  Diaz  first  discovered  the  Cape,  which 
gives  name  to  the  colony.  He  called  it  Cabo  doa  Tormeiitos^  or 
the  Cafie  of  Storms  ;  but  his  master,  John  H.  king  of  Portugal, 
gave  it  a  name  of  better  omen,  the  Cafie  of  Good  Hojie. 

History.']  Diaz  discovered  the  Cape  in  1487,  but  went  no 
farther.  Vasco  de  Gama,  also  a  Portuguese,  reached  the  Cape  on 
the  20th  of  November,  1497,  on  his  way  to  Calicut;  and  was  the 
first  voyager,  that  ever  coasted  the  southern  shore  of  Africa ;  un- 
less we  admit,  that  Sesostris  circumnavigated  that  continent. 
The  Portuguese,  soon  after,  planted  a  settlement  at  the  mouth  of 
Great  Fish  river,  then  called  by  them  Jiio  d* Infante,  after  the  ad- 
miral, who  projected  the  settlement,  on  the  eastern  frontier  of  the 
present  English  colony.  This  place  they  abandoned  for  want  of 
shelter  for  their  shipping,  which  they  found  farther  E.  in  the  bay 
ofDELAGoA.  After  this  the  English,  Dutch,  and  Portuguese, 
made  use  of  the  cape  merely  as  a  watering  place,  till  1620  ;  when 
the  commanders  of  two  English  fleets,  bound  for  Surat  and  Ban- 
tam took  formal  possession  in  the  name  of  James  L  ;  but  the  Eng- 
iish  did  nothing  towards  planting  a  colony.  In  1650  the  Dutch 
East  India  company,  in  consequence  of  the  favorable  representa- 
tions of  Van  Riebeck,  a  surgeon  of  an  India  ship,  sent  to  the  cape 
a  colony  of  loo  males  ;'  and  soon  after  as  many  females  from  the 
houses  of  industry  in  Holland.    The  company  laid  the  colony  un- 


758       COLONY  OF  THE  CA.PE  OF  GOOD  HOPfe. 

der  such  severe  restrictions,  that  it  never  flourished.  The  English," 
under  Sir  James  Craig,  in  September  1795,  took  possession  of  the 
cape  in  the  name  of  the  prince  of  Orange.  They  restored  it  to 
Holland,  at  the  peace  of  Amiens,  in  March  1802.  An  English 
squadron,  under  Sir  Home  Pophan,  anchored  in  Saldanha  bay,  on 
the  6th  of  January,  1806.  On  that,  and  the  following  day,  7000 
troops  we'*e  landed  under  Sir  David  Baird.  The  capitulation  was 
signed  on  the  10th,  by  general  Jansen,  the  Dutch  governor. 

ReUgio7u']  Calvhjism  was  the  established  religion  of  the  colo- 
ny while  in  the  hands  of  the  Dutch.  Other  sects  were  tolerated. 
The  Lutherans  and  Methodists  had  each  a  church  at  Cape  Town. 
The  Malay  Mahometans,  having  been  refused  a  church,  per- 
formed their  public  service  in  the  stone  quarries  at  the  head  of 
the  town.  The  funds  of  the  Calvinistic  church  at  that  place,  in 
1798,  amounted  to  22,168/.  8s.  M.  ;  and  their  annual  grants  to  the 
poor,  (o  1,112/.  17s.  The  funds  of  the  Lutherans  were  14,829/. 
13s.  2d.  ;  and  their  grants  to  the  poor,  194/.  9s.  2d.  The  Church 
of  England  is  probably  now  established. 

Missiona.~\  The  Moravians,  many  years  ago,  established,  and 
have  to  this  time  successfully  maintained,  a  mission  at  Bavian's 
Kloof,  Avithin  the  limits  of  this  colony.  About  the  beginning  of 
the  present  century,  immediately  after  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope 
and  its  dependencies  came  into  the  possession  of  the  British  na- 
tion, a  number  of  missionaries,  with  the  venerable  Dr.  Vander- 
KEjNiP  at  their  head,  were  sent  to  this  southern  part  of  Africa,  by 
tlie  London  Missionary  Society,  whose  labors  among  the  colonists, 
but  especially  among  the  natives,  have  been  attended  with  vari- 
ous degrees  of  success,  and  are  still  continued. 

Government^  Previous  to  the  first  seizure  by  the  English,  the 
colony  was  committed  to  the  direction  of  a  governor,  appointed  by 
the  East  India  Company.  After  the  capture  it  was  entrusted  to 
a  governor  and  lieutenant  governor,  appointed  by  the  crown  ; 
who  also  constituted  the  high  court  of  appeals.  A  burgher 
senate,  or  council  of  burghers,  consisting  of  7  members  chosen 
out  of  the  burghers  of  the  town,  is  a  court  having  original  juris- 
diction in  the  cape  district,  and  appellate  jurisdiction  in  the  other 
three.  Over  each  district  ifs  placed  a  civil  magistrate,  called  a 
Landrost  ;  who,  with  six  Hvmraaden.,  or  a  council  oi  county  bur- 
ghers, have  power  to  regulate  the  police  of  the  district,  superin- 
tend the  affairs  of  government,  and  adjust  litigations.  An  appeal 
lies  from  them  to  the  burgher  senate. 

Fo/tulation.^  Barrov/  estimated  the  population  of  the  whole 
colony,  in  1797,  whites,  slaves,  and  Hottentots,  at  60,000,  or  1  to 
every  2  square  miles  ;  of  Avhom  22,000  were  christians.  The  pop- 
ulation of  the  cape  district,  at  that  time,  consisted  of  6,261  free 
pei'sons,  chiefly  whites,  and  11,891  slaves  :  total  18,152.  As  the 
colony  was  very  flourishing  during  its  former  possession,  and  has 
been  equally  so  since  the  late  capture,  its  population  must  have 
greatly  increased. 

Revenue.^  The  revenue  is  collected  from  rents  of  leased 
r^nds;  taxes  on  produce,  aucticns,  the  of  sale  lands  and  buildings, 


COLONY  OF  THE  CAPE  OF  GOOD  HOPE.       759 

Uie  customs  and  port  fees,  portage,  seizures,  fines  and  penalties, 
licenses,  loans,  and  stamps.  In  1801  it  amounted  to  90,142/.  13*. 
4rf.  sterling  ;  and,  during  the  whole  government  of  Lord  Macart- 
ney, was  more  than  adequate  to  the  expenditure. 

Manners  and  Customs.']  The  free  inhabitants  of  the  colony- 
consist  of  4  classes  :  the  inhabitants  of  the  capital,  wine-growers, 
corn-farmers,  and  graziers.  The  inhabitants  of  the  town  consist 
of  the  magistrates  and  clergy;  of  a  sort  of  gentry,  who,  having 
estates  in  the  country,  retail  the  profits  of  them  by  means  of  their 
agents,  usually  Jew  brokers,  with  whom  they  lodge  while  in 
town;  of  a  number  of  petty  dealers,  who  call  themselves  mer- 
chants ;  of  mechanics,  who  carry  on  their  several  professions  by 
their  blacks  ;  and  of  free  people  of  color,  many  of  whom  are  me- 
chanics and  fishermen.  Almost  all  of  these  are  petty  dealers  in 
some  way  or  other  ;  and  they  have  all  a  remarkable  propensity- 
for  public  vendues.  Their  chief  amusements  are  eating,  drink- 
ing, and  smoking.  There  is  not  a  bookseller's  shop  in  the  town. 
The  wine-growers  are  chiefly  of  French  extract.  They  live  on 
lands  possessed  in  fee,  and  occupy  the  best  houses  and  most  valu- 
able estates  in  the  country.  These  estates  are  each  of  about  120 
acres,  and  lie  principally  in  the  Cape  District.  The  corn-boors 
live  in  the  same  district,  and  in  those  parts  of  Stellenborch  within 
3  days  journey  of  the  town.  They  are  next  in  rank  to  the  wine- 
boors.  They  have  little  intercourse  with  each  other,  and  spend 
tlie  day  in  smoking,  in  lording  it  over  a  few  Hottentots,  and  in  in- 
dulging to  excess  in  the  gratification  of  every  sensual  appetite.- 
The  graziers  are  in  the  more  distant  parts  of  the  colony,  and  are 
the  least  advanced  in  civilization.  They  live  in  hovels,  having 
two  rooms,  in  which  the  parents,  children,  and  house  Hottentots 
ail  sleep.  Their  bedding  consists  of  skins.  The  walls  of  their 
hovels  are  formed  of  mud  or  clay,  baked  in  the  sun.  As  to 
their  clotldng,  they  wear  a  broad-brimmed  hat,  a  blue  shirt,  and 
leather  pantaloons,  no  stockings,  and  a  pair  of  dried  skin  shoes. 
The  women  have  a  thick  quilted  cap  that  tics  with  two  broad 
flaps  under  the  chin,  and  falls  behind  across  the  shoulders ;  a 
short  jacket  and  a  petticoat,  but  no  stockings,  and  often  no  shoes. 
A  large  iron  pot  serves  both  to  boil  and  broil  their  meat.  They 
have  neither  linen  for  the  table,  nor  knives,  forks,  or  spoons.  The 
ton  carves  with  a  large  jack-knife  for  himself  and  the  family. 
Their  huts  and  their  persons  are  equally  dirty  ;  and  their  whole 
appearance  betrays  an  indolence  of  body,  and  a  grovelling  mind. 
The  women  are  greater  drudges  thaji  the  men,  and  yet  these  arc 
not  industrious.  Thongs  cut  from  skins  serve  for  ropes,  and 
fibres  for  thread.  The  Xrraa/.y,  or  folds  of  the  cattle,  are  in  front 
of  the  doors  of  their  houses,  and  are  never  cleaned  out-  All  the 
boors  arc  extremely  cruel  in  their   treatment  of  the  Hottcntots- 

Toivns.]  Cai'e  Town,  the  capital,  is  situated  on  the  S.  E.  an- 
gle of  Table  Bay.  The  Bay  is  faulty  in  every  point  that  consti- 
tutes a  proper  place  for  the  mart  of  shipping,  and  so  boisterous 
for  4  months  in  the  year.  May,  June,  July,  and  August,  when  the 
N.  and  N.  W.  winds  are  sti'ongcst ,  that  no  ship  can  enter  it.     Dur- 


760   COLONY  OF  THE  CAPE  OF  GOOD  HOPE. 

ing  those  months  ships  put  into  Simon's  bay,  a  cove  or  indent  OB 
the  western  shore  of  False  bay»  where  they  find  a  safe  harbor. 
During  the  otlicr  8  months,  when  the  S.  E.  winds  are  predomin- 
ant. Table  bay  affords  a  most  secure  shelter.  The  town  is  built  on  a 
sloping  plain,  that  rises  with  an  easy  ascent  to  the  feet  of  Devil's 
hill,  on  the  E.  of  Table  mountain  on  the  S.  and  of  Lion's  Head  on 
tlie  N.  W.  The  citadel  or  castle,  is  a  pentagonal  fort,  which  com- 
mands the  town  and  the  anchorage  ;  but  is  itself  commanded  by 
the  commencing  acclivity  on  the  E.  This  acclivity  is  now  occu- 
pied by  various  redoubts,  batteries,  and  block  houses,  command- 
ing each  other.  Fort  Knokke  is  connected  with  the  citadel  by  a 
rampart  drawn  along  the  shore,  called  tne  sea  lines,  defended  by 
several  batteries,  mounted  with  heavy  guns,  and  furnished  with 
ovens  for  heating  shot.  On  the  W.  of  the  bay  are  three  strong 
Jjatterics,  Rogge-bai/f  Amsterdam^  and  Chavonne  ;  all  the  guns  of 
which  bear  upon  the  anchorage.  The  MouUle  is  another,  com- 
manding the  entrance.  The  streets  are  straight,  and  cross  eacli 
other  at  right  angles.  Many  of  them  are  well  paved,  open,  and 
airy  ;  with  canals  of  water  running  through  them,  walled  in,  and 
planted  on  each  side  with  rows  of  oaks.  Three  or  four  public 
squares  give  an  openness  to  the  town.  In  one  is  held  the  public: 
market ;  another  is  the  resort  of  the  peasantry  with  their  wag' 
gons  ;  and  another,  near  the  shore  of  the  bay,  and  between  the 
town  and  the  castle,  is  a  place  of  parade  for  the  troops.  This  is 
an  open,  airy,  and  extensive  plain,  perfectly  level,  composed  of  a 
bed  of  firm  clay,  covered  with  small  hard  gravel.  It  is  surrounded 
by  canals  or  ditches,  which  receive  the  waters  of  the  town,  and 
convey  them  into  the  bay.  Two  of  its  sides  are  completely- 
built  up  with  large  and  handsome  liouses  ;  and  a  third  is  occu- 
pied by  the  barracks,  a  large,  well-designed  regular  build- 
ing, with  two  wings.  The  upper  part  of  this  building  is  large 
enough  to  contain  4000  men.  The  castle  contains  barracks  for 
1000,  lodgings  for  the  officers  of  one  regiment,  magazines  for  ar- 
tillery, stores,  and  ammunition,  and  most  of  the  public  offices  of 
government.  The  other  public  buildings  area  Calvinist,  Luther- 
an, Episcopal,  and  Methodist  church,  a  guard  house,  in  Avhich  the 
Burgher  Senate  meet,  a  large  building  for  the  government 
slaves, and  a  court  house.  The  houses,  1145  in  number  in  1797, 
are  built  with  great  regularity  and  order.  They  are  generally 
■white-washed,  with  the  doors  and  windows  painted  green,  two 
stories  high,  with  flat  roofs,  and  a  kind  of  pediment  in  the  centre 
of  the  front.  The  population  at  that  time  consisted  of  about 
5,500  whites,  and  12,000  blacks.  The  number  of  marriages  for 
8  years  (1790-1798)  was  1449,  of  baptisms  2589,  and  of  burials 
1173.  The  whites  are  on  the  whole,  an  idle,  dissolute  race  of 
men,  subsisting  chiefly  on  the  labor  of  their  slaves.  Provisions 
are  very  cheap,  while  labor  is  dear  ;  as  are  house-rent,  fuel,  and 
clothing.  Inmiense  numbers  of  dogs  prowl  about  the  streets, 
particularly  by  night,  when  they  quit  their  dens  and  lurking  places 
in  quest  of  the  offals  of  butchers'  shops  ;  and  the  wolves  and  hye- 
nas occasionally  descend  from  their  deus  in  the  Table  Mountain, 


COLONY  OF  THE  CAPE  OF  GOOD  HOPE.       761 

.to  dispute  their  spoil  with  the  dogs.  At  such  times  the  town  re- 
sounds with  their  hideous  howlings  during  the  whole  night.  The 
settlers  seem  to  have  fixed  on  this  spot  for  the  site  of  the  town, 
for  the  convenience  of  water,  which  rushes  in  a  plentiful  stream 
out  of  the  Table  mountain. 

Travelling.'\  The  roads  near  the  cape  are  good.  But  in  the 
great  body  of  the  colony,  their  character  depends  on  the  nature 
of  the  surface  and  of  the  soil  ;  as  they  are  wholly  neglected  by  the 
boors.  The  passes  of  the  mountains,  and  the  fords  of  the  rivers, 
are  often  extremely  difficult  and  dangerous.  The  established 
mode  of  performing  long  journies,  is  in  covered  waggons,  drawn 
by  bullocks.  These  carriages  are  strong,  light,  and  expensive  ; 
and  in  them  are  carried  all  the  necessaries  for  a  journey  in  a  coun- 
try where  there  are  no  taverns,  and  where  often  the  houses  are 
many  days' journey  apart.  They  are  drawn  by  a  team  of  10  or 
12  oxen.  Each  day's  journey  is  from  5  to  15  hours,  according  to 
local  circumstances.  It  is  customary  to  travel  by  night,  that  the 
cattle  may  graze,  or  rather  browse,  by  day.  Where  the  country 
is  tolerably  level,  and  the  surface  hartl,  an  ox  will  travel  3  miles 
an  hour;  at  which  rate  he  will  continue  10  or  12  hours  without 
halting.  As  a  specimen  of  the  common  difficulties  of  travelling, 
Barrow  mentions  the  manner  of  crossing  Breede  river,  a  stream 
40  yards  wide.  This  is  done  by  a  small  flat  bottomed  tub,  about 
6  feet  by  3.  In  this  machine  two  travellers  haul  themselves  over, 
by  a  rope  fixed  to  two  posts,  one  on  each  side  of  the  river.  When 
a  horse  is  to  cross,  the  saddle  is  taken  off,  the  rider  gets  into  the 
tub,  and  drags  the  animal  after  him.  But  when  a  waggon  is  to  be 
transported,  it  must  first  be  unladen,  and  the  baggage  carried 
over  in  the  vessel  ;  the  carriage  is  then  made  fast  by  one  end  to 
the  tub,  and  the  otlier  is  buoyed  up  by  a  cask,  and  in  this  manner 
it  is  dragged  over.  Thus  half  a  day  is  spent,  when  a  few  planks 
properly  put  together,  would  enable  a  waggon  to  pass  in  5  minutes. 

Hospitality  to  strangers  characterizes  all  the  boors.  A  coun- 
tryman, a  foreigner,  a  relation,  a  friend,  are  all  equally  welcome  to 
whatever  the  house  will  afford.  A  Dutch  farmer  never  passes  a 
house  on  the  road  without  alighting,  except  hideed  his  next  neigh- 
bor's, with  whom  it  is  ten  to  one  he  is  at  variance.  If  two  peasants 
meet,  though  perfect  strangers,  they  instantly  dismount  to  shake 
hands.  When  a  traveller  arrives  at  a  habitation,  he  alights,  en- 
ters the  house,  shakes  hands  with  the  men,  kisses  the  women,  and 
sits  down  without  farther  ceremony.  When  the  table  is  served, 
he  takes  his  place  without  an  invitation.  If  there  is  a  bed  in  the 
house,  he  has  it.  If  not,  he  sleeps  on  a  bench  or  a  heap  of  sheep 
skins,  among  the  rest  of  the  family.  In  the  moi'ning,  after  a  solid 
breakfast,  he  takes  his  so^iie,  or  a  glass  of  brandy,  orders  his  Hot- 
tentot to  get  ready  the  horse  or  waggon,  shakes  hands  will)  the 
men,  and  kisses  the  women  ;  he  wishes  them  health,  and  thty 
wish  him  a  good  journey.  In  this  manner  he  may  pass  through 
the  whole  countrjt. 

CommerceP^  Wine  and  brandy  are  the  staple  commodities  of 
ihe  Cape.  Ten  or  twelve  different  kinds  of  wine  are  manufactured. 

.vol.  Hi  96 


761   COLONY  OF  THE  CAPE  OF  GOOD  HOPE. 

The  other  exports  are  grain  and  pulse,  wool,  hides  and  skins, 
whale  oil  and  bone,  dried  fruits,  salt  provisions,  soap  and  candles, 
aloes,  ivory,  ostrich  feathers,  and  tobacco.  The  value  of  wine  and 
brandy  exported,  is  about  850,000 ;  that  of  aloes  6500  ;  that  of 
skiris  6000  ;  that  of  dried  fruit  3000  ;  that  of  ivory  1600  ;  and  that 
of  ostrich  feathers  1000.     The  total  value  of  exports  for  4  years, 

(1799 1802)  was  g300,925.     The  imports  for  the  same  period, 

amounted  to  £1,195,507  3«.  6d.  currency.  The  imports  from 
England  were  woollens,  cottons,  hardware,  cutlery,  haberdashery, 
millinary,  boots,  shoes,  stationary,  furniture,  paints  and  oils,  earth- 
en ware,  naval  stores,  smoked  meats,  cheese,  and  pickles  ;  from 
the  E.  Surat  piece-goods,  tea,  coffee,  sugar,  pepper,  spices,  and 
rice  ;  from  America,  lumber,  salt-fish,  pitch  and  turpentine ; 
from  the  N.  of  Europe,  iron,  plank,  French  wines,  beer,  gin,  Selt- 
zer water,  coffee,  and  preserves  ;  and  slaves  from  the  coast 
of  Guinea.  The  small  amount  of  exports,  was  owing  to  the 
previous  severe  restrictions  of  the  Dutch  East  India  company,  by 
which  the  enterprize  of  the  colony  had  been  completely  cramped ; 
and  from  the  effects  of  which,  it  will  demand  a  considerable  pe- 
riod ©f  liberal  encouragement  to  raise  it. 


CHAPTER  n. 


NATURAL  GEOGRAPHY.  ^^n:i 

C&IMATE,  FACE  OF    THE  COUNTRY,    AGRICULTURE,  RIV£RS,  BAYS^ 

MOUNTAINS. 

Climate.']  THOUGH  it  has  been  usual  to  consider  the 
year  as  consisting  of  two  periods,  the  good  and  the  bad  monsoon  ; 
yet,  as  these  are  neither  regular  in  their  returns,  nor  cex'tain  in 
their  continuance,  the  division  into  four  seasons,  the  reverse  of 
those  in  northern  latitudes,  is  more  proper.  The  spring,  from  the 
first  of  September  to  the  first  of  December,  is  the  most  agreeable. 
The  summer,  from  December  to  March,  is  the  hottest;  the  au- 
tumn, from  March  to  June,  is  variable,  but  generally  fine  and 
pleasant  weather.  The  winter,  from  June  to  September,  though 
the  greater  part  of  the  time  pleasant,  is  frequently  stormy,  rainy, 
and  cold.  The  two  most  powerful  winds,  are  the  N.  W.  and  S.  E. 
The  first  commences  towards  the  end  of  May,  and  blows  occa- 
sionally to  the  end  of  August,  and  sometimes  to  the  end  of  Sep- 
tember ;  usually  about  4  months  in  each  year.  1  he  S.  E.  pi*e- 
dominates  the  rest  of  the  year  ;  and,  when  the  cloud  shows  itself 
on  the  mountain,  blows  with  great  violence.  "In  the  midst  of  one 
of  these  storms  of  wind,"  says  the  Abbe  De  la  Caille,  "  the  stars 
look  larger,  and  seem  to  dance  ;  the  moon  has  an  undulating  tre- 
mor ;  and  the  planets  have  a  sort  of  beard,  like  comets." 

The  approach  of  winter  is  first  observed  by  the  S.  E.  winds 
becoming  less  frequent,  less  violent,  and  blowing  c/ecr,  without 


COLONY  OF  THE  CAPE  OF   GOOD  HOPE.      f63 

the  fleecy  cloud  on  the  mountain.  Dews  then  begin  to  fall  very 
heavy,  and  thick,  fo^s  hang,  in  the  morning,  about  the  hills.  The 
N.  W.  winds  feel  raw  and  cold,  and  increase  at  length  to  a  storm, 
with  heavy  rain,  thunder  and  lightning,  continuing  generally  for 
two  or  three  days.  When  the  weather  clears  up,  the  high  moun- 
tain tops  appear  buried  in  snow,  and  the  Table  Land  has  also  a 
slight  sprinkling  of  snow  or  hail.  At  such  times  the  thetmometcr 
at  sunrise  is  about  40°,  and  at  noon  rises  to  70"  ;  making  a  varia- 
tion of  30**  in  5  or  6  hours.  The  general  standard  for  the  three 
winter  months  may  be  reckoned  from  50°  at  sunrise,  to  60' at  noon. 
In  the  middle  of  summer  it  varies  from  70°  to  90°  ;  but  generally 
rests  for  days  together  at  83°  or  84°.  It  has  been  known  to  ex- 
ceed 100°,  but  this  is  rare.  The  heat  of  summer  is  seldom  op- 
pressive. The  mornings  are  sometimes  close  and  sultry,  but  the 
nights  are  always  cool.  A  S.  E.  breeze  usually  blows  from  noon 
till  evening.  When  violent,  and  accompanied  with  the  fleecy 
cloud  on  the  mountain,  a  storm  of  rain  usually  eommences  at 
2  P.  M.  and  continues  in  squalls  till  midnight.  From  November 
to  April,  a  shower  of  rain  scarcely  ever  falls. 

The  barometer  stands  higher  in  the  clear  cold  days  of  winter, 
than  in  the  settled  serene  weather  of  summer.  The  height  of  the 
column  varies  in  the  former  season  from  29.46  to  30.35  inches  ; 
one  point  indicating  a  storm,  with  rain,  thunder,  and  lightning  ; 
5ind  the  other  settled  fair  weather.  The  changeable  point  is  about 
29.95  or  30  inches.  The  slightest  alteration  is  sure  to  indicate  a 
change  of  weather.  The  range  of  the  mercury  in  summer  is  still 
less,  being  scarcely  ever  above  30.10,  or  below  29.74.  The  S.  E. 
winds  seldom  occasion  a  change  of  more  than  0.15.  Happy  for 
the  inhabitants  of  the  town,  these  winds  keep  up  a  constant  circu- 
lation ;  without  which,  the  reflected  heat  from  the  naked  front  of 
the  Table  mountain,  would  make  the  town  insupportable. 

Most  of  the  fatal  diseases  proceed  rather  from  the  mode  of  liv- 
ing, than  from  the  climate.  The  very  frequent  consuinfitions  are 
attributable  partly  to  the  sudden  changes  of  temperature  ;  and 
partly  to  imprudent  exposures,  and  the  very  free  use  of  spiritu- 
ous liquors.  A  confined  and  sedentary  life  ;  eating  to  excess, 
commonly  thrice  a  day,  of  animal  food  swimming  in  fat,  or  made 
up  into  high-seasoned  dishes  ;  drinking  raw  ardent  spirits ;  smok- 
ing tobacco  ;  and,  when  satiated  with  sensual  indulgence,  retiring 
in  the  middle  of  the  day  to  sleep  ;  seldom  using  any  kind  of  ex- 
ercise, and  never  such  as  requires  bodily  exertion  ;  are  the  usual 
habits,  in  which  a  native  of  the  Cape  is  educated.  An  a/io/ilcxi/f 
or  achirrous  liver  is  the  consequence.  The  former  is  seldom  im- 
mediately fatal,  but  terminates  in  a  drofiay.  The  diseases  of  chil- 
dren are  eruptions  and  sore  throats.  The  small-fiox  and  measles 
are  not  endemic.  Instances  of  longevity  are  rare  ;  few  living 
more  than  60  years.  The  mortality  in  the  town  among  the  whites 
is  2^  in  the  loO,  and  among  the  slaves  3  in  the  100.  Bilious  fc- 
vers  carry  off  a  good  many  of  the  slaves  in  the  country. 

J'^ace  of  the  Country.']  The  Cape  Peninsula  is  a  high  moun- 
tainous tract,  between  Table  and  False  Bays,  56  miles  from  N.  t« 


764      COLONY  OF  THE  CAPE  OF  GOOD  HOPE. 

S.  and  8  from  E.  to  W.  connected  with  the  main  by  a  low  flat  isth- 
mus, from  20  to  30  feet  above  high  water  mark.  This  isthmus 
has  few  irregularities  of  surface,  except  such  as  are  made  by 
ridges  of  sand,  adventitiously  brought  thither  by  the  strong  S.  E. 
winds  from  the  shores  of  False  Bay.  The  Table  Mountain,  flank- 
ed by  the  Devil's  Hill  on  the  E.  and  the  Lion's  Head  on  the  W. 
forms  the  northern  extremity  of  the  peninsula  It  is  composed, 
propei'ly  speaking,  of  one  mountain,  called  the  Table  Land,  broken 
indeed  into  masses  more  or  less  connected  by  several  gorges. 
Some  of  these  masses  have  horizental  summits  ;  others  peaked 
and  conical  ;  some  consist  of  broken  fragments  of  rock  ;  others 
are  clothed  with  verdure.  The  sandy  isthmus  is  limited  on  the 
E.  by  a  short  range  of  hills,  called  the  Tigerberg,  at  the  foot  of 
which  are  several  fertile  farms,  gardens,  vineyards,  and  fruit  yards. 
On  the  southern  coast  lies  an  irregular  belt  of  land,  from  20  to 
60  miles  broad,  generally  level  or  agreeably  uneven,  indented  by 
several  bays,  intersected  by  numerous  streamlets,  well  clothed 
with  grass,  and  small  arboreous,  or  fruitescent  plants,  well-wood- 
ed in  many  parts  with  forest  trees,  supplied  with  frequent  rains, 
and  enjoying  a  mild  and  agreeable  temperature.  The  first  chain 
of  mountains  bounds  it  on  the  north.  Beyond  this  chain  lies  a 
valley,  about  as  wide  as  the  belt  on  the  shore,  of  a  very  varied 
surface,  composed  in  some  parts  of  barren  hills  ;  in  others  of  na- 
ked arid  plains,  callexl,  by  the  Hottentots,  Karroos  ;  and  in  others 
of  choice  patches  of  well-watered  and  fertile  grounds.  The  gen- 
eral surface  of  this  second  belt,  has  a  considerable  elevation  above 
the  first,  and  a  less  uniform  temperature  ;  it  is  far  less  valuable. 
On  the  N.  it  is  limited  by  the  Zevarte  Berg,  or  Black  mountains. 
Beyond  this  chain  lies  the  Great  Karroo,  or  arid  desert,  inhabited 
by  no  human  creature.  This  is  about  300  miles  from  E.  to  W, 
and  80  in  breadth,  and  is  far  more  elevated  than  the  second  belt. 
It  is  scarcely  ever  moistened  by  a  shower  of  rain,  exhibits  a  sur- 
face of  clay,  thinly  sprinkled  over  with  sand,  out  of  which  a  few 
shi'ivelled  and  parched  plants  here  and  there  meet  the  eye,  faintly 
extending  their  half  withered  fibres  along  the  ground,  and  strug- 
gling, as  it  were,  to  preserve  their  existence  against  the  exces- 
sive heat  of  summer,  and  the  severe  frosts  of  winter.  The  A''ieu* 
Koveldt'a  Gebergte,  limits  the  Grand  Kooroo  on  the  north. 

Op  the  western  coast,  the  country  likewise  ascends  from  the 
shore,  in  successive  terraces.  Only  a  single  chain  of  mountains 
runs  due  N.  and  S.  This  commences  at  the  Hanglip,  the  S.  E. 
promontory  of  False  Bay  ;  and,  crossing  Berg  River,  continues  a 
direct  course  to  Olifant's  River,  210  miles.  The  belt  between  it 
and  the  sea  is  about  as  broad  as  that  on  the  southern  shore,  but 
far  less  fertile.  The  other  belts  and  chains  run  from  S.  E.  to  N. 
W.  are  successively  higher  than  the  first,  and  are  merely  con- 
tinuations of  those  heretofore  mentioned,  in  a  N.  W.  direction. 
The  most  elevated  chain,  the  Roggexeld,  falls  in  with  the  JVieu- 
ivveldt,  and  is  indeed  the  same.  North  of  Olifant's  River,  the 
continuation  of  the  Zevarte  Berg,  here  called  Karree  Berg,  is  the 
Chain  nearest  to  the  shove.    Between  this  and  the  R.oggeveld  lies 


COLONY  OF  THE  CAPE  OF  GOOD  HOPE.       765 

the  continuation  of  the  Great  Karroo.  The  whole  tract  of  coun- 
try to  the  N.  of  the  Cape,  is  much  more  sandy,  barren,  and  thinly 
inhabited,  than  to  the  E.  in  which  direction  it  increases  in  beauty 
and  fertility  with  the  distance. 

Agriculture.']  Barrow  calculates  that  at  least  half  of  the  land 
in  the  colony  may  be  considered  as  an  unprofitable  waste,  unfit  for 
any  sort  of  culture,  or  even  to  be  employed  as  pasture  for  cattle. 
The  lands  of  this  description  are  either  kooroos,  level,  arid  plains, 
prodocing  a  few  straggling  tufts  of  acrid  saline,  and  succulent 
plants  ;  or  chains  of  mountains  either  totally  naked,  or  clothed  in 
parts  with  sour  grasses  only,  or  such  plants  as  are  noxious  to  an- 
imal life.  In  Europe  the  breath  of  horned  cattle  is  proverbially 
sweet  ;  in  this  colony,  owing  to  the  multitude  of  these  acrid 
plants,  it  is  altogether  nauseous. 

The  lands  are  held  by  the  colonists  by  different  tenures.  Those 
in  fee  simfile  are  chiefly  in  and  near  the  Cape  District,  and  ai'e 
the  choicest  patches  of  land,  consisting  of  120  acres  each.  The 
quit  rents  are  waste  grounds,  contiguous  to  other  estates  leased  by 
government  for  15  years,  at  a  shilling  per  acre.  Of  these  there 
are  35.  The  gratuity  lands  are  a  sort  of  customary  copy-holds, 
107  in  number,  not  of  any  determinate  size,  and  paying  a  rent  of 
24  rix-dollars  a  year.  The  loan-lands  were  farms  granted  to  the 
first  settlers,  and  are  each  a  square  of  3  miles  on  a  side,  (9  square 
miles,  or  5760  acres)  paying  a  rent  of  24  dollars  per  farm.  In 
1798  the  number  ofthese  farms  was  1832,  containing  16,488  square 
miles,  or  10,552,320  acres,  renting  at  43,978  rix-dollars. 

Wine  is  chiefly  cultivated  in  an  extensive  valley  on  Berg 
River,  called  Drakenstein  Valley^  commencing  about  60  miles  E, 
of  the  Cape.  This  valley  is  a  remarkably  fertile  tract  of  land,  and 
is  owned  wholly  in  fee  simple.  About  5000  vine-stocks  are  plant- 
ed on  an  acre,  and  1000  of  these  will  yield  o.  leaguer,  or  pipe  of 
154  gallons.  The  variety  of  wines  is  very  great.  About  6000 
leaguers  are  made  annually  in  this  valley.  Great  quantities  of 
choice  fruits  are  also  raised  here  ;  and  every  month  in  the  year, 
at  Cape  Town,  the  table  may  be  supplied,  at  a  very  low  rate, 
with  10  or  12  diff"erent  sorts  of  fruit,  all  excellent.  The  cele- 
brated Constantia  wine  is  raised  on  two  farms,  close  under  the 
mountains,  about  midway  between  False  and  Table  Bays.  One 
of  the  farms  produces  the  iv/nte,  and  the  other  the  red  Con- 
stantia.  From  150  to  200  leaguers  are  annually  made  of  both. 
The  following  table  shows  the  quantity  and  value  of  the  genuine 
Constantia,  exported  in  four  years. 


Years. 

Leaguers, 

RU-Dollars. 

1799, 

157 

11,752 

1800, 

)88 

14,070 

1801, 

173 

13,007 

1802, 

210 

15,745 

The  other  Cape  wines  are  often  fraudulently  seld  for  Constantia. 
The  colonists  are  generally  very  bad  agriculturalists.     They 


766      COLONY  OF  THE  CAPE  OF  GOOD  HOPE. 

rarely  manure,  except  for  barley  ;  and  the  plows  they  use  are 
Dutch  instruments.  The  common  returns  are  15  for  1  ;  in  the 
good  lands,  from  20  to  30.  The  grain  is  trodden  out  by  cattle. 
Cotton  succeeds  well  in  the  light  sandy  soils.  The  tea  plant  has 
long  been  in  the  colony,  but  is  totally  neglected.  The  coffee. 
and  sugar  cane  may  both  be  profitably  cultivated.  Two  species 
of  indigo  grow  wild.  J^lax  yields  two  crops  a  year.  Hemfi  is 
raised  in  lieu  of  tobacco.  The  cactus,  on  which  the  cochineal 
insect  feeds,  grows  wild.  All  the  distant  farms  are  devoted  to 
grazing,  and  immense  numbers  of  cattle  are  annually  raised  for 
exportation,  and  driven  from  100  to  600  miles  to  Cape  Town. 

Rivers.^  All  the  large  rivers  of  the  colony  rise  from  the 
J^Tieuta-veldt  range.,  and  from  the  Roggeveld,  its  continuation.  Th(iy 
all  have  bars  of  sand  at  their  mouths.  Great  Fish  River  empties 
in  lat.  38  25,  S.  and  Ion.  27  37,  E.  580  miles  E.  of  the  Cape.  It  is 
here  very  deep,  and  from  300  to  400  yards  broad.  It  rises  in  the 
N.  E.  part  of  the  colony,  issuing  from  that  part  of  the  Nieuwveldt, 
called  the  Zwereberg  ;  on  the  other  side  of  which  the  head  waters 
of  Orange  river  are  turned  off  to  the  western  coast.  It  runs  in  a 
S.  and  S.  S.  E.  course  about  300  miles. 

Sunday  River  rises  in  that  part  of  the  same  chain,  called  Com- 
passberg  ;  from  the  opposite  side  of  which  flows  Sea-Cow  Piver^ 
a  large  branch  of  the  Orange.  It  is  at  least  250  miles  long  ;  and, 
running  S.  and  S.  S.  E.  falls  into  Znvartkofi^s  Bay. 

Great  River  runs  abovit  the  same  distance,  first  S.  and  then  S. 
E.  falling  into  Camtoos  Bay.     It  ci'osses  the  Great  Karroo. 

Gauritz  River  empties  a  little  W.  of  Muscle  Bay.  It  may 
properly  be  called  the  Sink  of  the  Colony.  All  the  waters  that 
originate  within  150  miles  to  the  E.  or  W.  upon  the  Great  Kar- 
roo, and  along  the  Nieuwveldt,  meet  in  one  immense  chasm  of 
the  chain  of  mountains  nearest  the  sea,  and  are  discharged  through 
the  channel  of  the  Gauritz.  In  the  dry  season,  it  is  easily  ford- 
ed ;  in  the  rainy  seasons,  it  has  been  known  to  rise  to  the  height 
of  nearly  100  feet,  leaving  ruin  and  desolation  behind  it.  The 
Ghamka,  or  Lion's  River^  is  its  principal  source  ;  which  rises  on 
the  opposite  side  of  the  same  mountain,  that  turns  off  Sack  River^ 
to  the  northwax'd,  and  running  about  180  miles  S.  and  S.  W.  re- 
ceives Olifant's  River  from  the  E.  a  large  stream,  issuing  from 
the  Zivartbcrg,  near  Great  River,  and  flowing  due  W.  120  miles. 
About  20  or  30  miles  below,  it  is  joined  by  Bujffaloe  River  from 
the  N.  W. 

Breede,  or  Broad  River,  rises  in  the  Zwarteberg,  and  runs  S.  E. 
to  St.  Catherine's  Bay,  about  150  miles. 

Berg  River  vises  in  the  opposite  side  of  the  same  mountains, 
and  runs  N.  W.  to  St  Helena  Bay,  about  the  same  distance. 

Olifant'sy  or  Elcfihant'a  River,  an  Atlantic  stream,  heads  near 
the  sources  of  the  Buffaloe,  and  runs  N.  W.  and  W.  about  300 
miles,  emptying  in  lat.  31  30,  S.     It  has  several  large  branches. 

The  Koussie  is  the  N.  W.  limit  of  the  colony. 

BayM.']     St.  Helena  Bay  resembles  Table  Bay  in  its  position  and 


COLONY  OF  THE  CAPE  OF  GOOD  HOPE.       767 

figure,  is  a  little  more  open  and  exposed  to  the  N.  and  N.  W. 
winds,  but  has  much  clearer  anchorage. 

Saldanha  Bay,  as  a  spacious,  secure,  and  commodious  sheet  of 
inland  sea-water,  for  the  reception  of  shipping,  can  scarcely  per- 
haps be  equalled.  It  extends  in  length  about  15  miles  in  the  direc- 
tion of  the  coast,  which  is  here  about  N.  by  E.  and  S.  by  W.  The 
entrance  is  near  the  N.  end,  through  a  ridge  of  granite  hills,  mod' 
crate ly  high.  In  the  entrance  are  three  rocky  islands,  two  of 
which,  named  Jetten  and  Malagas,  are  partly  without ;  and  the 
third  a  flat,  naked  /ock,  called  Marcus-,  is  directly  in  the  mouth 
of  the  passage,  a  little  more  than  a  mile  from  the  southern  shore, 
and  three  fourtlis  of  a  mile  from  the  northern.  These  and  the 
island  once  fortified  would  render  the  bay  absolutely  inaccessible 
to  an  enemy's  fleet.  The  north  part  of  the  bay,  called  Hootjes 
Bay,  is  the  best  anchoring  ground,  and  is  only  15  miles  across  to 
Helena  Bay.  The  want  of  fresh  water  alone  prevented  the  estab- 
lishment of  the  town  on  S?ldanha  Bay. 

Table  Bay  has  heretofore  been  described. 

False  Bay  is  a  large  body  of  water  in  the  shape  of  a  parallelo- 
gram, E.  of  the  Cape  Peninsula,  opening  into  the  Southern  Ocean, 
between  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope  on  the  W.  and  Hanglip  Point  on 
the  E.  It  sets  up  northward  about  30  miles,  and  is  of  about  the 
same  breadth.  On  its  west  shore  are  numerous  small  bays  or  in- 
dentations. 

Muscle  Bay,  like  all  those  on  the  southern  coast,  is  open  to  the  S. 
E.  but  has  a  safe  and  good  anchorage  in  most  winds.  The  western 
point.  Cape  St.  Blaize,  is  in  lat.  34  10  S.  and  Ion.  22  18  E.  240 
miles  from  the  cape.  A  magazine  for  the  reception  of  grain  is  e- 
rected  near  the  landing  place.  It  is  a  strong  stone  building,  150 
feet  long,  and  will  conveniently  hold  10,000  bushels.  The  bay  a- 
bounds  with  excellent  fish. 

Plettenberg's  Bay  is  320  miles  from  the  cape.  The  west  point, 
called  Robenberg's  Ponu,  is  in  lat.  34  6  S.  and  Ion.  23  48  E.  The 
eastern  shore  rounds  off"  into  the  general  tending  of  the  coast.  At 
the  landing  place  are  a  new  and  handsome  dwelling  house  ;  a. 
magazine  for  the  reception  of  limber,  200  feet  long  ;  and  a  strong 
commodious  building  for  the  reception  of  troops. 

Camtooa  Day  is  merely  a  wide  open  indentation  of  the  coast. 

Zivartkofi's,  or  Algoa  Bay,  is  open  to  all  winds  from  N.  E.  toS. 
E.  It  has  a  good  bottom,  and  five  fathoms  depth,  at  the  distance 
of  a  mile.  The  landing  place  is  in  lat.  33  56  S.  and  Ion.  26  53  E. 
500  miles  from  the  cape.  The  mouth  is  20  miles  broad.  Fresh 
water  is  abundant. 

Mouniains.]  The  north  front  of  the  Table  Mountain  directly 
feeing  the  town,  has  a  horizontal  ridge  two  miles  in  length.  The 
bold  face,  that  rises  almost  at  right  angles  to  meet  this  ridge,  is 
supported,  as  it  were,  by  a  number  of  projecting  buttresses  which 
rise  out  of  the  plain,  and  fall  in  with  the  front,  a  little  higher  than 
midway  from  the  base.  The  height  of  the  ridge  is  3,582  feet. 
The  E.  side  is  still  bolder,  and  has  one  point  considerably  higher. 
The  W.  -side  along  the  sh<?i'e  rs  rent  into  deep  chasms,  and  is  worn 


76^  WESTERN  COAST 

away  into  a  ntimber  of  pointed  masses.  In  advancing  to  the 
southward  about  four  miles,  the  mountain  descends  by  a  succes- 
sion of  tevraces  to  the  level  of  the  chain  that  extends  to  the  cape. 
Devil's  Hill  is  merely  a  wing  of  the  Table  Mountain,  on  the  E. 
3,315  feet  high  ;  as  is  Lion's  Head  another  on  the  W.  2,160  feet 
high. 

Barrow  does  not  mention  the  name  of  the  chain  nearest  the 
southern  coast.  Its  elevation  is  no  where  great,  and  it  is  broken 
by  all  the  considerable  rivers.  The  Ztoartbtri^  is  much  more  lof- 
ty and  rugged,  and  consists  in  many  instances  of  double,  and  some- 
times of  treble  ranges.  He  says  that  the  height  of  the  JVieuiwelds 
is  at  least  1 0,000  feet.  Its  summits  are  usually  covered  with  snow 
six  months  in  the  year. 


WESTERN  COAST  AND  INTERIOR  OF 
AFRICA. 


SCARCELY  any  thing  is  known  of  the  coast  between 
the  mouth  of  the  Koussie  in  lat.  29  55  S.  the  northern  limit  of  the 
colony  of  the  Cape  ;  and  Cape  Negro  in  lat.  16  15.  Very  few  of 
the  Namaquas  are  found  N.  of  the  Koussie.  Barrow  says,  that 
the  whole  coast  between  the  Koussie  and  the  Orange,  in  lat.  28  S. 
is  a  mere  desert,  perhaps  a  continuation  of  the  Great  Karroo.  Or- 
ange river  rises  in  the  country  of  the  Bosjesmen,  in  the  N.  E.  cor- 
ner of  the  Cape  colony,  in  about  lat.  31  S.  and  Ion.  27  E.  and  emp- 
ties in  lat.  28  S.  and  Ion.  16  E.  The  distance  of  these  two  points, 
in  a  direct  line,  is  about  650  miles.  Its  whole  length  is  at  least 
1000.  Barrow  saw  it  70  or  80  miles  from  its  source.  It  was  from 
.300  to  500  yards  broad,  and  the  volume  of  water  was  immense. 
Like  the  Nile,  it  has  its  inundations  and  its  cataracts. 

The  whole  coast,  from  Cape  Negro,  in  lat.  16  15  S.  to  the  head 
of  the  Gulf  of  Guinea,  is  called  the  Coast  of  Coyigo  ;  because  it  is 
said  to  have  been  all  formerly  subject  to  the  king  of  Congo, 

Benguela.  This  is  a  kingdom  of  considerable  extent,  and  is 
said  to  reach  from  Cape  Negro  to  the  mouth  of  the  Coanza,  in  lat. 
9  54  8.  about  150  leagues.  It  was  formerly  powerful;  but  the 
Jagas-iOV  Giagasj  who  border  it  on  the  E.  have  gi'eatly  reduced  its 
strength.  <S;.  Philifi  de  Benguela  is  a  town,  in  lat.  12  8  S.  on  the 
S.  side  of  a  large  bay,  called  Bahia  das  Vaccas,  in  which  the  Por- 
tuguese have  a  fort  and  a  settlement.  Old  Benguela  is  a  town  on 
a  high  mountain,  near  the  coast,  in  lat.  115  8.  carrying  on  a  con- 
siderable trade  in  provisions  and  ivory  ;  for  which  it  receives 
muskets  and  other  fire  arms.  The  country  is  chiefly  mountain- 
ous, and  sAvarms  with  wild  beasts.  It  is  said  to  be  extremely  un- 
wholesome ne?.r  the  coast. 


AND  INTERIOR  OF  AFRICA.  «9 

Angola.  The  extent  of  this  country,  on  the  coast,  is  not  very- 
great,  as  it  reaches  only  to  the  mouth  of  the  river  Dando,  in  lat.  8  S. 
Bengucia,  however,  is  so  far  dependent  on  it,  that  it  is  often  spok- 
en of  as  a  part  of  Angola.  The  Portuguese  have  several  forts  oa 
the  coast. 

Congo.  The  northern  boundary  of  Congo  is  said  to  be  the 
Zair,  or  River  of  Congo,  which  divides  it  from  Loango,  in  lat-  6  30 
S.  It  reaches  very  far  into  the  interior,  and  has  Fungono  on  the 
N.  E.  and  Matamba  on  the  S.  E.  When  the  Portuguese  first  dis* 
covered  this  country,  in  1484,  it  was  covered  with  large  towns  and 
villages,  and  the  capital  contained  50,000  inhabitants.  The  army 
©f  the  king  was  numerous  and  powerful.  He  is  despotic,  is  elect- 
ed by  the  nobles  out  of  the  seed  royal,  and  is  the  proprietor  of  all 
the  lands  in  his  dominions.  He  has  a  brilliant  court,  a  strong 
body-guard,  and  a  numerous  haram.  Great  numbers  of  petty 
princes  are  tributaries.  Treason  and  murder  are  punished  with 
decollation,  and  sorcery  with  burying  alive.  Hanging,  the  bastinadoj 
fines  and  imprisonment,  are  the  punishments  for  lesser  offences. 
The  king  was  early  converted  by  the  Portuguese  to  the  Catholic 
faith,  and  a  profession  of  that  faith  is  said  now  to  be  an  indispen- 
sable requisite  for  the  succession  to  the  throne.  Numbers  of  the 
Congoese  also  are  Catholics  ;  but  a  great  majority  are  Pagans. 
These  worship  vax'ious  animals.  The  natives  are  blacks,  with 
curled  hair,  and  deep  black  eyes.  Thoy  have  not  the  flat  noses 
and  thick  lips  of  the  Guinea  negroes  ;  and  are  of  a  middle  stature. 
They  are  described  as  indolent,  licentious,  cruel,  faithless,  and 
■without  natural  affection.  Banza,  or  St,  Salvador^  their  capital, 
5s  situated  40  leagues  up  the  Zair,  on  a  rocky  eminence,  and  is 
said  to  contain  a  number  of  churches,  and  about  4(',000  inhabi- 
tants, of  whom  about  4000  are  Portuguese,  who  reside  in  a  quar- 
ter by  themselves.  The  inhabitants  receive  the  products  of  Bra- 
zil, and  the  manufactures  of  Europe,  in  return  for  slaves,  of  whom, 
about  16,000  are  annually  procured  for  the  Portuguese.  The 
rainy  season  lasts  from  October  to  March.  The  first  harvest  is 
sown  about  the  last  of  January,  and  reaped  in  April ;  the  second 
is  sown  in  September,  and  reaped  in  December.  The  soil  is 
generally  excellent,  and  the  surface  uneven.  Millet,  maize,  the 
sugar-cane,  and  various  excellent  fruits,  particularly  several  vari- 
eties of  the  palm  are  cultivated.  The  /.air  is  a  very  long  and  large 
river,  probably  not  inferior  in  size  to  Orange  river.  Copper  and 
iron  are  procured  from  the  mines. 

Loango.  Wc  know  not  how  far  this  country  reaches  to  the  NI 
Some  writers  extend  it  to  Benin  ;  but  Biafra  is  certainly  between^ 
Perhaps  Cape  Lopez  de  Gonsalvo  may  be  taken  as  its  northern 
limit.  It  was  anciently  dependent  on  Congo  ;  but  the  muTiij  or 
petty  princes,  revolted,  and  one  of  them  at  length  subdued  the 
others.  The  king  is  powerful,  and  is  addressed  by  his  subjects 
by  the  title  of  Saifiipo  Pong^o,  the  name  of  their  deity.  The 
country  is  populous.  The  inhabitants  are  Pagans,  but  use 
circumcision.  Their  dress  is  formed  of  the  leaves  of  the 
palm,  and    consists  'of  a  garment  fastened    at  the   girdle,   ancl" 

vol..   11-.  97 


7ry  WESTERN  COAST     ' 

depending  to  the  ancles.  They  wear  numerous  beads  rotind 
the  neck.  Polygamy  is  common.  They  are  licentious  to  an 
extreme.  Loango,  the  ca[3ital,  is  in  latitude  4  40  S.  on  a 
considerable  river,  about  2  leagues  from  the  sea.  The  streets  are 
•wide  and  clean,  and  are  planted  with  palm-trees.  The  palace 
consists  of  an  immense  number  of  buildings,  surrounded  by  a 
palisado,  and  having  a  large  open  square  in  front.  The  haram  is 
numerous.  The  houses  are  of  one  story,  and  are  fenced  round 
Avith  hedg-es.  The  town  is  large  and  populous.  The  exports  are 
principally  slaves  and  copper  ;  ivory,  tin,  and  iron,  are  also  arti- 
cles of  commerce.  The  climate  is  remarkably  hot.  The  soil  is 
fertile,  but  the  agriculture  is  miserable. 

BiAFRA  This  kingdom  is  said  to  be  powerful  and  populous. 
It  bounds  N.  W.  on  Benin,  reaching  to  the  head  of  the  gulf  of 
Guinea.  It  has  a  capital  of  the  same  name,  and  the  bay  on  its 
coast  is  called  the  Bite  of  Biafra.      The  natives  are  idolaters. 

Guinea.  The  whole  coast,  from  the  mouth  of  the  Del  Rey, 
in  Ion.  8  30  E.  to  that  of  the  Mesuradain  11°  W.  about  500  leagues, 
is  called  the  Coast  of  Guinea  ;  and  the  country  of  Guinea,  is 
considered  as  extending  north  vvard  to  the  Mountains  of  the  Moon  ; 
an  immense  chain,  heretofore  described,  stretching  from  E.  to 
W.  parallel  with  the  coast,  at  the  distance  of  about  6  degrees- 
of  latitude.  On  the  coast  it  is  divided  into  Benin^  on  the  E.  reach- 
ing to  the  River  Folta,  220  leagues  ;  Guinea  Proficr,  reaching 
thence  to  Cape  Palmas  180  ;  and  Malaqueta,  or  the  Grain  Coast> 
between  Cape  Palmas,  and  the  Mesurada. 

Benin.  The  country  so  named,  is  divided  into  Benin  Proper^ 
in  the  E.  Whidah  in  the  uuddle,  and  Ardra  in  the  W.  Each  of 
these  has  its  own  monarch.  The  king  of  Benin  Proper  has  a 
large  revenue,  and  can  bring  100,000  men  into  the  field.  Their 
arms  are  swords,  poinra-ds,  javelins,  bows,  and  poisoned  arrows. 
'Ihe  inhabitants  acknowledge  a  Suprerne  Being  ;  but  they  chiefly 
worship  an  evil  spirit,  who  is  considered  as  the  author  of  all  their 
calamities.  Polygamy  is  common.  They  have  no  idea  of  per- 
sonal purity.  The  dress  of  the  better  sort  is  of  fine  calico,  made  in- 
to a  species  of  drawers,  covered  with  a  sort  of  calico  apron.  They 
cultivate  the  ground,  and  carry  on  various  manufactures.  Almost 
all  the  labor  devolves  on  the  women.  Benin.,  the  capital,  is  in  lat. 
6  38  N.  aud  Ion.  4  47  E.  on  the  river  Benin^  or  Form^jsa^  69  miles, 
from  Agatten,  at  its  mouth.  It  is  said  to  be  4  miles  in  circum- 
ference, and  to  contain  30  long,  broad,  and  straight  streets,  of  low 
houses.  The  streets  are  adorned  with  a  variety  of  shops,  filled 
with  European  wares.  The  palace  is  very  extensive.  None  but 
natives  are  permitted  to  live  here.  The  entrance  to  the  city  is 
through  a  wooden  gate,  where  a  guard  is*  stationed  to  collect  the 
customs  on  merchandize. 

This  country  has  been  one  of  the  principal  marts  for  slaves. 
All  those  purchased  on  this  coast,  except  a  tribe  known  by  the 
name  of  "  Mocoes"  are  called  in  the  West  Indies,  "  Hboes,"  prob- 
ably from  Arebo,  a  town  on  the  river  Benin.  In  general  they  ap- 
pear to  be  the  lowest,  and  most  wretched  of  the  African  nauons. 


'  AND  INTERIOR  OF  AFRICA.  «ri 

In  complexion  they  are  much  yellower  than  those  from  Guinea 
Proper  ;  but  it  is  a  sickly  hue,  and  their  eyes  appear  as  if  suffused 
■with  bile.  The  features  of  most  of  tiiem  resemble  those  of  the 
baboon  ;  particularly  in  the  great  elongation  of  the  lower  jaw.  As 
slaves  in  the  West  Indies,  they  are  constitutionally  timid  and 
despondent  ;  often  seeking  relief  from  their  melancholy  in  volun- 
tary death.  The  women  labor  better  than  the  men.  In  their  own 
country,  they  are  nevertheless  cannibals.  There  they  worship 
the  guana,  a  species  of  lizard,  and  offer  to  it  human  sacrifices* 
They  also  practise  circumcision.* 

The  coast  of  Benin  is  generally  lew  and  marshy,  and  the  cli- 
mate unhealthy.  The  soil  is  fertile,  and  produces  a  great  variety 
«f  fruits,  also  millet,  maize,  and  pepper.  The  River  Benin  is  a 
considerable  stream,  emptying  by  a  number  of  mouths.  The  Ca* 
labar  is  a  large  river  near  the  eastern  frontier. 

Whidah  is  a  much  smaller  kingdom  than  the  preceding;  but 
is  remarkably  fertile  and  populous.  It  is  described  as  being  a 
continued  village.  It  is  divided  into  a  number  of  lordships,  all 
subject  to  one  monarch,  who  resides  at  Sabl)  a  town  about  8  miles 
from  the  sea.  The  inhabitants  know  many  of  the  arts  of  civilized 
life.  They  are  enterprising  and  industrious.  The  commerce  of 
tlie  country  is  extensive,  and  the  manufactures  are  important. 
Slaves  are  the  chief  exports. 

These  slaves  in  the  West  Indies  are  called  Pafiatvs-,  and  are  the 
most  docile,  submissive,  and  well-disposed  of  any  tliat  are  im- 
ported from  Africa.  They  are  ingenious  and  industrious  ;  addict- 
ed at  the  same  time  to  thieving  and  gambling ;  and  extremely 
apprehensive  of  death.     Many  of  them  are  circumcised.f 

The  natives  are  generally  tall,  well  made,  straight  and  robust ; 
«f  a  deep  black,  but  less  glossy  than  those  of  Guinea  Proper. 
Their  money,  called  Besjisy  consists  of  shells  strung  on  a  cord. 
The  country  is  well  cultivated,  and  is  described  as  a  continued 
garden. 

Ardra  lies  between  Whidah  and  the  Volta,  and  extends  far 
into  the  interior.  Its  government  is  despotic,  and  the  crown  he- 
reditary. The  court  is  numerous  and  splendid.  The  chief  priest 
is  prime  minister.  The  soil  is  fertile,  producing  millet,  maize, 
yams,  potatoes,  lemons,  oranges,  cocoa  nuts,  and  the  palm.  Salt 
is  made  near  the  sea.  The  manners  of  the  people  resemble  those 
of  Whidah.     The  country  is  populous. 

Guinea  Proper.  This  country  is  divided  into  the  Gold  Coasts 
on  the  E.  and  the  Ivory  Coast,  on  the  W.  The  latter  is  the  most 
extensive,  reaching  eastward  nearly  to  Cape  Three  Points,  lloth 
are  divided  into  numerous  petty  principalities,  independent  of 
each  other,  and  engaged  in  almost  constant  wars.  This  renders 
them  intrepid  and  ferocious.  The  prisoners  are  always  sold  as 
slaves.  The  climate  is  healthy  to  the  natives,  but  prejudicial  to 
Europeans.  Slaves,  ivory,  and  gold,  are  exported  to  a  great  ex- 
tent There  are  several  establishments  of  the  English  on  the 
':t>ast.  All  the  slaves  from  this  coast  are,  in  the  West  Indic^, 
•  E»J wards  West  Indies,  ti.i.'W-f-??!h  f  K(Jw«-f&. 


ir2  '  WESTERN  COAST 

called  Roromantyns.  They  are  distinguished  from  all  the  other- 
negroes  by  firmness,  both  of  body  and  mind,  by  activity,  courage, 
and  an  elevation  of  soul,  which  prompts  them  to  enterprises  of 
difficulty  and  danger,  and  enables  them  to  meet  tortures  and  death 
with  fortitude  or  indiflerenqe.  They  sometimes  labor  with  great 
promptitude  and  alacrity,  and  have  constitutions  well  adapted  for 
it.  These  are  usually  such  as  hare  been  slaves  in  their  own 
country,  having  been  sold  for  their  debts,  or  their  crimes.  Tho 
great  body  of  them  are  prisoners  of  war,  always  ready  by  the 
most  desperate  measures  to  regain  their  freedom.  Most  of  the 
insurrections  in  the  islands  are  owing  to  them.  Edwards*  gives 
an  account  of  a  formidable  insurrection  in  Jamaica,  in  1760,  occa- 
sioned by  100  newly  imported  Koromantyns,  all  on  one  planta- 
tion. After  it  was  quelled,  three  of  them  were  made  examples  of. 
One  was  burnt  alive,  and  two  were  gibbetted.  "  The  wretch  that 
was  burnt,  was  made  to  sit  on  the  ground,  and  his  body  being 
chained  to  an  iron  stake,  the  fire  was  applied  to  his  feet.  He  ut- 
tered not  a  groan  ;  and  saw  his  legs  I'educed  to  ashes  with  the 
vitmost  firmness  and  comi>osure  :  after  which,  one  of  his  arms  by 
aome  means  getting  loose,  he  snatched  a  brand  from  the  fire  that 
■was  consuming  him,  and  flung  it  in  the  face  of  the  executioner. 
The  two  that  were  jibbetted  were  indulged,  at  their  own  request, 
with  a  hearty  meal  immediately  before  they  were  suspended. 
From  that  time  till  they  expired,  they  never  uttered  the  least 
complaint,  except  of  the  cold  in  the  night,  but  diverted  themselves 
all  day  long  in  discourse  with  their  countrymen.  One  of  them 
silently  expired  on  the  morning  of  the  8th  day,  and  the  other  on 
that  of  the  9th.'"  Even  the  children  of  the  Koromantyns  discover 
the  same  evident  superiority,  both  in  hardiness  of  frame,  and  vig- 
or of  mind.  "  A  gentleman  of  my  acquaintance,"  says  Edwards, 
*'  having  bought  10  Koromantyn,  and  10  £doe  boys,  caused  them 
to  be  collected  in  my  presence,  to  be  marked  on  the  breast. 
This  operation  is  performed  by  heating  a  small  silver  brand,  com- 
posed of  one  or  two  letters,  in  the  flame  of  spirits  of  wine,  and 
applying  it  to  the  skin,  which  is  previously  anointed  with  sweet 
oil.  When  the  first  boy,  who  happened  to  be  one  of  tlie  Eboes^ 
and  the  stoutest  of  the  whole,  was  led  forward  to  I'eceive  the 
mark,  he  screamed  dreadfully  ;  while  his  companions  of  the 
same  nation  manifested  strong  emotions  of  terror.  The  gentle- 
man stopped  his  hand  ;  but  the  Koromantyn  boys,  laughing 
aloud,  immediately  came  forward  of  their  own  accord,  offered 
their  bosoms  undauntedly  to  the  brand,  and  I'eceiving  its  impres- 
sion without  flinching  in  the  least,  ^napt  their  fingers  in  exulta- 
tion over  the  poor  Eboes."  One  cannot  surely  but  lament  that  a 
people  thus  naturally  emulous  and  intrepid  should  he  sunk  into 
so  deploi'able  a  state  of  barbarity  and  superstition  ;  and  that  thciv 
minds  should  ever  be  broken  by  the  yoke  ol  slavery. 

In  their  own  country  masters  have  the  power  of  life  and  death 
<9vev  their  slaves,  and  parents  over  their  children.     Prisoners  tak- 

•  H.  268-273 


AND  INTERIOR  OF  AFRICA.  7Z3 

en  in  war  are  either  sold  or  butchered,  with  circumstances  of 
outrageous  barbarity.  When  a  great  man  dies,  several  of  his 
wives,  and  great  numbers  of  his  slaves,  are  sacrificed  at  his  fu- 
neral. They  believe  in  a  God  of  the  Heavens,  the  Creator  of  all 
things,  called  ^ccom/wng;  to  whom  they  offer  only  praise  and 
thanksgiving,  ^ssarci  is  the  god  of  the.  earth  ;  to  him  they  offer 
the  first  fruits,  and  pour  out  libations.  Ipbou  is  the  god  of  the 
sea  :  if  the  arrival  of  ships  trading  on  the  coast  is  delayed,  they 
sacrifice  a  hog  to  deprecate  his  wrath,  Obboney  is  the  author  of 
all  evil  ;  to  him  they  sacrifice  prisoners,  or  slaves.  Besides 
these  every  family  has  a  tutelar  saint,  who  is  some  ancestor  :  on 
the  anniversary  of  whose  burial  all  his  descendants  assemble 
round  his  grave,  and  sacrifice  a  cock  or  a  goat. 

Grain  Coast,  or  Malagueta.  This  country,  100  leagues  in 
extent,  from  Cape  Palmas  to  the  Messurada,  produces  a  great 
abundance  of  Guinea  pepper,  called  Malagutta  by  the  Portuguese, 
and  often  Grains  of  Paradise  by  the  English.  Hence  its  names. 
It  is  said  to  be  subject  to  a  single  monarch,  whose  power  is  des- 
potic, and  who  assumes  great  pomp  and  magnificence.  The 
people  are  Pagans,  worshipping  the  moon,  and  believing  in  sorce- 
ry. Great  numbers  of  them  are  mulattoes.  These  carry  on  the 
commerce  of  the  country,  and  are  the  reliques  of  the  old  Portu- 
guese traders  ;  that  nation  having  long  since  been  banished  from 
the  coast.  The  natives  freely  offer  their  wives  and  daughters  to 
Europeans.  They  are  strongly  addicted  to  stealing,  liut  few 
slaves  are  procured  here.  The  English  engross  the  whole  com- 
merce.    Guinea  pcppei*  is  the  chief  export. 


The  remainder  of  the  coast,  between  the  Mesurada  and  Cape 
Bojador,  the  S.  W.  extremity  of  Morocco,  may  be  considered  un- 
der two  grand  divisions,  Soudan  on  the  S.  and  Sahara  on  the  N- 
Soudan,  as  we  are  informed  by  Jackson,  is -the  name  given  by 
the  Moors  to  the  immense  tract  lying  between  the  Jibbcl  Kumra^ 
or  Mountains  of  the  Moon^*  on  the  S.  and  the  Desert  on  the  N. 

Soudan.  This  region  may  be  considered  as  reaching  from  N. 
to  S.  on  the  coast  from  the  Mesurada^  to  several  degrees  N.  of 
the  Senegal^  the  exact  southern  limit  of  the  Desert,  on  the  coast, 
not  being  known.  Both  the  Desert  and  the  chain  of  y^df/ Awm- 
ra  reach  eastward  across  the  continent.  It  is  probable  that  Sou- 
dan will  be  found  to  do  the  same.  Park  explored  the  western 
part  of  this  extensive  tract,  descending  the  Niger,  as  far  as  Sillas^ 
a  village  ofBambarra,  in  about  lat.  15,  N.  and  1  30,  W.  He 
found  it  throughout  fertile,  well  watered,  thickly  peopled,  and  di- 
vided into  numerous  kingdoms.     Jackson,  from  information  ob- 

•  Although  the  coiintiy  bctwoen  the  JiTesitradn  ami  Rio  Gvcnth  seems  IifUHlly 
■within  the  limits  of  boiulan  here  set  ;  jci,  :\s  the  Jibbel  Kitmra  are  btlicve<l  not  to 
fxiend  lo  Uie  coast,  (iheir  weslcni  termination  not  btiiij;  known)  and  as  Uie  inbabilanli 
iu  this  tract  (litVer  so  materiail)  ti-om  those  of  Guinea,  aixt  resemble  in  niHny  rc^-pctt} 
those  of  Houilan,  we  have  coududcd  to  coinpribc  il  in  oui:  ulco'iuI  of  Uie  !attev. 


ff4  WESTERN  COAST 

tainetl  of  the  Moorish  traders  to  Tombuctoo,  tells  us  that  the 
Ni^er  runs  eastward  to  the  Nile,  and  that  the  cotintry  through 
which  it  flows,  continues  of  the  same  description.  HorDcnian 
communicates  the  same  information.  The  petty  kingdoms  lying 
W-  of  the  sources  of  the  Nile,  Dar  Bag/icrini,  Bar  Bergoo,  and 
Dar  Fur,  are  pi>obably  a  continuation  of  Soudan,  which  apparently 
•widens  towards  the  E.  and  Serinaar  and  Myssinia  are  in  that  case 
its  eastern  termination. 

The  Senegal,  the  Gambia,  the  Grande,  and  the  Mcsurada^,  are 
the  great  rivers  of  the  western  coast;  and  the  J^iger  of  the  inte- 
rior. The  Senegal  is  formed  by  two  branches.  'I'he  Kokoro  ris- 
es, according  to  the  map  of  Park,  in  the  mountains  of  Manding, 
and  pursues  a  N.  W.  course  of  300  miles.  The  Bafing  heads  in 
the  chain  oi  Jibbel  Kumra,  and  pursues  a  more  northerly  course 
of  350  miles,  joining  the  other  in  about  lat.  14,  N.  and  9,  W.  The 
united  stream,  called  the  Senegal,  pursues  the  course  of  the  for- 
mer, and,  about  150  miles  below,  receives  the  Famele  from  the 
last  mentioned  chain,  which  heads  near  the  Gambia.  Its  course 
is  thence  N.  W.  and  W.  almost  to  the  shore  of  the  ocean,  parallel 
with  which  it  runs  southward,  from  80  to  100  miles,  emptying  in 
about  lat.  16,  N.  Its  whole  length  must  exceed  1000  miles.  The 
quantity  of  water  depends  on  the  season. 

The  Gambia  heads  in  the  same  chain,  and  runs  N.  W.  and  W. 
about  700  miles,  emptying  in  about  lat.  13  30,  N.  Cape  Verd  is 
about  equidistant  between  the  two  rivers. 

Of  the  Grande,  we  can  only  say  that  it  is  less  than  the  Gambia, 
and  empties  in  about  lat.  1 1,  S.  and  of  the  Mesurada,  that  it  runs 
S.  W.  and  is  said  to  rise  in  the  Jibbel  Kumra. 

Of  the  inhabitants  of  this  tract  we  may  remark  here  generally, 
that  they  are  of  two  great  classes,  JVegroes  and  Moors.  The  ne- 
groes are  the  most  numerous.  Their  kingdoms  occupy  the  whole 
of  the  coast,  and  the  southern  division  of  the  interior,  perhaps 
about  two  thirds  of  the  breadth,  from  the  Desert  to  the  Jibbel 
Kumra.  A  few  negroes  are  in  the  Moorish  division..  They  are 
all  of  a  much  lighter  color  than  the  negroes  of  Guinea.  Park 
supposes  that  at  least  two  thirds  of  the  population  of  the  negro  di- 
vision are  slaves.  Great  numbers  of  the  negroes  are  Mahome- 
tans ;  the  rest  are  Pagans.  The  Moorish  kingdoms  occupy  the 
northern  division,  bat  great  numbers  of  the  Moors  are  scattered 
over  the  negro  kingdoms.  The  Moors  are  all  zealous  Mahome- 
tans. 

SouTHEBN  FouLAHB.  These  occupy  a  great  extent  of  coun- 
try between  the  Mesurada,  the  Rio  Grande,  and  the  Mountains  of 
the  Moon.  Their  capital  is  Teembo.  It  is  said  they  can  bring 
1 6,000  cavalry  into  the  field.  Many  of  them  are  Mahometans, 
though  they  border  E.  and  S.  E.  on  many  Pagan  nations,  with 
■whom  they  have  carried  on  incessant  wars  merely  for  slaves. 
They  have  a  very  dark  complexion,  but  are  not  blacks. 

Sierra  Leone,  where  the  English  have  a  colony,  and  an  im- 
portant mission,  under  the  direction  of  the  Jlfrican  institution,  is 
near  the  middle  of  the  country  of  the  Southern  JFoulahs.     Some 


AND  I'NTERIOR  OF  AFRICA.  W5 

extend  its  liaiits  from  the  Grain  Coast  on  the  S.  E.  to  Cape  Ver- 
ga  or  Vega  on  the  N.  W.  ;  that  is,  between  7  and  10  N.  lat.  Oth- 
ers confiue  the  country  between  cape  Verga  and  cape  Tagrin.  Ifi 
the  open  and  plain  parts,  the  heat  of  the  sun,  before  any  breeze 
arises,  is  almost  intolei  able  ;  but  as  a  refreshing  gale  constantly 
springs  up  about  noon,  it  renders  the  country  supportable.  The 
Whole  tract,  on  each  side  the  river,  is  fruitful  in  rice  and  millet, 
M'hich  is  the  cliief  sustenance  of  the  inhabitants. 

The  Sierra  Leone  river,  which  gives  name  to  this  country,  has 
not  been  traced  to  its  source.  Its  mouth,  in  Ion.  12  30  W.  lat.  a 
15  N.  is  9  miles  wide.  In  1791,  an  act  of  parliament  was  obtain- 
ed, incorporating  a  company,  called  the  Sierra  Leone  Company, 
for  the  purpose  of  cultivating  W.  India  and  other  tropical  produc- 
tions, on  the  banks  of  this  river.  The  first  settlers  amounted  to 
460  ;  400  were  blacks,  60  white  women  of  lewd  conduct  ;  they 
were  afterwards  reduced  to  276.  The  second  embarkation  in 
1792,  consisted  of  12U0  free  blacks  from  Nova  Scotia.  The  na- 
tives appeared  to  be  extremely  friendly,  and  a  few,  in  1792,  had 
come  to  work  for  the  colony.  On  the  setting  in  of  the  rains,  about 
the  latter  end  of  May,  the  same  year,  sickness  and  mortality  pre- 
-vaiied,  occasioned  cliiefly  by  the  insufficiency  of  the  temporary 
habitations,  wiiich  could  not  be  completed  before  the  rains  set  iu : 
S3  white  persons  (of  whom  14  were  soldiers)  and  many  of  the 
blacks  died  of  this  sickness.  '1  he  colonists  were  put  into  posses- 
sion of  small  lots  of  land,  and  a  new  town,  on  a  regular  and  ex- 
tended scale,  was  begun.  Beside  the  Nova  Scotia  blacks,  a  large 
party  of  the  natives  were  at  work  for  the  company,  and  the  experi- 
ments in  sugar,  cotton.  Sec.  appeared  promising.  '1  he  native 
ichicfs  and  people  continued  to  be  friendly  ;  and  the  company's 
schools  w  ere  regularly  attended  by  300  children,  among  whom  were 
some  ciiildren  of  the  natives.  In  Sept.  1794,  a  French  squadron 
desti-oyed  the  settlement,  and  captured  several  of  the  company's 
Siliips ;  but  from  this  disaster  they  have  since  recovered  ;  and  a 
factory  was  established  in  the  Rio  Pongos,  in  1795,  wliich  is  likely 
to  become  the  means  of  a  lucrative  trade.  Missionaries  are  set- 
tled, Avho  also  labor  to  spread  the  gospel  among  the  neighboring 
tiibes.  Schools  are  established.  In  Nov.  1801,  an  unprovoked  and 
unsuccessful  attack  was  made  on  this  settlement,  stimulated  by 
tJie  i  immanya,  a  neighboring  tribe  of  Africans.  A  second  attack 
of  the  same  nature  and  issue,  and  from  the  same  tribe,  was  made 
the  llth  of  April,  18U2. 

Uterra  Leoney  or  Lion  Mountains,  divide  Nigritia  from  Guinea, 
and  extend  as  far  as  Abyssinia.  They  were  styled  by  the  ancients 
the  Mountains  of  God. 

a/ia'dro  is  anotlicr  English  colony  1 00  miles  S.  E.  of  Sierra 
Leone. 

Feloops.  The  Fcloojis  avc  a  wild  unsociable  race,  near  the  coast 
S.  of  lUe  Gambia.  1  hey  are  fierce  and  unrelenting,  but  grateful, 
affectionaie,  and  honest.  They  are  employed  in  collecting  honey 
in  the  woods,  wJiich  they  convert  into  wax.  This  they  carry  to 
Vinuin,  a  settlement  two  miles  up  -^  creek,  wiaicli  ciuptics  into  the 


W6  WESTERN  GOASX 

Gambia  from  the  S.  about  60  miles  from  its  mouth.  They  als© 
carry  tJiither  rice,  which  grows  plentifully  in  the  country  ;  also 
goats  and  poultry  ;  and  employ  Mandivgo  brokers,  who  cheat  them 
out  of  most  of  their  profits.     They  speak  a  peculiar  language. 

Governor  Ludlam  gives  the  following  account  of  the  baneful 
effects  of  the  slave  trade,  witnessed  by  himself,  in  the  country  on- 
the  banks  of  the  river  Sherbro,  100  miles  S.  of  Sierra  Leone : 
•'  Thus  has  this  fertile  country  been  rendered  a  desert,  and  its 
trade,  once  extensive,  been  almost  annihilated.  Some  thousands 
of  square  miles  are  now  without  an  inhabitant.  In  this  extent  is 
included  the  richest  land  on  the  Windward  coast.  No  place 
equalled  Boom  in  fertility.  Finer  sugar  cane  is  not  found  in  the 
West  Indies,  than  grows  wild  in  Bagroo.  And  as  for  the  interior 
country  behind  the  Sherbro,  it  must  also  be  rich  from  the  quantity 
of  rice,  and  cotton  cloth  brought  thence.^'* 

Mandixgoes.  These  originated  from  Alanding,  on  the  head- 
waters of  the  Kokoro,  and  also  on  the  J\''ig-cr,  near  its  source.  They 
are  now  far  the  most  numerous  nation  in  the  W.  of  Soudan.  They 
commence  on  the  coast  at  the  m.outh  of  the  Gambia,  bordering  S. 
on  the /'V/oo/zs,  iJcn-a,  Yani^  and  IVoolli,  ihree  kingdoms  on  both 
sides  of  the  Gambia  from  its  mouth  eastward  ;  Tenda  Meola^  and 
Dentila^  districts  on  its  N.  side  ;  Saladoo^  Konkodoo^  Woradoo^ 
Kullooy  and  Gadou,  districts  in  the  same  parallels,  between  the 
Faleme  and  the  Kokoro  ;  Manding  on  the  Kokoro  and  Niger  ; 
Kaarta,  a  large  kingdom  N.  of  Manding,  and  W.  of  Bambarra  ;  and 
Kasson,  a  kingdom  W.  of  Kaarta  ;  are  Mandingo  territories.  The 
Mandingoes  also  constitute  the  chief  population  of  western  Bam- 
barra. 

The  men  are  well  shaped,  above  the  middle  size,  strong,  and 
capable  of  enduring  labor.  The  w^omen  are  good  naturcd,  spright- 
ly, and  agreeable.  They  breakfast  about  daybreak,  on  gruel  made 
of  meal  and  water,  acidified  by  the  juice  of  the  tamarind.  At  2  P. 
M.  they  dine  6n  a  sort  of  hasty-pudding,  with  Shea  butter.  Supper, 
their  principal  repast,  is  seldom  ready  before  midnight,  am.;  con- 
sists o{  kouskous,  a  prepartion  of  meal,  with  a  small  portion  of  an- 
imal food  mixed  with  it.  Their  beverages  are  beer  and  mead. 
With  a  few  diversities  this  is  the  mode  of  living  of  all  the  negro 
nations.  Both  sexes  dress  in  cotton  of  their  own  manufacture. 
That  of  the  men  is  a  loose  frock,  with  drawers  reaching  half 
down  the  leg,  sandals  on  the  feel,  and  white  cotton  caps  on  the 
heads.  The  women  wrap  two  pieces  of  cotton  round  the  waist, 
which  hang  down  to  the  knees  in  lieu  of  a  petticoat ;  and  throw  h 
third  piece  over  the  shoulders  and  bosom.  This  is  the  common 
dress  of  the  Soudan  tribes,  the  only  diversities  being  found  in  the 
head-dress  of  the  women.  Like  the  other  negroes,  the  Mandin- 
goes live  in  huts  consisting  of  a  circular  mud  wall  4  feet  high,  on 
which  is  placed  a  conical  roof  of  bamboo  canes,  thatched  with 
grass.  A  hurdle  of  canes  placed  upon  upright  stakes  2  feet  high, 
on  which  is  spread  a  mat,  or  bullock's  hide,  serves  for  a  bed.     A 

*  Report  2d  of  the  CJommiltee  of  the  Afrkaa  Institution,  f.  15- 


AND  INTERIOR  OF  AFRICA.  777 

water  jar,  some  earthen  pots  to  cook  in,  a  few  wooden  bowls  and 
calabashes,  and  one  or  two  low  stools,  compose  the  rest  of  their 
furniture.  Polygamy  is  universal,  and  each  wife  has  her  own 
hut.  All  the  huts  of  one  family  are  enclosed  by  a  hedge  fence. 
Agriculture  and  pasturage  are  the  favorite  employments  of  the 
Mandingoes.  These  occupy  them  through  the  rainy  season.  In 
the  dry  season  they  catch  fish  in  wicker  baskets,  or  small  cotton 
nets,  and  hunt  birds  and  beasts.  The  women,  at  the  same  time, 
manufacture  cotton  cloth,  coarse,  but  durable-  One  woman  will 
make  8  or  9  garments  a  year.  They  die  it  a  rich  and  permanent 
blue  color.  Tanners  and  blacksmiths  are  the  only  mechanics  by 
profession.  Their  instruments  of  music  are  the  koonting,  a  sort 
of  guitar  with  3  strings  ;  the  korro^  a  large  harp,  with  18  strings  ; 
the  simbing;  a  small  one  with  7  ;  the  baiajou,  composed  of  20  pieces 
of  hard  wood  of  different  lengths,  with  shells  of  gourds  hung  un- 
derneath, to  increase  the  sound  ;  the  tangtang,  a  drum  open  at 
the  lower  end  ;  and  the  tabala,  a  war  drum.  They  have  smging 
men,  both  Pagans  and  Mahometans.  The  former  are  extempo- 
raneous poets,  and  are  stationary  :  the  latter  are  strollers.  Both 
are  much  employed  and  respected. 

Park  describes  the  Mandingoes  as  gentle,  cheerful,  inquisitive, 
credulous,  simple,  and  fond  of  flattery.  They  are  prone  to  steal 
from  strangers  ;  but  are  at  the  same  time  hospitable  and  kind. 
A  lively  natural  affection  subsists  between  the  mothers  and  their 
children.  The  practice  of  truth  is  strongly  inculcated  in  child- 
hood. They  have  double  names  ;  the  last  denoting  the  clan  ;  the 
first  sometimes  the  family,  but  often  the  result  of  accident.  Sa- 
lutations are  observed  among  all  the  negroes,  when  they  meet. 
Circumcision  is  universal,  and  takes  place  at  the  age  of  puberty. 
The  value  of  two  slaves  is  the  common  price  of  a  wife.  If  the 
father  receives  it,  the  girl  must  marry  the  lover,  or  always  remain 
single.  The  authority  of  the  husband  over  his  wives  is  great,  but 
the  women  are  not  generally  treated  with  cruelty.  They  partake 
of  all  public  diversions,  and  are  little  given  to  intrigue.  Adultery, 
murder,  and  witchcraft  are  the  crimes,  that  arc  punished  with 
slavery.  1  he  Pagan  negroes  always  offer  a  short  prayer  to  God, 
at  the  appearance  of  the  new  moon,  and  this  is  their  only  wor- 
ship. The  belief  of  one  God,  and  of  a  future  state  of  rewards  and 
punishments,  is  universal.  They  rarely  survive  55  or  60  years, 
and  are  gray  and  wrinkled  at  40. 

Barha  is  the  kingdom  at  the  mouth  of  the  Gambia  on  both 
sides,  reaching  up  about  180  miles.  The  necessaries  of  life  are 
abundant,  and  the  chief  trade  is  in  salt,  which  they  carry  up  the 
river  a  great  distance,  and  bring  back  maize,  cottons,  ivory,  and 
a  little  gold  dust.  A  :!uty  of  near  .C20  sterling  is  collected  for  the 
king,  by  an  officer  stationed  at  Jillifrey^  a  town  on  the  N.  bank,  on 
every  ship,  great  or  small,  that  enters  the  river. 

Yani  lies  E.  of  Barra,  reaching  about  100  miles  up,  on  both 
sides  of  the  Gambia.  Pisania  is  a  well  known  English  fort  in  this 
kingdom,  on  the  N.  bank. 

Wooti,  E.  of  Yani,  reaching  about  as  far  along  the  Gambia^ 

vol..  n.  98 


278  WESTERN  COAST 

has  Foota  Torra  N.  and  Bondou  N.  E.  The  chief  products  are 
cotton,  tobacco,  maize,  and  vegetables.  Medina,  the  capital,  con- 
tains about  1000  houses,  has  a  high  wall  built  of  clay,  and  an  out- 
Ward  fence  of  pointed  stakes. 

Tenda,  .Veo/a,  Dentila,  Satadoo,  Ko7ikodoo,  Worodoo,  Kulloo^ 
and  Gadoo,  are  Mandingo  districts,  the  inhabitants  of  which  appear 
to  be  subject  to  no  nionaixh,  and  to  have  no  government,  but  that 
of  their  respective  towns.  A  considerable  part  of  this  tract  is  a 
wilderness,  on  which  the  Jallonkas  from  the  S.  have  encroached. 

Mandikg  is  a  sort  of  oligarchy,  each  town  has  a  particular  chief, 
called  a  Mansa  ;  and,  in  case  of  invasion,  the  supreme  power  is 
lodged  in  an  assembly  of  the  whole.  Fooladoo  lies  N.  W.  of  Man- 
ding,  and  both  bound  Kaarta  on  the  S. 

Kaarta  a  kingdom  of  considerable  extent  ;  having  Bambarra 
on  the  E.  and  Ludamar,  a  Moorish  kingdom,  on  the  N.  Kemmoo 
its  capital  is  in  the  S.  W. 

Kasson  lies  N.  W.  of  Foolado,  W.  of  Kaarta,  and  bounds  N.  on 
the  Moors.     Kooniakary  is  the  capital. 

FooTA  Jallo.  This  is  an  extensive  kingdom  of  the  southern 
Foulahs,  lying  S.  of  Neola,  and  Dentila. 

Jallonkahs.  The  country  of  this  nation  lies  E.  of  Foota  Jal- 
lo,  and  S.  of  the  districts  of  Satadoo,  Konkodoo,  Worodoo,  KuUoo, 
Gadoo,  and  Manding;  and  is  called  ya//o?z^arfoo,  reaching  S.  to  the 
Mountains  of  the  Moon.  Jallonkadoo  is  divided  into  several  petty 
iiingdoms.     Their  language  has  some  affinity  to  the  Mandingo. 

Was-sela.  This  bounds  N.  on  the  eastern  part  of  Manding, 
and  W.  on  Jallonkadoo. 

KoN&.  This  is  probably  the  most  extensive  and  powerful  king- 
dom of  western  Soudan.  It  has  Wassela  on  the  W.  and  Bambar- 
ra on  the  N,  ;  and  reaches  eastward  a  great  distance  along  the 
Mountains  of  the  Moon.     It  has  not  been  explored. 

Bambarra.  In  the  S.  W.  Bambarra  commences  on  the  Niger, 
at  Bammakoo,  and  reaches  down  that  river,  on  the  N.  bank,  to 
Moorzan  about  300  miles,  and,  if  we  include  its  tributary  king- 
dom Masina,  to  lake  Dibbie  about  400.  On  the  S.  bank  it  reaches 
also  to  lake  Dibbie.  Below  Seffo  it  is  narrow  ;  unless  we  include 
Masina.  Above,  it  is  from  200  to  250  miles  wide.  Wassela^ 
Manding,  Fooladoo,  Kaarta,  and  Ludamar,  lie  on  the  S.  W.  and 
W. ;  Beero,  and  Masina,  a  tributary  kingdom  to  Bambarra,  on  the 
N.  ;  Gottoo  a  powerful  kingdom,  Baedos,  and  Maniana,  on  the 
E.  and  S.  E.  and  Kong,  on  the  S.  The  subjects  of  the  king  in  the 
S.  W.  are  of  Mandingo  origin,  and  speak  a  corrupted  dialect  of 
that  tongue.  Those  in  the  E.  speak  a  different  language.  Great 
numbers  of  Moors  are  scattered  over  the  kingdom.  They  will 
probably  in  time,  become  the  ruling  nation. 

Sego,  the  capital  of  the  kingdom,  is  on  Park's  map,  in  lat.  H 
15  N.  and  in  Ion.  2  30  W.  ;  on  both  sides  of  the  Niger.  It  con- 
sists, properly  speaking,  of  4  towns :  Sego  Korro,  and  Sego  Booy 
on  the  N.  Bank  ;.  and  Sego  Soo  Korro,  and  Sego  See  Korro,  the 
king's  residence,  on  the  S.  These  are  all  surrounded  with  high 
mud  walls  ;  the  streets  are  sufficiently  broad;    the  houses  are 


AND  INTERIOR  OF  AFRICA.  779 

built  of  clay,  of  a  sqware  form  with  flat  roofs  ;  sorac  of  them  have 
two  stories,  and  many  arc  whitewashed.  Moorish  mosques  arc 
seen  in  every  quarter.  The  town  contains  about  30,000  inhabi- 
tants. The  king  derives  a  considerable  revenue  from  the  ferry- 
boats on  the  Niger,  which  are  numerous,  and  are  I'owed  by  his 
slaves.  The  fare  is  10  Kowrie  shells  an  individual.  The  sur- 
rounding country  is  in  a  high  state  of  cultivation. 

Jenne,  like  Masina^  in  which  it  lies,  belongs  to  the  king  of 
Bambarra.  The  inhabitants  of  Alasina,  are  northern  jfoulahst  em- 
ploy themselves  chiefly  in  pasturage,  and  pay  an  annual  tribute 
for  their  lands.  Jenne  stands  on  an  island  in  the  Niger,  half  way 
from  Manzon  to  lake  Dibbe.  It  is  even  larger  than  Sego.  Bain- 
mikoo,  on  the  S.  W.  frontier,  is  a  considerable  town  on  the  river, 
carrying  on  a  large  trade  in  salt.  Maraboo  is  about  the  same 
size,  50  miles  below ;  and  Koolikorro  is  about  as  large  30  miles 
farther.  Yamina  and  ■Sansandi7ig  are  still  larger,  between  this  and 
Sego. 

JiNBALA.  This  kingdom  occupies  the  large  island  in  the  Ni- 
ger, below  lake  Dibbie.  On  Park's  map,  it  is  100  miles  long,  and 
50  broad.  Tombuctoo  lies  N.  and  N.  E,  ;  Gotto  S.  and  S.  E.  The 
soil  is  remarkably  fertile ;  and  the  whole  country  so  full  of  creeks 
and  swamps,  that  the  Moors  have  been  bafiled  in  every  attempt  to 
subdue  it.  The  inhabitants  are  only  negroes,  and  live  in  consid- 
erable afiluence.  The  capital,  Jindala,  is  on  the  Jin,  the  N.  arm 
of  the  Niger. 

GoTTo.  This  is  a  powerful  negro  kingdom,  bounding  N.  on 
Jinbala  and  Tombuctoo,  from  both  of  which,  it  is  separated  by  the 
Niger.     Moossedoo  is  the  capital. 

Ba£doo.  The  king  of  Bambarra  conquered  Baedoo  about  7 
years  before  Park's  journey,  when  it  was  tributary  to  him.  It 
lies  S.  W.  of  Gottoo. 

Maniana.  This  lies  S.  W.  of  Baedoo,  and  bounds  both  on  Bam- 
barra and  Kong.  The  inhabitants  are  cruel  and  ferocious,  and 
are  said  to  be  cannibals.  We  know  not  to  what  nation  the  inhab- 
itants of  these  four  last  kingdoms  belong. 

FouLAHS.  This  is,  next  to  the  Mandin goes,  the  most  extensive 
negro  race  in  the  VV.  of  Soudan.  Fooladoo  was  their  original 
country  ;  having  the  Kokoro  on  the  S.  W. ;  Manding  on  the  S.  E.  ; 
Kaarta  on  the  N.  E.  ;  and  Kasson  on  the  N.  W.  They  are  btill 
inhabitants  of  that  country,  and  also  oi  Brooko,  Bambouk,  Bondouy 
Foota  Tarra,  and  the  country  thence  W.  on  the  S.  bank  of  the 
Senegal.  They  have  already  been  mentioned  as  constituting  the 
population  of  Masina,  and  are  extensively  dispersed  over  the  king- 
doms of  Kaarta  and  Bambarra.  Most  of  the  negroes  in  the  Moor- 
ish kingdoms  are  Foulahs.  Many  of  them  arc  settled  as  agricul- 
turists in  the  Mandingo  districts  on  the  Gan»bia.  They  appear 
to  be  of  a  different  race  from  the  Southern  Foulahs.  Their  com- 
plexion is  tawney,  and  Uiey  have  small  pleasing  features,  and  soft 
silky  hair.  The  great  body  of  them  are  Mahometans,  and  the  Ko- 
jan  is  both  their  statute  book  and  Bible.  They  are  reserved,  not 
distinguished  for  their  hospitality,  but  not  intolerant.     Schools 


780  WESTERN  COAST 

arc  kept  by  the  Mahometan  priests  in  all  their  villages.  The 
children  are  taught  to  read  the  Koran,  and  discover  great  docili- 
ty and  submission.  Most  of  the  Foulahs  speak  Arabic  ;  but  they 
have  a  language  of  their  own,  abounding  in  liquids,  though  un- 
pleasant in  its  enunciation.  Most  of  them  are  engaged  in  agri- 
culture and  pasturage.  They  are  commendably  industrious,  and 
discover  great  skill  in  the  management  of  their  cattle.  They 
possess  some  excellent  horses.  A  considerable  number  of  the 
Foulahs  are  robbers. 

FooLADOo  is  long,  from  S.  E.  to  N.  W.  and  narrow.  Park  did 
not  traverse  ic  ;  nor  Brooko  or  Bambouk,  on  the  W.  of  it,  which 
lie  between  the  Senegal,  on  the  N.  and  the  Mandingo  districts  on 
the  S. 

BoNDou  lies  W.  of  Bambouk,  and  has  Kajaaga  on  the  N.  Ten- 
da  on  the  S.  and  Wooli  on  the  S.  \V.  The  soil  is  not  surpassed 
in  fertility.  The  inhabitants  are  wealthy  and  industrious.  They 
sell  large  quantities  of  salt  to  the  inhabitants  of  the  interior,  and 
the  great  body  of  the  slaves  from  the  E.  pass  through  Bondou. 
Most  of  the  merchants,  however,  are  Mandingoes  and  Serawoolies. 
The  customs  are  very  heavy.  Fatteconda,  the  capital,  is  a  con- 
siderable town  about  15  miles  E.  of  the  Faleme.  The  houses  of 
the  king  are  surrounded  by  a  lofty  mud  wall,  which  converts  the 
whole  into  a  kind  of  citadel.  The  king's  troops  are  well  supplied 
with  fire  arms  and  ammunition. 

Foota  Torra  is  a  considerable  kingdom  W.  of  Bondou,  and  N. 
of  Wooli. 

Jaloffs.  The  Jaloffs  are  an  active,  powerful,  and  warlike 
race,  inhabiting  an  extensive  tract  of  country,  between  the  Fou- 
lahs of  the  Senegal  N.  Foota  Torra  E.  the  Mandingo  states  on 
the  Gambia  S.  and  the  coast  W.  They  are  of  a  jet  black.  Their 
noses,  however,  are  less  flat,  and  their  lips  less  prominent  than 
those  of  most  negroes.  They  are  divided  into  several  inde- 
pendent kingdoms,  frequently  at  war  with  their  neighbors,  or 
each  other.  In  their  government,  superstitions,  and  manners, 
tlicy  resemble  the  Mandingoes  ;  but  excel  them  in  the  manufac- 
ture of  cotton  cloth,  spinning  the  wool  to  a  finer  thread,  weaving 
it  in  a  broader  loom,  and  dying  it  of  a  better  color.  Their  lan- 
guage is  appropriate,  copious,  and  significant. 

Serawoolies.  These  occupy  only  one  independent  kingdom, 
that  of  Kajaaga  ;  but  many  of  them  are  dispersed  as  merchants, 
breakers,  and  slave-drivers,  over  the  whole  country,  particularly 
near  the  coast.  They  are  of  a  jet  black.  Their  language  abounds 
in  gutturals,  and  is  less  harmonious  than  the  Foulah  ;  but  is  very 
generally  understood  in  Kasson,  Kaarta,  Ludamar,  and  the  north- 
ern parts  of  Bambarra.  In  all  these  countries  the  Serawoolies 
are  the  chief  traders.  They  are  habitually  a  trading  people,  but 
always  look  upon  Kajaaga,  as  their  country.  They  trade  with 
the  British  factories  on  the  Gambia,  are  tolerably  fair  and  honest, 
indefatigable  in  the  pursuit  of  wealth,  and  derive  considerable 
profit  from  the  sale  of  salt  and  cottons  in  distant  countries. 

Kajaaga  has  Bondou  on  the  S.  W-  Bambouk  on  the  S.  E.  and  is 


AND  INTERIOR  OF  AFRICA.  781 

separated  by  the  Senegal  from  Kasson  on  the  N.  E.  and  Gedumah 
on  the  N.  The  king  is  absolute  and  powerful.  The  climate 
is  peculiarly  healthy,  and  the  soil  fertile.  Meana  is  the  capital. 
Joag  is  a  frontier  town  of  2000  inhabitants,  on  the  Senegal. 

Moors.  The  Moors  possess  a  number  of  kingdoms  between 
the  desert  on  the  N.  and  the  negro  kingdoms  on  the  S.  The  Sen- 
egal divides  them  from  the  negroes,  as  far  up  as  about  opposite 
to  Joag.  Thence  eastward,  they  bound  S.  on  Kasson,  Kaarta, 
Bambarra,  Masina,  and  Jinbala. 

They  are  divided  into  numerous  tribes,  or  kingdoms.  Trasart 
and  Il-brakcn,  lie  N.  E.  of  the  Foulahs,  on  the  Senegal  ;  Gedumoy 
N.  ofKajaaga;  Jafnoo^  of  Kasson;  Ludamar^  of  Kaarta;  Bee~ 
roo,  of  Bambarra  and  Masina  ;  To7n/>uciQO,  of  Jinbala  and  Gotto  ; 
and  Hoiissa,  still  farther  E. 

The  origin  of  these  Moorish  tribes  is  explained  by  John  Leo, 
the  African.  Before  the  Arabian  conquest,  about  A.  D.  630,  all 
the  inhabitants  of  Africa,  whether  descended  from  Numidians, 
Phoenicians,  Carthaginians,  Romans,  Vandals,  or  Goths,  were 
comprehended  under  the  general  name  of  Mauri,  or  Moors.  All 
these  nations  were  converted  to  Mahommedism  during  the  Ara- 
bian empire  under  the  Caliphs.  About  this  time  many  of  the 
Numidian  tribes,  who  led  a  wandering  life  in  the  desert,  and  sup- 
ported themselves  upon  the  produce  of  their  cattle,  retired  south- 
ward across  the  Great  Desert,  to  avoid  the  fury  of  the  Arabians  ; 
and  by  one  of  these  tribes,  Leo  says,  that  of  Zan/iaga,  the  negro 
nations  on  the  Niger  were  discovered,  and  many  of  them  conquer- 
ed. There  is  reason  to  believe,  says  Park,  that  their  dominion 
stretches  from  W.  to  E.  across  the  continent,  in  a  narrow  belt, 
from  the  mouth  of  the  Senegal  to  Abyssinia. 

Their  complexion  resembles  that  of  the  mulattoes  of  the  West 
Indies  ;  but  their  features  bespeak  low  cunning  and  cruelty,  and 
their  eyes  have  a  staring  wildness.  Park  conjectures  that  they 
are  a  mixture  of  the  nocthern  Moors,  and  the  Negroes.  Their 
dress  resembles  that  of  the  negroes,  except  that  they  universally 
wear  turbans  of  white  cotton  ;  and  that  their  drawers,  or  small 
clothes,  are  much  fuller  and  larger.  Their  houses  are  built  of 
clay  and  stone.  Many  of  them  live  in  tents,  and  roam  from  place 
to  place.  The  chief  wealth  of  these  consists  of  camels,  cattle,  and 
goats,  and  their  chief  business  is  pasturage.  They  are  all  extreme- 
ly indolent,  but  rigid  taskmasters  to  their  slaves.  Their  country 
being  nearer  the  Desert  is  far  hotter  and  less  fertile  than  that  of 
the  negroes.  It  is  subject  to  a  sand  wind  from  the  N.  E.  which 
is  extremely  distressing.  They  have  fine  horses,  and  are  excel- 
lent horsemen.  They  pay  scarcely  any  attention  to  agriculture, 
purchasing  their  corn,  cotton,  and  other  necessaries  of  the  negroes, 
in  exchange  for  salt,  which  they  dig  from  the  pits  in  the  Desert. 
They  manufacture  cloth  for  their  tents,  and  leather  for  saddles  and 
bridles  ;  also  spears,  knives,  and  pots  ;  but  sabres  and  fire  arm)» 
are  purchased  of  Europeans,  in  exchange  fpr  slaves. 

They  are  all  rigid  Mahometans,  bigotted,  superstitious,  and  iar 
tblerant.     All  the  males  read  and  write.    Their  language  is  Ara- 


?82  WESTERN  COAST 

bic.  Their  women  are  taught  nothing,  except  voluptuousncse 
and  submission.  Corpulency  in  their  females  is  the  first  charac- 
teristic of  beauty.  They  are  extremely  unkind  to  their  slaves  and 
to  strangers.  Park  describes  them  as  universally  proud,  ferocious, 
false,  and  treacherous. 

Trasart  and  Il-braken  are  both  formidable  tribes.  Those  of 
Gedumah  and  Jafnoo^  are  less  numerous,  but  equally  warlike. 
Their  chiefs,  or  kings,  have  absolute  jurisdiction. 

Ludamar  bounds  W.  on  Jafhoo,  S,  on  Kaarta,  S.  E.  for  some 
distance  on  Bambarra,  E.  on  Beroo,  and  N.  on  the  Desert.  Jarra. 
is  a  town  in  Ludamar,  of  considerable  extent,  on  the  confines  of 
Kaarta.  The  houses  are  of  clay  and  stone  intermixed.  The  ma- 
jority of  the  inhabitants  are  negroes,  who  pay  tribute  to  the  Moors, 
rather  than  be  exposed  to  their  hostile  incursions.  Benown  is 
the  capital  of  the  kingdom.  Deena  and  Samfiika  are  of  about  the 
same  size  as  Jarra,  and  farther  E. 

Of  Beeroo  we  know  nothing,  but  that  it  bounds  the  greater  part 
both  of  Bambarra  and  Masina,  on  the  N.  and  that  its  capital  is 
Walet. 

Tombuctooj  called  by  Jackson,  Timbiictoo,  extends  on  the  N. 
bank  of  the  Niger,  from  Beroo  to  Houasa.  The  Moors  are  the 
ruling  nation,  but  great  numbers  of  the  inhabitants  are  slaves. 
The  king  is  powerful,  and  has  a  magnificent  court.  Tombuctooy 
his  capital,  is  situated  on  a  plain,  130  miles  E.  of  Beroo,  and  12 
miles  N.  of  the  Niger  ;  in  about  Ion.  1  30,  E.  and  90  miles  from 
the  confines  of  the  desert.  It  is  a  very  large  town  ;  the  Moors 
told  Jackson,  about  12  miles  in  circumference.  The  houses  are 
spacious,  and  of  a  square  form  ;  of  one  story,  with  a  hollow  open 
square  in  the  centre.  The  government  of  the  town  is  in  the 
hands  of  a  divan  of  1 2  Alemma^  men  leai'ned  in  the  Koran,  ap- 
pointed for  3  years.  Its  police  is  exeellent.  Kobra  is  its  port  oa 
the  Niger.  The  commerce  of  Tombuctoo  is  very  important.  The 
articles  brought  by  the  Akkabaahs  from  Morocco  to  the  capital, 
are  sent  from  Kabra,  both  up  and  down  the  Niger.  A  caravan 
goes  also  to  Fezzan,  and  another  to  Egypt.  The  soil  is  generally- 
fertile.  Rice,  millet,  and  maize,  are  extensively  cultivated ; 
wheat  and  barley  also  in  the  plains.  Coffee  and  indigo  grow  wild. 
The  cotton  manufactures  are  superior.  Great  quantities  of  honey- 
are  annually  collected. 

HoussA.  This  kingdom  lies  E.  of  Tombuctoo,  on  both  sides 
©f  the  Niger.  An  extensive  desert  on  the  S.  is  said  to  separate  it 
from  Gotto.  Houssa,  the  city,  lies  about  60  miles  from  the  N. 
bank  of  the  river,  and  is,  according  to  Park,  1 1  days  journey,  or 
330  miles  below  Kabra.  It  is  said  to  be  even  larger,  than  Tom- 
buctoo, and  is  likewise  a  great  commercial  emporium.  Horne- 
man  was  informed,  that  the  kingdom  of  Houssa  reached  eastward 
to  the  limits  of  Bourno,  beyond  Ion.  15,  E.  and  that  it  compre- 
hended several  large  provinces,  of  which  Kashna  and  Gana,  or 
Kano^  were  the  most  eastern.  Kashna^,  the  capital  of  the  first  is 
said  to  be  far  the  largest  town  in  the  country,  and  in  the  interior 
of  Africa.     The  Houssians  are  chiefly  negroes.  ^f5  ■ 

BouENou.     This  is  a  very  extensive  country,  placed  by  Renne^ 


AND  INTERIOR  OF  AFRICA.  78$ 

E.  oF  Houssa,  beyond  which  lie  the  kingdoms  of  Dar  Bagherme 
and  Dar  Fur.     The  inhabitants  of  all  these  are  mere  negroes. 

Sahara.  We  know  of  no  extensive  oases  in  the  western  part 
of  the  Sahara  ;  but  in  the  eastern  part  there  are  several  very  in- 
teresting to  the  geographer  and  historian. 

TuAKicK.  Honieman  tells  us,  that  that  part  of  the  Desert,  ly- 
ing N.  of  Houssa,  and  N.  W.  of  Bournou,  is  occupied  by  the  Tua- 
Tick,  a  very  extensive  nation,  that  roams  over  the  whole  desert, 
even  to  Morocco.  They  are  divided  into  many  different  tribes, 
•who  all  speak  the  same  language.  Most  of  those  near  Soudan, 
as  the  Kolluvia7i  Tuarick^  are  very  dark,  and  some  quite  black, 
but  they  have  no  other  resemblance  to  negroes-  Those  more  to  the 
N.  and  W.  are  yellow,  like  the  Arabs.  All  the  Tuarick  seen  by 
Horneman,  were  thin,  and  rather  tall,  with  a  swift,  firm  walk,  a 
stern  look,  and  a  warlike  demeanor.  They  discover  strong  nat- 
Mral  powers  of  mind.  Their  character  is  much  esteemed.  Their 
clothing  consists  of  wide,  dark  blue  breeches,  a  short  narrow 
blue  shirt,  with  wide  sleeves,  over  this  a  larger  shirt,  or  frock, 
and  a  black  cloth  on  the  head.  They  are  chiefly  Mahometans, 
but  the  Tagama  Tuarick^  on  the  borders  of  Tombuctoo,  are  whites, 
and  are  Pagans.  They  always  carry  in  their  hands  a  small  lance, 
about  5  feet  long.  Over  the  frock  a  long  sword  hangs  from  the 
shoulder.  The  travelling  merchants  alone  have  fire  arms.  They 
Carry  on  a  commerce  between  Soudan,  Fezzan,  and  Gadamis, 
near  Tripoli.  Most  of  the  Tuarick  lead  a  wandering  life.  Some 
live  in  the  small  oasee  in  the  Desert. 

TiBBoos.  These  are  an  extensive  nation  living  E.  of  the  Tu-' 
crick,  in  the  Desert. 

Fezzan.  This  country  limits  the  Tuarick  on  the  N.  E.  Home- 
man  says  that  it  is  of  an  oval  shape,  about  300  miles  from  N.  to 
S.  and  200  from  E.  to  W.  Kennel  lays  it  down  between  Ion.  14 
and  17,  E.  and  about  150  miles  S,  from  the  shore  of  the  Greater 
Syrtis.  Arabs,  nominally  dependent  on  Tibet,  border  it  on  the  N. ; 
the  country  of  the  Tibboos  on  the  E.  and  S.  E.  ;  that  of  the  noma- 
dic Tuaricks  on  the  S.  and  S.  W. ;  and  Arabs  on  the  W.  The  king- 
dom contains  101  towns  and  villages.  The  religion  is  the  Ma- 
hometan. It  is  governed  by  a  sultan,  a  descendant  from  the 
family  of  the  Sherreefa.  The  tradition  is,  that  the  ancestors  of 
the  reigning  prince,  coming  from  western  Africa,  invaded  and 
conquered  Fezzan,  about  500  years  since.  The  sultan  is  abso- 
lute ;  but  holds  his  dominions  of  the  Bashaw  of  Tripoli,  to  whom 
he  pays  4000  dollars  as  a  yearly  tribute.  An  officer  of  the  bashaw 
comes  annually  to  Mourzouk  to  receive  this  sum,  or  its  value  in 
gold,  senna,  or  slaves.  The  throne  is  hereditary  in  one  fam- 
fly.  The  eldest  prince  of  the  royal  family  always  succeeds.  The 
dignity  of  chief  judge,  or  cadi,  is  hereditary  in  one  family.  The 
cadi  is  also  chief  priest.  The  sultan  gives  public  audience  to  his 
subjects  daily.  His  official  attendants  are  the  kaledymay  or  first 
minister,  the  keijumma,  or  second  minister,  the  general  of  his 
troops,  and  a  number  of  black  and  white  slaves.  The  chief  influ- 
ence, in   1800,  was  in  the  hands  of  the  Mamelukes.     Horncmaa 


784  WESTERN  COAST 

estimates  the  population  at  75,000.  The  revenue  arises  from 
taxes  on  gardens  and  cultivated  lands  ;  from  arbitrary  fines  and 
requisitions ;  from  duties  on  foreign  trade,  paid  by  the  several 
caravans  ;  and  from  predatory  excursions.  The  expenditure 
consists  chiefly  in  the  maintenance  of  the  sultan,  his  court,  and 
palace.  The  cadi  and  each  one  of  the  royal  family  has  a  district 
assigned  for  his  support. 

In  the  northern  part  of  the  country  the  complexion  is  like  that 
of  the  Arabs.  In  the  S.  it  is  mixed.  The  indigenous  Fezzans 
are  small,  of  a  deep  brown  color,  short  black  hair,  with  regular 
features,  and  noses  like  Europeans.  The  mien,  walk,  and  every 
motion  and  gesture,  denote  a  want  of  energy  either  of  body  or 
mind.  The  only  tradesmen  are  shoemakers  and  smiths.  The 
women  fabricate  coarse  woollens,  called  abbes.  The  dress  con- 
sists of-a  shirt  or  frock,  made  of  coarse  linen,  or  cotton,  brought 
from  Cairo,  and  of  the  abbe.  The  middling  classes  also  wear 
frocks  of  the  blue  cloth  of  Soudan.  The  rich  dress  in  the  Tripo- 
litan  habit.  The  women  wear  many  ornaments.  They  are  fond 
of  dancing,  and  every  amusement  ;  and  are  wanton  and  licentious. 
The  men  are  addicted  to  drunkenness,  contracted  by  drinking  the 
fresh  juice  of  the  date.  Singing  girls  are  common.  The  houses 
are  miserably  built  of  stones,  or  of  bricks,  composed  of  a  calca- 
reous earth,  mixed  with  clay,  and  dried  in  the  sun.  As  to  diet,  no 
people  are  more  abstemious.  Mourzoukf  the  capital,  is  in  about 
lat.  27  23  N.  and  in  Ion.  15  40  E.  420  miles  in  a  direct  line  S.  S,  E. 
of  Tripoli.  Zeula  lies  about  70  miles  E.  by  N.  of  Mourzouk. 
The  commerce  of  Fezzan  is  considerable.  From  October  to  Feb- 
ruary Mourzouk  is  the  great  emporium  for  the  caravans  from 
Cairo,  Tripoli,  Gadamis,  Bengasi,  a  town  on  the  N.  coast,  Soudan, 
and  various  others.  The  inhabitants  of  ^ug-ila  carry  on  the  trade 
from  Cairo  ;  those  of  Sockna,  that  of  Tripoli  ;  and  the  Kolluvian 
Tuarick,  that  of  Soudan.  Slaves,  ostrich  feathers,  ribette,  tiger 
skins,  and  gold  come  from  Soudan  ;  copper  from  Bornou  ;  silks, 
melayes,  (striped  blue  and  white  calicoes,)  woollens,  glass,  mock 
coral,  beads,  and  East  India  goods  from  Cairo  ;  tobacco,  snuiF, 
and  sundry  Turkish  wares  from  Bengasi  ;  paper,  mock  coral,  fire- 
arms, sabres,  knives,  and  red  worsted  caps  are  brought  from 
Tripoli,  and  Gadamis  ;  butter,  oil,  fat,  and  corn  by  the  smaller 
Tuarick  and  Arab  caravans  from  the  W.  and  senna,  ostrich  feath- 
ers, and  camels  by  those  from  the  S. 

The  climate  is  at  no  season  temperate  or  agreeable.  In  sum- 
mer, the  heat  is  intense,  and  when  the  wind  blows  from  the  S. 
scarcely  supportable.  Through  the  winter,  a  bleak,  chilling, 
damp  N.  wind  prevails.  Thunder  storms  are  not  frequent  ;  but 
tempests  and  whirlwinds  are  common,  both  from  the  S.  and  N. 
Syphilis,  hemorrhoids,  and  fever  and  ague  are  the  common  dis- 
eases. Dates  are  the  natural  and  staple  produce.  Senna  is  growa 
in  the  W.  Pot-herbs  and  vegetables  are  plentiful.  Wheat  and 
barley  are  suited  to  the  soil  and  climate.  Horned  cattle  are  found 
only  in  the  most  fertile  districts.  Goats  are  the  common  domestic 
suiimal.     Sheep  arc  bred  in  the  S.     Horses  are  few  ;  asses  are  the 


AND  INTERIOR  OP  AFRICA.  785 

ordinary  beasts  of  burden.  Camels  are  very  dear,  and  are  owned 
only  by  the  chief  people  or  richer  merchants.  All  these  animals 
are  fed  on  dates. 

Gademis.  This  is  an  oasis,  near  the  S.  W.  corner  of  Tripoli. 
We  have  no  information  respecting  it. 

AuGiLA.  This  small,  but  celebrated  territory,  lies  nearly  mid- 
way between  Egypt  and  Fezzan.  It  is  about  165  miles  from  the 
coast,  in  lat.  29  30  N.  and  Ion.  23  E.  ;  and  is  450  miles,  in  a  direct 
line  E.  N.  E.  of  Mourzouk.  It  is  an  oasis,  flat,  well  watered,  fer- 
tile, and  surrounded  by  arid  deserts,  either  sandy  or  rocky.  Its 
dates  are  celebrated.  These  and  its  gardens  constitute  the  chief 
culture.  There  are  3  towns,  Augila^  Mojabra^  and  Meledila  :  the 
two  last  near  together,  and  both  4  hours  E.  from  the  first.  Augi- 
la^  well  known  in  the  time  of  Herodotus,  covers  a  space  of  one 
mile  in  circumference.  It  is  badly  built.  The  streets  are  nar- 
row and  dirty.  The  houses  are  of  one  story,  of  limestone,  with 
an  open  hollow  square  in  the  centre.  The  apartments  are  dark. 
The  public  buildings  are  mean  and  wretched.  Mojabra  is  small- 
er, but  proportionally  more  populous.  The  inhabitants  are  chiefly 
merchants.  Those  of  Meledila  are  employed  in  the  culture  of 
the  ground.  The  men  employed  in  trade,  generally  keep  three 
houses  ;  one  at  Karduffi^  near  Cairo,  one  at  Mojabra^  and  one  at 
Zuila  or  Mourzouk.  Many  have  a  wife  and  family  at  each  estab- 
lishment. The  women  manufacture  abbes.  Wheat  is  imported 
by  the  Arabs  from  Bengasi.  The  inhabitants  can  speak  Arabic, 
but  their  vulgar  tongue  is  that  of  Siwah,  the  same  with  that  of  all 
the  Tuarick.  Augila  is  governed  by  a  vicegerent  for  the  bashaw 
of  Tripoli. 

SiwAH.  Siivah  lies  210  miles  a  little  S.  of  E.  of  Augila.  The 
route  of  the  caravans  is  an  almost  straight  course  from  one  to  the 
other,  along  the  foot  of  the  Mountains  of  Gerdoba.  It  is  1 50  miles 
from  the  Mediterranean,  and  260  W.  S.  W.  of  Cairo.  The  road 
to  Cairo  crosses  the  Nation  valley.  The  route  of  the  caravan  to 
Cairo,  is  about  50  miles  N.  E. ;  and  the  rest  of  the  way  in  an  E. 
by  N.  course,  along  the  foot  of  the  Hills  of  Mogurra. 

Siwah  is  a  small  independent  state.  It  acknowledges  the  grand 
seignior  paramount,  but  pays  him  do  tribute.  The  territory  is  of 
considerable  extent ;  its  principal  and  most  fruitful  district  is  a 
well  watered  valley,  50  miles  in  circuit,  hemmed  m  by  steep  and 
barren  rocks.  It  is  supposed,  with  great  probability,  to  have  been 
the  ancient  Oasis  of  Animon  ;  and  a  pile  of  ruins  on  the  W.  of  the 
capital  are  said  to  be  the  remains  of  the  celebrated  temple  of  Ju- 
piter Ammon.  As  the  language  of  the  present  Siwahans  is  Tua- 
rick., they  are  believed  to  be  of  Tuarick  origin.  They  are  all  Ma- 
hommedans.  The  government  of  the  territory  is  in  the  hands  of 
32  sheikhs,  who  sit  in  a  general  council.  Justice  is  administered 
according  to  ancient  usage.  Siwah  the  capital  is  nearly  in  the 
centre  of  the  valley.  It  is  built  upon  a  round  mass  of  rock.  The 
houses  might  be  taken  for  caves.  The  streets  arc  so  narrow,  that 
tJie  houses  almost  touch  each  other.  Many  stand  on  the  declivity 
©t  the  rock.     It  resembles  a  bcc  hive  in  its  shape,  and  in  the  buzz 

VOL.  tr.  99 


78$  AFRICAN  ISLANDS. 

of  its  streets.  At  the  foot  of  the  rock  are  erected  stables  far  the 
camels,  horses  and  asses,  which  cannot  ascend  to  the  town  above. 
Five  villages  surround  the  town,  at  one  or  two  miles  distance. 
The  dress  of  tho  men  consists  of  a  white  cotton  shivt  and  breeches  ; 
a  melmje,  folded  round  the  person,  and  thrown  over  the  left 
shoulder  ;  and  a  i*ed  worsted,  or  cotton  cap.  The  women  wear 
wide  blue  shifts,  reaching  to  the  ancles,  and  a  melaye  wrapped 
round  the  head,  and  falling  over  the  body,  like  a  cloak.  They 
also  wear  many  ornaments.  The  Siwahans  are  great  thieves. 
Many  of  them  are  rich.  Each  individual  has  one  or  more  gar- 
dens, and  these  it  is  his  whole  business  to  water  and  cultivate. 
The  soil  is  a  sandy  loam,  yielding  corn,  oil,  and  vegetables,  but 
the  chief  produce  is  dates.  These  are  all  kept  in  a  public  store- 
house. N.  W.  of  the  capital  there  is  a  stratum  of  salt,  extending 
a  full  mile,  and  near-  it  salt  is  found  on  the  surface,  lying  in  clods, 
er  small  lumps. 


AFRICAN   ISLANDS. 


IN  our  account  of  these  we  will  begin  with  Madagascar, 
the  only  one  of  any  considerable  size  »  he  smaller  African  Isl- 
ands shall  be  considered  in  a  geographical  order. 


MADAGASCAR. 

THIS  noble  island,  the  largest  in  the  world,  except  New 
Holland  and  Borneo,  lies  between  lat.  11  22  and  25  42  S.  Ion.  41 
14  to  48  14  E.  Its  length,  from  Cape  St.  Mary  to  Cape  Natal,  is 
about  980  miles,  and  its  mean  breadth  is  about  250.  It  lies  in  the 
Indian  ocean  ;  and  the  channel  of  Mozambique,  90  leagues  across, 
bounds  it  on  the  W.  and  separates  it  from  the  continent  of  Africa. 
It  is  divided  into  28  provinces. 

Marco  Polo,  in  the  13th  century,  describes  it  under  its  present 
name  ;  having  been  indebted  for  his  knowledge  to  the  Arabs. 
Three  races  among  the  inhabitants  are  evident  ;  that  of  Qafe 
Ibrahim,  or  Abraham  ;  these  practise  circumcision,  and  the 
names  of  Isaac,  Reuben  and  Jacob,  are  familiar  with  them.  The 
second  race  is  that  of  Qaferamini,  who  have,  it  is  supposed,  been 
here  six  centuries.  The  third  race  is  of  the  Arabian  extraction, 
and  more  modern. 

This  island  was  discovered  by  tho  Portuguese  in  1506.  The 
French  took  possession  of  it  in  1641,  but  were  driven  out  in  1652. 
A  considerable  settlement  was  made  hei-e  again  under  the  French 
government  from  1772  to  1776,  by  the  Baron  Beneyowski.  He 
erected  buildings,  raised  fortifications,  dug  canals,  opened  roads, 
exerted  himself  to  civilize  the  people,    lie  fell  here  worthy  a 


AFRICAN  ISLANDS.  ^if 

better  fate.  On  the  18th  of  February,  1811,  this  island  surren- 
dered to  the  British.  The  effect  of  this  conquest^t  is  expected, 
will  be  the  freedom  of  these  seas  from  the  French  flag,  and  the 
security  to  the  British  of  an  unmolested  traffic  with  this  fruitful 
and  important  island. 

The  population  of  the  island  is  reckoned,  by  Rcchon,  at  4,000,000 
souls.     The  language  of  all  these  islanders  is  nearly  the  same. 

The  inhabitants  believe  in  a  Supreme  Being,  Avhom  they  call 
Zanhare,  i.  e.  Creator  of  all  things.  They  have  no  temples,  no 
idols,  no  priests  ;  but  make  sacrifices  of  sheep  and  oxen.  They 
believe  the  soul  immortal,  but  suppose  the  wicked  and  good  re- 
warded in  this  life.  They  are  a  friendly,  intelligent,  excellent 
people,  possessing  a  quick  sense  of  honor  and  gratitude,  far  less 
mindful  of  injuries  done  themselves,  than  of  those  offered  their 
family.  Some  are  of  a  deep  black,  and  have  woolly  hair; 
others  are  tawney,  and  others  copper-colored ;  but  most  of  an 
olive.  They  are  all  portly  in  their  persons,  and  rise  aboA'C  the 
middle  stature.  Writing  is  not  unknown.  They  have  som.e  his- 
torical books  in  their  own  languages  ;  but  their  men  of  learning, 
whom  they  call  07nbiasses,  use  only  the  Arabic  character.  That 
language  has  made  some  progress  in  the  N.  of  the  island.  Their 
hospitality  is  worthy  of  notice  and  imitation.  The  traveller,  though 
a  stranger,  enters  the  cottage,  sits  down  with  the  family,  and  par- 
takes of  their  repast.     This  custom  is  general. 

The  oaths,  which  these  islanders  are  not  known  to  violate,  are 
taken  in  a  solemn,  impressive  manner.  The  most  sacred  is  the 
oath  of  blood.  The  left  breast  of  the  person  engaging  is  opened 
with  a  razor,  from  which  the  other  sucks  a  drop  of  blood,  wishing 
anathemas  on  him,  who  shall  violate,  and  blessings  on  him,  who 
shall  keep  tlie  oath.  A  barbarous  custom  has  prevailed  here  of 
destroying  those  infants,  who  have  any  natural  defect,  or  arc  born 
on  those  days,  they  call  unlucky. 

They  have  dancers  and  comedians  to  amuse  them  ;  and  phy- 
sicians to  visit  them  when  sick.  These  amiable  people  are  torn 
from  their  country,  their  families,  their  parents,  their  children, 
their  lovers,  and  sold  in  thousands,  in  the  French  colonies,  and 
more  cruelly  treated  than  beasts  of  burden.  Under  the  blazing 
sun  of  Bourbon,  or  the  isle  of  France,  the  wretch  toils,  almost 
naked,  with  an  iron  collar  fastened  round  the  neck,  from  which 
rise  plates  of  iron,  formmg  a  mask  and  head  piece  ;  before  the 
mouth  is  a  round  plate  of  iron,  in  which  are  small  holes  to  emit  the 
breath  ;  there  is  a  place  for  the  nose  ;  a  flat  piece  of  iron  passes 
through  the  mouth,  as  a  bit  in  the  horse's  mouth.  The  skin  i» 
soon  worn  from  the  mouth,  nose,  face  and  chin.  This,  with  the 
heat  of  the  iron  in  a  hot  day,  renders  the  torment  intolerable- 
Their  punishments  are  insupportable,  and  they  gladly  meet  death. 
They  often  hang  or  poison  themselves,  or  rush  into  the  open  ocean 
in  a  little  boat. 

All  the  artisans  of  Europe  are  not  found  here  ;  but  they  have 
manufactures  of  iron  and  steel.  They  are  ingenious  goldsmiths, 
potters,  joiners,  carpenters,  rope-makers  and   weavers.    Their 


788  AFRICAN  ISLANDS. 

Jinens  are  woven  by  women  ;  they  are  very  fine,  and  beautifully 
colored. 

The  climate  of  Madagascar  is  healthy ;  the  heat  is  not  excessive, 
being  in  some  parts  tempered  by  land  breezes,  from  sun-setting, 
till  10  or  U  o'clock  in  the  morning.  They  live  in  towns  and  vil- 
lages. The  towns  are  surrounded  by  a  ditch  and  pallisadoes, 
guarded  by  10  and  20  soldiers.  The  houses  of  private  people 
consist  of  a  convenient  cottage,  surrounded  by  smaller  ones  for 
their  wives  and  slaves.  They  are  of  wood  covered  with  leaves  or 
straw.  The  houses  of  the  wealthy  are  spacious  and  divided  into 
sevefal  apartments.  The  princes  have  buildings  of  taste  and 
beauty. 

This  island  is  watered  by  a  greatnumberof  considerable  rivers, 
which  form  at  their  mouths  many  bays  and  gulfs,  in  which  are 
found  good  roads  and  harbors.  Foulefiointe  is  the  port  most  fre- 
quented on  the  N.  coast.  The  harbor  is  surrounded  by  a  reef  of 
rocks,  which  defend  the  vessel  from  the  force  of  the  waves.  The 
shores  are  bold,  and  the  depth  23  feet,  at  low  water. 

The  country  produces  oxen,  sheep,  goats,  and  cotton  in  abun- 
dance. Ebony,  gum  guttae,  cucumbers,  peas,  beans,  barley,  rice, 
and  citrons,  are  plenty.  Cardaman  plants,  banana,  and  orange 
trees  flourish.  Rock  crystals,  copper,  silver,  gold,  iron,  and  pre- 
cious stones  are  found  here.  A  great  variety  of  ornamental  plants, 
of  fruit  trees,  and  valuable  timber,  grow  on  this  island. 


SMALLER  AFRICAN  ISLANDS. 

PoRTO  Santo.  This  is  a  small  island,  about  20  miles  in  com- 
pass, in  lat.  32  55,  N.  and  125  leagues  W.  of  Cape  Blanco  ;  dis- 
covered and  possessed  by  the  Portuguese.  It  has  one  good  har- 
bor, safe  from  all  winds  but  the  S.  W.  Here  the  India  ships  usu- 
ally stop  to  refit,  both  going  and  returning.  The  island  is  inhab- 
ited by  Poi'tuguese,  is  very  rich,  and  produces  wheat  and  maize, 
cattle,  wild  boars,  and  I'abbits.  Dragon's  blood,  honey,  wax,  and 
fish,  are  exported. 

Madeira.  The  form  of  Madeira  is  a  triangle  of  150  miles  in 
circuit,  lying  in  lat.  32  30,  N.  and  Ion.  16  50,  W.  120  leagues  W. 
of  Cape  Cantin.  It  is  divided  into  two  provinces.  The  Portu- 
guese discovered  it  in  1431.  The  population  is  said  to  amount 
to  70,000.  The  forces  are  150  infantry,  and  2000  militia.  Futi" 
chal,  the  capital,  is  in  a  valley,  on  the  S.  coast.  The  harbor  is 
defended  by  several  batteries,  and  a  castle.  The  town  is  divided 
into  6  parishes,  and  contains  6  convents,  as  many  churches,  and 
about  15,000  inhabitants,  consisting  of  Portuguese,  French,  En- 
glish, Irish,  mulattoes,  and  blacks.  The  streets  are  straight,  and 
the  houses  neat.  The  windows  are  sashed  with  lathwork.  The 
town  is  the  see  of  a  bishop,  and  the  residence  of  the  governor. 
The  principal  merchants  are  English  and  Irish  catholics,  though 
the  island  belongs  to  Portugal.  The  climate  is  agreeable,  and 
the  soil  very  fertile.     The  chief  exports  are  Madeira  wine,  20,000 


AFRICAN  ISLANDS.  989 

hogsheads,  and  sweet  meats.     Every   species  of  tropical  fruit 
grows  to  perfection. 

Canaries.  There  is  a  group  of  13  islands  lying  off  Cape  Non, 
or  Nun,  between  lat.  27  15,  and  29  50,  N.  and  between  13  and 
17  30,  W  Six  are  small  and  uninliabited  ;  Graciosa,  Roccuy 
AUegranzay  Sta.  Clara^  Inferno,,  and  Lobos.  Some  also  consider 
the  Salvages^  a  cluster  of  rocks  to  the  N.  W.  as  in  the  group. 
The  seven  large  islands  are  Lancerottay  Fortevcntura,,  Grand 
Canary,)  Teneriffe^  Gomera^  Ferroy  and  Palma.  They  are  thought 
to  be  the  same  with  the  Fortunate  Islands  of  the  ancients.  1  hey 
were  imperfectly  known  to  the  Spaniards  about  the  year  1 300. 
John  de  Bethencourt  conquered  and  took  possession  of  them 
for  Henry  III.  of  Castile,  about  1404.  With  the  king's  consent 
he  soon  after  assumed  the  title  of  Kuig  of  the  Canaries.  They 
still  belong  to  Spain.  The  natives  were  called  Guanches.  The 
race  is  nearly  extinct.  They  were  stout,  robust,  of  a  tawney  com- 
plexion, with  large  flat  noses,  lively,  cunning,  brave,  and  addict- 
ed to  war.  They  were  polygamists  and  idolaters.  The  religion 
is  the  Catholic.  The  bishop  has  a  revenue  of  ;C  10,000,  and  is  suffra- 
gan to  the  archbisiiop  of  Seville.  A  tribunal  of  the  inquisition  is 
established  at  Paln)a,  the  capital.  The  government  is  vested  in 
a  governor  and  royal  audience.  The  audience  sit  at  Palmay  the 
capital  of  Grand  Canary.  The  population  of  the  whole  group  is 
stated  at  196,500,  distributed  as  follows  : 

Teneriffe,  100,000  Lancerota,  8,000 

Grand  Canary,     40,000  Comera,  7,000 

Palma,  30,000  Ferro,  1,500. 

Forte  ventura,      10,000 

These  islands  yield  a  revenue  to  the  crown  of  about  jC60,000 
sterling.  The  inhabitants  are  chiefly  Spaniards.  Most  of  them 
arc  poor,  and  are  tenants.  Bread  is  eaten  only  by  the  rich.  The 
poorer  soi't  subsist  on  goffio^  a  parched  grain,  ground  by  a  little 
hand-mill.  The  commerce  with  England,  Spain,  and  Spanish 
America,  is  important.  The  exports  to  Spanish  South  America, 
in  1788,  amounted  to  iC88,255  sterling,  and  the  imports  to  ;57 1,586. 
Wine  is  chiefly  exported  from  the  islands  of  Teneriffe  and  Palma. 
Tropical  fruits  are  raised  in  great  abundance. 

The  climate  is  temperate  and  mild.  The  soil  is  generally  fer- 
tile. The  articles  of  culture  are  the  vine,  sugar-cane,  cotton, 
wheat,  barley,  and  rice.  All  the  islands  are  well  supplied  with 
cattle. 

Forteventuruy  50  miles  long,  and  from  8  to  24  broad,  is  40  leagues 
W.  from  Cape  Non.  It  is  fertile,  well  watered,  and  productive, 
abounding  in  goats.  La  Villa,  in  the  centre,  and  Olivia,  in  the 
N.  arc  the  largest  towns. 

Lancerotta  lies  directly  N.  of  the  preceding,  and  is  SO  miles  by 
8.  The  capital  of  the  same  name  has  100  houses.  Its  vaUicsare 
fertile,  and  it  abounds  in  goats. 

Grand  Canary  lies  S.  S.  W.  of  Forteventura,  and  100  miles  N. 
W.  by  N.  of  Cape  Bojador,  and  is  100  miles  in  compass.  Fatma, 
the  capital,  is  oq  the  S.  W.  side,  at  a  small  distance  from  the  seaj 


ygO  AFRICAN  ISLANDS. 

and  is  about  a  league  in  circuit.  It  contains  12,000  inhabitants. 
The  houses  are  of  one  story,  with  flat  roofs,  but  are  well  built. 
Here  are  4  convents.  The  soil  is  a  rich  mould,  yielding  two  har- 
vests.    Filtering  stones  are  among  the  exports. 

Teneriffe  is  70  miles  west  ©f  Grand  Canary,  and  1 60  N.  W.  of 
Cape  Bojador.  Its  length  is  70  miles,  and  its  mean  breadth  22. 
Santa  Cruz,  the  capital,  on  the  S.  E.  has  a  good  harbor,  and  is  a 
handsome,  populous  town.  The  governor  resides  here.  No  soil 
is  more  fertile  than  that  of  this  island.  About  40,000  pipes  of 
wine  are  made  annually.  The  climate  is  remiarkably  healthy. 
The  celebrated  Peake  of  Teneriffe  is  a  well  known  land-mark, 
visible  more  than  1 20  miles. 

GoMERA  lies  W.  of  Teneriffe,  is  20  miles  long,  and  10  broad, 
and  has  a  capital  of  the  same  name,  on  the  E.  coast,  with  a  good 
harbor.  It  is  fertile  and  well  cultivated,  producing,great  quanti- 
ties of  silk. 

Ferro,  or  HiERRO,  the  mest  western  of  th€  Canaries,  and  the 
most  western  land  known  to  the  ancients,  constituted,  for  several 
centuries,  the  only  first  meridian  of  geographers.  It  is  about  6 
leagues  in  circuit,  and  not  very  fertile.  The  longitude  of  its 
west  coast  is  17  46,  W. 

Palma,  N.  by  E.  of  Ferro,  is  20  leagues  in  cii'cuit.  It  is  very 
fertile  and  productive,  and  has  a  capital  of  its  own  name. 

Cape  Verd  Islands.  These  are  a  cluster  of  islands,  130 
leagues  W  of  Cape  Verd,  between  lat.  16  and  18,N.  The  prin- 
cipal ones  are  St.  Anthony,  St.  Vincent,  St.  Nicholas,  Bonavista, 
and  St.  Jago.  They  have  long  belonged  to  the  Portuguese.  The 
inhabitants  of  all  are  said  to  amount  to  100,000.  By  long  resi- 
dence, and  by  intermixture,  they  have  become  nearly  of  the  ne- 
gro complexion  and  features.  The  manufactures  of  leather  and 
salt  form  the  principal  riches.  The  soil  is  indifferent.  Tropical 
fruits  abound.  The  first  modem  who  visited  them,  was  Antonio 
Nolli,  a  Genoese,  in  1449. 

GoREE.  This  is  a  little  island,  two  miles  in  circuit,  close  to 
the  coast,  S.  of  Cape  Verd.  The  Dutch  planted  it  in  1617.  The 
French  drove  them  out  in  1677,  and  were  lately  driven  out  by 
the  English. 

BissAo.  This  island  is  80. miles  in  circuit,  and  is  close  to  the 
coast,  in  lat.  1 1  30,  just  N.  of  Rio  Grande.  It  is  the  only  posses- 
sion of  the  Portuguese  near  the  coast,  between  Cape  Verd  and 
the  Coast  of  Congo. 

fiissAGos.  These  form  a  little  archipelago,  lying  along  tlie 
coast,  near  the  mouth  of  Rio  Grande. 

Fernando  Po.  This  isle  is  about  30  leagues  in  cii'cuit,  in  lat. 
3  20,  N.  and  Ion.  10  45,  E.  near  the  coast  of  Benin.  It  belongs  t» 
Spain,  is  high,  has  a  fertile  soil,  and  produces  manioc,  sugar, 
rice,  fruits,  and  tobacco. 

Prince's  Island.  This  lies  directly  S.  of  the  former,  in  lat.  1 
30,  N.  and  is  20  ■  leagues  in  circuit.  The  town  on  the  N.  coast 
has  a  good  harbor,  and  contains  200  houses.  The  soil  is  goodj 
and  the  produce  like  that  of  Fernando  Po.    It  belongs  to  Spain." 


AFRICAN  ISLANDS,  791 

St.  Thomas.  St.  Thomas  is  about  20  leagues  in  circuit,  and 
lies  a  little  W.  of  S.  from  Prince's  Island,  directly  under  the 
equator,  and  about  50  leagues  N.  W.  by  W.  from  Cape  Lopez.  It 
was  discovered  and  settled  by  the  Portuguese,  in  1460,  and  made 
ai  sort  of  Botany  Bay  for  the  heroes  of  the  Lisbon  Old  Bailey. 
These  are  now  amalgamated  with  the  negroes. 

Annobon.  This  is  a  high,  mountainous,  and  fertile  island, 
about  6  leagues  in  circuit,  in  lat.  1  45,  S.  80  leagues  from  Cape 
Lopez.  It  was  settled  by  the  Portuguese,  and  is  said  now  to  be- 
long to  Spain. 

St.  Matthew.  The  Portuguese  discovered  it  in  1516,  and 
Soon  after  settled  it.     It  lies  in  lat.  1  45,  S. 

Ascension.  Lat.  7  56  30,  S.  Ion.  14  22  31,  W.  It  was  discov- 
ered in  1501,  is  10  miles  long  from  N.  W.  to  S.  E.  and  5  or  6 
broad.     It  isj[)arren  and  desolate,  but  abounds  with  turtle. 

St.  Helena.  This  is  a  beautiful  island,  20  miles  in  circum- 
ference, belonging  to  the  English  East  India  Company.  It  has 
some  high  mountains,  particularly  one  called  Diana's  Peak,  which 
is  covered  with  wood  to  the  very  top.  There  are  other  hills  al- 
so, which  bear  evident  marks  of  a  volcanic  origin ;  some  have 
huge  rocks  of  lava,  and  a  kind  of  half  vitrified  flags.  Every  valley 
is  watered  by  a  rivulet,  and  the  island  can  support  3000  head  of 
its  small  cattle.  The  number  of  inhabitants  does  not  exceed 
2000,  including  near  500  soldiers  and  600  slaves,  who  are  supplied 
with  all  sorts  of  manufactures  by  the  company's  ships,  in  return 
for  refreshments.  The  town  is  small,  situated  in  a  valley,  at  the 
bottom  of  a  bay  on  the  south  side  of  the  island,  between  two  steep 
dreary  mountains ;  has  a  church,  and  is  well  defended  by  forts 
and  batteries.  It  lies  between  the  continents  of  Africa  and  South 
America,  about  1200  miles  west  of  the  former,  and  1800  east  of 
the  lattei",  Ion.  5  49,  west,  lat.  15  55,^outh. 

The  Company's  affairs  are  here  managed  by  a  governor,  depu- 
ty governor,  and  store-keeper,  who  have  standing  salaries  allowed 
by  the  Company,  besides  a  public  table  well  furnished,  to  which, 
all  commanders,  masters  of  ships,  and  principal  passengers  arc 
welcome. 

Saxemberg,  Triatran  de  Cunba,  DicgOy  and  Gough*a  Island^  are 
small  islands  to  the  W.  of  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope.  Prince  Ed- 
ward's and  Desert  Islands^  lie  to  the  S.  L.  of  that  Cape.  The 
Isle  of  Desolation^  called  by  the  French,  Kerguelen'a  Land^  is 
about  equidistant  from  Africa  and  New  Holland. 

Bourbon.  The  Portuguese  discovered  it  ia  1545,  and  called 
it  Mascarenhas.  The  French  took  possession  in  1 642,  and  called 
it  Bourbon.  They  have  lately  called  it  Inlc  de  Reunion^  and  still 
later,  Bonajiarte.  It  is  60  miles  long,  and  40  broad,  370  miles  E. 
from  Madagascar.  The  island  is  difficult  of  access.  <S/.  Denis 
is  the  principal  port  It  has  lately  been  taken  by  the  English. 
Its  first  inhabitants  were  pirates,  who  planted  themselves  here  in 
1657.  The  island  has  now,  according  to  St.  Pierre,  60,000  blacks, 
and  5,000  other  inhabitants  :  Ion.  55  30,  E.  lat.  20  52,  S. 

Mauritivs.    This  island,  150  miles  in  circumference,  lies  E. 


79i}  AFRICAN  ISLANDS. 

N.  E.  of  Bourbon,  and  400  miles  E.  of  Madagascar,  was  discover- 
ed and  settled  by  the  Dutch,  in  1598,  and  relinquished  in  1710. 
The  French  took  possession  soon  after,  and  retained  it  till  1810, 
when  it  was  taken  by  the  English.  The  climate  is  healthy ;  but 
the  soil  not  very  fertile.  There  are  many  mountains,  some  of 
which  are  so  high,  that  their  tops  are  covered  Avith  snow  :  They 
produce  the  best  ebony  in  the  world.  The  vallies  are  well  wa- 
tered with  rivers,  and  are  made  very  productive  of  cultivation,  of 
which  indigo  is  the  principal  object.  The  town  and  harbor  are 
cajled  Port  Louis,  and  are  strongly  fortified  ;  hut  in  the  hurricane 
months,  the  harbor  cannot  afford  shelter  for  more  than  eight  ves- 
sels. Here  are  large  store  houses,  and  svery  thhig  necessary  for 
the  equipment  of  fleets. 

The  number  of  inhabitants  on  the  island,  exclusive  of  the  mili- 
tary, is  8,000  Avhites,  and  12,000  blacks.  These  black  slaves  cul- 
tivate the  soil,  do  all  the  drudgery,  and  are  treated  in  the  must 
cruel  manner.  In  desperation,  they  often  hang  or  drown  them- 
selves. More  frequently,  they  fly  to  the  woods,  where  they  are 
hunted  and  shot,  like  beasts,  by  parties  of  pleasure  formed  for  the 
purpose  ! !     Lon.  57  28  E.  lat.  20  9  S.* 

-  CoMORA  Islands,  a  cluster  of  islands  in  the  Indian  ocean,  be- 
tween the  coast  of  Zanguebar  and  the  N.  part  of  the  island  of  Ma- 
dagascar. They  are  4  in  number,  viz.  Johanna,  Mayotta,Mohilla, 
and  Comora,  which  last  is  6  leagues  long  and  3  wide,  and  gives 
its  name  to  the  group.  It  has  no  safe  harbors.  Its  high  moun- 
taias  are  rithly  covered  with  verdure  and  fruit  trees,  and  give  rise 
to  numerous  fertilizing  streams,  on  which  are  many  beautiful  cas- 
cades. The  vallies  between  the  mountains  are  extensive,  and  in 
richness  and  beauty  are  exceeded  by  none  in  the  world.  These 
islands  produce  rice,  peas,  yams,  indian  corn,  purslain,  cocoa-nuts, 
plantains,  oranges,  lemons,  citrons,  limes,  pine  apples,  cucumbers, 
tamarinds,  sugar  canes  and  honey.  Their  animals  are  buff'aloes, 
goats,  tortoises,  camelions,  hens,  and  a  great  variety  of  birds,  many 
of  which  are  not  known  in  Europe.  Johanna,  though  not  the  larg- 
est, is  yet  in  many  respects  the  principal  island.  The  Arabs  arc 
settled  here,  and  exact  tribute  from  the  natives  of  this  and  the 
other  islands.  The  Arabs,  about  3000  in  number,  professing  the 
Mahometan  religion,  are  settled  together  in  a  walled  tOAvn  on  the 
S.  E.  part  of  the  island.  The  town,  which  is  the  residence  of  the 
king  of  all  the  isles,  contains  about  900  houses,  one  story  of  15 
or  20  feet  high,  and  thatched  with  cabbage-tree  leaves.  The 
town  covers  about  10  acres.  A  mosque  of  stone  rises  in  its  cen- 
tre. The  walls  are  about  6  feet  high,  and  encompass  the  whole 
town,  leaving  but  one  place  of  entrance,  and  are  mounted  with  18 
cannon,  taken  from  the  wreck  of  a  French  ship  ;  but  they  are  of 
no  use  for  defence,  as  the  inhabitants  are  without  ammunition,  and 
ignorant  of  the  manner  of  managing  them.  The  streets  are  dirty, 
and  so  narrow  as  to  admit  but  two  persons  abreast.  The  drink  of 
tlie  inhabitants  is  the  milk  of  the  cocoa-nut,  from  which  they  have 

*  St.  Kerr?.  ^ 


AFRICAN  ISLANDS*  ^9-4 

tlie  art  of  extracting  an  intoxicating  liquor.  From  the  sugar-canes 
they  extract  molasses.  The  Arabs  in  the  town  are  clothed,  and  ia 
some  degree  civilized  ;  but  the  aborigines,  about  7000  in  num- 
ber, who  inhabit  the  hills,  and  who  are  often  at  war  with  the  Arabs, 
go  naked,  are  of  a  dark  complexion,  and  stupid.  In  the  interior 
of  the  island  is  a  lake,  held  sacred  by  the  natives,  in  which  are 
ducks,  which  are  also  venerated-  All  strangers,  v/ho  visit  this 
lake,  are  required  to  leave  their  guns  5  miles  from  it.  The  birds 
thus  protected,  are  tame,  and  fearlessly  approach  those  who  visit 
them.  The  Arabs,  though  they  dare  not  openly  oppose,  yet  de- 
test this  superstition.  The  East  India  ships  often  touch  here  for 
refreshment.  The  Arabs,  some  of  them,  speak  broken,  but  intel- 
ligible English— preserve  the  manners  of  Arabia,  and  are  not  so 
dark  as  the  natives.  These  isles  lie  between  1 1  and  13  S.  lat.  and 
44  and  47  E.  Ion.* 

MoNFiA,  Zanzibar  and  Pemba,  lie  along  the  coast  of  Zangue- 
bar.  The  latter  is  governed  by  a  king,  who  pays  tribute  to  the 
Portuguese,  and  who  receives  a  tribute  from  the  other  two. 

ZocoTRA  or  Socotra.  This  is  a  large  island,  25  leagues  from 
Cape  Guardefan,  and  80  from  Arabia.  It  is  75  miles  in  length, 
from  E.  to  W.  and  50  broad.  It  has  a  fine  bold  shore,  and  many- 
excellent  harbors.  It  is  fertile  and  populous  ;  and  is  governed 
by  a  prince  who  is  tributary  to  the  Sheikh  of  Keschin^  a  town  of 
Hadramaut  in  Arabia.  The  inhabitants  are  of  Arabian  descent; 
and  are  Mahometans.     The  island  is  very  prod,uctive. 

•  Ciipt.  Ham,  Walker,  Grose. 


THE  EJfa 


VOU  Xle,  lOO 


CHRONOLOGICAL  tABLE 

OF    REMARKABLE 

EVENTS,  DISCOVERIES  AND  INVENTIONS: 

COMPIIEHENDING,    IN    ONE    VIEW, 

THE  J.WJL  YSI3  OR  0  UTLIJVES  OF  GEJ^^ERAL  HISTOR Y 
FROM  THE  CREATION  TO  THE  PRESENT  TIME. 


Bef.  Christ. 

4004  THE  ereatioH  of  the  world,  and  of  Adam  and  Eve. 
.SOir  Enoch  translated  into  heaven. 

2i48  The  old  world  destrovetl  by  a  deluge,  which  continued  377  days. 
3247  The  tower  of  Babel  is  Iniilt  about  this  time  by  Noah's  posterity ;  upon  which 
God  miraculously  confounds  their  language,  and  thus  disperses  them  into  d»fr 
ferent  nations. 
^34  Celestial  observations  are  begun  at  Babylon,  the  city  which  first  gave  birth  to 

learning  and  the  sciences. 
218&  Misraim,  the  son  of  Ham,  founds  the  kingdom   of  Eg)-pt,  which  lasted   1663 

years,  to  the  conquest  of  Cambyses. 
S059  Ninus,  the  son  of  Belus,  founds  the  kingdom  of  Assyria,  which  lasted  above  lOOO 

years, 
1921  The  covenant  of  God  made  with  Abraham,  when  he  leaves  Haran  to  go  into 

Canaan,  which  begins  the  430  years  of  sojourning. 
1897  The  cities  of  Sodom  and  Gomorrah  are  destroyed  for  their  wickedness  by  fire 

from  heaven. 
1822  Memnon  tlie  Egyptian  invents  the  letters. 

1035  Joseph  dies  in  Egypt,  which  concludes  the  book  of  Genesis,  containing  a  peri- 
od of  2369  years. 
1574  Aaron  born  ;  I4l)0,  appointed  by  God  first  high  priest  of  the  Israelites. 
1571   Moses,  born  in  Esrypt,  and  adopted  by  Pharaoh's  daughter. 
1556  Cecrops,  with  a  colony  from  Egypt,  settles  Athens  in  Greece. 
1546  Scaraander  from  Crete  begins  tlie  lungdom  of  Troy. 
1503  Deluge  of  Deucalion  in  Thessaly. 

1495  Cadmus  carried  the  Phoenician  letters  into  Greece,  and  built  Thebes. 
1491  Moses,  after  a  number  of  miracles  in  Egypt,  departs  with  600,000  Israelites^ 

whieh  completed  the  4S0  years  of  sojourning. 
1485  The  first  ship  that  appeiired  in  Greece  brought  from  Egypt  by  Danaus  to  Rhodes, 

and^ brought  with  him  his  fitly  daughteis. 
1453  The  first  Olympic  games  celebrated  at  Olympia  in  Greec«. 
1452  The  Pentateuch,  or  five  first  books  of  Moses,  are  written  ir 

where  he  died  the  following  year,  aged  110  years. 
1451    The  Isi-aelites,  after  sojourning  in  the  wilderness  forty  yeai-s,  are  led  under 
Joshua  into  the  land  of  Canaan,  where  they  settle,  having  subdued  the  natives; 
and  the  periotl  of  the  sabbatical  year  commences. 
1406  Iron  is  found  in  Greece  from  the  accidental  burning  of  the  woods. 
12G3  Argonautic  expedition. 
1198  The  rape  of  Helen  by  Paris,  in  1I9S,  gave  rise  to  the  Trojan  war,  which  con- 

tmMwl  ten  yeai-s,  when  that  city  was  taken  and  burned. 
1048  David  is  sole  king  of  Israel. 
1004  The  Temple  is  solemnly  dedicated  by  Solomon. 
896  Elijah,  the  prophet,  is  translated  to  heaven. 
894  Money  first  made  of  gold  and  silver  at  Argos. 
869  The  city  of  Carthace  iu  Africa,  founded  by  Queen  Dido. 
814  The  kingdom  of  Macedon  begins. 
776  The  first  Olympiad  begins. 

753  iEra  of  the  building  of  Rome  by  Romulus  first  king  of  the  Romans. 
720  Samaria  taken,  and  the  kingdom  of  Israel  overthrown  by  Salmauaser  Kuig  of 
Assyria,  who  carried  the  ten  tribes  into  captivity. 
The  first  eclipse  of  the  moon  on  record-. 


in  the  land  of  Moab, 


CHRONOLOGICAL  TABLE.  %n 

B.  C. 

6a8  Byzantium  (now  Constantinople)  built  by  a  colony  of  Athenians. 

C04  By  order  of  Necho,  King  of  Kgypt,  some  Phoenicians  sailed  from  the  Retl  Sea 
round  Africa,  and  returned  by  the  Meditenanean. 

COO  Thales  of  Miletus  travels  into  Egjpt,  a«iuire3  the  knowledge  of  p;eometry,  astron- 
omy and  Jihilosophy  ;  returns  to  Cirecee,  c«lculates  eclijis's,  anil  gives  [general 
notions  of  the  univei-EC,  and  maintains  that  one  Suprcnne  Intelligence  regulates 
all  its  motions. 
IMaps,  globes,  ami  the  signs  of  the  Zodiack,  io vented  by  Anaximander,  the 
scholar  of  Thales. 

597  Jehoiakin,  King  of  Judah,  is  carried  away  captive  by  Nebuchadnezzar  to  Baby- 
Ion. 

58f  The  city  of  Jerusalem  t!*ken  after  a  acge  ol'  18  months. 

562  The  first  comedy  at  Athens  acted  upon  a  moveable  scafFoM. 

55'J  Cyrus  the  first  Ring  of  Persia. 

538  The  kingdom  of  Babylon  destroyed;  tliflt  city  being  taken  by  Cyrus,  who,  m 
536,  issued  '>n  edict  for  the  return  of  the  Jews. 

5Si  The  first  tragedy  acted  at  Athens,  on  a  waggon,  by  Thcspis. 

526  Learning  is  greatlj'  encourage<l  at  Athens,  and  a  public  librar}'  first  fwmded. 

515  The  second  temple  at  Jernsalem  is  finished  under  Darius. 

509  Tarquin  the  seventh,   and  last  king  of  the  Romans  is  expelled,  ar^l  Rome  is 

fovemed  by  two  aousuls  and  other  republican  magistrates,  until  the  battle  of 
'harsalia,  461  years. 
504  Sardis  taken  and  burnt  by  the  Athenians,  which  gave  occasion  to  the  Pei'sian  in- 
vasion of  Greeoc. 
486  iEschylus,  the  Greek  Poet,  first  gains  the  prize  of  tragedy. 
481  Xerxes,  King  of  Persia,  begins  his  expedition  against  Greece. 
458  Ezra  is  sent  from  Babv  Ion  to  Jerusalem,  with  tlie  captive  Jews,  and  the  vessels 

of  gold  and  silver,  kc  being  seventy  weeks  of  years,  or  490  years  before  the 

crucifixion  of  our  Saviour. 
454  The  Romans  send  to  Athens  for  Solon's  laws.  - 

451  The  Decemvirs  created  at  Rome,  and  the  laws  of  the  twelve  tables  core piletl 

and  ratified. 
443  Censors  create<1  at  Rome. 
438  Nineteen  years  cycle  invented  by  Melon. 
430  The  histoij  of  the  Old  Tostaroent  finishes  about  this  time. 
430  Malaehi,  the  last  of  the  proi)hets. 
401  Retreat  of  IO,Of>0  Greeks,  under  Xenophon. 
400  Socrates,  the  foimder  of  moi-al  jibilosopliy   among  the  Greeks,  put  to  death  by 

the  Athenians,  who  soon  after  repent  and  erect  to  his  memory  a  statue   of 

brass. 
9dC  Philip  King  Macedon  murdered,  and  succeeded  by  his  son  Alexander   the 

Great 
332  Alexandria  in  Egypt  built 
531  Alexander,  king  of  Macedon,  conquers  Darius  King  of  Persia,  and  other  nations 

of  Asia. 
523  Dies  at  Babylon,  and  his  empire  is  divided  by  his  generals  into  four  kingdoms. 
ti'Jl  Darkness  at  Rome  at  noon  day. 
290  Solar  quadrants  introduced  at  Rome. 
£85  Dionysius,  of  Alexandria,  began  his  astronomical  ei-aon  Monday,  Jane  26,  being 

the  first  who  found  the  solar  year  to  consist  exactly  of  365  days,  5  hours  and 

49  minutes. 
284  Ptolemy  Philadelphus,   King  of  Egypt,  employs  seventy-two  interpreters  to 

transfate  the  Old  testamemt  into  the  Gi-eek  language  which  is  cailtd   the 

Septuagint. 
269  The  first  (joinage  of  silver  at  Rome. 
264  The  first  Punick  war  begins,  and  continues  24  years. 
2CU  The  Romans  first  concern  tliemselves  in  naval  atlairs,  and  defeat  the  CacthagiAi- 

ans  at  sea. 
250  Eratosthenes  first  attempted  to  meamire  the  cartli. 
218  The  second  Punic  war  begins  and  continues  17  years.    Hannibal  passes  the  Alps, 

and  defeats  the  Romans  in  several  battles. 
190  The  first  Roman  army  enters  Asia,  and  from  the   stKuls  of  Antiochus  brings  tlie 

Asiatic  luxiiry  to  Rome. 
170  Eighty  thousand  Jew  s  massacred  by  Antiochns  E])iphanes. 
168  Perseus  defeated  by  the  Romans,  which  ends  the  .VlacedtToian  kingilom. 
167  The  first  library  erected  at  Rome,  of  books  brought  Irom  .Vlacedoma. 
163  The  government  of  Judca  under  the   Maccabees  begins  and  toiitinuca  ICO 

■    yean. 
ti%  Carthage  und  Cortnth  rasetl  to  the  groimd  by  flie  Roin«ns» 


796  CHRONOLOGICAL  TABLE. 

B    C. 

145  A  hundiTed  thousand  inhabitants  of  Antioch  massacred  lo  one  day  by  the  Jew«. 
135  The  history  of  the  Apocrypha  ends. 
52  Julius  Cses^r  makes  his  first  exi>edition  into  Britain. 

47  The  battle  of  PharsaUa  between  Gsesar  and   Porapey,  in  which  the  latter  is  de-' 
feated. 
The  Alexandrian  library,  consisting  of  400,000  valuable  books,  burnt  by  acci- 
fleiit. 
45  The  war  of  Africa,  in  which  Cato  kills  himself. 

The  solar  year  introduced  by  Csesar. 
41  C«sar  killed  in  the  senate  house,  after  having  fought  50  pitched  battles  and  over- 
turned the  liberties  of  his  country. 
43  Brutus,  one  of  the  conspiritors  against  Ctcsar,  and  chief  of  the  republicans,  be- 
ing vanquishe<l  in  the  battle  of  Philii)pi,  kills  himself 
41  The  battle  of  Actium  fought,  in  whicli  Mark  Antony  and  Cleopatra  are  totally 

defeated  by  Octavius,  nephew  to  Julius  Csesar. 
SO  Alexandria  taken  by  Ootavius,  and  Egypt  reduced  to  a  Roman  province. 
27  Octavius,  by  a  decree  of  the  senate,  obuins  the  title  of  Augustus  Cajsar,  and  an 
exemption  from  the  laws,  is  the  first  R'unan  emperor. 
8  Rome  is  at  this  time  50  miles  in  circumference,  and  contains  4<:3,Q00  men  fit  to 
bear  arms. 
The  temple  of  Janus  is  shut  by  Augustus,   as  an  emblem  of  universal  peace ; 
and  JE.SUS  CHRIST  is  supposed  to  have  been  born  in  September,  or  on 
Monday,  December  25. 


After  Christ. 

12  Christ  disputes  with  the  doctors  in  the  temple. 
29  m  is  baptised  in  the  wilderness  by  John. 

S3  __  is  crucified  on  Frid.'iy,  April  3,  at  .5  o'clock,  P.  M , 

His  -esiii'rection  on  Lord's  Day,  April  5  :  His  ascension,  Thursday,  May  la. 
56  St.  Paul  converted. 
39  St.  Matthew  writes  his  Gospel. 

Pontius  Pilate  kills  himself. 
^0   The  name  of  Christians  first  given  at  Antioch  to  the  followers  ofChrist^ 
•43  Claudius  Cxsar's  expedition  into  Britain, 
'i*  'St.   Mark  writes  his  Gospel. 
■*6  Christianity  carried  into  Spmn. 
•49  London  is  tonnded  by  the  Romans. 

51  Caraetacus,  the  Biitish  king,  is  carried  in  chains  to  Rome. 

52  The  council  of  the  Apostles  at  J  erusalem.  'S* 
55  St.  Luke  writes  his  Gospel. 

59  The  tyrant  Nero  puts  his  mother  and  brothers  to  death. 

60  Christianity  preached  in  Britain. 

61  Boadicea,  the  British  queen,  defeats  tlie  Romans;  but  is  conquered   soon  afteiT 

by  Suetonius  governor  of  Britain.  ' 

62  St  Paul  is  sent  in  bonds  to  Rome — writes  his  epistles  betwee  n  51  and  66. 

63  The  Acts  of  the  Apostles  written. 

Christianity  is  supposed  to  be  introduced  into  Britain  by  St.  Paul,  or  some  of  his 
disciples  about  this  time. 

64  Rome  set  on  fire,  and  burned  for  six  days;  upon  •which  began,  under  Nero  the 

first  persecution  against  the  Christians. 
67  St  Peter  and  St  Paul  put  to  death. 
70  Titus  takes  Jerusalem,  which  is  rased  to  the  ground,  and  the  plough  made  to 

pass  over  it. 
79  Herculaneum  overwhelmed  by  an  eruption  of  Mount  Vesuvius. 
96  St.  John  the  Evangelist  wrote  his  Revelation — his  Gospel  in  97. 
136  The  second  Jewish  war  ends,  when  they  were  all  banished  Judea. 
139  Justin  writes  his  first  apology  for  the  Christians. 

152  The  Emperor  Antonius  Pius  stops  the  persecution  against  the  Christians. 
274  Silk  first  brought  from  India,  and  the  manufacture  of  it  introduced  into  Europe 

651. 
303  The  tenth  general  persecution  begins  under  Dioclesian  and  Galerius. 
306  Constantine  the  Great  begins  his  reign. 
SOS  Cardinals  first  instituted. 
Sl3  The  tenth  persecution  ends  by  an  edict  of  Constantine,  "who  favors  the  Christians, 

and  gives  full  liberty  to  their  religion. 
825  The  fif5t  general  council  at  Nice,  when  318  fathers  Uttpuded  against  Alius, 
where  was  composed  the  fajnous  Nicene  Creed. 


CHRONOLOGICAL  TABLE.  79.7 

A.c.  .  .      \ 

il'i  Gonstantlne  removes  the  seat  of  empire  from  Rome  to  Byzantium,  which  is 

thenceforward  called  Constantinople. 
531  Constantine  orders  all  the  heathen  temples  to  be  destroyed. 
3C3  The  emperor  Julian,  the  apostate,  endeavors  in  vain  to  rebuild  the  temple  of 

Jerusalem. 
364  The  Roman  empire  is  divided  into  the  eastern  (Cortstantinople  the  capital)  and 

western  (of  which  Rome  continued  to  be  the  capital ;)  each  being  now  under 

the  governmentofdiflerent  emperors. 
400  Bells  invented  by  bishop  Paulinus  of  Nola  in  Campapna. 
410  Rome  taken  and  plundered  by  Alarick,  Kingof  the  Goths. 
412    riie  Vandals  begin  their  kingdom  in  Spain. 
420  The  kingdom  of  France  begins,  under  Pharamond. 
432  St.  Patiick  began  to  preach  in  Ireland  :  died  493  aged  122  years. 
447  Attila,  (called  the  scourge  of  God)  with  his  Huns  ravages  the  Roman  empire, 
476  The  western  empire  entirely  destroyed ;  upon  the  ruins  ol"  which  several  neW 

states  arise  in  Italy  ;  under  whom  'literature  is  extinguished,  and  the  works  of 

the  learned  are  destioyed. 
496  Clovis,  king  of  France,  baptized,  and  Christianity  introduced. 
.510  Paris  becomes  the  capital  of  France. 

516  The  computing  of  time  by  the  Christian  era  is  introduced  Dyonyaius  the  monk, 
629  The  cwle  of  Justinian,  the  eastern  emperor,  is  published. 
557  A  terrible  plague,  all  over  Europe,  Asia,  aud  Africa,  which  continues  near  fifty 

years. 
581  Latin  ceased  to  be  spoken  about  this  time  in  Italy. 
600  Bells  first  used  in  churches. 
€06  The  power  of  the  Popes  begins  by  the  concessions  of  Phocas,  emperor  of  the 

east. 
622  Mahomet  flies  from  Mecca  to  Medina  in  Arabia.    Hia  followers  compute  their 

time  from  this  era,  called  Ilegira,  i.  e.  the  Flight. 
€37  JeruKilem  taken  by  the  Saracens  or  followers  of  Mahomet. 
642  Alexandria  in  Egvptis  taken  by  the  Saracens,  and  the  grand  library  there  bora- 

ed  by  order  of  Omar  their  caliph,  or  prince. 
6C4  Glass  invented  in  England  by  Benalt,  a  monk. 
696  CJhurches  first  began  to  be  built  in  England. 
713  The  Siu"acens  conquer  Spain. 

726    i'he  controversy  about  images  begins,  which  disturbs  the  Eastern  empire. 
748  The  computing  of  years  from  the  birth  of  Christ  begins, 
761  Thirty  thousand  t>ooks  burnt  by  order  of  the  emperor  Leo. 
800  Charlemagne,  king  of  France,  begins  the  empire  of  Germany,  afterviards  calle4 

the  western  empire,  and  endeavors  in  vain  to  restore  learning  in  Europe. 
828  Egbert  unites  the  Heptarchy  by  the  name  of  England. 
886  Juries  firat  instituted. 

896  Alfred  the  Great,  after  subduing  the  Danish  invaders,  compose'^  hisbo<ly  of  laws; 
^divides  England  into  counties,  hundreds,  aud  ty tilings  ;  founds  the  University 

of  O.xfoi-d. 
^15  The  University  of  Cambridge  founded. 

936  The  Saracen  empire  divided  into  seven  kingdoms  by  usurpation. 
940  Christianity  established  in  Denmark. 
989  Christiamty  established  in  Russia. 
991  The  figures  in  Arithmetic  are  brought  intoEm'opc  bj'  the  Saracens,  from  Arabia* 

Letters  of  ^he  alphabet  were  hitherto  used. 
1000  Paper  made  of  cotton  i-ags  comes  into  use,  that  of  linen  do.  1170. — Tlie  raanufac- 

torj-  introduced  into  England  at  Dartford  1588. 

1014  The  famous  battle  of  Clontarf  was  fought  w  herein  tljc  Danes  were  completely  «Ie* 

fealeil  with  the  loss  of  11,000  men,  and  driven  out  of  Ireland. 

1015  Children  forbi<lden  by  law  to  be  sold  by  their  parents  in  England. 
Priests  forbid<ien  to  marry. 

1017  Canute,  king  of  Denmark,  gets  possession  of  England. 

1025  Musical  gamut  invented. 

104<)  The  Danes  driven  out  of  Scotland. 

lOil  The  Saxon  line  restored  under  Edward  the  Confesior. 

1043  The  Ttiiks  become  formidable  and  take  possession  of  Persia. 

1054  Leo  IX.  the  first  Pope  that  kept  up  an  army. 

1065  The  Turks  take  Jerusalem  fi-om  the  Sanicens. 

1066  The  battle  of  Hustings  fought,  between  Harold  and  William  duke  of  rformanc^y, 

after  which  William  becomes  King  of  England. 
1070  William  introduces  the  feudal  law. 
1075  Henry  IV.  Emperor  of  Germany  and  the  Pope  quarrel  about  the  nomination  of 

the  German  bishops.    Uemy  in  penance,  walks  b.trcfoot^d  to  Rome,  towarth 

the  end  oJJanoaiy, 


798  CHRONOLOGICAL  TABLE. 

a;  c.  • 

1080  Doomsday  bookbeg;an  to  be  compiled  by  order  of  William,  from  a  survey  of  all 
the  Estates  in  Kugknd,  and  finished  in  1086. 
The  tower  of  London  built  by  the  same  prince,  to  curb  his  English  snbjects. 

I0S6  Kingdom  of  Bohemia  begim. 

1091  The  Saracens  in  Spain,  being  hard  pressed  by  the  Spaniards,  call  to  their  assis- 
tance Joseph,  King  of  Morocco ;  by  which  tlte  Moors  get  possessioa  of  all  the 
Saracen  dominions  in  Spain. 

1096  The  first  crusade  to  the  Holy  Lsnd  to  drive  thence  the  infidels. 

1151  The  canon  law  collected  by  Gratian,  a  monk  of  Bologna. 

1 163  London  bridge,  fii-st  built  of  stone. 

1180  Glass  windows  began  to  be  used  in  private  houses  in  England. 

1182  Pope  Alexander  lU.  compelled  the  kings  of  England  and  France  to  hold  the  stir- 
rups of  his  saddle  when  he  mounted  his  horse, 

1186  The  great  conjunction  of  the  sun  moon  and  all  the  planets  in  Libra,  happened  in 
September. 

1192  The  battle  of  Ascalon,  in  .Tudea,  in  which  Richard,  King  of  England,  defeats 
Saladine''.  array  consisting  of  .S00,000  combatants 

1200  Chimnies  were  not  known  in  England. 

Surnames  now  began  to  be  used  ;  first  among  the  nobility. 

120S  London  incorporated,  and  obtained  its  fii'st  charter  fiom  King  John. 

1215  Magna  Chsrtft  is  agned  by  King  John  and  the  barons  of  England. 

1227  The  Tartars,  a  new  race  of  Barbarians,  under  Gingis  Khan,  emerge  from  tlie 
northern  part  of  Asia,  conquer  the  greatest  part  of  that  continent,  and  in  22 
years  destroy  upwards  of  14  millions  of  people. 

1233  The  inquisition,  begun  in  1204,  is  now  trusted  to  the  Dominicans. 

1252  Magnifying  glasses  invented  by  Roger  Bacon. 

1253  The  famous  astronomical  tables  composed  by  Alonzo  King  of  Castile. 
12."f8  The  Tartars  take  Bagilad,  which  ends  the  empire  of  the  Saracens. 

1263  Acho,  King  of  Norway,  invades  Scotland  with  ICO  sail,  and  lauds  20,000  men  at 
the  mouth  of  the  Clyde,  but  most  of  them  are  cut  to  pieces  by  Alexander  lU. 
who  recovers  the  western  isles. 
1273  The  empire  of  the  present  Austrian  family  begins  in  Germany. 
1^80  Fulvis  fulminans  anil  gunpowder  invented  by  Roger  Bacon. 
1282  Wales  united  to  England. 

1285  Spectacles  invented  by  Alexander  Spina,  a  Spanish  monk. 
1898  The  present  Turkish  empire  begins  in  Bithynia  under  Ottoman. 

Silver  hafted  knives,  spoons,  and  cups,  a  great  luxury.    Splinters  of  wood  gene- 
rally used  'or  lights 
Wine  sold  by  apothecaries  as  a  cordial. 

1299  Windmills  invented 

1300  About  this  time  the  mariner's  compass  was  invented,  or  improved  by  .Tobii 

Gioia,  or  Goya,  a  Neapolitan.  The  flower-de-luce,  the  arms  of  the  duke  of 
Anjou,  then  king  of  Naples,  was  placed  by  him  at  the  point  of  the  needle,  in 
compliment  to  diat  prince. 

1307  The  beginning  of  the  Swiss  Cantons. 
Interest  of  money  in  England  at  45  per  cent. 

1308  The  Popes  remove  to  Avignon  in  France  for  70  years. 
1320  Gold  first  coined  in  Christendom — in  England  1344. 

1336  Two  Brab«nt  weavers  settled  at  York,  which,  says  Edward  IIL  may  prove  of 

great  benefit  to  us  and  our  subjects. 

1337  The  first  comet  appeared  whose  course  is  described  with  astronomical  exactness. 
1340  Gunpowder   first  suggested  as  useful  for  warlike  purposes  by  Swartz,  a  monk  of 

Colonge;  1346,  Edward  III,  had  four  pieces  of  cannon,  which  cootributedto 
gain  him  the  battle  of  Ci-essy 
Oil  painting  first  made  use  of,  by  John  Vaneck. 
1344  The  fii-st  creation  to  titles  by  patent  used  by  Edward  III. 
1352  The  Turks  first  enter  Europe. 

1356  The  battle  of  Poictiers,  in  which  king  John  of  France  and  his  sons  are  takes 

prisoners  by  Edward  the  Black  Prince. 

1357  Coals  first  brought  to  London. 

1362  The  law  pleadings  in  England^  changed  from  French  to  English,  as  a  favor  of 

Edward  III.  to  his  people. 
1385  A  company  of  linen  weavers  from  the  Netherlands  estiblished  in  London. 
1391  Cards  invented  in  France  for  the  king's  amusement. 
1402  Bajazet  defeated  by  Tamerlane,  and  the  power  of  tJie  Turks  almost  entirely  dq^ 

stroyed. 
1404  Hats  for  men  invented  at  Paris  by  a  Swissi 
14227Denmark  united  with  the  crown  of  Norway. 
lil5  "The  battle  of  Agincouit,  gained  OTCr  the  French  by  Htinry  V.  of  England. 


CHRONOLOGICAL  TABLfi.  79f 

1428  Tlie  9ie-e  of  Orleans.  The  celebrated  Maid  of  Orleans  appears,  and  gives  the 
foi  Wow  to  the  English  power  in  France.    She  is  atterv  a.-ds  taken  prisoner 

1430  La^enS^'^of^HLnertents  the  art  of  Pnntin,,  -^'^V'^utCt^  mS 
senai-ntc  wooden  types.  GoUenburg  »lter%»aHls  mventt-fl  cut  nietal  t>i^9. 
P^t'e  Sci;;^r  taXd  the  mode  ofcastinp  types  '"  "S:'-?;^  ""J/ii^Xs 
authentic  accounts  ascribe  the  invention  of  Printing  to  Dr.  iau.t,  or  J-austus, 

The  lea^brcaVs  in  at  Dort,  in  Holland,  and  drowns  100,000  people. 
IS^  S^SSeSi'^rt^^^^rl^-'-h utterly  ove^^^^ 

pire. 
1454  Otto  Guerick,  a  German,  invents  the  air-pump.  i„f1.mient  of 

Duelling  appointed  in  certain  cases  in  France,  in  oi-der  to  ha>e  the  judgment  ot 

God.  . 

1460  Engravings  and  etchings  in  copper  inyenled.  ^  .    ^  .  „„„^->,„.  jMmHucprl 

1471  Dechnal  arithmetic  invented,  and  the  use  of  tangents  m  toigonometr,  introduced, 

by  Regiomentanus. 
1485  Great  numbers  carried  off  by  the  sweating  sickness.  r„i„,„l«,» 

1489  M.ps  and  sea  charts  fust  brought  to  England  by  Bartholomew  Columbus. 
149'2  AMERICA  discovered  by  Columbus. 

1494  Algebra  first  known  in  Europe.  rr-— >.i  ««r,» 

1497  The  Portuguese  first  sail  to  the  Eastlnd.es  by  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope. 

South  America  discovered  by  Americas  Vespusius. 

North  America  discovered  by  Cabot 
1503  Mines,  used  in  the  attack  and  defence  of  places,  invented. 
1509  Gardening  introduced  into  England  from  the  Netherlands. 

The  island  of  Jamaica  settled  by  Spain. 
1512  Florida  discovered.  ^      , 

1515  Paraguay  discovered  by  the  Spaniards,  and  settled  by  them  i5aa. 

1517  Mariin  Luther  began  tiie  Reformation. 

Egypt  conquered  by  the  Turks.  , .  ,  ,        i- 

1518  Magellan,  in  the  service  of  Spain,  discovers  the  straits  which  bear  his  name, 

makes  the  first  voyage  round  the  world,  but  is  killed  by  the  savages  m  the  Ma- 
rianne islands, 
Ri  public  of  Geneva  founded. 
1520  Heur>  VIII.  for  his  writings  in  fevor  of  Popery,  receives  the  Ut  e  ot  "Uefender 
of  the  Faith"  from  the  I^ope 
Chocolate  first  brought  from  Mexico  by  the  Spaniards. 
1549  The  name  of  Protestant  takes  it  rise  from  the  Reformed,  protesUng  against  the 

church  of  Rome,  at  the  diet  of  Spires  in  Germany. 
1530  Copernicus  revives  the  Pythagorean  system  of  astronomy.  n  •  l 

1539  'ihe  fiist  English  edition  of  the  Bible'authoriscd  ;  the  present  translation  finish- 

ed 1611. 
About  this  time  cannon  began  to  be  used  in  sJiips. 

1540  The  order  of  the  Jesuits  establislied  by  Ignatius  Loyola,  a  Spaniard. 
1343  Silk  stockings  first  worn  by  the  French  king. 

Pins  first  used  in  England,' before  wluch  time  the  ladies  used  skeweiB. 

1545  The  famous  council  of  Trent  begins,  and  continues  18  years. 

1546  Interest  of  money  first  established  in  England  by  law  at  10  per  cent. 
Potosi  mountain  discovered      The  richest  mine  in  America. 

1549  Brazil  settled  by  the  Portuguese.     Discovered  in  1500. 

1553  Circulation  of  the  blood  through  the  lungs  first  published,  by  Michael  Servettfs. 

1557  Groats  and  half  groats  the  greatest  silver  coin  in  England. 

1560  John  Knox  establishes  Presbyterianism  in  Scotland. 

Siberia  discovered  in  the  reign  of  ilie  Czar  Ivan  Basilidcs. 

1562  John  Ribalt,  with  a  fleet  from  France,  discovers  the  river  St  Mary. 

1563  Knives  first  made  in  England. 

The  39  articles  of  the  English  faith  established. 
1565  Potatoes  first  brought  to  Ireland  fiora  New  Spain,  in  America. 
1569  Circulation  of  the  blootl  published  by  Cisalpinus. 
1572  I'he  great  massacre  of  Protestants  at  Paris,  August  24. 
1577  Sir  Francis  Drake  sets  sail  on  bis  voyage  round  the  world — returned  1580,  hiiff^ 

the  first  English  circumnarigator. 
1579  The  Dutch  shake  offthe  Spanish  yoke,  and  found  the  republic  of  Holland. 

English  F^asi  India  Company  incorporated — established  I  COO. 
1581  J.  Usher,  .\rcliliishop  of  Armagh,  bom  in  Dublin,  drew  up  104  artjeles  of  reflgi'^n 
for  Ireland,  1615  ;  which  were  established  16S5.— Died  1§50. 


800  CHRONOLOGICAL  TABLE. 

A.    C. 

1582  Pope  Gregory  introduces  the  New  Style  in  Italy;  the  5  th  of  October  being  couftt' 
cd  15.  ,  , 

4583  Tobacco  first  bronght  from  Virginia  into  England— first  discovered  by  the 
Spaniards  in  Yucatan  in  1520. 

15S5  Davis' Straits  discovered. 

1587  Alary,  Queen  of  Scots,  beheadfed  by  oi-der  of  Elizabeth,  after  18  years'  impnsS 

onmcnt. 
Duelling  introduced  into  England. 

1588  The  Spanish  Armada  destroyed  by  Drake  and  other  English  Admirals. 
Henry  IV,  passes  the  famous  edict  of  Nantz,  tolerating  the  Protestants. 
The  Biarmfacture  of  paper  introduced  into  England  at  Dartford. 

1589  Coaches  first  introducetl  into  England. 
Bombs  invented  at  Venlo. 

1590  Telescopes  invented  b>  Jansen,  a  Dutchman. 

1597  Watches  first  brmigiit  into  England  from  Germany. 

1600  Building  with  brick  introduced  into  England  by  the  carl  of  Arundel. 

1602  Decimal  arithmetic  invented  at  Bruges. 
New  England  discovered  by  Capt.  Gosnold. 

1603  Queen  Elizabeth  (the  last  of  the  Tudors)  dies,  and  nominates  James  VI.  of  Scot- 

land (and  first  of  the  Stuarts)   as  her  successor  ;  which  unites  botli  kingdoms 
under  the  name  of  Great  Britain. 
1605  The  gun  powder  plot  discovered  at  Westminster. 

Kepler  lays  the  foundation  of  the  Newtonian  system  of  attraction. 

1607  Jamestown  In  Virginia  settled- 

1608  Henry  Hudson  discovers  the  river  in  New-York,  which  bears  his  najne. 
Galileo,  of  Florence,  first  discovers  the  satellites  about  the  planet  Jupiter,  by  the 

telescope  then  just  invented  in  Holland. 
Quebcck  settled  by  the  French. 
1610  Henry  IV.  is  murdered  at  Paris,  by  Ravilliac,  a  priest. 

Hudson's  Bay  discovered  by  Capt  Henry  Hudson,  who  is  left  by  his  men,  with 

seven  others,  to  i>erish  on  tliat  desolate  coast. 
Great  famine  in  Virginia. 
1614  Napier,  of  Marcheston,  in  Scotland,  invents  the  logarithms. 
New-York  and  New-Jersey  settled  by  the  Dutch 

The  Aborigines  of  New-England  thinned  by  pestilence,  in  the  vicinity  of  Plym- 
outh. 
1G18  New  Holland  discovered  by  the  Dutch. 

1619  Dr.  W.  Harvey,an  Englishman,  fully  confirms  the  doctrine  of  the  circulation  of 

the  blood. 
3620  About  100  persons  (Puritans)  settled  at  Plymouth,  in  Massachusetts,  being  the 
first  English  settlers  in  New-Esgland. 

1620  &  21  One  hundred  and  fifty  young  women  of  good  characters  were  sent  from 

England  to  marry  plantei-s  in  Virginia.  The  price  of  a  wife  to  a  husband  who 
purchased  her,  was  100  pounds  of  tobacco  ;  but  it  soon  rose  to  150.  Tobacco 
was  then  worths  pence  per  pound. 

2500  settlers  arrived  in  this  and  the  next  yeai*  in  that  colony. 

Negroes  imported  into  Virginia. 

1622  Nova-Scotia  first  settled  by  the  Scotch. 

1623  New-Harapsbire  settled  by  an  English  colony. 

Great  scarcity  in  New-England.  The  inhabitants  obliged  to  subsist  chiefly  on 
ground-nuts,  clams,  muscles,  and  the  gleanings  of  the  forest  and  the  sea  shore. 
A  lobster  with  water,  but  without  any  vegetables,  was  their  best  dish. 

1624  Charter  of  Vir^nia  vacated  after  the  company  had  transported  to  it  more  than 

9000  English  subjects,  and  expended  150,000/.  in  forwarding  the  settlement. 

1625  The  island  of  Barbadoes,  the  first  English  settlement  in  the   West-Indies,  is 

planted. 

1626  The  barometer  invented  by  Torricelli. 

1627  The  thermometer  invented  by  Drebellius. 

A  colony  «f  Swedes  settled  on  the  Delaware  river,  Pennsylvania. 
1651  Newspapers  first  published  at  Paris. 
1633  Maryland  settled  by  Lord  Baltimore,  with  a  colony  of  Roman  Catholics  ;  tBc 

Charter  being  granted  the  year  before. 
1635  Connecticut  and  Rhode-Island"  settled. 

1637  The  Pequots  destroyed  by  Connecticut.    In  carrying  on  this  war,  the  white  set- 

tlers used  only  one  pint  of  rum,  which  was  given  to  the  sick. 

1638  The  Lnudean  persecution  in  this  year,  and  the  preceding  17,  had  driven  more 

than  20,000  inhabitants  from  Old  to  New-England 
African  slaves  imported  iato  New-Englaud  from  the  West-lories,  ia  (be  way  of 
tracfe. 


CHRONOLOGICAL  TABLE.  mi 

A.    C. 

1 638  Harvard  College  in  Cambridge,  Massachusetts,  established. 

1639  A  general  contrilKition  over  the  iirovince  of  Maryland,  to  erect  a  water  mill  for 

the  use  of  the  pi-ovinue. 

1640  The  massacre  in  Ireland,  when  40,()00  English  Protestants  were  killed. 

1642  Civil  war  begins  in  Kngland. 

The  first  printing-office  in  New-England  establishetl  at  Cambritlge. 

1643  The  colonies  of  Massachusetts,   Plymouth,  Connecticut,   and  New-Haven,  be- 

come one  for  defined  purposes,  by  the  name  of  the  United  Colonies  of  New- 
England.  This  union  not  only  promoted  |)eace  and  harmony  among  the  colo- 
nies while  civil  war  raged  in  England,  but  made  them  forntidable  both  to  the 
Dutch  in  New-\msterdam,  and  the  aborigines  of  the  country.  It  was  also  in- 
strumental in  promoting  the  civilization  and  conversion  of  the  Indians.  The 
Society  incorporated  in  England,  for  propagating  the  gospel  among  the 
Indians  in  New-England,  made  the  commissioners  of  the  United  Colonies  their 
con-espoiidcnts  and  agents  for  dispersing  their  charitable  donations.  This  cor- 
respondence and  agency  continued  from  1G56,  till  the  dissolution  of  the  Un- 
ion in  1686,  and  was  eminently  useiul  in  reforming  aad  meliorating  the  condi- 
tion of  the  Indians. 

1644  A  great  massacre  by  the  Indians  in  Vii*sifiia. 

1646  Episcopacy  abolished  in  England. 

Massachusetts  passes  an  act  for  evangelising  the  Indians. 

1647  A  very  mortal  epidemical.sickness  prevails  in  New-England. 
The  first  Selenographic  maps  made  by  Heveiius. 

1649  An  association  entered  into   in  New-England,  by  the  Governor  and  Council  of 
Massachusetts,  .aga'nst  wearing  long  hair. 
Charles  I.  beheaded  at  Whitehall,  January  30,  aged  49. 

1652  The  speaking  trumpet  invented  by  Kircher,  a  Jesuit- 
IMint  erected  in  New-England  for  coining  monev. 

1653  Great  fire  in  Boston  ;  also  in  the  years  1676,  l67S,  1711,  1760. 

1654  Cromwell  assumes  the  Protectorship. 

1655  The  English  under  admiral  Penn  take  Jamaica  from  the  Spaniards. 

1656  The  inhabitants  of  Massachusetts  respectfully   refuse  Cromwell's  request  to  mi- 

grate to  Jamaica,  though  be  ottered  them  ample.protection,  and  all  the  power* 
of  government. 

1658  Cromwell  dies,  and  is  succeeded  ir.  the  Protectorship  by  his  son  Richard. 

1659  Transfusion  of  blood  first  suggested  at  Oxfonl. 

1660  King  Charles  II.  is  restored  by  Monk,  commander  of  the  army,  after  an  e.xilecf 

twelve  years  in  France  and  Holland. 
Episcopacy  restored  in  England  and  Scotland. 

The  people  of  Denmark  being  oppressed  by  the  Nobles,  surrender  their  privi- 
leges to  Frederic  HI.  who  becomes  absolute. 
1662  The  Royfcl  Society  established  in  London,  by  Charles  II. 

Pendulum  clocks  invented  by  Johu  Fromentel,  a  Dutchman. 
Fire  engines  invented. 

1664  rhe  Bible  translated  into  the  Indian  language,  by  Elliot,  the  Apostle. 

1665  The  plague  rages  in  London,  and  carries  oflfiSjtJOO  inhabitants. 

1666  The  great  fire  of  London  began  Septemlier  2,  and  continued  five  days,  in  which 

were  destroy  e<l  13,000  houses  and  400  sU'eets. 
Tea  first  used  in  Englantl. 
Academy  of  sciences  establishe*!  in  Fi-ance. 

1667  The  peace  of  Breda,  which  confirms  to  the  English  the  New  Netherlands,  now 

known  by  the  names  of  Pennsylvania,  New-York  anti  New-Jersey. 

1669  South-Carolina  planted   by  an  English  colony,   under  Governor  bay  le,  under  a 

patent  granted  by  Lord' Clarendon,  1664. 

1670  The  English  Hudson's  Bay  Company  incorporated. 
16"!  .\cademy  of  Architecture  establislieilin  France. 

1672  Lewis  XIV  overruns  great  [>art of  Holland,  when  the  Dutch  open  their  sluices, 
being  determined  to  drown  tiieir  coimtry,  and  retire  to  their  settlements  in 
the  hast  Indies. 

1676  Repeating  clocks  and  wntchcs  invented  by  Barlow. 

1678  The  habeas  corpus  act  passed. 

1679  Darkness  at  Ixindon,  that  one  could  not  read  at  noon-day,  January  12. 
New-Hampshire,  which  had    been  hitherto  as  under  the  same  jurisdiction  with 

Massachusetts,  erected  into  a  separate  govern meuL 

1680  A  great  cnniet  appeared,  and  continued  visiiile  from  Nov.  3  to  March  9. 
William  Penn  receives  a  patent  for  Pennsylvania,   March  4th — and  p'AQta  a 

charter  to  advcnuners,  1682. 
Charleston,  S.  C.  founded. 
J682  College  of  Pliysicians  at  Edinburgh  incorporated. 

VOL.  xr.  101 


S05  CHRONOLOGICAL  TABLE. 

A.    C. 

1682  RovftI  Academy  established  at  Nismes. 

1683  William   Penn   purchases  from  James,  Duke   of  York,  that  part  of  the  Xew 

Netherlands  now  known  by  the  name  of  "  the  State  of  Delaware." — Phila- 
delphia began  to  be  built. — India  stock  sold  from  360  to  500  per  cent. 

First  legislative  assembly  in  New- York. 

Printing  presses  forbidden  in  Virginia,  by  its  royal  governor. 

1684  Massachusetts  deprived  of  its  charter. 

1685  The  edict  of  Nantz  infamously  revoked  by  Lewis  XIV.  and  the  Protestants  cni- 

elly  persecuted. 

1686  Sir  Edmund  \ndross  appointed  Governor  General  of  New-B'ngland,  and  shortly 

after  of  New-York  and  New-Jersey,  with  powers  subversive  of  colonial  privi- 
leges. He  ruled  the  whole  with  a  rod  of  iron,  till  the  revolution  of  1688,  iu 
Eiigland,  freed  both  the  mother  country  and  the  colonies  from  arbitrary  jiower. 

1688  The   revolution   in    Great  Britain   begins,    Nov.  5      King  James  abdicates  the 

throne,  and  retires  to  France,  December  3,  following. 

1689  King  William  and  Queen  Mary,  daughter  and  son  in  law  to  James  II.  are  pro* 

claimed,  Feb.  16. 

1690  Sir  William  Phips  reduces  Port  Royal,  and  takes  possession  of  the  whole  sea- 

coast  from  it  to  the  New-England  settlements. 
Paper  money,  the  first  emission  in  the  colonies,  was  issued  by  Massachusetts,  to 

defray  the  expenses  of  these  expeditions. 
Fi'ench  refugees,  who  had  been  exiled  iu  consequence  of  the  revocation  of  the 

edict  of  Nantz,  settle  in  Virginia,  New-York,  Carolina,  and  Boston. 

1692  A  new  charter  established,   which   constituted  Massachusetts  a  royal  province, 

and  added  to  it  the  colony  of  Plymouth,  the  province  of  Maine,  kc.  but  separ- 
ated New-Hampshire  from  it. 
Witchcraft  delusion  in  Massachusetts 

1693  Bayonets  at  the  end  of  loaded  muskets  first  used  by  the  French.— Bank  of  En- 

gl:>nd  established  by  king  William, — The  first  public  lottery  was  drawn  this 
year. — Stamp  duties  instituted  in  England. 

1694  Rice  introduced  into  South-Carolina  by  Langrave  Smith. 

1696  The  peace  of  Ryswick. 

1697  The  debt  of  Great  Britain  was  about  _five  millions  sterling — ia  1790  it  was  270 

millio7is. 

1698  French  make  a  settlement  in  Florida,  near  the  mouth  of  the  Missisippi,  now  tlie 

Orleans  Territory  of  the  United  States. 

1699  The  Scots  settled  a  colony  at  the  Isthmus  of  Darien,  in  America,  aud  called  it 

Caledonia. 

1700  Yale  College  established  at  Saybrook,  Connecticut— -removed  to  New-Haven  1716. 
There  were  only  two  colleges  in  the  English  colonies,  now  United  States.     At 

the  declaration  of  Independence,  in  1776,  there  were  only  nine.  In  the  fol- 
lowing 25  years,  18  new  ones  were  incorporated,  and  mqst  of  them  established. 

1701  Prussia  erected  into  a  kingdom. 
Cottonian  library  settled  for  public  benefit. 

Society  for  the  propagation  of  the  Gospel  in  foreign  parts  established. 

1702  King  William  dies,  aged  50,  and  is  succeeded  by  Queen  Anne,  daughter  to 

James  II. 
1704  Gibraltar  taken  from  the  Spaniards  by  the  combined  fleets  of  Britain  and  Hol- 
land under  admiral  Rooke,  July  23. 

The  battle  of  Blenheim,  won  by  the  duke  of  Marlborough  and  allies  against  tlie 
French. 

The  Court  of  Exchequei*  instituted  in  England. 

1706  England  and  Scotlaud  united  under  the  name  of  "  The  Kingdom  of  Great  Brit- 

ain," June  22. 

1707  The  French  invade  Carolina,  but  are  repulsed  witli  great  loss. 

1708  Sardinia  erected  into  a  kingdom,  and  given  to  the  duke  of  Savoy. 

1709  Peter  the  G/eat,  Czar  of  Muscovy,  defeats  Charles  XII.  at  Pul'towa,  who  files  to 

Turkey. 

1710  The  cathedral  church  of  St.  Paul,  London,  rebuilt  by  Sir  Christopher  Wren, 

in  37  years,  at  the  expense  of  one  million   (4,440,000  dollars)  paid  by  a  duty 

on  coals. 
Port  Jioyal  was  taken  by  the  New-England  colonies. 
Post  Ofllce  first  established  in  America  by  act  of  the  British  Parliament. 
2700  Palatines  arrive  iu  New-York. 

1712  The  French  make  a  settlement  in  Carolina,  near  the  river  Missisippi,  in  what  is 

now  calleil  the  Missisippi  Territory,  and  give  grants  of  land  as  high  up  tlic 
Missisippi  as  its  junction  with  the  Illinois  river. 

1713  The  peace  of  Utrecht,  whereby  Newfoundland,  Nova  Scotia,  New  Britain,  antl 

Hudson's  Bay,  in  North  America,  were  yielded  to  Great  Britain  :  Gibraltar 
and  Minorca,  in  Europe,  were  also  confirmed  to  the  said  crown  by  this  treaty. 


CHRONOLOGICAL  TABLE.  tOI 

A.    C. 

1714  Queen  Anne  dies,  at  the  age  of  50,  and  is  succeeded  by  George  I. 

1715  Lewis  XIV-  dies,  and  is  succeeded  by  his  great  ^i-andsou  Lewis  XV. 
The  rebellion  in  Scotland. 

A  general  rising  of  the  Indians  against  South-Carolina. 

1716  Aui-ora  Borealis  first  taken  notice  of  in  England — 1719  in  New-England. 

1717  New-Orleans,  and  Beaufort,  S.  C.  founded. 
1719  The  -Missisippi  scheme  at  its  height  in  France. 

Lombe's  silk  throwing  machine,  containing  26,5S6  wheels,  erected  at  Derby  ; 
takes  up  one  eighth  of  a  mile  ;  one  water  wheel  moves  the  rest  ;  and  in  24 
hours  it  works  318,504,960 yaixls  of  organzine  silk  tiuead. 

The  South  Sea  scheme  in  England  begun  April  7,  was  at  its  height  at  the  end 
of  June,  and  sunk  about  September  29. 

1721  Inoculation  for  the  small-\)ox,  on  the  suggestion  of  Cotton  Mather,  was  intro- 

duced into  Boston  by  Dr.  Boylston. 

1722  Rector  (Jutlcr,  and  five  other  Congregational  ministers  turn  Episcopalians. 
1727  King  George  dies  in  the  CSth  year  of  liis  age,  and  is  succeeded  by  his  only  son, 

George  II. 

Hussia,  formerly  a  dukedom,  is  now  established  as  an  empire. 

A  great  earthquake  in  New-Eugland.  This  extended  from  Kennebeck  to  the 
liver  Delaware.  There  have  been  five  great  earthquakes  in  New-England, 
viz.  in  1G38,  1658,  1663,  1727,  1755,  and  minor  ones  in  1653,  1G68,  16C9, 
1070,  1705,  1720,  1732,  1744,  1755,  1757,  1760,  17C9,  1771,  17S.3.  These 
were  all  described  as  coming  from  about  N.  W.  and  going  oft' about  S.  E. 
1729  Carolina  purchased  by  the  crown  for  17,5001.  and  divided  into  North  and  Southi 

6208  emigrants  arrive  in  Pennsylvania. 

1731  The  first  person  e.xecuted  in  Britain  for  forgery. 

1732  Kouli  Khan  usurps  the  Persian  throne,  conquers  the  Mogul  empire,  and  returns 

with  two  hundred  and  tbirtv-one  millions  sterling. 
GEORGE  WASHING  TON  bom  February  22,  O.  S. 
Several  public  spirited  gentlemen  begin  the  settlement  of  Georgia,  the  most 

southern  of  the  United  States  of  America. 

1733  Col.  Pury  leads  a  colony  of  Swiss  to  South  Carolina,  and  builds  Pur)sbnrgh. 
1735  The  throat  distemper  prevailed  iu  New-England,  and  afterwards  in  1754  and  5, 

and  in  1804,  5,  6,  and  7. 
17.37  The  earth  proved  by  admeasurement,  to  be  flatted  towards  the  pdes. 
1738  Westminster  bridge,  consisting  of  fifteen  arches,  begun;  finished  in  1750,  at  the 

expense  of  389,0001.  defrayed  by  Parliament. 
1740  Insurrection  of  negroes  in  South  Carolina. 

1742  A  Spanish  fleet  of  32  sail,  with  more  than  3000  men,  invaded  Georgia,  bat  were 

repulsed. 

1743  The  culture  of  the  indigo  plant  introduced  into  South-Carolina,  by  Miss  Lucas. 

1744  War  declared  against  France  by  Britain, 

Commodore  .\nson  returns  from  his  voyage  round  the  world. 

1745  Rebellion  in  Scotland. 

Louisburg  taken  by  the  New-Englanders,  with  the  aid  of  a  small  British  fleet. 
The  French,  fired  whh  resentment,  prepare  to  attack  Boston,  and  to  ravage 
the  coast  from  Nova  Scotia  to  Georgia. 

1746  D'Ainville,  with  a  formidable  French  armament,  greatly  magnified  by  common 

fame,  but  really  consisting  of  forty -one  vessels,  of  which  eleven  were  ships  of 
the  line,  and  31.30  soldiers  from  Europe,  who  were  to  be  joined  with  1600  Canadi- 
ans, French,  and  Indians,  threatens  destruction  to  the  northern  English  colo- 
nies, but  is  providentially  discomfited  by  stormy  weather,  and  contagious  dis- 
eases. The  arrival  of  D'Ainville  on  the  coast,  gave  an  alarm  to  the  colonies, 
nearly  equal  to  that  which  England  experienced  from  the  Spanislt  Armada, 
in  1588. 

F.lectric  shock  discovered. 

Lima  and  Callao  swallowed  up  by  an  earthquake,  October  20.  This  earthquake 
continued  till  Novcmlwr  20lh,  and  destroyed  .5<),(»00  periions. 

1748  The  peace  of  Aix  la  Chapelle,  by  which  a  restitution  of  all  places  taken  during 

the  war,  was  to  l)e  made  on  all  sides. 
Halifax,  in  Nova  Scotia,  built. 

1749  The  interest  of  the  British  funds  reduced  to  three  per  cent- 

.1750  The  British  Parliament  pass  an  act  proliibiting  any  slitting  mill  or  forge,  or  any 

iron  works  in  .\merica,  .lune. 
1751  Pennsylvania  hospital  founded.    The  first  institution  of  the  kind  in  the  English 
colonies. 


1752  Antiquarian  Society  at  London  incoriiorated. 
The  new  style  introduced  into  Great  Britain  ; 


.  the  third  of  September  being 
counted  tiie  fourteenth. 


t04  CHRONOLOGICAL  TABLE. 

A.    C. 

1752  Adrianople  destroyed  by  an  earthquake. 

1753  The  British  Museum  erected  at  Montasrue  House. 

Society  of  Arts,  Manufactures,  and  Commerce,  instituted  in  London. 

George  Washiti^ton  sent  on  a  mission  to  the  Ohio,    with  a  remonstrance  (o  tlie 

French  comm"atidant,  against  his  occupation  of  territory  uithin  the   chartered 

limits  of  Virginia. 

1754  ACongressmctat  Albany,  (New.  York)   when  Dr.  Franklin  proposes  a  plan 

for  the  union  of  all  the  colonies. 
Sept.  2.     Grand  Cairo  had  40,000  inhabitants  destroyed  by  an  earthquake. 
King's  (now  Columbia)  College  (N.  Y.)  founded. 

1755  Lisbon,  in  Portugal,  destroyed  by  an  earthquake. 

General  Braddock  defeated  on  his  way  to  attack  Fort  Duqueine,  on  the  Ohio. 

1756  War  declared  between  France  and  Great  Britain.    The  Ohio  lands  the  princii 

pal  cause  of  the  contest. 
One  hundred  am!  forty -six  Englishmen  are  confined  in  the  black  hole  at  Calcut- 
ta, in  the  East  Indies,  by  order  of  the  Nabob,  and  123  found  dead  next  morn- 
ing. 

1757  Identity  of  electric  fire  and  lightning  discovered  by  Dr.  Franklin,  who  thereup- 

on invented  a  method  of  securing  buildings  from  thunder  storms,  by  metallic 
conductors. 

1758  Fort  <lu  Quesne  (now  Pittsburg)  taken  from  the  French  by  General  Forbes, 

Febriiary  2S. 

1759  General  VVolfe  is  killed  in  the  battle  of  Quebec,  which  is  gained  by  the  English, 

and  General  Montcalm  is  slain. 

1760  Black  Friar's  bridge,  consisting  of  nine  arches,  begun  ;  finished  1770,  at  the  ex- 

pense of  152,8401.  to  be  discharged  by  a  toll. 
George  II.  dies,  and  is  succeeded  by  George  111. 
Canada  conquered — French  power  in  North  America  destroyed. 

1762  War  declared  agjunst  Spain. 

Peter  III.  Emperor  of  Russia,  is  deposed,  imprisoned,  and  murdered. 

1763  Peace  of  Paris — England  retaining  Canada  and  J'lorida,  extends  her  American 

empire  from  the  gulf  of  Mexico  to  the  northern  extremity  of  the  continent. 
In  this  and  the  preceding  four  years  of  English  victories,  upwards  of  4000  fam- 
ilies returned  to  their  plantations,  on  the  frontiers  of  the  middle  and  southern 
stales,  from  which  they  had  been  previously  driven  by  the  events  of  war. 

1764  Anatomical  lectures  first  delivered  by  Dr.  Shippen,  in  Philadelphia. 

The  Parliament  granted  10,0001.  to  Mr.  Hamson,  for  his  discover)^  of  the  lon- 
gitude by  his  time  piece. 
College  at  Providence  (R.  I.)  founded. 

1765  Stamp  Act  passed,  and  next  year  repealed. 

Virginia,  on  motion  of  Patrick  Henry,  passed  the  first  i-esolutions  denying  the 
right  of  Parliament  to  tax  the  colonies. 

1766  A  great  spot  passed  the  sun's  centre. 
Gibraltar  almost  destroyed  by  a  storm. 

1767  British  taxation  renewed  by  a  tax  on  tea,  painters'  colors,  &c.  payable  on  their 

landing  in  the  colonies. 

1768  Academy  of  painting  established  in  London. 

British  troops  are  stationed  in  Boston,  to  awe  the  inhabitants. 
Non-importation  agreements  entered  into  by  the  colonists. 

1769  Electricity  of  the  Aurora  Borealis  discovered  by  Wideburg,  at  Jena. 
Dartmouth  College  founded,  New-Ham^ishire. 

1770  A  riot  at  Boston.     The  British  troops  fire  upon   and  kill  five  or  six  of  the  in- 

habitants, but  the  killers  are  acquitted  bv  a  Boston  jurv. 

1771  Dr.  Solander  and  Mr.  Banks,  in  his  Majesty's  ship  the  Endeavor,  lieutenant  Cook, 

return  from  a  voyage  round  the  world',  having  made  several  important  dis- 
coveries. 
Insurrection  in  North-Cai-olina,  against  lawyers  and  courts,  quelled  in  a  battle  at 
Alamance,  in  which  200  of  the  insurgents  were  killed.    Twelve  were  taken, 
tried,  and  condemned.     Of  these  six  were  executed 

1772  Twelvfe  hundred  and  forty  people  killed  in  the  island  of  Java  by  an  electrified 

cloud. 

The  emperor  of  Germany,  empress  of  Russia,  and  the  king  of  Prussia,  strip  the 
king  of  Pol  and  of  great  part  of  his  «lominions,  which  they  divide  among  them- 
selves, in  violation  of  the  most  solemn  treaties. 

Committees  of  correspondence  instituted  thtonghout  the  colonies. 

1773  Captain  Phipps  is  sent  to  explore  the  North  Pole;  but  having  made  eighty-one 

degrees,  is  in  danger  of  being  locked  up  by  the  ice,  and  returns. 
The  Jesuits  expt-lled  from  the  Pope's  dominions,  and  suppressed  by  his  bull. 
Dutied  tea,  340  chests  destroved  by  the  Bostonians. 


CHRONOLOGICAL  TABLE.  »:>S 

A.   C. 

1774  In  consequence  of  tliis  trespass  on  private  property,  a  penal  statute  for  shutting 
up  the  port  of  Boston  was  passed  in  England,  and  resisted  in  America. 

A  general  Congress  meets  in  Philadelphia— petitions  for  a  redress  of  gi  ievances, 
and  resolves  on  a  general  nou-importatiou  and  non-exportation  of  all  merchanl- 
able  commodities 
li7S  Aprd  10.    The  first  action  happens  in  America  between  the  British  troops  and 
the  Americans,  at  Lexington,  in  wjiich  the  former  are  defeated. 

Ticonderoga  and  Crown  Point  taken  bv  colonels  Allen  and  Raston. 

A  dreadful  fii^e  in  Grenada  ;  loss  computed  at  600,0001. 

Articles  of  confederation  and  perpetual  union  agreed  on  by  the  American  colo- 
nies. May  20. 

Paper  money  emitted  bv  Congress  to  the  amount  of  three  millions  of  dollars,  and 
afterwards,  at  lUfferent  periods,  during  tlie  war,  to  the  amount  of  two  hundred 
*J^illions.     In  1781  it  ceases  to  circulate. 

General  George  Washington  is  by  Congress  unanimously  appointed  Commander 
in  Chief  of  the  \merican  ai-roy,  June,  IG  ;  on  July  2tl  arrives  at  Cambridge, 
(Mass.)  and  takes  upon  him  the  command. 

A  blootly  battle  fought  at  Rimker's  Hill  between  the  king's  troops  and  the  Amer- 
icans, when  the  latter  being  overpow  ered  by  numbers  are  forced  to  retreat, 
June  17.     Cliarlestown  burnt  the  same  day. 

Post  office  established  by  Congress,  July  20. 

Falmouth,  in  the  District  of  Maine,  destroyed  by  the  British,  October  IS. 

General  .Montgomery  takes  Montreal,  November  12. 

An  unsuccessful  attack  made  by  the  Americans  on  Quebec,  when  the  gallant 
Montgomery  is  slain,  December  31. 

1776  Norfolk,  in  Virginia,  burnt  by  order  of  Lord  Dunmore,  January  1. 
Boston  evacuated  by  the  British,  March  17. 

Congress,  in  cotisequcnce  of  the  repeated  provocations,  received  from   Great 

Britam,  declare  the  colonies  free,  sovereign  and  independent,  under  the  name 

of  the  United  States  of  America,  July  4. 
The  battle  of  Flatbush  in  Long-lslaml.  when  the  Americans  are  defeated  with 

the  loss  of  2000  men  killed,  and  1000  prisoners  ;  New-York  is  soon  after  tiikeu 

possession  of  by  the  British,  August  27. 
Riiode- Island  taken  by  the  British^  December  6. 

Nine  hundred  Hessians  taken  by  general  Washington,  at  Trenton,  December  26. 
Religious  toleration  was  granted  in  Austria. 

1777  Jsnuary  2.     General  Washington  defeats  the  British  at  Princeton. 
Ticonderoga  evacuatetl  by  general  St.  Clair,  July  6. 

Marquis  De  la  Fayette  appointed  major-general  in  the  American  army. 

Lieutenant-genend  Burgoyne  is  obliged,  at  Saratoga,  to  surrender  his  wlwie  ar- 
my, consisting  of  5790  men,  to  the  Americans,  under  generals  Gates,  Lincoln 
and  Arnold,  October  17. 

The  American  army,  under  general  Washington,  retire  to  winter  quarters  at 
Cherry  Valley,  where  tliey  suffer  severely  from  famine  and  want  of  clothing, 
December. 

1778  Dominica  taken  by  the  French,  September  7. 
St.  Lucia  taken  from  the  French,  December  28. 

Alliance  with  France-  A  French  fleet  is  sent  to  tlie  aid  of  the  new  formed 
states.  Philadelphia  evacuated  by  the  British.  Battles  of  Monny)uth  and 
Rhode  Island.  British  commissioners,  when  too  late,  offer  to  the  Americans 
terras  of  accommodation,  which  came  uj>  to  all  they  asked  for  in  their  unan- 
swered  petitions  to  the  king  of  Great  Britain,  in  17f4  and  1775. 

1779  Savannah,  in  Georgia,  taken  by  the  British. 

The  Spaniards  unite  with  France  and  America  against  Britain,  Jun«. 

St  Vincent  taken  from  the  French  by  tlie  English,  June  J  7. 

Apretlatorj'  expedition,  under  the  command  of  governor  Trjon,  sets  out  for  Con- 
necticut ;  the  paj-ty  sets  fire  to  Fairfield  and  East  Haven  ;  plunders  New  Ila- 
Ten,  and  commits  many  other  enormities,  in  July. 

Stony  Point  taken  by  the  Americans  under  the  command  of  general  Wayne. 

1780  The  ProtesUnt  Association,  to  the  number  of  50,000  men,  headed  by   Lord 

George  Gordon,  go  to  the  House  of  Commons  with  a  petition  for  the  i-epeal 
of  an  act  passed  in  favor  of  the  Roman  Catholics,  June  2.  This  event  is  fol- 
lowed by  the  destruction  of  Catholic  chapels,  several  prisons,  and  llie  most 
daring  riots  for  several  succeeding  days,  which  are  at  last  quelled  by  the  in- 
terposition of  the  militarv  ;  wjien  numbers  of  Uie  mob  are  killed,  and  many 
ot  the  rioters  soon  after  tried  and  executed. 

July  ly.  A  maritime  treaty  between  Russia,  Sweden  and  Denmark  was  sigticU 
at  Copenhagen,  having  for  its  object  rhe]irofection  of  neutral  commerce. 

Count  Rochambcau  anises  at  Rhodt-Island  with  6000  laud  forco,  July  K'. 


^06  CHRONOLOGICAL  TABLE. 

A.    C. 

irSO  Torture  alwlished  in  France,  August  25. 

General  Arnold,  after  having  in  vain  attempted  to  deliver  up  West  Point  to 
the  British,  deserts  to  their  service,  and  is  by  them  appointed  brigadier-gen- 
eral, Septeml)cr  26. 

Major  Andre,  adjutant-general  to  the  British  army,  is  banged  as  a  spy  at  Tap- 
l>an,  state  of  New-York,  Octobers. 

The  British  government  declares  war  against  Holland,  Decemher  10. 

CJiarlestoii  surrenders  to  the  British  on  terms  of  capitulation.  South  Carolina  is 
overrun  by  tlie  conquerors,  but  is  gallantly  defended  by  generals  Sumter  and 
Marion.     Gates  defeated  near  Camden. 

Constitution  of  Massachusetts  established. 

American  Academy  of  Arts  and  Sciences  incorporated. 

May  19lh,  an  uncommon  darkness  took  place  all  over  New  England,  for  about 
14  hours,  or  from  10  or  11  A..  M.  till  midnight.  The  darkness  was  so  great 
that  people  were  unable  to  read  common  print,  to  tell  the  time  of  the  da>  by 
their  watches,  to  dine,  or  transact  their  oi-dinary  husiness  without  the  liaht  of 
candles.  The  peojde  became  dull  and  gloomy.  Candles  were  generally 
lighted  lip  in  their  houses.  The  birds  became  silent  The  fowls  retired  to 
I'oost.  Objects  could  not  be  distinguished  but  at  si  very  little  distance,  and 
every  thing  bore  the  appearance  and  gloom  of  niglit.  Similar  days  are  said  to 
have  occurred,  hut  infei'ior  in  degree  and  exient  of  flarkness.  October  21, 
1"16 ;  August  9,  1732;  October  9,  17C2 ;  in  the  northern  or  eastern  states, 
and  also  on  October  29,  1789,  in  Kentucky.  These  unusual  appearances 
were  not  the  effect  of  eclipses,  but  were  supposed  to  result  from  layers  of 
vapors,  some  ascending  and  other  descending,  so  as  to  intercept  the  rays  of  the 
sun  in  their  passage  to  the  earth. 
1780  and  1781.  This  winter  is  remarkable  for  its  uncommon  severity  ;  so  that  in  Jan- 
uary the  passage  between  New  York  and  Staten  Island  is  practicable  for  the 
heaviest  cannon. 
,1781  The  Dutch  island  of  St.  Eustatia  taken  by  the  British,  February  3  ;  retaken  by 
the  French,  November  27. 

The  island  of  Tobago  taken  by  the  French,  June  2. 

Count  de  Grasse,  with  28  sail  of  the  line,  arrives  in  the  Chesapeake,  and  lands 
3200  forces. 

Treaty  of  amity  and  commerce  between  America  and  Holland,  October  8. 

Earl  Cornwallis  surrenders  his  whole  army,  consisting  of  7000  men,  to  the  Amer- 
ican and  French  army,  under  the  command  of  general  Washington,  at  Y'ork- 
town,  in  Virginia,  October  19. 

Henry  Laurens  is  released  from  his  long  confinement  in  the  Tower  of  London, 
December  31. 

Virginia  cedes  to  the  United  States  all  her  territory  northwest  of  the  Ohio, 
about  200,000,000  acres. 

Virginia  adopts  the  preliminary  measures  for  and  consents  to  the  erection  of 
Kentucky  into  a  separate  state. 
1782  Planet  Herschel  discovered. 

The  first  impression  of  the  Bible  in  tlie  United  States  is  published  by  Robert 
Aitken,  Philadelphia. 

The  island  of  Minorca  taken  by  the  Spaniards,  February  5. 

St.  Christopher's  taken  by  the  French,  February  12. 

Montserrat,  in  the  West  Indies,  taken  by  the  French,  February  18. 

'1  he  British  House  of  Commons  address  the  king  against  the  further  prosecution 
of  offensive  war  with  North  America,  March  4. 

Holland  acknowledges  the  sovereignty  of  the  United  States,  April  19. 

Sir  Guy  Carleton  arrives  at  New  York,  with  powers  to  treat  of  peace  with  the 
Americans,  May  5. 

The  Spaniards  defeated  in  their  grand  attack  on  Gibraltar,  when  their  floating 
batteries  are  destroyed,  September  13. 

Treaty  concluded  between  the  United  States  and  tlie  Republic  of  Holland,  Oc- 
tober 8. 

Ninety-six  Christian  Indians  of  the  Moravian  sect,  living  at  Gnaden  Hualten, 
tn-ithin  the  limits  of  what  is  now  the  state  of  Ohio,  were  cruelly  murdered  in 
cold  blood  by  white  savages.  The  murderers  could  assign  no  justification,  nor 
even  apology  for  the  unhallowed  deed.  The  victims  of  their  fury  had  always 
been  peaceable  and  inoffensive,  and  had  taken  no  part  in  the  war  then  drawing 
to  an  end.  The  Indians  submitted  to  their  unavoid.ible  fate  with  patient  re- 
signation, and  without  making  any  resistance.  The  only  charge  that  could 
he  alledged  against  them  was,  that  they  were  Indians. "  Congi-ess  did  them 
justice,  as  far  as  was  in  their  power,  by  reinstating  the  survivors  in  the  posses^ 
«ioa  of  their  lauds  from  which  th«3'  h^d  been  driven. 


CHRONOLOGICAL  TABLE.  SOT 

A.  C. 

iTSti  A  ship  of  74  gvins  built  at  Portsmouth,  N.  H.    This  was  the  first  line  of  battle 
ship  ever  buiit  in  America. 
Proviiional  articles  of  peace  signed  between  (he  American  and  British  commis- 
sioners at  Paris  ;  by  wiiich  the  Unite<l  States  are  declared  by  the  king  of 
Great  Britain,  to  be  free,  sovereign  and  independent,  November  30. 
The  inquisition  abolished  at  Naples. 
1783  Preliminary  articles  of  peace  between  France,  Spain  and  Britain, signed  at  Ver- 
sailles, January  20. 

1783  Three  earthquakes  at  Calabria  Ulterior  and  Sicily  ;  which  desti'oy  a  great  num- 

ber of  towns  and  inhabitants;  Febuary  5,  7  and  28. 

Treaty  of  Amity  and  commerce  between  the  United  States  and  Swedes,  con- 
cliuled  Ajjril  1,  ratified  by  C'on5:;ress  Sept.  25,  following. 

New-Yoik  evacuated  by  the  British  troops,  and  General  Washuigton  makes  a 
public  entry  into  that  city,  November  25. 

General  Waslungton  resigns  his  commission  to  Congress,  at  Annapolis,  Decem- 
ber 23. 

Dickinson  College  (Carlisle,  Pcnn.)  founded. 

1784  The  defmitive  treaty  of  peace  between  tlie  United  States  and  Britain  ratified  by 

Congress,  January  4. 
M.  Lunardi  ascends  in  a  balloon  from  London;  being  the  first  attempt  of  the 

kind  made  in  England,  September  15. 
The  Empress  of  China,  a  ship  of  SCO  tons,  sails  from  New-York  for  Canton. 

This  was  the  beginning  of  the  trade  of  the  United  States  with  China. 
Bank  of  Massachusetts  incorporated. 

1785  Mr.  James  Madison  brings  forward  a  motion  in  the  House  of  Delegates  of  Vii-- 

ginia,  to  appoint  commissioners,  wlio,  in  concurrence  with  others,  to  be  ap- 
pointed by  the  diftereiit  states,  should  form  a  system  of  commercial  regula- 
tions, to  be  recommended  for  adoption  to  the  difterent  state  legislatures. 

Friars  and  nuns  suppressed  in  Germany. 

The  first  cistern  in  Charleston,  S.  C.  i'or  collecting  and  preserving  rain-water 
for  domestic  use,  was  built  by  William  SomersalF. 

Humane  Society  of  Massachusetts  incorporated.  Similar  institutions  about  the 
same  time  were  formed  in  most  of  the  large  towns  on  the  sea-coast. 

An  organ  set  up  in  a  Congregational  church  in  Boston. 
1Z86  An  insurrection   breaks  out  in  the  state  of  Massachusetts,  under  Daniel  Shays 
and  others ;  it  is,  howevei',  happily  suppi  es-sed  by  the  prudence  and  decision  of 
Generals  Lincoln  and  Shepard,  with  the  loss  of  very  few  lives,  December. 

The  Phil;  (lelphia  Dispensary  for  the  gratuitous  medical  care  of  the  sick  poor  in 
their  own  houses  established. 

Connecticut  cedes  to  the  United  States  all  the  lands  within  her  cliartei'ed  limits 
west  of  Pennsylvania,  with  a  reserve  of  about  four  millions  of  acres.  SOO.OOtI 
acres,  part  of  this  reserve,  was  granted  by  the  State  to  the  inhabitants  of  New - 
London,  Fairfield,  and  Norwalk,  whose  property  had  been  destroyed  by  the 
British  troops  in  the  revolutionary  war.  '  The  remainder  was  sold  in  1795  for 
Jgl,2(X),U0O  and  the  proceeds  appropriated  as  a  perpetual  fund  for  the  suppoit 
of  schools  in  the  state. 

Louis  XVI.  issues  an  edict  for  convening  the  notables,  who  afterwards  meet  at 
Paris,  Febuary  26,  and  December  29,  following. 

1787  The  Federal  Convention,  which  had  for  some  time  been  assembled  at  Philadel- 

phia, re|>ori  to  the  dilferent  states  the  new  constitution,  or  present  system  ot 
federal  government,  September  17. 

A  bridge  built  over  Charles  river,  connecting  Boston  and  Cliarlestown. 

-'V  society  for  propagating  the  gospel  among  the  Indians  and  others  in  North 
America,  was  incorporated  in  Massachusetts.  The  Moravians  for  half  a  cen- 
tury preceding  had  been  zealously  and  successfully  attentive  to  the  propaga- 
tion of  the  gospel  among  the  Indians  in  America ;  but  tlie  period  between  1787 
and  1812  may  be  called  the  tcra  of  Missions. 

A  series  of  essays,  the  work  of  Alexander  Hamilton,  James  Madison,  and  JcJin 
Jay,  with  the  title  of  Piiblius,  or  the  Federalist,  published  soon  after  the  pro- 
mulgation of  the  constitution,  had  a  decided  influence  in  procuring  its  acceji- 
tance,  by  enlightening  the  public  roitul  in  the  true  (irinciples  of  government, 
and  removing  prejudices  in  favor  of  a  high  toned  stiite  sovereignty  incompat- 
ible with  the  general  good. 

The  Presbyterians  form  four  Syno<ls,  apd  a  General  Assembly. 

1788  George  Washington  was  unanimously  elected  Piesidcntof  the  United  States,  and 

John  Adams,  Vice-Piesident. 
Georgia  University  instituted. 
Card  raaimfactory  set  up  in  Boston.    \   machine  for  cutting  card-teeth  KW 

been  previously  inveoted  by  Mr.  Chittenden  of  Comiectiout. 


808  CHRONOLOGICAL  TABLE. 

A.   C. 

1789  Congress  met  at  New-York  for  the  fi.st  time  under  the  new  cot^ 

IVLircIi  4.  "t  to 

April  30.  Geon!;e  Washington  was,  in  due  form,  publicly  invested  witli  the  Cn- 
ol"  President  of  the  United  States  of  America. 

The  National  Assembly  of  France  first  convened,  May  5,  and  on  the  17th  ot 
June  following  the  tiers  etat,  or  representatives  of  the  people,  after  using  va- 
rious efforts  to  obtain  a  union  with  the  clergy  and  nobility,  without  success,  de- 
clare themselves  the  General  Assembly,  and  proceed  to  business. 

They  take  an  oath  "  never  to  separate  till  tlie  constitution  shall  be  completed," 
June  'iOth. 

University  of  North-Carolina  founded. 

The  Bastile,  in  Paris,  taken  by  the  national  gards ;  July  14. 

Dr.  Carrol  of  Maryland  consecrated  bishop,  and  soon  after  archbishop  of  the  Ro- 
man Catholic  church.  He  was  the  first  and  only  Roman  Catholic  bishop  ia 
North  America. 

Influenza  pervades  the  United  States,  and  again  in  1S08. 
i790  Tlie  French  king  voluntarily  a])pears  before  the   National  assembly,  and   de- 
clares "  that  he  will  defend  the  new  constitution  to  the  last  moment  of  his 
existence,"  Febuary  4. 

Friars  and  nuns  suppressed  in  France. 

General  Harmar  defeated  by  the  Miami  Indians,  with  the  loss  of  183  men  kil- 
led, and  31  wounded,  September  30. 

Kentucky,  detached  by  cotnmon  consent  from  Virginia,  is  made  an  independent 
State. 

Secretary  Hamilton  makes  his  celebrated  report  on  providing  for  the  public 
debt.  This  was  substantially  adopted,  and  produced  a  sudden  and  e.\traordi- 
narj'  melioration  of  the  state  of  the  country. 

A  law  passed  for  securing   copy  right  to  authors, 

1791  This  year  a  census  taken  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  United  States,  when  the  num- 

ber is  found  to  be  3,929,326. 
The  king  of  France  and  family  privately  depart  from  Paris,  with  a  view,  as  was 

believed,  of  escaping  into  Germany,  June  20  ;  are  intercepted,  near  Varennes, 

and  re-conducteil  to  Paris  on  the  25th. 
Seven  islands  discovered  in  the  South  Pacific  Ocean,  between  the  Marquesas  and 

the  Equator,  by  Capt.  Joseph  Ingraliam,  of  Boston. 
May  3.     The  crown  of  Poland  was  made  hereditary. 

First  Folio  and  Royal  Quarto  Bibles  printed  in  America,  at  Worcester,  Massa- 
chusetts; small  Quarto  at  Trenton,  New-Jersey 
A  Treaty  is  concluded  at  Pilnitz,  in  Sa.xony,  by  a  number  of  crowned  heads,  of 

which  the  partition  of  France,   Poland,  kc.  is  said  to  have  been  the  principle 

object,  July. 
Gen.  St.  Clair  defeated  bv  the  Indians,  near  the  Miami  Village,  with  the  loss  of 

640  Americans,  his  whole  baggage,  and  eight  pieces  of  artillery,  November  4. 
United  States  bank  with  a  capii:d  of  §  1 0,000 ,000,  is  established  in  Phil.-idelphia, 

with  branches  at  Boston,  New  York,  Baltimore,  and  Charleston.  S.  C. 

1792  The  French    National  Assembly   declare  war  . against   the   king  of  Hungary  and 

Bohemia,  April  20 

National  mint  established. 

A  plan  of  union  between  the  general  assembly  of  the  Pi-esbyterian  church  in  the 
United  States,  and  the  general  association  of  Congregational  churches  in  Con- 
necticut, adopted. 

Louis  XVI  brought  to  trial,  December  11  ;  condemned  January  19,  1793,  and 
beheaded  on  the  2l8t  of  the  same  month. 

1793  The  French  Convention  declare  war  against  the  king  of  Britain  and  the  Slad- 

tholder  of  Holland,  February  1. 

The  king  of  Sweden  is  shot  at  a  masquerade,  by  Capt.  Ankerstrom,  March  16, 
and  dies  of  his  wounds  the  29th  of  liie  same  month. 

A  dreadful  disorder  known  by  the  name  of  the  yelltno  fever,  begins  at  Philadel- 
phia, in  July  ;  and  does  not  cease  its  depopulating  lavages  till  the  middle  of 
November,  following,  during  which  time  about  5000  people  lose  their  lives. 

The  late  Queen  of  France  beheaded,  October  IG. 

Neutrality  between  the  bellia;erents  of  Europe  proclaimed  by  Washington. 

The  Proprietors  of  the  Middlesex  canal  in  Massachusetts,  for  connecting  Mer- 
rimack river  with  Boston,  were  incorporated.     In  1804  the  canal  was  finished. 

1794  A  bill  passed  bv  Congress,  laying  an  embargo  for  30  davs,  which  is  afterwards 

continued  for  30  more,  March  26. 
John  Jay,  Chief  Justice  of  the  United  States,  appointed  envoy  extraordinaiT  to 

Britain,  April. 
The  island  of  Guadaloupe  takenfrora  the  British  by  the  French. 


CHRONOLOGICAL  TABLE.  80? 

A.  C. 

1794  Union  College  (at  Schenectady,  N.Y.)  founded. 

General  Wayne  det'cats  the  Indians  and  Canadian  militia  near  the  rapids  of  the 
Miami  of  the  lakes,  August  20. 

Tlie  suburb  of  Praga,  near  Warsaw,  taken  by  the  Russian  General  Suwarrow, 
who  gives  the  barbarous  orders  to  his  army  to  give  quarters  to  no  one  ;  in  con- 
sequence of  which,  upwards  of  30,000  Poles,  men,  women,  and  children,  are 
mr.ssacred,  November  4. 

Insurrection  in  Pennsylvania,  against  the  excise  on  spirituoJis  liquors.  Wash- 
ington puts  himself  at  the  head  of  a  lai-ge  array  to  quell  the  insurgents,  which 
was  effected  without  bloodshed. 

John  Jay  makes  a  treaty  with  Great  Rr-itain.  In  consequence  thereof  the  Rrit- 
ish  suirender  all  their  posts  within  the  limits  of  the  Unittd  States. 

Massachusetts  Historical  Society,  for  collecting  materials  for  the  histoi7  of  (he 
United  States,  was'  incorporated.  In  about  12  years  after  a  similar  one  was 
establislied  in  New  York. 

1795  The  old  government  of  the  Dutch  in  Holland  abolished,  and  a  revolution  in  favor 

of  liberty  commences  without  any  public  commotion,  January  19. 

St.  Lucia  ca])tured  by  the  French,  April  19. 

The  King  of  Prussia  concludes  a  separate  peace  with  the  French  republic,  April. 

A  treaty  of  friendship,  limits,  and  navigation,  concluded  between  Spain  and  the 
United  States,  October  20. 

A  treaty  of  peace  and  amity  concluded  between  the  Dey  of  Algiers  and  the  U- 
nited  States,  November  8. 

The  unfortunate  King  of  Poland'niadeVformal  surrender  of  his  crown,  for  a 
pension,  November  25. 

About  this  time  general  Eaton,  when  consul  at  Tunis,  sent  to  Philadelphia  a 
ram  of  the  broad  tailed  breed  of  sheep  in  Africa.  From  this  source  this  valu- 
able species  of  sheep  has-been  extensively  propagated.  Its  fleece  is  of  the  first 
quality. 

Pennsylvania  passes  a  law  for  establishing  schools  throughout  the  state. 

The  first  Massachusetts  Turnpike  Corporation  established.  The  construction  of 
artificial  roads  began  a  few  years  before  in  Pennsylvania  and  Connecticut,  and 
rapidly  extended  north  to  the  falls  of  Niagara,  and  south  as  far  as  the  Potomac. 

Washington  declines  a  reelection  as  president,  and  in  a  solemn  valedictory  ad- 
dress to  his  fellow  citizens,  inculcates  on  them  "to  bear  incessantly  on  their 
minds,  that  nations  as  well  as  individuals  were  under  the  moral  government 
of  an  infinitely  wise,  just  and  good  providence — that  the  foundation  of  their  hap- 
piness was  morality  and  religion — that  union  amon^  themselves  was  their 
rock  of  safety — and  that  to  venerate  their  constitution  and  laws  was  to  insure 
their  liljerties." 

The  second  cotton  mill  was  erected  in  Rhode  Island.  The  first  had  been  erected 
in  1791.  In  the  succeeding- 15  years  there  were  87.  In  these  the  number  of 
spindles  was  80,000 — persons  employed  4000 — Cotton  used  3,600,000  lbs — yarn 
spun  2,880,000  lbs— value  3,140,000  dollars. 
1786  Machines  for  beating  out  rice  by  water,  contrived  by  Mr.  Lucas,  are  generally 
introduced,  and  s.ive  an  immensity  of  manual  labor. 

1797  A  signal  victory  gained  over  the  Spanish  fleet  by  John  Jarvis,  FebiHary  14. 
JoHK  Adams,  elected  president  of  the  United  States,  and  Thomas  Jeffer- 
son, vice  president. 

An  alarming  mutiny  on  board  the  channel  fleet,  at  Spithead,  (England)  April 
15,  and  at  Sheern^ss. 

Messrs.  Pinckney,  Marshal  and  Gerry,  sent  as  envoys  to  France,  (July)  to  ac- 
commodate existing  differences  between  the  United  States  and  the  French  Re- 
public— Returned  unsuccessful,  1798. 

Lord  Duncan's  victory  over  the  Dutch  fleet,  October  11. 

Treaty  of  peace  between  Austria  and  France  signed  at  Campo  Formio,  Oct.  17. 

1798  George  Washington  appointed,  ><nd  accepted  the  commission  of  Com- 

mander IN  Chief  of  the  .\rmies  of  i  he  Ukited  STATES,July. 
Rebellion  in  Ireland  suppressed  after  much  bloodshed. 
Lord  Nelsoji  obtained  a  victory  over  the  French   fleet,  at   Aboukir,  near  the 

mouth  of  the  Nile,  in  which  nine  French  ships  of  the  line  were  taken,  and  two 

burnt,  August  1. 

1799  The  French  driven  from  nearly  all  their  conquests  in  Italy  by  the  Auslrians  and 

Russians  under  Suwarrow. 
Seringapatam  taken  by   lieutenant-general  Harris,  and  Tippoo  Sultan  killed. 

May  4. 
The  directorial  government  aboUslied  in  France,  and  a  new  constitution  framed. 

Bonaparte  made  first  consul  for  ten  years. 
The  French  frigate  Insurgente  taken  bv  TruNfon. 
\OL,  in  102 


8l«  CHRONOLOGICAL   TABLE. 

A.  C. 

1791)  PresldelU  Adams  nominated  Messis.  Ellsworth,  Davie,  and  Mm  rny,  lo  inake  ai 

further  attempt  to  adjust  dilVerences  with  the  French  Kepublic,  Feb. — The 

envoys  embarked  for  t" ranee,  November. 
GEOHGE  WASHINGTON  died  December  14,  aged  G7,  and  left  his  country 

ir<  tears. 
The  Americaa  militia  was  upwards  of  354,000  and  the  seamen  upyr-ards  of 

63,000. 

1800  The  American  envoys  concluded  a  convention  with  the  French  Republic,  which 

was  signed  at  Faris,  September  3. 

A  bill  tor  uniting  Ireland  with  Great  Britain,  signed  July  2. 

American  navy  consisted  of  42  vessels  and  950  guns 

Vaccination  introduced  by  Dr.  Waterhouse,  and  extensively  propaE;ated  over  the 
United  States  by  many,  and  parlicularlj'  by  John  Vaughan  of  Philadelphia. 

Boats  begin  to  pass  through  the  canal  in  South  Carolina,  e.xtending  22  miles  be- 
tween Santee  and  Cooper  rivers.  This  work  cost  the  proprietors  above 
SGOO.OOU — a  sum  e.\ceeding  seven  times  the  amount  of  what  the  province  had 
sold  for  72  years  before. 

1801  The  maritime  treaty  of  17S0,  between  the  three  northern  powers  of  Europe, 

was  renewed,  January. 
Treaty  of  peace  between  Germany  and  France,  signed  at  Luneville,  Feb.  9. 

The  Legislature  of  Massachusetts  agreed  to  present  arespectful  address  to  Johjt 
Adams,  on  the  occasion  of  his  retiring  from  the  presidency  of  the  United 
Stijtcs,  expressive  of  '•  the  grateful  and  high  sense  the  legislature  entertain  of 
the  numerous  and  eminent  services  he  has  rendered  his  country,  particularly 
as  President  of  the  United  States  ;  and  assuring  him  of  their  undiminished 
contidence  in  his  character,  and  of  an  aft'ectionate  welcome  into  the  bosom  of 
his  country,"  March  3. 

Thomas  Jefferson,  elected  president  of  the  United  States,  and  Aarox 
Burr,  vice  jtresident. 

National  government  removed  to  Washington. 

The  maiiiifacture  of  straw  bonnets  commenced  in  Wrentham,  Massachusetts, 
and  proceeded  so  rapidly,  that  after  eight  years  the  proceeds  amounted  annu- 
ally to  %  100,000. 

Oct.  I.  i'relimiuary  articles  of  peace  between  France,  Great  Britain,  Spain  and 
Holland,  signed  at  London. 

1802  March  25.    Definitive  treaty  between  tlie  above  powers  signed  at  Amiens,  by 

Bonaparte,  Cornwallis,  Azaza  and  Schimmelpenninck. 

IMerino  sheep  were  introduced  by  K.  li  Livingston,  and  Col.  Humphries)  and 
e.vtensiveiy  propagated.  About  the  same  time  the  recently  extensive  cultiva- 
tion of  cotton  in  tlie  southern  states  and  the  more  extended  use  of  plaster  of 
I'aris  as  a  manure  had  become  so  general  as  to  add  immensely  to  the  wealth 
of  the  United  States. 
1S03  Marcli.  The  king  of  Great  Britain,  in  consequence  of  the  formidable  militaiy 
preparations  in  tl»€  ports  of  France  anil  Holland,  embotlied  the  militia  of  the 
.  country. 

July.     War  commenced  between  France  and  Great  Britain. 

Oct.  11.  A  treaty  of  peace  was  signed  between  the  United  States  and  the  em- 
peror of  Morocco. 

Louisiana  purchased  by  R.  R.  Livingston,  for  the  United  States,  from  the  French, 
for  g  15,000,000. 
ISO'i  Dec.  3.     Bonaparte  crowned  emperor  of  France,  by  hisltoliness  the  Pope,  by  the 
title  of  Naiwleone  L  w ith  great  splendor.    Tiie  emperor  presented  the  Pope 
a  triple  crown,  valued  at  20,000 1. 

Dec.  13.     Spain  declared  war  against  Great  Britain. 

Great  hurricane  in  South  Carolina  and  Georgia. 

1805  March  4.    'ihomas  Jeftcrson  and  Geoi'ge  Clinton,  inaugurated  president  and 

vice  president  of  the  United  States. 
Samuel  Chase,  one  of  the   Associate  Judges  of  the  United  States,  having  beea 

impeached  by  the  House  of  Representatives,  and  tried  by  the  Senate,  is  hon- 

ouabi.y  acquittetl. 
A  Botanic  garden  instituted  in  Charleston,  and  a  Botanic  Society  incorporated 

by  the  legislature  of  South  Carolina.     Botanic  gardens  were  formed  about  the 

same  time  in  the  vicinity  of  New  York,  and  Boston.    The  former  by  Dr.  Ho- 

sack,  the  latter  by  the  University  of  Cambridge. 

1806  Captains  Lewis  and  Clarke,  returned  to  St.  Louis,  after  having  with  the  loss  of 

Only  one  man  out  of  45  traversed  the  North  American  continent,  from  the 
mouth  of  the  Missouri  to  the  Pacific  ocean  in  28  months  and  10  days,  making 
the  whole  disUmce  from  the  confluence  of  the  Missouri  and  Mississippi  to  the 
disL-harge  of  the  Columbia  river  into  tiie  Pacific  ocean,  to  be  3555  miles  in  a 


CHRONOLOGICAL   TABLE.  iBIi 

A.  C. 

line  corresponding  with  tlie  course  of  tliese  rivers,  and  in  a  direct  line  of  about 
40  miles  from  one  to  tlie  oriier.     The  distance  between  the  source  and   the 
,  mouth  of  the  Missouti  wns  5090  miles. 

180r  Four  seamen  are  killed  on  hoard  the  American  frigate  Chesapeake,  within  the 
waters  of  the  United  States,  b}'  order  of  the  British  admiral  nerktiy.  The 
act  of  Berkely  was  disavowed  by  his  royal  master,  and  has  since  been  amicably 
settled  between  the  two  governments. 

1S08  A  general  embargo  imposed  by  law  on  the  United  States  operates  through  the 
wliole  of  the  year,  to  the  incalculable  injury  of  the  morals  and  interests  ot  the 
people. 
A  Theological  institution  was  established  at  Andover,  in  Massachusetts.  Funds 
for  its  support  to  an  amount  exceeding  §  110.000  were  raised  by  private  sub- 
scriptions. PVom  this  source  provision  was  made  not  only  for  the  mainte- 
nance of  candidates  for  the  ministiy,  but  for  adequate  salaries  to  professors  in 
every  department  necessary  to  form  the  complete  Theologian  and  accom]>lish- 
ed  preacher.  Divinity  had  been  regularly  taught  by  professors  in  Harvard 
(College  ever  since  the  year  17^2,  and  in  Yale  College  since  1750,  and  occasion- 
ally in  the  college  of  Princeton  since  1768.  A  plan  for  the  instruction  of  The- 
ological students  was  devised  about  th«  year  177(>,  by  the  Reformed  Dutch 
(Jhurch,  which,  though  for  several  years  suspended,  has  been  carried  into  full 
effect  under  the  direction  of  Dr.  Livingston  ever  since  1790.  An  institution  of 
the  same  kind  was  formed  by  the  A.ssociate  Reformed  Synod  of  North  Amer- 
ica, anil  committed  to  the  care  of  Dr.  Mason,  which  had  been  in  complete 
operation  .since  the  year  1800.  In  the  third  year  after  the  institution  of  the 
Andover  Theological  Institution,  four  of  its  pitjiils  by  name  Adoniram  Judson 
jiin.  Samuel  Nott  jun.  Gordon  Hall,  and  Samuel  Newell,  magnanimously  of- 
fered themselves  to  serve  as  missionaries  to  Heathen  nations  for  life,  and  with 
Luther  Rice,  in  February  1812,  sailed  lor  Calcutta,  in  expectation  of  spending 
their  lives  in  some  part  of  India. 

1808,9,10   Fifteen  Bible  Societies,  composeil  of  Christians  of  various  sects,  were 
formed  for  the  purpose  of  gratuitously  distributing  cheap  editions  of  the  Bible. 
Thomas  Jefferson  declines  a  reelection  as  president — James  Madison  elected  his 
successor. 

1809  In  this  and  the  preceding  19  years  upwards  of  1200  patents  for  inventions  were 

issued  from  the  patent  office  of  the  United  States. 
There  were  2000  post  offices  in  the  United  States.    In  1793  there  were  only 
195.     In  1"7;3  only  52. 

1810  The  History  of  Printing  in  America  was  published  by  Isaiah  Thnni!is.    An  use- 

ful original  work,  casting  great  light  on  the  early  literature  of  the  English  col- 
onies. From  this  work  it  appears  that  "  There  arti  in  the  United  States  up- 
wards of  109  paper  mills.  Of  these  are  in  New  F.ngland  00,  in  Vermont  9, 
New  York  12,  Delaware  4,  Maryland  3,  Virgiriia4,  Kentucky  0,  Tennessee  4, 
South  Carolina  1."  In  this  one,  coarse  paper  is  made  from  corn  busks. 
These  n)ills  are  constantly  employed,  and  the  demand  for  paper  is  daily  rising. 
Besides  u  large  number  of  presses  for  printing  books,  "The  nunihei-  of  estab- 
lishments for  printing  newspapers  is  about  349-  Of  these  27  are  daily  papers. 
The  whole  number  of  newsiwpers  annually  circulated  in  the  United  States  is 
above  22,0(X),000.  These  newspaper  establishments  are  distributed  throughout 
the  United  States  as  follows  :  In  New  England  02,  in  Vermont  14,  New  York 
06,  New  Jersey  8,  Pennsylvania  71,  l)elaware  2,  Man  land  21,  District  of  Co- 
lumbia C,  Virginia  23,  North  Carolina  10,  South  Cai-olina  9,  (Georgia  13,  Ken- 
tucky 17,  Tennessee  0,  Ohio,  14,  Indiana  Teri-itorj  1,  Missisippi  Territory  4, 
Orleans  Territory  10,  Louisiana  1," 

From  a  census  of  the  nation  of  Cherokee  Indians  it  appeared  that  their  number 
is  12,395. 

The  emperor  of  France  m.ikes  a  general  seizure  of  floatiog  American  property 
in  European  ports  subject  to  his  control. 

The  manufactory  of  artificial  mineral  waters,  which  had  before  originated  in  the 
middle  and  northern  States,  was  introduced  in  ClL-irleston,  S.  C. 
1812  March  26.     An  earthquake,  which   lasted  a  minute  and  a   half,  <lcstroyed  the 
town  or  port  of  Lagi:ira,  and  city  of  Cari-accas,  in  Venezuela,  (South  Amer- 
ica,) and  from  12,(KX»  to  15,0(tO  people  are  said  to  have  perished  in  their  ruins. 

April.  An  cndiitrgo  laid  by  Congi-essfnr  90  days;  declared  by  high  authority  to 
be  tlie  precursor  of  war  with  Great  Britain. 

Aprils.  The  Washington  Benevolent  Society  of  150O  mcml)ers  celebrate  in 
Boston  the  inauguration  of  the  Father  of  his  Country,  as  the  first  president  ot" 
lite  United  States. 


LIST  OF  ANCIENT  AND  MODERN  LEARNED 
AND  EMINENT  MEN. 


V By  the  Dates  is  implied  the  time  ivhen  the  follotvin?  Writers  died ;  but  when 
that  Period  happens  not  to  be  knotun,  the  Age  in  -which  they  flourished  is  sigm- 
fled  by  a.} 

ijor  HOMER,  The  first  profane  writer  and  Greek  poet,  flourished. 

Hesiod,  the  Greek  poet,  supposed  to  live  near  the  time  of  Homer. 
8S4  Lycurgus,  tlie  Spartan  lawgiver. 
600  Sappho,  the  Greek  lyriek  poettss,  fl. 
5'>8  Solon,  lawgiver  of  Athens. 
556  JEsop,  the  fust  Greek  fabulist. 
548  Thales,  the  first  Greek  astronomer  and  geographer. 
497  Pythagoras,  founder  of  the  Pythagorean  philosophy  in  Greece. 
474  Anacreon,  the  Greek  lyric  poet. 
456  Jl^schylus,  the  first  Greek  tragic  poet. 
435  Pindar,  the  Greek  lyric  poet 

413  Herodotus,  of  Greece,  the  first  writer  of  profane  history. 
•i07  Aristophanes,  the  Greek  comic  poet,  fl. 

Euripides,  the  Greek  ti-agic  poet. 
400  Sophocles,  ditto. 

Confucius,  tlie  Chinese  philosopher,  fl. 
400  Socrates,  the  founder  of  moral  philosophy,  ia  Greece. 
391  Tltticydides,  the  Greek  historian. 
361  Hippocrates,  the  Greek  Physician. 
Democritus,  the  Greek  philosopher. 
359  Xenophon,   ditto,  and  historian. 

348  Plato,  the  Greek  philosopher,  and  disciple  of  Socrates. 
336  Isocrates,  the  Greek  orator. 

352  Aristotle  the  Greek  philoso])hcr,  and  disciple  of  Plato. 
313  Demosthenes,  the  Athenian  orator,  poisoned  himself. 
288  Theophraslus,  the  Greek  philosopher,  and  scholar  of  Aristotle.. 
285  Theocritus,  the  first  Greek  pastoral  poet,  fl. 
277  Euclid,  of  Ale.\andria,  in  Egypt,  the  mathematician,  fl. 
270  Epicurus,  founder  of  the  Epicurean  philosophy  in  Greece. 
264  Xeno,  founder  of  the  stoic  philosophy  in  Greece. 
244  Callimachus,  the  Greek  elegiac  jjoet. 
208  Archimedes,  the  Greek  geometrician- 
184  Plautus,  the  Roman  conuc  poet. 
159  Terence,  of  Carthage,  the  Latin  comic  poet. 
155  Diogenes,  of  Babylon,  the  stoic  philosopher. 
124  Poljbius,  of  Greece,  the  Greek  and  Roman  historian. 

54  Lucretius,  the  lioman  poet. 

44  Julius  Casai-,  the  Roman  historian  and  commentator,  killed. 
Diodorus  Siculns,  of  Greece,  the  universal  historian,  fl. 
Vitruvius,  the  Roman  architect,  fl. 

43  Cicero,  the  Roman  orator  and  philosopher,  put  to  death, 
Cornelius  Nepos,  the  Roman  biographer,  fl. 

34  Sallust,  the  Roman  historian. 

30  Dlonysius  of  llalicarnassus,  the  Roman  historian,  fl. 

19  Virgil,  the  Roman  epic  poet. 

11  Catullus,  Tibullus  and  Propertius,  Roman  poets, 
8  Horace,  the  Roman  lyric  and  satiric  poet. 

A.  c. 
17  Livy,  the  Roman  historian. 

19  Ovid,  the  Roman  elegiac  poet. 

20  Celsus,  the  Roman  philosopher  and  physician,  fl. 
25  Strabo,  the  Gi-eek  geographer. 

33  Phxdrus,  the  Roman  fabulist. 


LEARNED  AND  EMINENT  MEN.  SU 

A.  C. 

45  Patercuhis,  the  Roman  historian,  fl. 

62  Peisiiis, the  Roman  satiric  poet.  ,      i.     /~i      ^  a 

64  QtiintiusCurtius,  a  Roman  historian  of  Alexander  the  Great,  fl. 
Seneca,  of  Spain,  the  philosopher  and  tragic  poet,  put  to  death. 

65  liiican  the  Roman  epic  \)oet,  ditto. 

79  Pliny  the  elder,  tiie  Roman  natural  historian. 

93  Joscphus,  the  Jewish  historian. 

94  Epictetus,  the  Greek  stoic  philosoi)her,  fl. 

95  Qnintillian,  the  Roman  orator  and  advocate. 

96  Statius,  the  Roman  epic  poet. 

98  Lucius  Floras,  of  SpHin,  the  Romfui  historian,  fl. 

99  Tacitus,  the  Roman  historian. 

104  Martial,  of  Spain,  the  epigrammatic  poet. 
VMlerius  Flaccus,  the  Roman  epic  poet. 

116  Pliny  the  younger,  historical  letters. 

117  Suetonius,  the  Roman  historian,  fl. 
119  Plutarch  of  Greece,  the  biographer. 
128  Juvenal,  the  Roman  satiric  poet. 

140  Ptolemy,  the  Egyptian  geographer,  mathematician,  and  astronomer,  fl. 

l.W  Justin,  the  Roman  historian,  fl. 

161   A'-rian,  the  Roman  histor'ian  and  philosopher,  fl. 

167  Justin,  of  Samaria,  one  of  the  oldest  Christian  authors  after  the  apostles. 

180  Lucian,  the  Roman  philologer  and  satirist. 

Marcus  Aurelius  Antonius,  Roman  emperor  and  philosopher. 
193  Galen,  the  Greek  philosopher  and  physician. 
200  Diogenes  Laertius,  the  Greek  biographer,  fl. 
229  Dion  Cassius  of  Greece,  the  Roman  historian,  fl. 
254  Origen,  a  Christian  father  of  Alexandria. 

Herodian,  of  Alexandria,  the  Roman  historian,  fl. 
258  Cyprian,  of  Carthage,  sufl^ered  martyrdom. 
273  Longinus,  the  Greek  orator,  put  to  death  by  Aui-elian. 
S20  Lact.antius,  a  father  of  the  church,  fl. 

336  Arias,  a  priest  of  Alexandria,  founder  of  the  sect  of  Arians. 
342  Eusebius,  the  ecclesiastical  historian  and  chronologer. 
379  Basil,  bishop  of  Cajsarea. 
389  Gregory  Nazianzen,  bishop  of  Constantinople. 
397  Ambrose,  bishop  of  Milan. 
415  Macrobius,  the  Roman  grammarian. 
428  Eutropius,  the  Roman  historian. 
524  Boetius,  the  Roman  poet  and  Platonic  plvilosopher. 
529  Procopius,  of  Caesai-ea,  the  Roman  historian. 


ENGLISH,  SCOTCH  AND  IRISH  AUTHORS. 

A.  C. 

753  BEDE,  a  priest  of  Northumberland;  history  of  the  Saxons,  Scots,  kc. 

901  King  Alfred  ;  history,  philosophy,  and  poetiy- 
1259  Matthew  Paris,  monk  of  St.  Albans;  bistory'of  England. 
1292  Roger  Bacon,  Somersetshire ;  natural  philosophy. 
1308  John  Fordun,  a  priest  of  Memshire,  history  of  Scotland. 

1403  Geott'ry  Chaucer,  London  ;  the  father  of  English  poetiy. 

1404  John  Gower,  Wales  ;  the  poet. 

1535  Sir  Thomas  More,  London  ;  history,  politics,  divinity. 
1552  John  Leland,  London  ;  lives  and  antiquities. 
1568  Roger  Ascham,  Yorkshire  ;   philology  and  polite  literat«re. 
1572  Rev.  Joseph  Knox,  the  Scotch  reformer;  history  of  the  church  of  Scotland. 
1582  George  Buchanan,  Dumbartonshire  ;  history  of  Scotland,  Psalms  of  David,  Pol- 
itics, &c. 
1598  Edmund  Spenser,  London  ;  Fairy  Queen,  and  other  poems. 
1615-25   Beaumont  and  Fletcher  ;  53  dramatic  pieces. 

1616  William  Shakespeare,  Stratfoi-d  ;  42  tragedies  and  comedies. 

1617  Sir  Walter  Raleigh,  history  of  the  world. 

1622  John  Napier,  of  Maixheston,  Scotland  ;  discoverer  of  logarithms. 

1623  William  Camden,  London  ;  history  and  antiquities. 

1626  Lord  Chancellor  Bacon.  London  ;  n.-)tural  philosophy  and  literature  in  ^cnen^l. 
1634  Lord  Chief  Justice  Coke,  Norfolk  ;  laws  of  England. 
16i38_Ben  Johnson,  London.;_53_dranTaUc  piece*. 


il4  LEARNED  AND  EMINENT  MEN: 

I63s' Joseph  Mead/B.  D.  dissertations  on  the  prophecies,  and  various  leaiiiejl  and 

critical  works. 
J  641  Sir  Henry  Spehnan,  Xorfolk  ;  laws  and  antiquities. 
J 654  John  Shelden,  Sussex  ;  antiquities  and  laws. 

1657  Dr.  William  ]  larvey,  Kent ;  discovered  the  circulation  of  the  Wood. 
1667  Abraham  Cow  ley,  London  ;  miscellaneous  poetry. 

1674  John  Milton,  London  ;  Parmlise  Lost,  Regained,  and  various  otlter  pieces  in 

verse  and  prose. 
Hyde,  Earl  of  Clarendon,  Wiltshire  ;  History  of  the  civil  wars  in  England. 

1675  James  Gregory,  Aberdeen  ;  matiiematics,  geometry  and  optics. 
Rev.  Dr.  John"  Lightfoot ;  divinity  and  criticism. 

1677  Rev.  Dr.  Isaac  Barrow,  London  ;  natuial  philosophy, mathematics  and  sermons. 

1680  Samuel  Butler,  Worcestershire.;  Hudibras,  a  burlesque  poem. 

1685  Thomas  Otway,  London  ;  ten  tragedies  and  comedies,  witli  other  poems. 

1687  Edmund  Waller,  Bucks;  poems,  speeches,  letters,  kc. 

1688  Dr.  Ralph  Cudworth,  Somersetshire  ;  intellectual  system. 

1689  Dr.  Thomas  S3denham,  Dorsetshire  ;  History  of  Physic. 

1690  Natlianiel  Lee,  London;  eleven  tragedies. 

Robert  Barclav,  Edinburgh  ;  Apology  for  the  Quakers. 

1691  Hon.  Robert  I^oyle  ;  natural  and  experimental  philosophy  and  theology. 
Sir  George  M'Kenzie,  Dundee  ;  Antiquities  and  Laws  of  Scotland. 
Rev.  Richard  Baxter  ;  divinity. 

1694  John  Tillotson,  archbishop  of  Canterbury,  Halifax  ;  254  sermons. 
1697  Sir  William  Temple,  London  ;  politics  and  polite  literatui-e. 
1699  Rev.  Dr.  William  Bates,  divinity. 

1701  John  Dry  den,  Northamptonshire  ;  27  tragedies  and  comedies,   satiric  poems, 
Virgil. 

1704  John  Locke,  Somersetshire  ;  philosophy,  govei-nment,  and  theology. 

1705  John  Ray,  Essex  ;  botany,  natural  philosophy,  and  divinity. 
1707  George  Farqahar,  Londonderry  ;  eight  comedies. 

1713  Ant.  Ash  Cooper,  Earl  of  Shaftsbury  ;  characteristics. 

1714  Gilbert  Burnet,  Edinburgh,  bishop  of  Salisbury  ;  history,  biography,  divinity ,&c. 

1718  Nicholas  Rowe,  Devonshire;  seven  tragedies,  translation  of  Lucan's  Pharsalia. 

1719  Rev.  John  Flamstead,  Derbyshire  ;  mathematics  and  astronomy. 
Joseph  Addison,  Wdtshire  ;  Spectator,  Guardian,  poems,  politics. 
Dr.  John  Kcil,  Edinburgh  ;  mathematics  and  astronomy. 

1721  Matthew  Prior,  London  ;  poems  and  politics. 

1724  Wdliam  Wollaston,  Staflbrdshire  ;  Religion  of  Nature  delineatetl. 

1727  Sir  Isqac Newton,  Lincolnshire  ;  mathematics,  geometo,  astronomy.  Optics. 

1729  Rev.  Dr.  Samuel  Clarke,  Norwich  ;  mathematics,  divinity,  Sec. 

Sir  Richard  Steele,  Didilin  ;   four  comedies,  papers  in  Taller,  &c. 

William  Congreve,  Staifordshire  ;   seven  dramatic  pieces. 
1732  John  G.ny,  Exeter  ;  poems,  fables,  and  eleven  dramatic  pieces. 
1734  Dr.  John  Arbuthnot,  Mearoshire  ;  medicine,  coins,  politics. 
1742  Dr.  Edmund  Halley  ;  natural  philosophy,  astronomy,  navigation. 

Dr.  Richard  Bentley,  Yorkshire  ;  classical  learning,  criticism. 
1744  Alexander  Pope,  London  ;  poems,  letters,  translation  of  Homer. 


Rev.   Dr.   Isaac   Watts,  Southampton  ;    logic,  plulosophy,  psalms,  hymns,  sei'- 

mons,  &c. 
Dr.  Francis  Hutcheson,  Airshire  ;  system  of  moral  philosophy. 

1750  Itev.  Dr.  Convers,  Middleton,  Yorkshii-e  ;  Life  of  Cicero,-&ic. 
Andi-ew  Baxter,  Old  Aberdeen  ;  metaphysics  and  natural  philosophy. 

1751  Henry  St.  John,  lord  Bolingbroke,  Surry  ;  philosophy,  metaphysics  and  politics. 
Dr.  Alexander  Monro,  Edinburgh  ;  anatomy  of  the  human  body. 

1754  Dr.  Richard  Mead,  London  ;  on  poisons,  plague,  small-pox,  medicine,  preceiits. 
Henry  Fielding,  Somersetshire  ;  Tom  Jones,  Joseph  Andrews,  &,c. 

1755  Dr.  Nathaniel  Lardner,  History  of  the  Apostles  and  Evangelists,  writers  of  (he 

New  Testament,  Credibility,  E«c. 
1757  Colley  Cibber,  London  ;  25  tragedies  and  comedies. 
1761  Thomas  Sherlock,  bishop  of  Ijondon  ;  69  sermons,  8cc. 

Benjamin  Hoadley,  bishop  of  Winchester  ;  sermons  and  controversy. 

Samuel  Richardson,  London  ;  Grandison,  Clarissa,  Pamela. 

Rev.  Dr.  John  Leland,  Lancashire  ;  Answer  to  Deistical  writers. 
1765  Rev.  Dr.  Edward  Young  ;  Niglit  Thoughts,  and  other  poems,  3  tragedies. 
'  Robert  Sirason,  Glasgow  ;  conic  sections,  Euclid,  Appollonius. 

1768  Rev.  Lawreuce|Sterne  ;  45  sermons,  SenUmentalJoiirney,  Tristram  Shandy. 


-LEARNED  AND  EMINENT  MEN.  813 

A.   C. 

17f)9  Robert  Smith,  Lincolnsliire  ;  haimonus  and  optics. 

1770  Rev.  Dr.  Jottiii  ;  Life  of  Erasmus,  Ecclesiastical  llisloiy  and  scrmonr. 
Dr.  Mark  Akenside,  NcwcasUe  upon  Tvne  ;  poems. 

Dr.  Tobias  Siuollel,  Dunbartonshire  ;  History  of  England,  novels,  translatJons. 

1771  Thomas  Grav,  Professor  o*"  Mo<Ieni  History,  Cambridge  ;  iK)ems. 

1773  Pliilip  Dormer  Stanhojje,  Earl  of  CbesterfieW  ;  letters, 
(•eorge  Lord  Lyttleton,  Worc€stershire  ;  History  of  Englaml. 

1774  Oliver  Goldsmith  ;  poems,  essays,  ana  other  pieces. 

Zachary  Tearce,  bishop  of  Rochester  ?  Annotations  on  the  New  Testament,  &c. 

1775  Dr.  John  Hawksworth  ;  essays. 

1776  David  Hume,  Mearse  ;  History  of  England,  and  essays 
James  Fei-guson,  Abeifleenshire  ;  astronomy. 

1777  Samuel  Foote,  Cornwall;  plays. 

1779  David  Garrick,  Hereford  ;  plays,  &c. 

William  Warburton,  bishop  of  Gloucester ;  Divine  Legation  of  Moses,  and  va- 
rious other  works. 

1780  Sir  William  Blackstone,  chief  justice,  London  5  Commentaries  on  the  Laws  of 

England. 
Dr.  John  Fothergill,  Yorkshire  ;  philosophj'  and  medicine. 
James  Harris,  Hermes  ;  Philological  Inquiries,  and  Philosophical  Arrangement?. 
1~S2  Thomas  Newton,    bishop  of  Bristol,  Litchfield  ;  discourses  on  the  prophecies 

and  other  works. 
Sir  John  Pringle,  Bart.  Roxboronghshire  ;  Diseases  of  the  Army. 
Henry  Home,  Loi-d  Kaimes,  Scotland  i  Elements  of  Criticism,  Sketches  of  tlic 

History  of  Alan. 

1783  Dr.  William  Hunter,  Lanerkshire  ;  anatomy. 

Dr.  Benjamin  Kennieott,  Devonshire  ;  Hebrew  Bible,  dissertations,  &c. 

1784  Dr.  Samuel  Johnson,   Lichfield  ;  English  Dictionary,  biography,  essay  s,  poetry, 

died  Dec.  13,  aged  71. 

1785  Rev.  Richard  Burn,  LL.  D.  author  of  the  Justice  of  Peace,  Eccles.  Law,  8cc. 

died  Nov.  20. 
Richard  Glover,  Esq.  Leonid.ns,  Medea,  &c.  died  Nov.  25, 

1786  Jonas  Han  way,  Esq.  Travels,  miscellanies,  died  Sept.  5,  aged  74. 

1787  Dr.  Robert  Lowth,  bishop  of  London ;  criticism,  divinity,  grammar,  died  Nov.  5. 
Soarae  Jenyns,  Esq.  Intenial  Evidence  of  the   Christian   Religion,   and  other 

pieces  ;  «lied  Dee.  1 8. 

1788  James  Stuart,  Esq.  celebrated  by  the  name  of"  Athenian  Stuart;"  died  Feb.  1. 
Thomas  Gainsborough,  Esq.  the  celebrated  painter,  died  Aug.  2. 

Thomas  Sheridan,  Esq.  English  Dictionary,  works  on  education,  elocution,  &c, 
died  Aug.  14. 

1789  William  Jufms  Miokle,  Esq.  Cumberland  ;  translator  of  the  Lusiad,  died  Oct.  25. 

1790  Dr.  William  Cullen,  Scotland ;  Practice  of  Physic,  Materia  Mcdica,  died  Feb.  5. 
Dr.  Adam  Smith,   Scotland  ;  Moral  Sentiments,   Inquiry   into  tlie   Wealth  of 

Nations,  died  April  17. 
John  Howard,  Esq.  Middlesex  ;  Account  of  Prisons,  Lazarettos,  &c. 
Rev.  Thomas  Warton,  B.  D.  poet  laureat ;  History  of  English  Poetrv,  pocrasf, 

died  April  21. 

1791  Rev.  Dr.  Richard  Price,   Glamorganshire  ;  on  Morals,  Providence,  Civil  Liber- 

ty, Annuities,  Reversionary  payments,  Sermons,  &c.  died  Feb.  19,  aged  G8. 
Dr.  Thomas  Blacklock,  AnnandaJe  ;  poems,  Consolations  from  natural  and  re- 
vealed Religion,  died  July,  aged  70. 

1792  Sir  Joshua  Reynolds,  Devonshire;  President  of  the  Royal  Academy  of  Painting; 

Discourses  on  Painting  delivered  before  the  Academy,  died  Feb.  23,  aged  G8. 

1793  Rev.  Dr.  William  Robertson,  Principal  of  tho  Univei-sity  of  Edinburgh,  anil  His- 

toriographer to  his  majesty  for  Scotland  ;  Histoiy  of  Scotland,  of  the  Reign 
of  Charles  V.  History  of  America,  and  Histo.  Disquisition  concerning  India, 
died  June  11,  aged  72. 

1794  Dr.  (ieorge  Campbell,  Abei'deen  ;  Rhetoric,  Dissertation  on  Miracles. 
Edward  Gibbon,  Esq.  Surry  ;  History  of  ihe  decline  and  fall  of  the  Roman  Em- 
pire, died  Jan.  16. 

1795  Dr.  Andrew  Kippis,  author  of  Cook's  Voya,2;es,  Life  of  Doddridge,  &C 

Sir  William  Jones,  one  of  the  Judges  of  India,  and  President  of  the  Asiatic  So- 
ciety, several  law  tracts,  translation  of  Isusus,  and  of  the  Moallakat,  or  seven 
Arabian  Poems,  and  many  valuable  papers  in  Asiatic  researches. 

1796  Robert  Burns,  the  Scotch  poet,  died  July  2t. 

James  Fortlyce,  D.  D.  Addresses  to  young  people.  Sermons.  &c.  die<l  Oct.  1. 

1797  Edmund  Burke,  Esq.  Sublime  and  Beautiful,  traits  on  the  French  Revolution. 
1799  W.  Melmoth  ;  Tr.anStalions  of  Pliny's  and  Cicero's  Letters,  Fit7.osl)orne*s  Let- 
ter*, Jsc,ir. 


S15  LEARNED  AND  EMINENT  MEN. 

ljon\  Monboddo  ;  origin  and  process  of  language. 
1800  Dr.  Hugh  Blair  :  Sermons,  Rhetoric,  and  Belles  Lettres. 

Rev.  William  Mason,  two  trage<lies,  Odes,  &c.  diet!  April  5. 

William  Cowper,  Poems,  translation  of  Homer,  &c.  died  April  25. 
1802  Henry  Hunter,  D.  D.  Sacred  Biography,  translation  of  Lavater,  St.  Pierre,  &c. 

died  Oct  27 
1812  Home  Tooke,  Histoiy,  Philology,  died  March. 


OTHER  EUROPEAN  AUTHORS. 

9S0  AVICENNA,  the  Mahometan  philosopher  and  physician. 
1118  AnnaCommena;  Alexiad,  or  life  of  her  father  Emperor  Alexias  Commenus, 
120C  Averroes,  Corduba,  the  Arabian  philosopher. 
1321  Dante,  Florence ;  poetry. 
13r4  Petrarch,  Arezzo  in  Italy  ;  poetry. 
1S76  Boccace,  Tuscany  ;  the  Decameron,  poems,  &c. 
1481  Platina,  Italy  ;  Lives  of  the  Popes,  &cc. 
1502  Montaigne,  Perigord  in  France  ;  essays. 
1509  Philip  de  Comines,  Flanders ;  historical  memoirs. 
1517  Martin  Luther,  the  Great  Reformer,  fl. 

John  Calvin,        do.        fl. 
1530  Machiavel,  Florence  ;  politics,  comedies,  Jcc. 
1534  Ariosto,  Lombaixly  ;  Orlando  Furioso,  and  five  comedies. 
1536  Erasmus,  Rotterdam  ;  Colloquies,  Praise  of  Folly,  &c. 
1540  Guicciaixlini,  Florence  ;  History  of  Italy. 
1543  Copernicus,  Thorn  in  Prussia  ;  astronomy, 

1549  Michael-de  Cervantes,  Saavedra  Alcalain  Spain;  Don  Quixote,  Sec. 
1566  Hannibal  Cai-o,  Civita  Nuova  ;  poems  and  translations. 

Vida,  Cremona ;  ai-t  of  poetry,  and  other  didactic  poems. 
1579  Camoens,  Lisbon  ;  the  Lusiad,  an  epic  poem. 
1590  Davila,  Isle  of  Cyprus;  history  of  the  civil  wars  of  France. 
1595  TorquatoTasso,  Italy  ;  Jerusalem  Delivered,  an  epic  poem,  Amiula,  he. 
1605  Ulysses  Aldrovandus,  Bologna  ;  natural  history. 
1608  Mendez,  Castile  ;  history  of  Cliina,  fl. 
1612  Battista  Guarini,  Ferrara  ;  the  Faithful  Shepherd,  a  pastoral  poem. 

1623  Father  Paul  Sarpi,  Venice  ;  History  of  the  Council  of  Trent,  Rights  of  Sove- 

reigns and  Subjects,  letters,  &c. 

1624  >lohn  Mariana,  Castile  ;  History  of  Spain. 

1625  John  Baptist  Marino,  Naples  ;  poetry. 

1627  Lewis  de  Congora,  (Jordova  ;  poetry  and  plays. 

1628  Francis  de  Mallierbe,  Normandy  ;  poetry. 
1630  John  Kepler,  Wittemberg ;  astronomy. 
1635  Trajan  Boccolini,  Rome  ;  satirical  pieces,  fl. 

1645  HugoGrotius;  commentaries  on  the  scriptures,  jurisprudencej 

1646  Lewis  Veliz  de  Guevera,  Andalusia  ;  comedies. 
1650  Des  Cartes,  Touraine  ;  philosophy  and  mathematics. 

1654  John  Lewis  de  Balzac,  Angouleme  ;  letters.  Sec. 

1655  Peter  Cassendi,  Provence  ;  astronomy. 

i«o  r?*'"*^'  Auvergne  ;  ThoughU  upon  Religion,  &c. 

1673  Mohere,  Paris;  comedies 

1675  James  Robault,  Amiens  ;  physics. 

1680  Francis,  Duke  of  Rochefoucault,  France ;  maxims. 

Dr.  Lewis  Moreri,  Provence  ;  Historical  Dictionary. 
Iao?  ^*^^^™y'  Lower  Normandy  i  Abridgment  of  the  history  ofFi-ance. 
R      I  ^t^t"  Cornel  lie,  Rouen  ;  thirty  dramatic  pieces. 
1689  Dr.  Bonet,  Geneva  ;  medicine. 
\lnx  9''^^  Menage,  Angers  ;  philology,  miscellanies  in  verse  and  prose. 

^"'^""'^^^       ^  ^^^^<^  Des  Houlieres,  Paris  ,  poetry. 

Marcellus  Malpighi,  Bologna  ;  discovered  the  circulation  of  the  sap  in  plants. 
iKnr  ?»"»'..'  \i'P^^  Saxony  ;  jurisprudence  and  history. 
1695  D  Herbelot,  Paris  ;  Bibliotheque  orientaie. 
iftoc  yuygens,  Hague  ;  mathematics  and  astronomy. 

»2      ^^  '*  Rruyere,  France  ;  characters. 

^frclnoness  de  Sevigne,  France  ;  letters, 
tragedies, 
funeral  orations. 


i«!uciiioness  tie  Sevigm 
1699  John  Racine,  France  ; 
1703  Muscatou,  Marseilles '; 


LEARNED  AND  EMINENT  MEN.  81? 

A.  C. 

1704  Bocconi,  Palermo  ;  natural  history. 

Bousset,  Dijon  ;  discourse  u|ton  universal  history,  funeral  orations,  &c. 
Bourdaloue,  France  ;  Sermons. 

1706  B.iilet,  Picardy  ;  Judgments  of  the  Learned,  biography,  &c. 

1707  Rev.  James  Saurin  ;  sermons,  tractb,  fl. 

1709  Thomas  Corn«ille,  brother  to  Peter  ;  tragedies. 

1710  Fleehier,  Avignon;  sermons,  funeral  orations, &c. 

17l'J  Boileau,   Paris;  satires,  epistles,  art  of  poetry  ;  the  Lutrin,  &c. 
Cassini,  Italy ;  astronomy. 

1715  Malcbranche,  Paris  ;  philosophy. 

1716  Francis  de  Salignac  de  la  motte  Fenelon,  archbishop   of  Cambray,   Pei-igortl ; 

Telemachus,  Dialogues  of  the  Dead,  Denvonstration  of  tiie  Being  of  God,  ite. 

Leibnitz,  Leipsick  ;   philosophy,  Stc. 
1720  Madame  Dacier,  France  ;  translation  of  Homer,  Terence,  &e. 
1733  Henry,  Paris  ;  history. 

Bayle,  Foix  ;  Historical  and  Critical  Dictionary. 
1725  Rapin  de  Thoyras,  Languedoc  ;  history  of  England. 
1728  Father  Daniel,  Rouen  ,  historj'  of  France. 
17S5  Vertot,  France  ;   Revolutions  of  Rome,  Portugal,  Sweden*  &c. 
1738  Dr.  Boerhave,  Leyden  ;  botany,  &c 
1741  Rollin,  Paris  ;  lustory,  Belles  Lettres. 

John  Baptist  Rousseau,  Paris  ;  wles,  epistles,  epigrams,  comedies,  letters, 

Le  Sage,  Bretany  ;    Gil  Bias,  he. 
1743  Masillon,  France  ;  Sermons. 

1755  Montesquieu,  Bourdeaux  ;  Spirit  of  laws.  Grandeur  and  Declension  of  the  Bo- 
mans,  Persian  lettei's,  &c. 
1757  Reaumur,  Rochele  ;  natural  history  of  insects. 
1767  Muratori,  Italy  ;  history,  antiquities. 

Metastasio,  Italy  ;  <lramatic  pieces,  fl, 
1778  Voltaire,  Paris  ;  the   Henriad,  an  epic  poem,  dramatic  pieces,  poetry,  history, 

literature  in  general. 
1788  The  Count  De  JBuftbn,  Paris  ;  natural  history. 
1794  Marquis  de  Beccaria  ;  IMssertations  on  Crimes  and  Pimisfaments. 
r796  Abbe  Raynal  ;  history  of  the  Indies. 


VOL.    II.  1^3 


INDEX  TO  VOL.  II. 


r^gt. 

Aalborg 

163 

Aar  river 

339 

Aarhims 

163 

Aberdeen 

104. 

univewitj 

102 

Abo  university 

176 

Abyssinia 

747 

Achill  island 

142 

Aciis  or  snowy  hurricanes  of  France 

279 

Adam's  bridge 

582 

A(!el  Jiingdom 

Adige  river 

385 

Adrianople 

422 

JBealian  islands 

407 

JEifna  mount 

405 

Africa 

701 

Agiraere 

586 

Agra 

585 

Agrieulture  and  soil  of  Abyssinia 

752 

Algiers 

730 

Arabia 

653 

Austria 

327 

Birman  Empire 

542 

Ceylon 

598 

Denmark 

165 

Egypt 

738 

England 

76 

France 

277 

Good  Hope,  cape  of 

765 

Hindostan 

572 

Holland 

238 

Japan 

530 

Ireland 

136 

Italy 

384 

Naples 

399 

Nepaul 

515 

Netherlands 

248 

Norway 

152 

Persia 

617 

Portugal 

378 

Prussia 

225 

Russia  in  Europe 

205 

Russia  in  Asia    , 

465 

Scotland 

109 

Siam 

553 

Sicily 

404 

Spain 

361 

Sweden 

180 

Switzerland 

338 

Tartary  Chinese 

500 

Tibet 

510 

Turkey 

448 

Ajan 

753 

Aland  isles 

184 

Aleppo 

443 

Alessandria 

390 

ftgi 

Alexandria  732 

Algbieri  408 

Algiers  716 

city  718 

Alliambra  palace  S4S 

Alicant  S59 

Allahabad  58^ 

Alps  339 

Alsen  island  167 

Altai  mountains  22 

Allan  Nor  Lake  467 

Alten  river  145 

Altona  162 

Amboyna  island  673 

Amedabad  590 

Araelandt  island  241 

Amiens  269 

Amoor  river  20 

Amsterdam  285 

Amu  river  636 

Andrews,  St.  university  102 

Andros  island  4^2 

Angers  270 

Angola  kingdom  769 

Angora  444 

Anhalt,  House  of  S03 

Annan  kingdom  516 

river  109 

Annobon  island  791 

Anspach  307 

Antiparos  grotto  429 

Antiparos  island  433 

Antwerp  244 

harbour  272 

Antiquities  of  Austi-ia  316 

China  Proper  478 

Chinese  Tartary  497 

Denmark  158 

England  36 

Egypt  728 

France  258 

Germany  289 

Hindostan  566 

Holland  232 

Japan  522 

Ireland  128 

Pei-sia  60S 

Poland  214 

Prussia  220 

Russia  in  Europe  194 

in  Asia  459 

Scotland  95 

Spain  347 

Sweden  171 

Switzerland  335 

Turkey  in  Asia  442 


INDEX 


Anfiquities  of  Turkey  in  Europe 

Appe  nines 

Arabia 

original  population  of 
progressive  gec^raphy  of 
Arabian  sea 
Aral  sea 

Ararat  mountain 
Architecture  of  Ireland 
Ardra  kingdom 
Aremberg,  duchy  tf 
Arkeeko 

Army  of  Abyssinia 
Algiers 
Austria 

Bit-man  Empire 
China  Proper 
Chinese  Tartary 
Denmark 
England 
Eg>pt 
France 

Gangetic  Hindost^ 
Germany 
Holland 
Jai>an 
Ireland 
Italy 
Morocco 
Naples 
Norway 
Poland 
Portugal 
Prussia 

Kussia  in  Europe 
Siaia 
Sicily 
Spain 
Sweden 
Switzerland 
Turkey  in  Europe 
Amo  river 
Arran  islands 
Arras 
Arroo  isles 
Ascension  island 
Asia 

original  population  of 
progresMve  geography  of 
Asphaltites  lake 
Asti 

Astracan 
Atbara  river 
Athinia  or  Setines 
Alhos  mount 
Atlas  mountaini 
Augila 
Augsburg 
Aur 

Australasia 
Austria 

original  population  of 
progressive  geography  of 
Ava 
Axum 
Azof  sea 

town 
Rahelmandel 


414 
386 
€40 
641 
641 
13 
637 
451 
135 
771 
303 
751 
750 
717 
318 
538 
483 
498 
159 
49 
731 
261 
583 
290 
23.5 
525 
131 
393 
704 
397 
150 
215 
372 
221 
196 
^  549 
401 
350 
174 
336 
417 
385 
120,  14t 
245 
682 
791 
434 
435 
439 
449 
390 
46'i 
75'2 
424 
428 
23 
785 
307 
105 
674 
309 
312 
312 
539 
751 
11 
463 
IS 


Babylon,  itsmas' 

Bad'akshau 

Baden 

Baedoo 

Bagdad 

Bahrin  isle 

Baikal  sea 

Baktegan  lake 

Balbec 

Balk 

Baltic  sea 

Bambara 

Banda  or  Lantor  islaiCd* 

Banna  river 

Barabin  stepp 

Barca 

Barcelona 

Bari 

Bai'ra  kingdom 

Barrow  river 

Basil  or  Hitsle 

Basra  or  B^Bora 

Batcblan  Island 

Bavaria 

Bayonne 

Bayreuth,  prbcipdity  6f 

Beeroo 

Belfast 

Belgrade 

Bellisle 

Belur  mountains 

Benbecula  isle 

Benares 

Bengal,  bay  of 

Benguela  kingdom 

Benin  kingdom 

Ben  Nevis  mountain 

Berelos  lake 

Bergamo 

Berg,  grand  duchy  of 

river 
Bergen 

Berhampootsr  river 
Berlin 
Berra  isle 
Beeancon 
Beveland  Islands 
Bbatgung 
Biafra  kingdom 
Bielo-Ozero  or  White  lake 
Birman  Empire 

original  population  of 
progressive  geography  of 
Biscay,  bay  of 
Bissagos  island 
Bissao  island 
Ristan 

Blackwater  river 
Bleeda 

Blocksberg  mountains 
Ho<len  Zee 
Bog  or  Bogne  river 
Bogs  of  Ireland 
Bokhara 
llologna 
Bombay 
Bondau 
Bootan 


819 

4AS 
636 
308 
779 
445 
65S 

16 
fil9 
442 
€35 

11 
778 
674 

lar 

468 
72* 
355 
S99 
777 
137 
337 
445 
672 
306 
272 
^09 
782 
134 
42S 
285 
637 
123 
5iS 

IS 
768 
770 
114 
739 
394 
302 
766 
151 
710 
222 
123 
270 
240 
S15 
770 
208 
533 
534 
584 

13 
790 
790 
614 
137 
719 
S93 
339 
906 
139 
635 
304 
590 
780 
513 


S2» 


INDEX. 


r»gc 

Borneo  islKbd  667 

Boruholm  island  167 

Botany  of  Arabia  655 

Australasia,  and  Polynesia     698 

Austria  3:i0 

Birman  Empire  54l 

China  Proper  4y3 

Chinese  Tartary  501 

Denmark  1 66 

Egypt  739 

England  81 

France  280 

Germany  294 

Hindostan  578 

Holland  240 

Japan  531 

Ireland  139 

Italy  386 

Lapland  145 

Morocco  715 

Persia  6''J1 

Portugal  379 

Pi-ussia  226 

Russia  in  Europf  S09 

Russia  in  Asia  469 

Scotland  ll6 

Sicily  406 

Spain  365 

Sweden  181 

Switzerland  340 

Turkey  in  Europe  428 

Turkey  in  Asia  .       45ii 

Bourhon  island  791 

Boiirdcaux  268 

Boulogne  271 

Bournou  782 

Bouro  island  671 

Boyne  river  137 

Braga  S76 

Brandenburgh  223 

Breed  e  river  766 

Bremen  305 

Brescia  394 

B.eslau  223 

Brest  271 

Briare  canal  274 

'Bridges  of  England  68 

British  Empire  SO 

possessions  in  Hindostan    583,  592 

Brody  325 

Brunn  324 

Brunswick  300 

Bruges  245 

Brussels  244 

Biieharia,  Great  634 

Bucharest  423 

Buda  324 

Bundamir  river  618 

Burrampooter  river  510,  573,  21 

Bute  island  120 

Cabul  589 

Cadiz  356 

Cadsand  island  240 

Caen  270 

Caffs,  straitsof  15 

Caffers  756 

Cap:liari  408 

"Cafcutta                                .  o84 


Cairo  738 

Cambay  590 

Cambodia  516 

Cambray  246 

tyambridge  university  57 

Campbeltown  106 

('anals  of  France  874 

(Janaries  789 

Oandia  4^ 

Canea  4Sl 

Oantabrian  ch^n  oF  motintaias  36$ 

Canton  487 

Cape  of  Good  Hope  756 

Cape  town  759 

Cape  Verd  islands  790 

Cardona  mountain  S65 

Carlscrona  177 

Carolines  isles  690 

Carpathian  mountains  329 

Carthage,  ruins  of  724 

Carthagena  358 

Cashgar  499, 627 

Cashrair  5SS 

Caspian  Sea  16 

Cassel  299 

Catania  403 

Catacombs  of  Egypt  728 

Catmandu  515 

Caucasian  mountains  450,  467 

Caveri  river  57C 

Celebezian  isles  669 

Central  Hindostan  590 

Ceram  island  671 

Cerigo  410 

Cephalonia  410 

Cevennes  chain  of  mountains  278 

Ceuta  or  Cibtu  709 

Ceylon  island  596 

Character  and  manners  of  Abysiuia       750 

Algiers  717 

Arabia  646 

Austria  330 

Birman  Empire  538 

Bacharia  634 

Ceylon  597 

China  Proper  483 

Chinese  Tartaiy  498 

Denmark  160 

Egypt  731 

England  52 

France  264 

Good  Hope,  cape  of    739,  761 

Hindostan  566 

Holland  8SS 

Japan  S35 

Ireland  131 

Lapland  144 

Nepaul  SVS 

Netherlands  Sii 

New-Holland  -676 

Norway  ISO 

Persia  610 

Poland  215 

Portugal  872 

Prussia  231 

Russia  in  Eur^Q  197 

Siam  550 

Sicily  468 


Page- 
Scotland  i)9 

Spain  S50 

Sweden  175 

Switzerland  336 

Tartarj-,  Independent         629 

Tibet  607 

Turkey  in  Europe  418 

Turkey  in  Asia  4*3 

Cherbourgh  27S  ; 

Cherso  395 

China  Proper  476 

original  population  of     476 

progressive  geography  of    476 

China  Sea  14 

Chinese  Empire  473 

Tartary  495 

original  population  of        496 

progressive  geography  of  496 

Christiana  151 

Christiausand  15T 

Ciampa  517 

Cirkutz  lake  S33 

Cirlipour  515 

Clara  river  180 

Clermont  fi70 

Ciausenburgh  325 

Cobi  desert  25 

Cochin  594 

Cochin  China  517 

Coimbra  377 

Coirabra  university  S74 , 

Colair  lake  676 

Cologne  269 

Colombo  598 

Colon  ies  of  France  26 1 

Comingo  isle  410 

Coniora  islands  792 

Commerce  and  manufactures  of 

Algiers  719 

Arabia  65t2 

Austria  326 

Abyssinia  751 

Birroan  Empire  541 

Buchari  636 

Ceylon  598 

China  Proper  489 

Chinese  Tartary  800 

Denmark  164 

England  70 

Egjpt  736 

France  275 

Good  Hope,  Cape  of  761 

Hindostan  571 

HoUand  237 

Ireland  135 

Japan  528 

Lapland  144 

Norway  152 

Netherlands  247 

Persia  615 

Portugal  377 

Prussia  223 

Russia  202 

Scotland  107 

Siara  552 

.  Sicily  40i 

Spain  360 

bwedcft  178 


INDEX,  821 

Page 

Tartaty,  ladependefnt         630 

Tibet  508 

Turkey  in  Europe  425 

Turkey  in  Asia  447 

Congo  kingdom  769 

Constance  lake  339 

Constantinople  421 

straits  of  15 

Copenhagen  16S 

Copper  mine  of  Fahlim  1S3 

Koraas  154 

Cordova  S59 

Corea  kin|3:dom  503' 

Corfu  fortifications  of  S862 

town  of  4lO 

Corinth,  isthmus  of  4fi7 

Cork  133 

Corrib  lake  13f 

Corsica  28S 

Cos  or  Coos  islaod  455 

Cosseir  735 

Cossacks  191 

Courtra  or  Cortrick  5246 

(Jourts  of  Denmark  150 

Cracow  324 

Cremona  395 

Cronstadt  200 

Cariosities  oatural  of  Arabia  657 

Austria  SS3 

England  87 

France  28S 

Hiiidostan  582 

Ireland  14L 

Norway  155 

Prussia  227 

Ru<;sia  212 

Scotland  119 

Switzerland  3il 

Turkey  m  Earope  429 

Carisch  Haff  226 

Customs.    See  chantetcir 

Cyprus  island  455 

I)HC«a  585 

Dahl  river  180 

Dalmatian  isles  S95 

Damietta  734 

Damascus  443 

Danish  Empire  147 

Dantzio  305 

Danube  river  22 

Dardanelles  15, 427 

Dcbnetzia  324 

Deitt  237 

Delhi  S8> 

De  la  Goa  756 

Denmark  155 

original  population  of  156 

progressive  geography  of       156 

Derbent  613 

Deine  725 

Deserts  of  Arabia  655 

Europe  34 

Persia  620 

Dieppe  272 

Dnieper  river  20S 

Dollart  bay  259 

Don  river  206 

Dort  or  Dordrecht  ^  *16 


822  INDEX. 

Douay  245 

Douro  riv^r  ^63 

never  straiti  15 

Draha  river  713 

Dresden  207 

Dria  426 

Droatheioi  151 

Dublin  183 

Dablin  univerajy  132 

Dumfries  105 

Dandalk  13* 

Dundee  10* 

Dunfermline  105 

Dunkeld  105 

Dunkirk  245 

Durra  sea  619 

Dusky  Bay  687 

Dwina  river  207 

Eastern  Continent  9 

Eboes  negroes  772 

Ebro  river  362 

Ecclesiastical  Ge(»Tapby  of  Ireland     130 

Ecija  359 

Bdifices  of  Arabia  652 

Austria  326 

Birman  ErapivB  541 

China  Proper  488 

Denmark  183 

France  273 

Japan  528 

Netherlands  246 

Persia  615 

Portugal  377 

■praam  223 

Siam  [552 

Spain  360 

Sweden  IT'S 

Tibet  S08 

Edinbu^h  103 

university  102 

EQuCation  of  Austria  322 

China  Propfer  486 

Denmark  ^       161 

England  56 

Franca  266 

Holland  234 

Japan  527 

Ipeland  132 

Norway  151 

Persia  611 

Prussia  222 

Russia  199 

Scotland  101 

Sweden  176 

SwitZ9rtStid  337 

Egypt  726 

El-Ajce  746 

Elba  island  285 

Elbe  river  291 

Kiyng  223 

Elko  lake  739 

Elvas  376 

Enara  lake  145 

Engia  gulf  426 

England  31 

list  of  the  kings  of  45 

English  chatmel  15 

EaoBtekis  144 


Ephesus                       ^r 

4I4 

Erivan 

613 

Erlau 

625 

Em  lake 

137 

Erzgeberg  mountains 
Euphrates  river 

293' 

44S 

Europe 

26 

Euxine  sea 

11 

Evora 

377 

university 

374 

Eyder  river 

165 

Fahlun 

178 

Falster  island 

166 

False  Bay 

76f 

Femeren  island 

167 

Feloops 

775 

Fernando  Po  island 

79© 

Ferrara 

395 

Ferrol 

358 

Ferro  islands 

167 

Ferro  or  Hierro  island 

790 

Fez  or  Fas,  city  of 

706 

Fezzan 

783 

Filially  river 

713 

Fingal's  cave,  or  grotto 

m 

Finns 

igO,  192 

Fish  river 

766 

Florence 

389 

Folmund  lake 

153 

Fool  ado 

780 

Foota  Jallo 

778 

Foota  Torra 

780 

Formosa  island 

494 

Forests  of  Austria 

329 

Birman  Empire 

543 

Ceylon 

599 

China  Proper 

49S 

Denmark 

166 

England 

80 

France 

280 

Germany 

294 

Hindostan 

577 

Japan 

531 

Morocco 

713 

Netherlands 

248 

Norway 

153 

Persia 

620 

Prussia 

226 

Russia  in  Earope  • 

209 

Russia  in  Asia 

468 

Scotland 

116 

Sweden 

181 

Tibet 

511 

Turkey  in  Europe 

42S 

Turkey  in  Asia 

452 

Forth  river 

109 

Forteventura 

789 

Fort  William  College 

583 

Foulahs 

779 

Foulahs,  Southern 

774 

Foyle  river 

137 

France 

255 

original  population  of 

256 

progresMve  geography  of 

256 

Frankfort 

223 

en  the  Mayn 

309 

Frederlcksnall 

15S 

Fren«h  Empire 

249 

INDEX. 


£rench  pos£essk»i3  in  Italy 

Friendly  isles 

Frisch  Haff 

Fulda,  principality  of 

Fnnen  island 

Fusi  raouutain 

Ga(lerai3 

Gagra  river 

Gal  way 

Gambia  river 

Ganges  river 

Cangetic  Hindostaa 

Garonne  river 

Gandiana  river 

Gawritz  river 

Gauts 

Gefle 

Geneva 

lak* 
Genoa 

George's,  St.  cbaimel 
Germany 

original  population  of 
progresave  geography  of 
Qerman  oceaa 
Ghent 

Ghizni  or  Gaana 
Giants'  Causeway 
Gibraltar  fortress 
Gibraltar  straits 
Giloio  island 
Girgeh 
Glamtne  river 
Glaciers  of  the  Alps 
Glasgow 

university 
Gluckstadt 
Goa 

Godaveri  rivei; 
Gold  coast 
Goniera  island 
Gondar 

Good  Hope  cape  tf 
Goree  island 
Gotha  river 
Gothenburg 
Gothland  islaixd 
Gottingen 
Gotto 

Covemraent  of  Abysajnia 
Algiers 
Arabia 
Austria 
Asia 

Birman  Empire 
China  Proper 
Chinese  Tartary 
Denmark 
Egypt 
England 
Europe 
France 
Germany, 
Good  Hope,  cape  of 
Gangetic  HiuUosUm 
Hindosta« 
Holland 
Jap««. 


rage 

387 
69C 
226 
305 
156 
530 
785 
S74 
134 
774 
21,  572 
582 
278 
363 
766 
572,  577 
178 


342 
339 
389 

15 
268 
268 
288 

14 
245 
589 
141 
368 

15 
670 
7S5 
152 
341 
103 
102 
163 
594 
575 
771 
790 
751 
756 
790 
186 
177 
184 
300 
779 
747 
717 
646 
317 
440 
537 
481 
497 
158 
729 

43 

29 
260 
390 
758 
58J 
56.5 
232 
Si4 


Ireland 

Italy  in  general 

Italy,  kingdom  of 

Lrfipland 

Morocco 

Naples 

Nepaul 

Netherlands 

Norway 

Persia 

Poland 

Portugal 

Prussia 

Russia 

Scotland 

Siam 

Sicily 

Spain 

Sweden 

Switzerlahd 

Tibet 

Turkey  in  Burope 
Gozza  isle 
Grampian  Hills 
Grain  Coast 
Granada 
Grande  rivet 
Gratz 
Great  river 
Groiiiiigen 
Greenock 

Guadarana  raountailis 
Guadalquivir  river 
Guernsey  isle 
Guinea  kingdom 
Guinea  proper 
Gulden  river 
Gypsies 
Haerlem 

sea  of 
Hsemus  chain  of  mountains 
Hague 

Haman  island 
Hamburg 
Hanovci- 

Hanoverian  states 
H^nseatio  League 
Ha\Te 

Havre,  fortifications  of 
Hebudes 

Helena,  St.  island 
Helena,  St.  bay 
Helicon  mount 
Herbagi 
Hermanstadt 
Hesse,  grand  duchy  Of 
Hildeshiem 
Himmaleh  mountains 
Hindostan 

original  population  of 
progressive  geography 
Central 
Gangetic 
Suiiietic 
Southern 
Hirta  or  St.  Klld  isle 
Historical  Epochs  of  Algiers 
Arabia 


82.3 

130 
3U 
S9S 
143 
703 
397 
514 
244 
149 
608 
214 
371 
32t 

195, 466 
98 
549 
401 
349 
172 
335 
506 
416 
410 
113 
773 
657 
774 
324 
765 
236 
105 
364 
353 
89 
770 
771 
165 
320 
236 
240 
427 
235 
494 
304 
301 
30O 
304 
272 
262 
120 
791 
766 
428 
746 
325 
302 
309 

515,  576 
557 
56a 
563 
590 
582 
587 
592 
132 
7l« 

Ait 


of 


i34, 

Historical  Epochs  oF  Austria 

Birraan  Empire 
Biichariit 
China  Proper 
Chinese  Tartary 
Denmark 

Egypt 

England 

France 

Germany 

Good  Hope,  cajte  of 

Hindostaa 

Holland 

Japan 

Ireland 

Iialv  in  general 

Ilnly  kingdom 

Morocco 

K;<ples 

Nepaul 

Netherlands 

Norway 

Persia  603, 

Poland 

Portugal 

Prussia 

Russia  in  Europe 
in  Asia 

Scotland 

Siam 

Sicily 

Spain 

Sweden 

Switzerland 

Tibet 

Tartary,  Independ. 

Turkey  in  Asia 

in  Europe 
HoanR-ho  rivttp 
Holland 

original  popniation  of 
progressive  geography  of 
Horses  of  Arabia 
Horticulture  of  England 
Houssa 
H'lmber  river 
Hydrabad 
Jaen 

Jago,  St.  di  Compostella 
Jaloss 
.Tallonkhas 
Janna 
Japan 

original  population  of 
progresave  geography  Of 
sea 
.Taroslau 
Java  island 

sea 
Icolmkill 
Ida  mount 
Jeilburgh 
Jedda 
Jedo 
Jenne 
Jersey  isle 
Jerusalem 
Oa  island 


INDEX. 


P>ge 
3U 

534 
6S3 
477 
497 
157 
726 

36 
257 
288 
757 
56.^ 
230 
521 
127 
38.2 
3G1 
703 
396 
514 
243 
149 
605 
2U 
370 
219 
194 
458 

94 
549 
400 
S46 
17(1 
334 
506 
627 
442 
414 

17 
228 
229 
229 
656 

77 
782 

77 
595 
359 
359 
780 
478 
423 
520 
521 
621 

14 
201 
665 

14 
121 
451 
105 
651 
527 
779 

89 
446 
120 


llmen  lake 
Indus  river 
In  ham  bane 
inn  river 
Innspruck 
Inverness 
Johnkioping 
Jordan  river 
Ionian  Republic 
Ireland 

original  population  of 
progressive  geography  of 
Irkutsk 
Irrawady  river 
Iron  mines  of  Norway 
Ischia  island 
Isefiord  bay 
Isenberg  principality 
Isle  of  Man 

Wight 
Ispahan 
Issimstepp 
Italy  in  general 

original  population  of 

French  territory  -within 

kingdom  of 
Judicature  of  England 
Jumna  river 
Jura  island 
.luggernaut 
Ivica  island 
Ivory  coast 
Kaarta 
Kajaaga 

Kalmuks,  stepp  of 
Kamschatka  sound 
Kandi 

Karroo  desert 
Kas.on 

Karskoi  channel 
Kerci  mountains 
Keiun  Lake 
Kesem  or  Keschia 
Khai'ism 
Khiva 

Kiamku  river 
Kiel 

university 
Kilkenny 
Killarney  lake 
Kiou 

Kirgusians 
Kistna  river 
Kizil  Irmak 
Kola 

Kolen  mountains 
Kolyvan 
Kom 

Kong  kingdom 
Kongsberg  silver  mines 
Konigsberg 
Koromantyn's  negroes 
Kurilian  isles 
Ladoga  lake 
Ladrones  isles 
Lahore 
Lahsa 
Language  of  Arabia 


20« 
574 
756 
328 
307 
106 
178 
449 
410 
126 
126 
127 
463 
542 

154 
399 
166 
305 

90 

8S 
611 
628 
380 
382 
387 
390 

45 
574 
120 
591 
367 
771 
778 
780 
468 

13 
597 
764 
77^ 

141 
145 
739 

est 

C3l 
632 
17 
163 
162 
135 

138,  141 
200 

628,  630 
576 
449 
144 

145,  153 
463 
614 
778 

223 
772 
473 
16 
689 
587 
651 
648 


Language  «f  Austria 

Birman  Empire 
China  Proper 
Cliinese  Tartary 
Denmark 

England 

France 

Germany 

Hindostan 

Holland 

Japan 

Ireland 

Italy 

Lapland 

Malaya 

Morocco 

Netherlands 

New  Holland 

Norway 

Persia 

Poland 

Portugal 

I'russia 

Russia  in  Europe 
in  Asia 

Scotland 

Siam 

Spain 

Sweden 

Switzerland 

Turkey  in  Europe 
Languedoc  canal 
Laos  country 
Laos  people 
Lapland 

original  population  ot 
Larissa 
Lassa 
Lausanne 
Laws  of  Austria 

Birman  Empire 

China  Proper 

Denmark 

Hindostaa 

Holland 

Japan 

Norway 

Kusaa 

Siam 

Scotland 

Spain 
Lead  hills  of  Scotland 
Lebanon  raountaia 
Leghorn 
Leipsi); 
Lelit  Pattan 
Lemberg  or  Leopotd 
Lcmnos  island 
Leoo  Keoo  isles 
Lena  river 
Lepanto,gulf  of 
Lewis  isle 
Leuwarden 
Leydea 
Leyen 

Liechtenstein 
Liffy  river 

VOL.  II.       104 


INDEX. 


P»ge. 

321 
539 
485 
499 
161 
732 
54 
265 
291 
568 
234 
527 
132 
884 
144 
545 
705 
244 
678 
151 
611 
215 
373 
222 
198 
462 
100 
551 
S53 
175 
337 
420 
274 
555 
556 
143 
143 
423 
508 
338 
317 
537 
481 
158 
567 
233 
524 
149 
196 
549 

99 
349 
113 
451 
389 
297 
515 
324 
437 
530 

17 
426 
123 
236 
236 
309 
309 
137 


82$ 


f'gt. 

Limerick 

134 

Limmat  river 

339 

lindau 

307 

Linz  or  Lintz 

325 

Lipari  islands 

406 

Lippe,  House  of 

304 

Lisbon 

375 

Lisle 

245 

Literature  of  Arabia 

648 

Austria 

322 

Birman  Empire 

539 

Chinese  Tai'tary 

499 

Denmark 

161 

England 

55 

France 

265 

Germany 

289,  291 

Hindostan 

569 

Holland 

234 

Japan 

527 

Ireland 

132 

Nepaul 

514 

Portugal 

37S 

Prussia 

222 

Russia  in  Europe 

198 

Scotland 

JOl 

Siam 

551 

Sicily 

402 

Spain 

353 

Sweden 

175 

Switzerland 

337 

Tibet 

507 

Turkey 

420 

Liverpool 

60 

Livonians 

192 

Loango  kingdom 

769 

Loch  Linne 

lU 

Loch  Awe 

111 

Loch  Ericht 

112 

Loch  Lochy 

111 

Loch  Shin 

112 

Loch  Tay 

119 

Loii-e  river 

277 

Lomond  lake 

111 

London                                 * 

58 

Londonderry 

134 

Lorca 

359 

Low  CountriBS 

327 

Lubec 

305 

Lucca 

390 

Liicknow 

585 

Ludamar 

782 

Lund  university 

176 

Luxemberg 

S46 

Luzon  isle 

C6S 

Lymford  bay 

Lyons 

Lys  river           ^ 

166 
269 
248 

Madagascar 

786 

Madeira 

788 

Madras 

S93 

Madrid 

854 

Madura 

666 

Mficaiider  river 

449 

246 

Macatritcht 

MagaOoxo  kingtlom 

754 

Magdeburg 

S99 

Maggione  lake 
Majorca  Uland 

385 

367 

INDEX. 

F«ge. 

672 
358 
545 
773 
246 
155 
409 

ib. 

ib. 

90 

61 
779 
778 
775 
668 


886 , 

Makian  islands 

Malaga 

Malaya  or  Malacca 

Malagueta 

Malines  or  Mechlin 

Mahtrom  whirlpool 

Msdta 

Religion 
Population 
Man,  isle  of 
Manchester 
Manianana 
Manding  kingdom 
Mandingoes 

Manillas,  or  Philippine  islands 
Manners.    See  Character 

Mantua  395 

Maritz  426 

Marmora,  Sea  of  10 

Margnesas  isles  692 

Marseilles  268 

Martaban  541 

Masuah  751 

Matthew  St.  island  791 

Mauritius  island  791 

Mayn  river  292 

Mecca  650 

Medina  650 

Mediterranean  Sea  10 

Mecklenburg,  House  of  302 

Meinain  river  554 

Meier  lake  180 

Melilla  709 

Melinda  kingdom  754 

Menzala  lake  739 

Mersey  river  17 

Megnino  707 

Messina  403 

Mesurada  river  774 

Metz  270 

Meuse  river  240 

Miaco  528 

Middleburg  236 

Middleton'sisland  680 

Milan  388 

Milo  island  433 

Miosslake                               \  153 

Minho  river  363 

Mindanao  island  669 

Minorca  island  367 

Misitra  424 
Mineralogy  and  mineral  waters  of 

Arabia  657 

Austria  331 

Birman  Empire  544 

Bucharia  638 

Ceylon  599 

Chma  Proper  494 

Chinese  Tartaiy  502 

Denmark  166 

Egypt  741 

England  80 

France  282 

Hindostan  581 

Holland  240 

Japan  532 

Ireland  140 

Italy  387 


ngs- 


Mineralogy  and  minera}  waters  of 

Lapland 

146 

Morocco 

715 

Nepaul 

516 

Netherlands 

248 

New-Holland 

679 

Norway 

153 

Persia 

622 

Portugal 

SSO 

Prussia 

S27 

Russia  in  Europe 

211 

Russia  in  Asia 

471 

Scotland                              115 

,118 

Siam 

555 

Sicily 

40S- 

Spain 

366 

Sweden 

182 

Switzerland 

341 

Tibet 

511 

Turkey  in  Europe 

429 

Turkey  in  Asia 

453 

Modena 

394 

Moen  island 

166 

Mosodor 

708 

Moluccas 

670 

Mombaza  kingdom 

rs* 

Mondori 

390 

Monomotapa  kingdom 

755 

Monsoons 

572 

Mons 

245 

Montpellier 

370 

Montserrat 

364 

Moors 

781 

Morocco 

702 

city  of 

706 

Morfay  island 

671 

Mosambique  kingdom 

755 

channel 

14 

Moscow 

199 

Moselle  river 

248 

Moskoestrom  whirlpool 

155 

Motala  river 

180 

Monltan 

589 

Mulhausen 

300 

Mull  isle 

121 

Munich 

307 

Murcia 

357 

Muscle  Bay 

767. 

Myconi  island 

432 

Mysol  island 

671 

Mytilene  island 

454 

Nagasaki 

528 

Namur 

245 

Nancy 

370 

Nankin 

487 

Nantes 

269 

Naples  kingdom 

396 

city 

397 

Nassau,  House  of 

30;J 

or  Pocgy  islands 

665 

Natal 

756 

Natron  lakes 

739 

Navigation,  inland,  of 

Birman  Empire 

541 

China  Proper 

488 

Denmark 

163 

England 

68 

France 

274 

INDEX. 


82r 


Bue. 

Pige 

Navigation,  inland,  of 

Okka  river 

207 

Ilindostaa 

570 

Okotz  bay 

13 

Holland 

237 

Gland  island 

183 

Ireland 

135 

Oldenbui^gh,  duchy  of 

303 

Netherlands 

247 

Oleron  isle 

285 

Prussia 

224 

Oliphants  or  Elephanits  liver 

766 

Russia  in  Europe 

201 

Olonetz  mountains 

209 

Scotland 

106 

Olympus  mount 

427, 457 

Sweden 

178 

Omer  St. 

245 

Navigators  islands                          tSi 

k,  697 

Onega  river 

207 

Navy  of  Algiers 

717 

lake 

16 

Austria 

319 

Oparo  isles 

698 

Birman  Empire 

538 

Oporto 

376 

Denmark 

160 

Oran 

719 

England 

49 

Orihuela 

359 

France 

262 

Oristano 

-408 

Italy 

393 

Orkney  isles 

123 

Morocco 

704 

Orleans 

269 

Naples 

397 

Orontes  river 

449 

Persia 

609 

Osnftburg 

300 

Portugal 

372 

Ostend 

246 

Russia  in  Europe 

1D7 

Otaheite  isle 

691 

Siam 

550 

Owhyhee 

692 

Sicily 

401 

Osford  university 

57 

Spaiot 

350 

Oyolova  isle 

697 

Sweden 

174 

Padua 

394 

Turkey 

417 

Palermo 

402 

Naxia  or  Naxas  island 

432 

Palma  island 

790 

Neagh  lake 

138 

Palmyra 

442 

Necker  river 

292 

Pantalaria 

407 

Negropont  island 

431 

Papua  or  New  GuitTea 

680 

Nepaul  or  Nipal 

513 

original  (Mpulation  of 

681 

Nepeau  island 

680 

Paris 

2C7 

Nerbudda  river 

575 

Parma 

390 

Netherlands 

i241 

Parnassus  mount 

428 

original  population  of 

243 

Paros  island 

433 

Neuille  bridge 

273 

Patna 

585 

Ncusidler 

329 

Pavia 

395 

Neva  river 

207 

Pearls  of  Ceylon 

599 

New-Britain  island 

683 

Pegu 

540 

New -Caledonia 

684 

Peipus  lake 

207 

New-Hebudes 

684 

Pekin 

287 

New-Holland 

675 

Pelew  isles 

688 

New-Ireland 

■684 

Persia 

600 

New -Zealand 

684 

original  population  of 

601 

Nieper  river 

■S06 

progressive  geography  of           602 

Niester  river 

207 

Persian  Gulf 

12 

Niger  river 

19 

Perth 

104 

Nile  river 

19 

Pest 

324 

Nimeguen 

2S6 

Petersburgh  St 

200 

Nio  islands 

433 

university 

190 

Nismcs 

270 

Petshora  river 

207 

Nordkioping 

177 

Philippi  or  PhilippopoU 

422 

Norfolk  island 

680 

Philippine  islands 

668 

Norway 

147 

Pisa 

390 

original  population  of 

148 

Piazinsko  lake 

46fi 

progressive  geography  of 
mountains  of 

149 
153 

Plettenbergs  bay 
Po  river 

767 
385 

Nova  Zerabla 

212 

Political  importance  of 

Birman  Empire 

Nubia 

741 

538 

Nuremberg 

307 

Cliina  Proper 

483 

Oases  of  Africa 

S4 

Denmark 

169 

Oby  Uulf 

IS 

France 

9U 

river 

18 

Germany 

S90 

Ochill  hills 

IIS 

Hindostaa 

S68 

Odensee 

163 

Japan 

525 

Oder  river 

S25 

Ireland 

131 

Gkz  lake 

S30 

Penia 

610 

tSt  INDEX. 

Page 

political  importance  of  Siam  55u 

Spain  S61 

Poland  2t2 

Polynesia  687 

Poraerania,  Swtdish  305 

Porto  Santo  island  788 

Portugal  369 

Posen  or  Posoa  298 

Potsdam  223 

Population  of  Abyssinia  749 

Africa  701 

Algiers  717 

Austria  SIS 

Birnian  Empire  SS7 

Ceylon  597 

China  Proper  483 

Chinese  Tartaiy  497 

Denmark  159 

Egypt  730 

England  48 

France  2G1 

Germany  290 

Good  Hope,  Cape  of        768 

Hindostan  5C7 

Japan  524 

Ireland  131 


Italy 

I^apland 

Morocco 

Naples 

Nepaul 

Netherlands 

Norway 

Persia 

Poland 

Portugal 

Prussia 

Kussian  Empire 

in  Asia 
Siam 
Scotland 
Sicily 
Spain 
Sweden 
Switzerland 


384,  393 
143 
703 
397 
513 
244 
150 
609 
215 
372 
221 
189 
460 
549 
99 
401 
349 
173 
336 


I'artary,  Independent     627 

Tibet  506 

Turkey  in  Europe  417 

Turkey  in  Asia  442 

World  9 

Prngwe  323 

Pregcl  river  625 

Presbur^  324 

Princts  island  790 

Prusa  444 

Prussia  2l6 

original  population  of  218 

progressive  geography  of  218 

Pyramids  of  Egypt  728 

Pyrenees  279 

Quarnaro  isles  395 

Qniloa  kingdom  755 

Raab  325 

Habat  707 

Rackama  lake  450 

Hands  lake  153 

Rangoon  541 

Rannock  moor  IIQ 


Rasht  613 

Ratisbon  309 

Rav«nna  395 

Red  Sea  12 

Reggio  399 

Religion  of  Abyssinia  748 

Algiers  717 

Arabia  645 

Austria  317 

Birman  Empire  537 

Bucharia  633 

Ceylon  597 

China  Proper  479 

Chinese  Tai'tary  497 

Denmark  158 

Egypt  729 

England  39 

France  290 

Germany  289 

Good  Hope,  Cape  of  758 

Hindostan  566 

Holland  232 

Japan  523 

Ireland  129 

Italy  384 

Lapland  143 

Morocco  703 

Naples  397 

Nepaul  514 

Netherlands  244 

Persia  607 

Poland  214 

Portugal  371 

Prussia  220 
Russia                          195, 459 

Scotland  96 

Siam  549 

Sicily  401 

Spain  S4S 

Sweden  172 

Switzerland  335 
Tartary,  Independent         627 

Turkey  415 

Retimo  island  431 

Reussen,  house  of  305 

Revenue  of  A  by  ssinia  750 

Algiers  717 

Austria  319 

Birman  Empire  538 

China  Proper  483 

Denmark  160 

Egypt  731 

England  50 

France  262 

Germany  290 

Good  Hope,  Cape  of  758 

Gangetic  Hindostan  5  83 

Hindostan  567 

Holland  238 

Japan  525 

Ireland  131 

Italy  398 

Morocco  704 

Naples  397 

Norway  150 

Persia  609 

Poland  215 

Portugal  372 


INDEX. 


829 


Pag» 

P>«e. 

Bevenue  of  Prussia 

221 

Scio  island 

454 

Russia  in  Europe 

197 

Scboo  river 

712 

Siam 

550 

Scilly  isles 

89 

Sicily 

401 

Scotland 

91 

Spain 

350 

original  population  of 

93 

Sweden 

174 

progressive  geography 

of          93 

Switzerland 

336 

Sego 

778 

Tibet 

507 

Seine  river 

278 

Turkey 

417 

Selinga  river 

466 

Rheims 

270 

Senegal  river 

774 

Rhine  river                                    239,  292 

Sennaar 

742 

Rhodes  island 

455 

Serai  or  Serajo 

42S 

Rhone  river 

277 

Serawoolies 

780 

Riga 

200 

Serinpapatam 
Serra  dT^strella 

593 

Ringkiobing  bay 

166 

379 

Roads  of  China  Propei; 

488 

Seira  Moncliique 

379 

France 

273 

Severn  river 

77 

Ireland 

135 

Seville 

sss 

Norway 

152 

Shannon  river 

137 

Sweden 

178 

Shetland  isies 

125 

Rochefort 

272 

Shiraz 

612 

Rochelle 

272 

Siam 

547 

Roggeveld  mountains 

764. 

original  population  of 

548 

Rome 

388 

progressive  geography  of 

548 

Rona  isles 

122 

Sicily 

400 

Roraas  copper  mine 

154 

original  population  of 

400 

Rosetta 

735 

Sierra  de  Molina  mountains 

364 

Rostock 

802 

Nivada  mountains 

364 

Rottei-dara 

235 

Sierra  Leone 

774 

Rouen 

269 

river 

775 

Russian  Empire 

184 

mountains 

775 

Russia  in  Europe 

189 

Silver  mbe  of  Kolhyvan 

211 

original  population  of 

190 

Kongsberg 

154 

progressive  geography 

ofl93 

Sinai  mount 

654 

Russia  in  Asia 

456 

desert 

«54 

Sabia  or  Sedanda 

756 

Sindetic  Hindostan 

587 

Satfae 

708 

Sire 

751 

Sagalian  island 

502 

Sirian 

541 

Sahara 

783 

Sirr  river 

637 

Sahara  desert 

24 

Sitaug  river 

542 

Saldanh^Bay 

766 

Siut  or  Assiut 

735 

Salm,  house  of 

305 

Siwah 

785 

Salonica,  gulf  of 

427 

Skey  isle 

122 

Saloniki 

422 

Slavonians 

190,  191 

Salt  mines  of  Austria 

3S2 

Smyrna 

443 

Salee 

708 

Soan  river 

574 

Salwatti  island 

682 

Society  isles 

693 

Samarcand 

634 

Socotra  isle 

658 

Sambre  river 

248 

Sofala 

756 

Samos  island 

454 

Soil.    See  Agriculture 

Sana  or  Saana 

650 

Solomon  islands 

683 

Sandwich  isles 

691 

Sooloo  isles 

668 

Santorini  island 

434 

Sophia 

423 

Sarabat  river 

449 

Soudan 

773 

Saragossa 

358 

Spain 

344 

Sardinia 

Sari 

Sasari 

407 

original  population  of 

34s 

613 

408 

progressive  geography  of 
Spanish  empire 

347 
343 

Saxe,  House  of 

Saxorw 

Schafthausen 

303 

Spelding  See 

225 

296 

338 

Spey  river 
Spice  islands 

110 

670 

Scheldt 

248 

Stafla 

121 

Schemnitz 

325 

Stanovi  ridge  of  mountains 
Stepps  of  Russia  in  Asia 

467 

Schleswick 

163 

468 

Schouwen  island 

240 

Stepp  of  Siberia 

25 

Schwarzburg,  House  <jf 

304 

Sterling 

105 

Schweinfuat 

307 

Stettin 

223 

Schwerin 

302 

Stockholm 

15^ 

83.0  INDEX. 

Strasburg 

Suakem 

Suez  €51, 

Hujnatra  island 

Sunday  rivei' 

Sural 

Suse  river 

Svir  river 

Sweden 

original  population  of 

progressive  geography  of 
Switzerland 

original  populatioH  of 
Swuckustoet  mountain 
Syene 
Syracuse 
Syrian  Christians 
Szegedin 
Tabarka  island 
Table  mountain 
Tagiis  river 
Tana  river 
Tangier 
Taranto 

Tartary,  Independent 
Tat^a 

Taurian  mountains 
Tay  river 
Tchoka  island 
Tebriz  or  Tawriz 
Teffliz 
Teis  rirer 
'I'enerine 
Tensift  river 
Terkire  lake 
Temat  island 
Terradant 
Tetvan 
Texel  island 
Thaluan  river 
Thames  river 
Thereseinstadt 
Thomas  St.  island 
Tibboos 
Tiber  river 
Tibet  or  Tangut 

progressive  geography  of 
Tidsi  river 
Tigris  river 

Timor  island  ^ 

Timorlaut  island 
Tino  island 
Tinto  river 
Tipteri  nation 
Tirey  isle 
Tiemsea 
Tobolsk 
Tokat 
Toledo 
*J'olen  island 
Tombuctoo 
Tonningen 
Tonquin  gulf 
Tornea 

river 
Toulon  harbor 
Toulouse 
''E'ourwiv 


Page. 

269 
746 
735 
661 
766 
591 

7ia 

307 
168 
170 
170 
3S3 
334 
153 
7S6 
403 
595 
324 
724 
764 
563 
145 
709 
398 
€25 
589 
450 
109 
502 
613 
612 
328 
790 
712 
510 
672 
707 
708 
241 
742 

77 
324 
791 
783 
385 
503 
S05 
713 
448 
666 
682 
432 
S63 
193 
122 
719 
403 
245 
359 
240 
782 
163 

13 
144 
145 
271 
269 
245 


Tranquebar  594 
Travelling,  state  ot^  among  the  Turks  425 

Trent  ,  307 

Trieste  325 

Tripoli  •  724 

Tschuvasch«s  193 

Tuarick  783 

Tula  201 

Tunis,  721 

city  722 

Tunquin  kingdom  519 

Turfan  499 

Turin  389 

Turkey  in  Asia  441 

in  Earope  412 
original  popuIatioiD  of  4^41 


Tweed  river 

109 

Tyre 

447 

Tyri  lake 

153 

Tyrolese  Alps 

306 

Tzana  or  Deitkbea  lake 

758 

Valday  mountains 

208 

Valencia 

355 

Valencjennes 

346 

A'^allette,  city  of 

409 

Valladolid 

359 

Vallais 

342 

Van  lake 

449 

Vandiemen's  land 

€86 

Vardari 

426 

Ubes,  St.  or  Setuval 

377 

Vecchia  Civita 

409 

Venice 

393 

Verona 

394 

Versailles 

271 

,  palace 

273 

Vesuvius  mount 

386 

Vienna 

823 

VisiapouF 

595 

Vistula  rirer 

225 

Vitima  river 

IS 

Ulubad  lake 

450 

United  Principalities 

308 

Universities  of  Austria 

322 

England 

57 

Germany 

289 

Hindostaa 

570 

Ireland 

132 

Netherlands 

244 

Poland 

21S 

Portugal 

374 

Russia  in  Europe 

199 

Scotland 

102 

Spain 

354 

Swedes 

176 

Volcanos  of  Japan 

530 

Voorn  island 

240 

Upsala 

177 

Upsal  university 

176 

Ural  mountains 

23 

Urmia  lake 

619 

Usbecks 

633,  634 

Utretcht 

236 

Waldeck,  principality  of 

305 

Waijoo  or  Wadjoo  isle 

682 

Warsaw 

297 

Wassela  kingdom 

778 

Waterford 

13i 

INDEX. 


331 


Page. 

Wenner  lake 

180 

Weser  river 

291 

Westphalia 

299 

Wetter  lake 

180 

Weygat  straits 

16 

Wexfonl 

134 

Whidah  kingdom 

771 

White  eea 

12 

Wilna 

201 

Wilteoberg 

298 

Wolga  river 

20 

Woole  kingdom 

777 

Wurtemburg,  kingdom  of 

307 

Wurtzburg,  grand  duchy  of 

308 

Yaik  river 

4G6 

Yakutsk 

464 

Yani 

777 

Yarkiuicl 

499 

Yellow  sea 

13 

Venisea  river 

18 

town 

463 

Ypres  or  Ipresi 

246 

Ythan  river 

110 

Yuthia    , 

552 

Zant« 

410 

Zealand  islarwl 

156 

New,  island 

684 

Zocotra  or  Socotra  is^ind 

793 

Zoologjr  of  Arabia 

656 

Austria 

330 

Birman  Empire 

544 

Ceylon 

599 

China  Proper 

493 

'^E'- 

Zoology  of  Chinese  Tartary 

501 

Denmark 

166 

Egypt 

74(J 

England 

84 

France 

281 

Cermany 

295 

Hindostan 

530 

Holland 

240 

Japan 

531 

Ireland 

140 

Italy 

370 

Lapland 

146 

Morocco 

71* 

Ncpaiil 

51G 

New-Holland 

079 

Norway 

153 

Persia 

mi 

Portugal 

370 

Prussia 

Q-2C, 

Ilusiia  ia  Europe 

210 

Russia  in  Asia 

470 

Scotland 

lis 

Siam 

554 

Sicily 

406 

Sweden 

I8i 

Switzerland 

341 

Tibet 

5U 

Turkey  in  Europe 

428 

Turkey  in  Asia 

45.S 

Zouf 

635 

Zurich 

337 

Zuyder  Zee 

239 

Zwartcaps  or  Algoa  Bay 

7ar 

r  I  N  I  s. 


ERRATA—VOL.  I- 


In  a  work  of  tliis  kind,  containing  so  many  uncommon  names,  and  printed,  in  greit 
part  from  manuscript,  will  not  be  expected  to  be  wholly  free  from  errors  of  the  press. 
The  Reader  is  requested  to  correct  the  following. 

Fage,  Line. 

For— dimunition.  Read — diminution. 

—  imvinter  than  in  summer f  —       in  summer  than  ih  winter. 

-  tluise  children^  - 

—  Beibtons,  — 

—  virhie,  — 

—  Preshyteriantf  -  - 

-  I'etshora,  - 

-  ■  3320, 

—  JUissi-iippi,  - 

—  great  bend,  — 

—  gulf  of  JMexico,  — 

-  Sir  David  Keith,  - 

—  Mining  Lake,  — 

-  American  Methodists,  - 

—  Hudson,  — 
mi  feet, 

-  Corchangs,  - 

-  Oyster  Point  Bay,  - 

—  influence,  — 

-  Escetan,  - 

-  cultivation,  — 

-  unsuccessful,  — 

ERRATA— VOL.  IL 


sP^ 

31 
^    10 

90 

6 

_ 

28 

94 

16 

96 

13 

99 

24 

102 

16 

106 

55 

124 

11 

129 

7 

157 

29 

1C9 

13 

189 

49 

226 

13 

384 

10 

386 

21 

387 

28 

468 

39 

614 

12 

615 

18 

712 

36 

Page. 

Line. 

23 

37 

25 

16 

25 

40 

27 

23 

42 

41 

69 

23 

172 

5 

218 

3 

2S4 

32 

287 

4 

288 

18 

346 

17 

377 

11 

387 

16 

407 

5 



24 

424 

18 

— 

26 

704 

18 

713 

48 

716 

24 

717 

1 

729 

7 

757 

20 

the  children. 

Bedouins. 

virtues. 

Episcopalians. 

the  Petshora. 

3230. 

Missinipi. 

mouth  of  the  Missouri. 

gulf  of  California. 

Sir  David. 

Rainy  Lake. 

Armenian  Methodists. 

James. 

4000  feet. 

Corchaugs, 

Oyster  Pond  Point. 

affluence. 

Escelen. 

cultivators. 

successful. 


i 


Bled-el-Jezrede, 

_ 

Bled-el-Jcrrede. 

began. 

_ 

be  given. 

these. 

_ 

three. 

Kaff, 

- 

Kaffa. 

diffidents. 

- 

dissidents; 

215,000, 

— 

21,500. 

Wisbray, 

- 

Wiabuy. 

t 

,_ 

or. 
W. 

are. 

_ 

were. 

,  except — These, 

- 

.  Except — these 

to  have. 

— 

as  having. 

Evovra, 

— 

Evora. 

ivest. 

_ 

east. 

uncultivated. 

- 

cultivated. 

4000, 

_ 

3000. 

Athnians, 

^ 

Athenians. 

Jifistria, 

_ 

Misitra. 

Tarudant, 

„ 

Terodant. 

cask. 

„ 

cork. 

JVumisia, 

,. 

Nunridia. 

Maraboieta, 

.. 

Marabouts. 

^feet. 

„ 

4  feet  wide. 

Stellenborck, 

— 

Stellenbosch. 

THE  LIBRARY 

UNITERSiTY  CF  CAUFOMOA 

LOS  ANGELi^3 


'^mM 


■ks  ^^jrat--'^.-       ■ .'      'A:^',: 


.<3-,*S' 


./ 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 

Los  Angeles 

This  book  is  DUE  on  the  last  date  stamped  below. 


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